“Final Project” Overview

500 points / 50% of your grade (see grade details below)

Even as we learn about the concepts that drive cultural and textual interpretation during the early weeks of the course, and even as we apply those concepts to our grounding literary text through informal blogging and class discussion, we will also be thinking and towards the “Final Project”–a 9-10 page research paper on a text (broadly considered) of your choosing; the final project emphasizes the process of research as much as the final product itself.   We will begin working towards the “Final Project” on Day One by brainstorming various genres, modes, and periods that we might write about in relation to the stuff of “English,” or in relation to other disciplines or aspects of culture.  But the “Final Project” will begin in earnest with our conversations during Week Three, which will be about the more specific ideas for what you hope to write about in this course.  This preliminary work will culminate in the first major step of the project: the “Text Selection and Rationale” assignment.

From that key starting point, we will proceed through a series of assignments, which include a “Proposal” and “Annotated Bibliography,” “Dueling Thesis Statements,” a major “Critical Voices in Conversation” essay, and a  “Close Reading Capstone” capped by a dynamic conclusion. The “Final Project” is what you get when you revise and combine all of these assignments. Though what results will be a complete final assignment, it is also a portfolio of sorts, showcasing all of your hard work on individual building blocks of a typical research paper.  A professional conference during the last week of the class will allow you to showcase these final projects alongside your peers as you present alongside your peers.

All due dates for the Final Project are clearly laid out on the syllabus and will be discussed in class well in advance.

You can find the grade breakdown for the “Final Project” below.  Please note: if an assignment has more than one draft associated with it, only final drafts will receive grades, but how earnestly you engage in the revision and drafting process will affect your grade.

Pre-Project Grades (125 points / 12.5%)

  • Text Selection and Rationale–25 points / 2.5%
  • Annotated Bibliography (8 sources)–50 points / 5%
  • Proposal–50 points /  5%

Final Project Grades: (375 Points / 37.5%)

  • Final Paper: emphasis on Title and Intro Strategies; Dueling Thesis Statements (2-5 sentences); Critical Voices in Conversation portion (4 sources); Close Reading Capstone; and the Conclusion: 325 Points / 30%
  • Final Presentation–50 points / 5%

Powered by WordPress. Designed by Woo Themes