Group research presentation
ENGL 2110 Fall 2009
Each group will give a 10-minute presentation on the background and cultural context of the day’s reading. This presentation is worth 5% of your final grade.
You should start by reading the assigned text and the anthology’s background material on that text. You are welcome to include this material in your presentation, but you must deepen your knowledge with research from at least two other academic sources. Remember that many of the library stacks are closed for renovations, so you must start early. You can order books in closed stacks by filling out a request form at the circulation desk. It generally takes a day for the library staff to retrieve the books.
Your presentation must include a visual aid (ex. powerpoint or handout) with appropriate in-text citations and a typed and printed Works Cited in MLA format. Please provide all materials in electronic form as well so that I can link them to my website and make them available to the rest of the class (e-mail me the powerpoint/handout and the Works Cited by 7 PM on the day of your presentation.)
Your grade will be determined by the following 3 criteria:
- Content (depth of thought; level of detail)
- Professionalism (organization; preparedness)
- Creativity
Consider the following questions as guidelines. You do not have to answer every question.
Genre: What is the genre (for example: epic poem, short story)? Was it initially an oral or written text? Was it considered “high” culture or “popular” culture? What was its place in the genre (for example: was it the first epic poem in the culture? Did it have a significant influence on later works, and if so, how? Did it somehow subvert artistic conventions?) In what language was the text first written?
Author: Who is the author? What do we know about him or her?
Cultural context: When and where did the text originate? Please include a map and tell us a bit about the period and culture. How does the text fit into the cultural values of its time? Does it help codify -- or subvert -- social norms? gender roles? conceptions of family structure? Does it contribute to a national identity? If so, how?
Presentation Sign-Up Sheet
Tues. Sept. 1: The Odyssey
Mary Saponari , Jacqueline Jones , Mykel Johnson
Thurs. Sept. 3: The Aeneid
Jeff McCollum , Wes Shelton
Tues. Sept. 8: The Ramayana
Casey Powers Harrison , Tatum Mitchell
Tues. Sept. 22: “The Mabinogi of Pwyll,” from The Mabinogion
Brooke Sparks , Philip Brewer , Brianna Bryant
Tues. Oct. 13: Dreams of Trespass
Reginald Leach , Tyler Rivard , Torin Savage
Tues. Oct. 20: The Inferno
Hannah Holland , _Eljin Stephens