Note: Students can get extra credit for meeting with a librarian.
From Theresa on 4/9:
Attached is my final research project prompt for English 103. This is a new modified assignment. All of my English 103 students are taking the 900-series library courses and I'm encouraging them to reach out to you via chat if they get stuck once they complete the series (and after they've done a preparatory assignment on generating search terms).
Email from Alex 4/8/20
Notes from Susan:
For students who are struggling with narrowing this topic, note this section of the prompt: Your paper needs to be supported by research. To make your argument and research clearer, you must choose SINGLE a topic to focus on. Appropriate topics include, but are not limited to, news cycle(information distribution), government surveillance, border security, racism, classism, popular culture, drug use, war and nationalism.
You can find brief overviews of the novels in Gale eBooks. Use the search terms <Brave New World (Novel)> and <1984 (Novel)>. Also, don't forget our expensive and underused literature database, Literary Reference Center Plus, for plot summaries and literary criticism.
Also, in terms of understanding the basic differences between the two books, the comic that the instructor shared with the class (linked above) is super helpful. At the bottom of the comic, it says the words are from Neil Postman's Amusing Ourselves to Death: Public Discourse in the Age of Show Business. We do have the book, but only in a print version. The public library has two print copies and one audio copy.
See prompt below. Here is the instructor's reply to my question: "We are unable to find scholarly articles in our databases on some of the specific urban legends your students are researching. Will you accept substantive articles and/or credible websites?
Yes, I will accept those sources, but I really wanted them to find academic articles (or credible sources in books, periodicals) that provide more evidence about Urban Legends from a scholarly perspective. I know it is almost impossible to find an article on La Llorana or Bloody Mary, Wendigo, or others. I was hoping they could continue their exploration into terms and analysis of Urban Legends to connect to their particular choice. In other words, they will find sources where they can see how their own Urban Legend exemplifies cultural emphasis, relationships of power, use of persuasion, purpose in these stories, and other academic descriptions that would clarify in their own thinking.
Last week, I posted nine articles (scholarly) with permalinks from our MJC library, and they chose two of the articles to read and uploaded 10-12 terms/contextual definitions they found along with a two-sentence inferential and evaluative meaning/observation of their own. These articles were analysis of urban legends in education, pop culture, entertainment, medicine, and a variety of genres. Their research this week is to continue to look for academic discussions of urban legend terms/contexts and connect to their own analysis for this essay.
NOTE: In desperation, I checked our print book collection (yes, this is embarrassing) and found several titles in the folklore section (GR 78 and GR 105) that could help students doing this assignment. Some of them discuss urban legends in general, and some analyze specific tales.
Carrie Miller has assigned her two sections of Engl 103 to talk to a librarian in person or via chat regarding their research project on privacy and the internet. I advised her that clear directions as to what was expected of this talk was best, but she replied:
“As far as the signature, basically I just want them to seek help from a librarian and discover how helpful you can be. Some students will utilize you at that point, and others will probably do the minimum of just showing up. I will give them credit as long as they do something. Hopefully some will learn how great of a resource they have in you all.”
Attached is the prompt and some additional sources.
Source requirements (also contained in PDF, above): 8 sources, 4 of which must be scholarly journal articles, 2 books (can be print or e-book), and 2 student's choice (can be popular, substantive, scholarly, etc.).
Text of email exchange with instructor:
Hi Alex,
We have been enjoying working with your students.
I learned today that you modified the prompt and now require four scholarly sources to support students’ arguments. I’m confused by the note that two should be in support of Henry V and two in support of the modern American speech. How about articles that support the student’s thesis on national identity in America but don’t relate to either speech directly?
Students seem to be grasping the idea of comparing the rhetoric of the two speeches, but they are having trouble relating this discussion to a broader argument on national identity in America. If you have any material that explains this further, we’d be glad to have a copy to assist us in helping your students.
Thanks,
Susan
Reply from instructor:
I too noticed the classes difficulty with understanding how to use sources to support an idea as complex as "nation." I changed the requirement to give them more structure and direction. There are a dozen easily found articles about Shakespeare and Nationality in Henry V on Gale alone so I thought that would help to ground their research. Any source not relating to Shakespeare would, and I guess this is where I was assuming, related to the modern primary source, even if only tangentially.
I don't have any extra directions to share. I am actually working on a lesson right now and would appreciate any advice you can give me to help my students apply their research to their observations. I have acquired lab time for their class this Thursday and will spend the majority of the class working with them on this very issue.