Wikipedia:Wiki Ed/University of California, Berkeley/Folk Art in America (Spring)

This seminar considers specific case studies of the production and use of architecture, paintings, and needlework within specific communities in what is now the United States. We will look, for instance, at Shaker watercolors and design; Puritan painting and city planning; Amish, Hawaiian, African-American, and Hmong quilting; the ledger drawings and domestic structures of specific Native American groups; and the sacred architecture of the Hispanic southwest. Our timeframe spans four centuries but our 'geographies' will be very focused. We will consider vernacular or folk production within the context of politics and economics as well as aesthetic and social theory. Students will do research projects on individual object makers, editing and creating Wikipedia articles as well as writing an analytical research paper on the same figure. They will work on research skills and develop an understanding of the differences between research and writing for encyclopedia entries and research and writing for analytical and argumentative research papers, while making contributions to Wikipedia, a widely used resource in our modern world. This is an American Cultures class.

Week 1
Welcome to your Wikipedia assignment's course timeline. This page guides you through the steps you'll need to complete for your Wikipedia assignment, with links to training modules and your classmates' work spaces.

Your course has been assigned a Wikipedia Expert. You can reach them through the Get Help button at the top of this page.

Resources:


 * Editing Wikipedia, pages 1–5
 * Evaluating Wikipedia

Create an account and join this course page, using the enrollment link your instructor sent you. (Because of Wikipedia's technical restraints, you may receive a message that you cannot create an account. To resolve this, please try again off campus or the next day.)

This week, everyone should have a Wikipedia account.

Week 2
Art History

History

Women's Studies

Week 3
Reach out to your Wikipedia Expert if you have questions using the Get Help button at the top of this page.

Resource: Editing Wikipedia, pages 7–9

Everyone has begun writing their article drafts.

Week 4
Guiding framework

Every student has finished reviewing their assigned articles, making sure that every article has been reviewed.

You probably have some feedback from other students and possibly other Wikipedians. Consider their suggestions, decide whether it makes your work more accurate and complete, and edit your draft to make those changes.

Resources:


 * Editing Wikipedia, pages 12 and 14
 * Reach out to your Wikipedia Expert if you have any questions.

Week 5
Now that you've improved your draft based on others' feedback, it's time to move your work live - to the &quot;mainspace.&quot;

Resource: Editing Wikipedia, page 13

Now's the time to revisit your text and refine your work. You may do more research and find missing information; rewrite the lead section to represent all major points; reorganize the text to communicate the information better; or add images and other media.

Continue to expand and improve your work, and format your article to match Wikipedia's tone and standards. Remember to contact your Wikipedia Expert at any time if you need further help!

Week 6
It's the final week to develop your article.


 * Read Editing Wikipedia page 15 to review a final check-list before completing your assignment.
 * Don't forget that you can ask for help from your Wikipedia Expert at any time!

Write a paper going beyond your Wikipedia article to advance your own ideas, arguments, and original research about your topic.

Everyone should have finished all of the work they'll do on Wikipedia, and be ready for grading.