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One of the main projects you will produce for this class is a 60-70-minute team presentation on one of the revolutionary books that we will discuss this semester. The main objective of your presentation is to introduce the book to the class in terms of the author's biography, the historical/cultural moment out of which the book was produced, and the book's critical reception (when the book was first published and current critics' readings of the book). Based on your research, you will also give us a synthesis of what issues and topics are significant for studying the book, the ways in which the book is revolutionary, and how the book connects to other books we have read or will read. The presentation should be formal, but I strongly encourage you to use your creativity to hook your audience and keep our interest. You can use music, visuals, props, drama, or whatever means you think would be effective and appropriate. The purpose of this activity is to test how well you can gather information from a variety of sources and synthesize it into an organized, coherent, and engaging presentation. These skills will be particularly useful for those of you planning to attend graduate or professional school, to teach at any level, or to get a job where you will need to independently acquire expertise and inform and engage colleagues. Here's a breakdown of the four parts:
Criteria for
Evaluation: I will grade your presentation on completeness (did you include all the required components), thoroughness (did you have details supported by research?), accuracy (was the information accurate?), organization (did the presentation have a logical structure and flow?), coherence (did the presentation make sense?), engagement (was the presentation interesting? Did the group consciously try to capture our attention?), clarity (could we understand the group?), energy (did the group vary its tone and pace? Where they enthusiastic about their presentation?), and esprit de corps (did the teammates work well together? Did they complement one another?). An A presentation will not just provide all of the required information, but the presenters will present their information in a truly engaging and creative way. The presentation will not just include the presenters talking, but they will have effective visual components to their presentation as well. The presenters will be masters of the subject, stimulate our interest, and will be able to answer our questions. An A presentation will balance the information and not give us too much from one area or another. Each of the teammates will contribute in nearly equal amounts, will not step on each other's toes, and will complement the others' contributions. Presenters will look professional and organized, will speak so that we can hear and understand them, and will have sincere enthusiasm and energy for their project. An A presentation will have all of the required materials neatly organized in a portfolio. A B presentation will provide all of the required information, but will not have as creative or engaging of a hook to keep us engaged. B presenters will know their material but may not have mastered it as completely as A presenters. B presenters level of engagement will not be as consistent as for an A presentation. Teamwork will be balanced, but there may be a few moments were teammates step on each other's toes. The look and feel of professionalism will not be as high for a B presentation, but the group will attempt to create professional impression. B presenters will be easy to understand, but they may not have the consistent energy and enthusiasm that an A presentation has. A B presentation will include all of the required materials, but they may not be as neatly organized. A C presentation will have all of the required information, but will not have a creative or engaging hook. Basically, the team will deliver all of the information accurately, but team members will not have mastered their material. The presentation will probably come across as 2 or 3 smaller presentations—the team will not use transitions between points nor will teammates complement each other's ideas. We will be able to understand the group, but there will be little enthusiasm or energy in the presentation. The group will not create a professional, organized, completely prepared impression. The team will include all of the required materials. Hopefully work below C level will not be an issue, but D and F work will generally be incomplete, carelessly presented, and poorly produced. Special Notes:
Non-traditional Approaches: I will entertain proposals from teams who wish to use an alternative approach as long as the methodology allows the group to achieve all of the assignment's objectives and requirements. For example, the members of one team in a past seminar filmed the bulk of their presentation in an effective way. As you brainstorm about potential formats, try to focus on structures and methods of delivery that are particularly appropriate for the work you chose. WRITTEN MATERIALS TO ACCOMPANY PRESENTATION Annotated
Bibliography Guidelines The annotated bibliographies for your presentation should follow the MLA format. See a recent edition of The Bedford Handbook or The MLA Style Guide for guidelines for documentation and sample bibliographic entries. Limit yourselves to book chapters and articles from journals, magazines, or anthologies--note that the format will vary depending on the type of journal you use. You should alphabetize each bibliography by the authors’ last names (you will have one package for biography, one for history/culture, and one for contemporaneous book reviews—you'll write longer précis for recent critical articles). The annotations are simply brief (4-6 sentence) summaries which follow the bibliographical entries. Précis Description (slightly modified from Craig Watson) Précis refers to a summary, but especially to a summary of main points made in a presentation or a piece of writing. After you have found an appropriate article, chapter, or perhaps book, written within the past 20 years, you will read and digest that work of criticism with the idea of presenting concisely the main point or points made by the critic and a succinct summary (1-2 pages) of the writer=s development or defense of that point or points. You will head each précis with an MLA bibliographical entry for the piece and then begin the actual summary. Having decided what the critic=s thesis is, present the critic=s thesis at the beginning of your précis: Example: AIn his chapter entitled "Separatism Unleashed," from the book The Puritan Dilemma, Edward Morgan praises the excellent leadership and forbearance of John Winthrop in an account of Winthrop's response to the threat imposed on the Puritan community by Roger Williams's (extreme) visionary separatism.@ Notice here that the critic (Morgan) and the source (in this case, chapter title and book title) are introduced immediately; also notice that Morgan=s thesis (big idea) in the chapter is summarized. Next, move to a summary of the critic=s main points and key illustrations: Example: "According to Morgan, Williams's positions were threatening to Puritan community. Williams advocated extreme separatism that was impractical and disruptive. Morgan points out that Williams insisted that . . . (illustrations). Morgan claims that conflict came to a crisis in Williams's proclamations against the Church of England . . . . According to Morgan, Winthrop's responses throughout the conflict were measured, humane, and just, given Winthrop's assigned duty and larger responsibility to the community. For instance . . . ."(illustrations)". Notice here that you (the précis writer) are reporting what Morgan (the critic) says. This is your stance ("Morgan argues . . . ," "Morgan concludes . . . ," etc.) Finally, you should provide a concluding statement or paragraph. Here you gather together the essential points you have reported. This closing corresponds to a conclusion in a thesis-focused essay where you are asked to restate and elaborate the introduction=s thesis, provide an important final quotation, and review (see again) the critic's argument. Example: Throughout his argument Morgan portrays John Winthrop as a leader responding to real threats to the Puritan "model of Christian charity@ that Winthrop saw as the foundation for creating an earthly version of the "celestial city.@ Writing a précis requires you to synthesize other people's ideas in a short, well-ordered report that bears some resemblance to a thesis-focused essay. The difference is that the thesis and development of an insight or assertion are not your inventions but someone else=s. You report on what that critic had to say. Summary of Written Materials
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