Imagine this scenario.

• It's mid-August and you've just come back from vacation.  You're feeling very laid back when your deparment head comes to you and says "Steve just resigned, and we need someone to teach his course."  It's a basic course in your deparment, and a textbook has been chosen but Steve took all his notes with him.  You've never taught the course.  You have a week to go before classes start and you need handouts, a syllabus, etc., and you will need to give the students some idea of what to expect in the course.  What do you do?