So much fo the this class has been dedicated to both a deep study of Whitman and his poetry, and the decades-long conversations and engagements that have followed in his wake. The final project extends this dynamic response to Whitman and his influence.
Your final project in this course will be a substantial research-based project that will go through various stages: a proposal, mentored research process, a one-on-one conference, peer review, and a final presentation. All projects must incorporate at least 6-8 secondary sources (i.e. sources providing the relevant critical, historical, and cultural contexts) in addition to a range of primary source material. How you employ these sources will vary depending on your project. You have a great deal of freedom determining what this final project will look like for you. Here are a few potential ideas:
- Traditional research paper (composed via WordPress) launching a novel claim about some of the poetries we have discussed this semester. 12-15 pages.
- A longer podcast or series of shorter podcasts exploring some of the poetries we have discussed this semester.
- A substantial creative project crafted as a response to Whitman
- An interactive timeline using digital web-based timeline creation tools
- A lesson plan tailored for a target audience.
- An mini web anthology with headnotes and an introduction
- A web resource
- A film
I will work with you to negotiate what what a substantial equivalent of a 12-15 page research paper might be. You can also propose to work in small groups if your project warrants such collaboration. All projects–even traditional papers–will be presented digitally on the course website.
Refer to the schedule for the timeline that will keep us all on track.
Due Tuesday 11/12 Final Project Pitch. Proposals should include the following (and this will also be the outline for your final reflection blog posts).
- A description of your topic or idea introduced to the reader in a dynamic and concise way. Make sure you identify your anticipated audience as clearly as possible.
- A description of the research conversation (including primary and secondary sources) that will provide the crucial material for the project. Include reference to research already conduced. Also mention if there is a particular “genre” that you are engaging (e.g. chapbook, anthology, podcast, research paper, etc.)
- A description of what tools you might use (or, have used, as you adapt this for the final reflective blog post). This might involve timeline software, film production software, webpage design programs, or podcasting software.
- A statement of the project’s purpose and significance. What knowledge or experience does it make available? What exigence drives the project? So what? Finally, why does this matter to you?
Final Due Date: The Final Project is due on the day of your presentation–Tuesday, November 26. A draft will be due the week prior during our consultations / peer review week. Again, refer to the schedule for key dates.
All final projects will include an introduction describing your project and your motivations for undertaking it and discussing the mode of presentation you chose. In your presentation, you will provide this introductory overview and share some parts of your project as time allow.s All projects will be You will embed the project in the blog, or link to it in a final blog post presenting the final project.
If you are composing a more traditional paper, you can treat this as a traditional conference setting where you read from your paper (an abbreviated version of it); or, if you want something more dynamic, I recommend doing a pecha-kucha style presentation. You can read about both forms on my website for intro to literature here.
Presentations should run between 6-8 minutes. The “home base” for your final presentations will be the course blog. This is where you will post your final project under the “Final Project” category. Please make sure you select this category. This final project post will evolve from your proposal. In your presentation, please introduce the project using the first three bullet points of the proposal. Then give us a suitable “taste” of the project itself (reading a poem and offering some analysis, previewing your online anthology, playing excerpts from a podcast, delivering a section of your research paper, etc.) Then conclude with a brief reflection grounded in the final bullet point of the proposal prompt: tells us why this project matters to you, why it should matter to us, and what you learned while putting it together. All final projects will also be made available online–you can link to or embed your projects in that final post.
Grading Rubric: I will evaluate your projects in relation to three basic categories: (1) the quality of your original idea as presented in the proposal and refined in subsequent conversations with me and your peers will be worth 10% of your grade; (2) the quality of the final project itself in relation to what was proposed will be worth 70% of your grade (half of this grade will relate to the quality, depth, and relevance of research); (3) the physical and online presentation of your project will be worth 20% of your grade, split evenly between the presentation itself, and the online delivery of your project.