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Detailed information about the course / exam

This course/examination is part of the module(s) listed below. Please check the relevant examination regulations to determine whether a module is classed as a compulsory, elective compulsory, or elective module in your degree program. The learning objectives are given in the module description, which can be viewed by clicking on the module number.

Module number (link to module description)	Module title	Module coordinator	ECTS credits for module
82-008-L-ANG05-V-H-0916	Literature and Other Discourses (Bachelormodul)	Temmen, Jens	5

Course no.: Exam no.:	82-008-L-ANG05-V-S-SE-0916.20261.001
Course title: Exam title:	Literature and Other Discourses (Bachelormodul): The US at 250: 1776 to 2026 from the Margins
Kategorie:	seminar (on-campus)
Language of lesson:	Englisch
Date:	4/14/2026 - 7/17/2026
Organizer:	Sprach- und Literaturwissenschaftliche Fakultät
Lecturer: Examiner:	Temmen, Jens
Exam type:	in-semester examination
Exam mode:	Hausarbeit
Max. number of participants:	17 unlimited
Type of studies:
Learning objectives:
Content/topics:	The US at 250: 1776 to 2026 from the Margins (Literature and Other Discourses BA/MA) In his scorching speech “What, to the American slave, is your 4th of July?“ in 1852, former slave and abolitionist Frederick Douglass educated his white audience on how the 4th of July, the United States‘ Independence Day, was to the Black enslaved population not a day of celebration, but rather a reminder that the United States‘ claims to values of liberty, equality, and national greatness were “mere bombast, fraud, deception, and hypocrisy“. On the occasion of the United States‘ celebration of the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence in 2026, which coincides with the country’s sliding into fascism, Douglass‘ speech serves as a reminder that the key promises of the declaration – life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness – have always been at best a “dream deferred“ for those relegated to the margins or outside of the national imaginary. Our class take a critical look at the US at 250 through the lenses of these marginalized perspectives as they manifest in literature, film and culture. Please note: our class will include a special event on July 1st, 2026 (in the evening): a panel discussion with two guest speakers titled „Die Autoritären Staaten von Amerika – 250 Jahre USA und die Trump Regierung“. Students enrolled in this class will help prepare the event. Also, participation in this event is mandatory.
Recommended prerequisites:
E-learning offer (URL):	https://elearn.ku.de/goto.php/crs/1191361/rcodeTTyTRAzXWA
Literature:
Teaching and learning formats/course types:
Registration from… to:	3/17/2026 -
Last possible date of deregistration:

Status:

a.Ready to apply

Comments:

Room:

Scheduled event/examination dates

Date / Time	Room	Lecturer
Tue 14.04.2026 16:00 - 6:00 PM	UA-141	Temmen, Jens
Tue 21.04.2026 16:00 - 6:00 PM	UA-141	Temmen, Jens
Tue 28.04.2026 16:00 - 6:00 PM	UA-141	Temmen, Jens
Tue 05.05.2026 16:00 - 6:00 PM	UA-141	Temmen, Jens
Tue 12.05.2026 16:00 - 6:00 PM	UA-141	Temmen, Jens
Tue 19.05.2026 16:00 - 6:00 PM	UA-141	Temmen, Jens
Tue 02.06.2026 16:00 - 6:00 PM	UA-141	Temmen, Jens
Tue 09.06.2026 16:00 - 6:00 PM	UA-141	Temmen, Jens
Tue 16.06.2026 16:00 - 6:00 PM	UA-141	Temmen, Jens
Tue 23.06.2026 16:00 - 6:00 PM	UA-141	Temmen, Jens
Tue 30.06.2026 16:00 - 6:00 PM	UA-141	Temmen, Jens
Tue 07.07.2026 16:00 - 6:00 PM	UA-141	Temmen, Jens
Tue 14.07.2026 16:00 - 6:00 PM	UA-141	Temmen, Jens