FINAL GROUP PROJECT: GUIDELINES & GROUPS

TO BE DELIVERED ON THURSDAY, 4/23

Final Project: Group PowerPoint Presentation (15 pts) Class Participation (5 pts)

 
The members of each group (I have assigned the groups to one of the five categories below) are expected to agree on and explore one of the major themes in Octavia E. Butler’s Parable of the Sower, and relate it to at least two of the major works we have read this semester. The major theme should be considered as the central, controlling idea of your piece—again, if you find that other themes of significance are surfacing and converging with your major theme as you develop your project, please note them. 

Gender/Sexuality

Ifeoma, Patrick, Cassandra, Kimberly, Zilu

Aesthetics/Beauty

Awilda, Matthew, Angie, Hassabalnabi, Alida

Innocence/Childhood

Anthony, Larry, Gregory, Chibuifem, Shanielle

Outcasts/Outsiders

Jessenia, Wasiu, Marleny, Yarilis, Jose, Dena

 Violence

Christian, Wilnick, Harry, D'Andre, Afzal

You may also interweave some of the other relevant thematic discussions from our semester into this group presentation.

Sample themes: alienation, childhood, class distinctions, colorism/color consciousness, community, corporeality, difference, equality, ethics/morality, family, femininity, hypocrisy, identity, individuality, innocence, intellectualism, interracialism, literacy, loneliness, masculinity, monstrousness, morality, poverty, race relations, racism, rebellion, religion, responsibility, segregation, separatism, sexism, sexual exploitation, sexuality, violence. Some of these themes overlap—your thesis should reflect your theme in a clear, well-articulated manner.

In addition to photographs and text (including quotes from the primary source and secondary source texts), you are free to use other documents to create a PowerPoint presentation of your work (maximum 10 minutes in length).  

You must include a slide listing the “Credits,” i.e., the specific contribution made by each group member. In addition, you must create a Works Cited Page as the final slide of your presentation, using MLA-style. Refer to the MLA Style Guide on the course blog for MLA-style compliance. At our final class meeting, the group members will present their projects. I encourage you to be as imaginative as possible with these presentations. Below is a list of the criteria for your PowerPoint, adapted from a rubric adapted from a former colleague.

The FINAL VERSION of the PowerPoint presentation must be emailed to me by Wednesday, 4/22.

Final Project Rubric for PowerPoint Presentation 

The following categories provide a clear list of the elements that are expected in each group’s project, regardless of its form and purpose.  Use these criteria as a tool that will enable you, as the designer, to produce persuasive communication by means of innovation, creativity, and polished reflection.

NOTE: Each category for your individual effort is worth points, for a total of 14, along with an addition of 1 point for the overall group effort, for a maximum of 15 percent of the final grade. The other 5 points for this project is based upon your total class participation, and may bring your total to 20 percent.

GROUP NAME_____________________________________

Thesis and Purpose: 3 Points
How clear is your thesis? Is the topic compelling and relevant not only to your own interests but to an issue of larger significance? How well do the images illustrate both the thesis and its related ideas in a cogent manner?

Composition: 3 Points
Does the project follow a logical flow of thought? Do the major themes transition well across the group? Is the project free of grammatical errors? Did you proofread your slides to ensure that they are MLA-compliant?

 Technical Image and Quality: 3 Points
How well have you integrated quotations, titles, subtitles, captions, and high-quality digital files into your presentation? How does the overall final project look, including captions, titles, transitions, audio, and image?

 Caption Information and Presentation:  3 Points
Is there a clear integration of the visual and written composition of the final project? How well have you complemented your images with written text--relevant quotes from the main text, along with quotes from secondary sources? How does the written text (approximately 350 – 400 words) act to amplify and enhance the quality of the project as a whole? Are original insights supported by relevant research in your written text or is it merely expository? 

Delivery: 2 Points
How well have you delivered your presentation? Did you speak clearly audibly? Was your confidence in your oral delivery transmitted to your audience?

Group Effort: 1 Point
How well have you worked with your group members to create a unified presentation? Have you rehearsed your delivery (individually as well as with the group) to ensure a smooth presentation? Can it be used as a model for other students in the future? 

Total (Individual) ____ Total (Group) ____ GRAND TOTAL___________

ENG 215 - RESEARCH PAPER (35 points)

ENG 215 - RESEARCH PAPER (35 points) 

Each student will write a final research paper on one of the major works read in class during the semester, fully documented and sourced, and following proper MLA style. This paper will be between 7-10 pages in length, allowing students the luxury of extended thought and discussion of one of the semester’s major works. This essay is worth 35% of your final course grade and will be written utilizing Modern Language Association guidelines. The Works Cited Page will be an additional sheet attached at the back. This research paper will be due VIA EMAIL on Saturday, 4/25 at 11:30 PM.  Late papers will be lowered a ½ grade for each late day (including each weekend day).  No papers will be accepted after Wednesday, 4/29. 

You should have begun developing your topic, based on one of the major works on the syllabus: Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, "The Monster," "The Wife of His Youth," The Heart is a Lonely Hunter or A Raisin in the Sun, the play by Lorraine Hansberry, which we will be viewing this evening, Thursday, 4/2. I attached a PDF of the original play for you to read if you think that you may want to write your paper on this play. We will discuss the research paper further this evening, but you should have gotten started, based on last week's discussion. You may want to explore one of the questions posted earlier in the semester, or re-work and expand one of your two previous essays. If you decide to write on The Heart is a Lonely Hunter or A Raisin in the Sun, you must develop your own topic from one of the major themes of these respective works--EX: loneliness, isolation, coming of age racism, assimilation, integration, identity, etc.

The documented research paper will show evidence of the extent to which students meet course objectives including, but not limited to, developing an analytical argument appropriate to the assignment, demonstrating the ability to manage essay structure and utilize MLA format. The paper will demonstrate originality, critical thinking and research skills, cite primary and secondary research sources, and include a Works Cited page.

DUE DATE FOR ABSTRACT/BIBLIOGRAPHY: Wednesday, April 8.

Abstract: You must present a 1-paragraph abstract of approximately 75-100 words summarizing the paper topic and how you plan to proceed, detailing the following: why you chose it; what you intend to examine; what library resources you intend to use to complete the assignment. 

Bibliography: Please include a working bibliography of the primary/secondary sources you think you may be using. The working bibliography should consist of no fewer than five (5) and no more than eight (8) outside sources. The final Works Cited (developed from the bibliography) is worth 5 pts. It must be presented in proper MLA format.

DUE DATE FOR THESIS STATEMENT & ROUGH OUTLINE: Monday, April 13.

Thesis statement: Please include your draft thesis statement with your outline.

Outline: This outline should detail the major and minor points you will be writing about.

The paper will follow MLA guidelines in matters of form (for complete MLA style, click at left on course blog) and it will contain a Works Cited page, in-text citations to those sources, and a complete outline. YOUR PAPER WILL BE GRADED ON CONTENT AND MECHANICS.

You must use no less than four (4) secondary sources in the final version of your essay. At least two (2) of these secondary sources must consist of recent (no earlier than 2000) literary journal articles on your primary text. The additional two sources may be books--biographical, collected works, or bound essays. They must be literature-based works based on your primary text and/or its author—not books or journals from other disciplines (i.e., sociology, psychology, education, anthropology, etc.). PLEASE REVIEW PREVIOUS POST ON DATABASE RESOURCES FOR PAPERS.

For this final research paper, YOU MAY NOT USE the following as sources, as they are NOT considered scholarly works: SparkNotes, 123HelpMe, GoodReads, Wikipedia, CliffsNotes, ClassicNotes, Enotes, GradeSaver, or any other student guides. Any and all electronic sources must be approved by me at the time you submit your working bibliography. 

PLEASE NOTE: Simply re-wording summaries or analysis from another source constitutes plagiarism—your work must consist of YOUR OWN THOUGHTS AND WRITING—please don’t fail this course because of plagiarism. Make sure that you use quotation marks when you are using someone else’s words, and that you give proper credit to the source if you are paraphrasing.

Any Instance Of Plagiarism In The Research Paper Will Result In An Automatic “F” On The Entire Paper With No Possibility Of Revision.

Papers Graded Using the Following Criteria:

Clear thesis statement, well-organized supporting points and conclusion:       10 points

Cited adequately and correctly from the texts (primary and secondary):         10 points

Demonstrated writing strength (sentence structure, spelling, grammar):          10 points

Works Cited Page (properly formatted in MLA style, per guidelines):     5 points

FINAL PAPER & WORKS CITED DUE: Saturday, April 25 by 11:30 PM

Any paper submitted after this date and time will result in a loss of a ½ grade (5 pts) per day overdue (obviously, email will time-stamp any electronically sent submission):

Submitted by Sunday, April 26 for a possible maximum of 30 pts;

Submitted by Monday, April 27 for a maximum of 25 pts;

Submitted by Tuesday, April 28 for a maximum of 20 pts;

Submitted by Wednesday, April 29 for a maximum of 15 pts;

PAPERS MAY BE SUBMITTED EARLY.

FINAL GRADES WILL BE POSTED ON WEDNESDAY, APRIL 29

Database Resources for Papers

Hi, class,

Although you are free to use the articles that I gave you for Essay #2, I am also providing you with basic database searching instructions. This will be of great assistance to you when you begin work on the research paper in April.

DATABASE RESOURCES

Here are the instructions (the emphasis here is on the Literature Resource Center—LRC, as an example). To access The Literature Resource Center, and Contemporary Authors/Literary Criticism Select/Dictionary of Literary Biography, go to:

 http://infotrac.galegroup.com/itweb/essexcc

The password is: county

Click "Proceed"
 
Click on Literature Resource Center - LRC

1) When you get to the search box (FIND), just type in your search terms:

EXAMPLES:

• crane AND monster
• chesnutt AND wife of his youth
• harper AND two offers 
• harriet wilson AND our nig
• morrison AND bluest eye
• douglass AND heroic slave

2) under “publication century,” CLICK “21st century A.D.” 

3) under “by content type,” UNCHECK all the boxes EXCEPT “Literature Criticism”

4) Make sure “All electronic sources” is highlighted (it is the default).

5) Then CLICK “Search” (next to where your search terms were entered).

Several articles will come up--skim through to see if you find some suitable articles. If you cannot find articles that work, try using other search terms. Click on the ones you think might be suitable, and email them to yourself, or download them.
 
TEXTS AVAILABLE IN LIBRARY 
In addition, there are many books on the authors we have studied accessible from the Essex County College Library. For books, you may use works (biographies, collected essays, etc.) published no earlier than the year 2000. Look for the book using the call letters. If you cannot find the books you want to use in the stacks, ask the reference librarian for assistance. You also have access to the Rutgers-Newark Library with your ID card, so feel free to access articles from their resources.

ENG 215: Essay #2 - DUE Sunday, March 15 - "The Monster" and "The Wife of His Youth"

The assignment is due by 11:30 pm on Sunday, March 15, VIA EMAIL.The assignment is to write an essay (of 3-4 pages with additional Works Cited page attached). Late papers—those submitted with a Monday, 3/16 OR LATER time stamp—will receive 2 permanent points off for lateness. Thus, do not wait until the last minute—that is when computer issues, Internet problems, etc., arise--it is your responsibility to have your work in on time.  No “late” papers will be accepted after Thursday, March 19.You will be given a week from the time your paper is returned to you to revise, if necessary. Otherwise, the original grade stands.

As we read, New Jersey native Stephen Crane’s 1898 novella, “The Monster,” (first published in Harper’s New Monthly Magazine) relates the story of a black servant, Henry Johnson, who rescues the son of his employer, a white doctor, from a terrible fire. Henry is disfigured in the process and is, at first, regarded as a hero by the community. However, due to his disfigurement—he is literally without a face—his persistent presence in the community is viewed as a disruptive element and he becomes a pariah. 

We also read Charles W. Chesnutt’s short story, “The Wife of His Youth,” which is also set in a Northern city at the end of the 19^th century and which examines a group of individuals of African American ancestry, known as the “Blue Veins.” The very existence of the “Blue Veins” speaks to the ambiguity of racial identity and ambivalence about the future of American life at the dawning of the 20^th century. W.E.B. DuBois famously prophesied in his 1903 masterwork, The Souls of Black Folk, that “…the problem of the Twentieth Century is the problem of the color-line.” 

Choose ONE question from either one of these stories and write an essay in response. You must include RELEVANT quotes from the primary text and from at least TWO CRITICAL SOURCES in this second essay. I have posted links to each primary source text below for easy on-line searching. In addition, I have provided links to several critical essays (secondary source texts) on each story—SEE BELOW. Again, you must include relevant quotes in your essay from the primary text and the two secondary sources to have the opportunity to earn full credit.

1)   Dr. Trescott’s insistence on caring for Henry despite the social ostracism from the white community asks the reader to consider the idea of “sympathy” and “debt” in “The Monster.” Does Dr. Trescott act out of natural sympathy for Henry, out of conscience (because he feels he “owes” Henry), out of a sense of professional ethics as a doctor, or some combination of the three? You must support your analysis with quotes from at least TWO critical essays. Cite specifically to the source, using standard MLA-style documentation.

2)   In the critical essay by Jonathan Tadashi Naito, “Cruel and Unusual Light: Electricity and Effacement in Stephen Crane’s The Monster,” Naito examines the role of electricity and modernity in the novella, suggesting that there were both positive and negative consequences for Whilomville and its inhabitants (and especially Henry).  With this in mind, examine whether Crane is expressing anxiety about modernity as it pertains to black/white relations in the fin de siècle and whether he might be suggesting that African American concerns will be eventually disfigured and ignored by the larger white society? You must support your analysis with quotes from at least TWO critical essays. Cite specifically to the source, using standard MLA-style documentation.

3)   Describe the differences between the physical and psychological alienation Henry experienced at difference points in “The Monster.”  At what points can his isolation be viewed as more psychological than physical? Why? You must support your analysis with quotes from at least TWO critical essays. Cite specifically to the source, using standard MLA-style documentation.

4)   As we discussed, the concluding scene in “The Monster” offers no easy closure, and ends with Dr. Trescott counting the teacups, Explain the meaning of this ending, relating it to other points in the story, and be specific in your references. You must support your analysis with quotes from at least TWO critical essays. Cite specifically to the source, using standard MLA-style documentation.

5)   In the final scene of Charles Chesnutt’s “The Wife of His Youth,” wherein Mr. Ryder finishes relating his hypothetical case, he asks his guests, the “Blue-Veins,” what the hypothetical protagonist should have done. Mrs. Dixon and all of the other guests, reply: “He should have acknowledged her.” Mr. Ryder responds: “It is the answer I expected, for I knew your hearts.” Analyze the meaning at the heart of this final scene, and especially to Mr. Ryder’s last lines. You must support your analysis with quotes from at least TWO critical essays. Cite specifically to the source, using standard MLA-style documentation.

The Monster, Stephen Crane

"How It Feels to be Without a Face: Race and the Reorientation of Sympathy in the 1890s"

"Cruel and Unusual Light: Electricity and Effacement in Stephen Crane's The Monster"

"Crane's 'The Monster' Seen in the Light of Robert Lewis's Lynching"

"Face, Race, and Disfiguration in Stephen Crane's 'The Monster'"

"Value, Agency, and Stephen Crane's 'The Monster'"

Era of Casual Fridays - "The Monster"

The Wife of His Youth, Charles W. Chesnutt

"Scriptural Allusion and Metaphorical Marriage in Charles Chesnutt's 'The Wife of His Youth'" 

"The Cultural Logic of Color: Strategies of Recognition in Charles W. Chesnutt's The Wife of His Youth"

"Telling Genealogy: Notions of the Family in The Wife of His Youth"

"Charles Chesnutt's The Wife of His Youth: The Unveiling of the Black Storyteller"

"Wedded to Race: Charles Chesnutt's Stories of the Color Line"

Era of Casual Fridays - “The Wife of His Youth”

A NOTE ON PLAGIARISM 

YOU MAY NOT USE the following as sources, as they are NOT considered scholarly works: SparkNotes, CliffsNotes, ClassicNotes, Enotes, GradeSaver, Wikipedia, or any other student guides. Plagiarism results in an "F" on the paper with NO POSSIBILITY of revision or “extra credit” make-up work. If you plagiarize, you have automatically lost the ability to earn any grade higher than a “B” grade for the course. If you plagiarize a second time, YOU AUTOMATICALLY FAIL THE COURSE. There are NO exceptions to the plagiarism policy. Copying and pasting from sources without acknowledging them is plagiarism. Use of ANY uncredited source constitutes plagiarism. It is your responsibility to your submit original work. VALE contains a number of excellent databases through which you can find good literature resources (ProQuest, Literature Resource Center, etc.). The criteria for grading is below.

Criteria for Grading for Essay #2

In your essay, you must include support for your response from whichever primary text you have chosen, as well as from at least two critical essays (secondary sources). Cite specifically to the source, using standard MLA-style documentation, including a Works Cited Page. The expectation is that you will write grammatically correct and coherent sentences, following standard composition form. 

Again, your short essays are evaluated using the following criteria: you have answered the question asked—meaning, you have written a clear thesis statement with supporting points and you have answered the question completely); you have cited adequately from the source reading as well as two secondary sources (critical essays) using MLA style; and, you have demonstrated strength in your writing that is appropriate to a 200-level literature course (well-structured sentences and paragraphs, proper spelling, grammar, no run-on sentences or sentence fragments, proper punctuation, use of transitions, logical conclusion). 

If you receive “NG”—meaning “Not Gradable”—due to numerous composition errors (ex: poor grammar, misspellings, lack of thesis, poor sentence structure, not MLA-compliant, etc.), you are strongly advised to take your paper to The Learning Center (2nd Floor) to work with a tutor for assistance in revising the essay for resubmission. VALE contains a number of excellent databases through which you can find good literature resources (ProQuest, Literature Resource Center, etc.). For this essay, I have provided you with a number of secondary sources—just click on the links.

You must write well if you are to receive a good grade in my course. I do not “curve” grades—also, I do not pass students whose writing does not show that they have properly met the standards of what I consider acceptable. The Learning Center is open every day and evening and is available to you. It is YOUR responsibility to ensure that your papers are proof-read before you hand them in. Below is how I break down the points:

Clear thesis statement, well-organized supporting points and conclusion: 5 points

Cited adequately and correctly from the texts (primary and secondary): 5 points

Demonstrated writing strength (sentence structure, spelling, grammar): 5 points