225: Papers/Presentations
For the group papers and presentations, each group will research their topic, write a researched paper, and then,
using Prezi, present their findings in class on the date indicated on the schedule. Papers are due the day of your
group’s presentation; groups will also print out the URL for the Prezi so it may be examined; the Prezi must be
made “public” so that it can be viewed it without password access.
Audience: your audience for this assignment is composed of seniors who are majoring in literature and history
who are meeting at a conference to hear presentations on the historical contexts of literature of the period in
which you are researching. Your group will deliver your paper and present your findings to these people. Think
about what they already know and what they need to know; they are fairly informed about the period and its
literature(s), but not on the details of what you are covering.
Assignment
Follow these steps in preparing your work:
1) Choose a team of classmates with whom to research (four people, max., unless a smaller group is authorized)
2) Research a work or the topic you sign up for or that you obtain permission to develop. If you have generated
your own topic, it must be a) approved by me in office hours and b) from the period that we are covering on the
date of your presentation.
3) Focus your findings on the following points regarding the work/subject you choose:
a) a brief overview of the work or the subject researched, and the importance to and the influence your
work or subject had on the period’s literature and its lasting influence into later English literature
b) the context(s) behind the work (or the works on the period), including discussion of the author(s) (the
author(s) concerns, interests, and the contexts and influences upon the work(s) and author(s)). That is,
what historical, cultural, economic, political, social (class/gender roles), or religious (or other) contexts
give rise to this work and/or subject? (Think, for instance, of what contexts gave rise to Swift’s “Modest
Proposal.”)
c) the unique techniques in and conventions of the piece (how the work or works function as literature)
d) an *ANNOTATED* bibliography on the work/author(s)/period: major critical, historical,
biographical works that any scholar would use in researching this subject. Simply provide a
bibliographical entry for the work and then describe what is valuable about that work for research
purposes. Is it the major literary history of the period? Is it the authoritative literary biography of the
author? Discuss its value briefly.
Each person in the group should cover one of the points above in the research, the writing of the paper, and the
presentation. If your group has three people in it, one person may cover two related points.
4) Your paper is to be a minimum of 5 pages in length (set margins at .7” on all sides), be in the MLA format
with citing in text of all sources used, followed by a corresponding Works Cited page. At the end of the paper,
you must include a photocopy of any *page* from a work you used for research, with a highlight on the portion
of the page used. Papers submitted without these photocopies are incomplete and will not be graded.
5) Present your research in a Prezi (go to www.prezi.com to set up a free account).
You will need to cite in your Prezi's individual slides any sources used and, at the end, have a corresponding
Works Cited list as the last slide. This includes the video clips as well as any scholarly information on the
play/scene being staged and critics' comments on productions.
These presentations should run about 15-20 minutes.
5) Send me the URL for your group's Prezi. Make certain you make the Prezi "public" or it cannot be
accessed without your account password.
You will be graded on the following:
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ability to research using authoritative sources (no use of wikis, encyclopedia-type works, or other
“summary” sources like Masterplots, etc. See class notes on choosing strong sources)
ability to focus your researched writing on your portion of the work, write and present orally and
visually the work for your intended audience, and achieve the purposes of the assignment (see rubric for
written work)
ability to use MLA accurately in the paper format, citing, and documentation
ability to use accurate citing and documentation for the Prezi
ability to generate a strong visual presentation according to instructions for Prezis (see rubric for group
presentations; see also the “Points for Prezis” document on the course page)
ability to orally present your findings clearly, articulately, and coherently, coordinating visuals during
your portion of the oral presentation (see rubric for group presentations)
Look over the topics below and the calendar, considering what
topics and dates (multiple ones) you would like to work on for
the group paper and presentation. The assignment will be given
in detail once groups and topics have been established here.
Note: lines below dates/topics indicate sign up slots for group members. You and your group members will sign up in
class for your topic. “Open dates” may be used for proposed topics which have to be presented to me in office hours by
your group; these must have to do with central works, authors, contexts of the period into which they fall.
September
10 T Beowulf.
12 Th The Historical Arthur.
17 T Open Topic (must be approved in office hours by group)
19 Th Gawain.
24 T Open Topic (must be approved in office hours by group)
26 Th Chaucer,
October
1 T Mystery Plays.
8 T Religious Groups/Factions in 167th Century
10 Th Political Groups/Factions in 16th Century
15 T Foxe’s Martyrs.
17 Th Renaissance Pageants.
22 T One of Shakespeare’s contemporaries
24 Th Shakespeare
29 T Open Topic (must be approved in office hours by group)
31 Th Metaphysical Poets
November
5 T Women’s roles in or a woman writer of the 17th C.
7 Th Ranters, Levellers, Quakers, Shakers, etc. in 17th C.
12 T Cromwell as “Lord Protector”
19 T Samuel Pepys
21 Th Elizabeth Haywood
Nov. 25-29, Mon.-Fri.- Thanksgiving break, classes recessed
December
3 T “Age of Reason”
5 Th Beginnings of Romanticism (with a look towards Germany...)
10 T
12 Th This day reserved for overflow.