1. 11 January
   Introduction: objectives, evaluation options (A) the exam and group project, or (B) a research paper, plus the student questions. The USA7-L list and web references; potential scope of the course content.

2. 18 January — Basic terms and mythological foundations of U.S. popular culture

3. 25 January — Popular thinking, concepts and cultural reactions

4. 01 February — Popular Rituals and Icons & Fetishes

5. 08 February — Popular Arts

6. 15 February — Popular Objects & Artifacts; sports comparisons and relative status;
   Popular Folklore, Folk Tradition, and Urban Legends; and Other Popular Culture areas
   Two e-mailed questions — AND — project group member identities and 'topics' due by today!

7. 22 February — Student Questions I.

8. 01 March — Student Questions II.
   Group 'text' web links and Draft #1 of optional student papers due today

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9. 15 March — (No class today via decision on 01 March)

10. 22 March — Student Questions, III and Project Presentations
    Second draft of student papers due by today

11. (23 March) — Publication of take-home exam questions

12. 12 April — Exam answers due today

13. 26 April — Final versions of student papers due today (unless otherwise agreed)

• Please take a moment to submit a course evaluation form!

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FAST-US-7 (TRENAK15) U.S. Popular Culture is an elective intermediate-level course in both the FAST and English Translation curricula. US-7 will be evaluated by number grade based upon a take-home exam plus the submission of [at least] 2 topical questions [submitted as e-mailed text; not as 'attachment'], in addition to which students may choose to do a group project or write supervised paper.

Students doing only the exam may receive 2 ECTS credits; students also doing a group project option may receive an additional 2 ECTS credits; students choosing the paper option may receive an additional 6-8 ECTS credits.

Outside reading is expected from the on-line reference files plus web and other sources. The two questions should be submitted by e-mail to john.d.hopkins [at] uta.fi; first versions of papers should be submitted as printouts, with final versions submitted as web documents. Selected papers will be archived in the US-7 website. Students should subscribe to the USA7-L e-mail list.