basque history I

Date	Assigned reading	Assigned group assignment for discussion
Part A
T Jan. 16	First day of class
Th Jan. 18	KI: Introduction K1: The Basque Myth
T Jan. 23	Collins-1
Th Jan. 25	B1: Discovery of the People	Group assignment #1: EUSKARA
T Jan. 30	K2: The Basque Problem
Th Feb. 1	Collins-2
T Feb. 6	B2: Unity & Variety in Popular Culture
Th Feb. 8	Collins-3	Group assignment #2: ETXEA
T Feb. 13	B3: An Elusive Quarry
Th. Feb. 15 Exam A The first of three exams covering the above material
Part B
T. Feb. 20	Gallop-Folk Tales
Th Feb. 22	B4: Transmission of Popular Culture
T Feb. 27	B5: Traditional Forms	Group Assignment #3: Mythology
Th Mar 1	Class meets at the Boise Basque Museum during regular class time	Optional: Following there is a dance learning workshop at the Basque Center
T Mar 6	K4: The Basque Saint
Th Mar 8	K5: The Basque Billy Goat
T Mar 13		Group Assignment #4: Funerals/Witches
Th Mar 15	B6: Heroes, Villains & Fools
T Mar 20	B7: The World of Carnival
Th Mar 22 Exam B Second of three exams covering material in Part B
Part C
T. Apr. 3	Gallop-Folk Dance
Th. Apr. 5	Basque Carnival
T. Apr. 10	Urbeltz-Dance origins
Th Apr. 12	B8: The Triumph of Lent	Group Assignment #5 Basque Proverbs
T. Apr. 17	B9: Popular culture & social change
Th. Apr. 19	Basque Middle Ages
T. Apr. 24	Basque Fueros (Old Laws)
Th. Apr. 26	K3: The Basque Whale	Group Assignment #6 Peer Evaluation
T. May 1	K6: The Wealth of Non-Nations
Th. May 3	Gallop-Basque Character
Th May 10 (3:30--5:30) Exam C

email contact: johnysursa@boisestate.edu

THE USE OF HISTORY
History is not a fixed story students have to swallow but a way of thinking they can apply to life.
-James Loewen

THE THREE KINDS OF PEOPLE IN THE WORLD
The foolish fail to learn from their mistakes and successes,
while the smart do, but it is the wise who can learn from the mistakes and successes of others.

HISTORY AT ITS BEST:
To clarify an ever-changing present and inform the future with wisdom.

THE CHALLENGE OF HISTORY:
Historical thought is not a natural process: it goes against the grain of how we ordinarily think, [which is] one of the reasons why it is much easier to learn names, dates, and stories than it is to [understand] the past.
--Sam Wineburg

CHALLENGE OF HISTORY II:
"If you can't tell the truth about who you are, you can't tell the truth about others."
--from the film Who is Afraid of Virginia Wolf