WOMEN IN LITERATURE PRESENTATIONS
Your
class project in Women in Literature is to present a convincing case advocating
the inclusion of a woman writer we have not studied this term. Your task is to present why this writer is
important and how she fits in with the themes we have discussed in this
course. Your writer may come from
virtually any literary era and write any genre; the only writers who are
off-limits are contemporary fiction writers (see me with any questions). The textbook gives some suggestions. Only one student per class may choose a
given writer, so if you have a writer in mind, you should choose your writer
early.
In
your prospectus, due ____________________ , you will describe why the writer
you have chosen is worthy of further study.
A prospectus is a brief overview of research that is to come; your
prospectus will give examples of your writer’s major works, cite 5 sources
giving your background information (one of which must be print), and make a
case why this writer is important to you and perhaps to your classmates. Include a Works Cited page listing your
sources according to MLA format. It is also essential to tell me which
work(s) of this writer you intend to bring to the class and what activity you
are planning. Your prospectus will be exactly one page in length,
double-spaced, in Times New Roman font, 12 or 11 point; use 1” margins all
around and MLA style class heading. The
prospectus is worth 50 points.
Beginning
on _______________________ we will hear presentations from each of you about
your writer. Your job is to teach us a
poem, essay, short story, section of a novel, etc. from your writer and show
how this example piece illustrates the points you are trying to make about her
importance to the class. These
presentations will be extensive, lasting 30-40 minutes. You should think of a creative class
activity to make your writer come alive for us, and your ultimate task is to
entice your classmates to find a work by this author and read her on your
own. Justify to us WHY this writer
needs to be included in a future Women in Lit class. You must provide copies of the work you intend to teach AT
LEAST one day in advance to give us time to prepare for your talk. I can make copies ONLY if I receive your
work TWO days in advance; you must have your information All homework during
this period will be generated from your presentations. All presentation information is potential
material for the final exam.
We
will have a solid schedule of presentations; if you do not show up on the day
you have chosen ready to give your presentation without calling or e-mailing me
before 8 a.m. that day, you will receive a 0.
If you later find out that you cannot be present on the day you first
chose, switch with another classmate.
Of course, in the case of a true emergency, I may make adjustments to
the schedule, but I alone will determine a true emergency and will provide no
make-up presentation days. Computer
concerns, as always, do not constitute a true emergency. .
Your presentation is worth 100 points.
After
researching your writer, you will write a 4-5 page essay (no more, no less)
describing your findings. What does
your writer bring to the study of women in literature? Again, why should this writer be included in
Women in Literature class? What might
be unique about this person’s writing style, subject matter, etc. All formal essay-writing rules
apply—consider carefully your organization, grammar/usage/style, thesis statement,
introduction and conclusion, tone, etc.
The essay will be due on ____________ .Your essay is worth 200 points.