Summary/Reflective Essay

Week 1

Due Sep 28 by 11:59pm Points 10

Submitting a file upload

Usually these Summary/Reflective Essays are due on Fridays. Due to the short week this one is due Saturday, and if you need until Sunday, that is OK with me.

This week I would like for you to focus on the Sabine Kriebel reading and compose an essay (see the format guidelines at the bottom of the page) that addresses the following questions:

1. What are the initial, tentative definitions of photography that Kriebel proposes? What are the problems with these definitions, according to the author? Be sure to address several of these tentative definitions.
2. Why did Poe like photography? Why didn’t Baudelaire like it? Explain their rationale.
3. Then, summarize–but do so with great specificity–the key ideas of either Walter Benjamin or Roland Barthes. These are more complex theories, so spend some time with them.
4. Conclude with a brief statement about what you find most interesting in this reading and why.

In addition to the specific prompts for each week, as a general set of guidelines, these informal essays have the following learning outcomes:

1. Prompt further thinking about the ideas/issues raised in the reading through the process of writing. This includes articulating, in your own words, some of the major ideas/issues included in the readings (you will not be able to cover them all, nor are you expected to).
2. Reflect on the social importance, or “stakes” of the ideas/issues raised.

3. Reflect upon the personal importance to you of the ideas/issues raised in the readings, and connect these to your life.

4. Provide a tangible form of your reading comprehension for your instructor to assess your understanding of these ideas/issues.

https://canvas.uw.edu/courses/1745208/assignments/9293220?module_item_id=20904347 1/4

Format: Your essays should be 2.5-3 pages, double-spaced, 12pt font. I am most concerned that you communicate clearly, so any style of writing (informal, academic, narrative, etc.) that accomplished this is acceptable to me. No citations are necessary unless your draw from sources outside of course readings, which is NOT encouraged. Upload your essays to Canvas as a Word .doc or PDF file. It is your responsibility to check that your file is correct and has been uploaded.

https://canvas.uw.edu/courses/1745208/assignments/9293220?module_item_id=20904347 2/4

Criteria	Ratings									Pts
Question 1Summary of Kriebel’s	3 pts Excellent			2.5 pts Good				2 pts Average	0 pts No
arguments.	Essay thoroughly summarizes andexplains Kriebel’s arguments regarding the			Essay partially summarizes and explains all/ some of Kriebel’s				Essay inadequately explains and	Marks
	definition of photography, with specific and detailed examples from the text.			arguments, but could be more specific and detailed.				summarizes Kriebel’s arguments.		3 pts
Question 2	2 pts		1.5 pts				1 pts		0 pts
Explanation of Poe’s and Baudelaire’s like/dislike of photography.	ExcellentEssay thoroughly explains the positions of Poe and Baudelaire regarding the value of photography, and why they do or do not like it.		GoodEssay partially summarizes and explains the positions of Poe and Baudelaire, but needs to be more detailed.				AverageStudent inadequately explains the positions of Poe and Baudelaire.		No Marks	2 pts
Question 3Specific summary of the	2 pts Excellent	1.5 pts Good				1 pts Average			0 pts No
arguments of either WalterBenjamin or Roland	Essay is very specific inexplaining the ideas of either	Essay has some key ideas, but could be more specific in explaining				Essay inadequately summarizes the ideas of			Marks	2 pts
Barthes.	Benjamin or Barthes.	Benjamin or Barthes.				Benjamin or Barthes.
Question 4	2 pts	1.5 pts			1 pts				0 pts	2 pts
Reflection on what thestudent found most	ExcellentStudent explains, with detailed	GoodStudent explains what they found			AverageStudent inadequately explains				NoMarks
interesting.	examples, what they found most interesting and why.	interesting, but could be more specific in explaining why.			what they found interesting about the readings.

https://canvas.uw.edu/courses/1745208/assignments/9293220?module_item_id=20904347 3/4

Criteria	Ratings					Pts
Format and submitted on	1 pts		0.5 pts
time	Full Marks		Needs Improvement
	Essay is formatted correctly and is the appropriate length. Submitted on time		There are issues with formatting, or essay is under/over the page limit and/or was not submitted on time			1 pts
Total Points: 10

https://canvas.uw.edu/courses/1745208/assignments/9293220?module_item_id=20904347 4/4