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English 4106: Genre (Non-Fiction)
Dr. Patrick Erben
ORAL PRESENTATION/GROUP PRESENTATION:
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A) ASSIGNMENT GOALS:It
is impossible to cover the many versions and varieties of non-fiction writing in one
semester. The selected readings, therefore, are only able to give a small glimpse of the different sub-genres and
approaches. Inevitably, they also represent my interests in the genre. Your oral group presentations are thus
designed to allow students to provide a different perspective of the genre, make their own selection, and present
their readings and ideas to the class. In other words, this is your opportunity for you to tell me and your classmates
what YOU are interested in!
B) PROCESS:
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At the beginning of the semester, we will form groups of 4 (four) students each.
I will post the schedule with your names and email addresses on my website.
Meet with your group as soon as possible (especially if you’re up at the beginning of the semester).
The texts: each group member picks one 1 (one) example of the specific genre you signed up for (e.g.
biography/autobiography). It’s completely fine if this is something you have already read (for other
classes, for fun, etc.). YOU are/will be the specialist for that specific text. Of course, your texts
cannot be anything we are already covering during the semester and two or more group members
must not cover the same text.
After you have met initially (in person or through email) and discussed your individual contribution (i.e.
which text you’ll be discussing), each group member should work on preparing a circa 3 (three)
minute portion.
Your individual portion: Summarize very briefly what your text is about (the plot, main characters, etc.).
Then, discuss what your specific text/author contributes to the genre (e.g. which paradigms does he/she
introduce? which genre features? what kind of revisions/innovations? what are the central concerns? how
do socio-economic-cultural factors influence the use of the genre?). Here, you may also compare your
text/writer to texts/writers covered during the semester (e.g. how does your autobiography revise, pun on,
or critique Franklin’s paradigmatic autobiography?).
Meet with your group members before your presentation. Coordinate your individual portions (length,
order of presenting, etc.). Discuss and compare your respective texts. Design a circa 3 minute joint
discussion. What elements/paradigms do your individual texts have in common, and how do they differ?
Prepare a Powerpoint including at least one (1) slide for each presenter and at least one (1) slide for the
joint discussion.
THE PRESENTATION: on the scheduled day, give your group presentation at the beginning of class.
Your total presentation must not exceed 20 minutes. In addition, I will always add 5 minutes for Q&A.
C) EXPECTATIONS AND GRADING CRITERIA:
 Your presentation should demonstrate your engagement with and analysis of your text. Your discussion
should strive to enhance the courses greater knowledge of the wide variety of approaches and genre
conventions in the field of non-fiction writing (in other words, explain what your text has to offer and what
we have to learn from it.)
 Your presentation style should be professional, engaged, enthusiastic, and engaging. Please do not simply
read from your Powerpoint (which is merely a visual aid) but rather try to speak openly and freely.
 Each member of your group should do an equal amount of work.
 Individual members of each group may receive different grades if the quality of their work is noticeably
different.
 Please dress appropriately for your presentation (casual but neat).
D) DEADLINES
PLEASE SEE THE SCHEDULE BELOW FOR YOUR RESPECTIVE GROUP’S APPEARANCE! MAKE SURE THAT EVERYONE
IN THE GROUP IS ON TIME AND READY TO PRESENT THAT DAY.
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E) GROUP SCHEDULE AND GROUP MEMBERS:
DATE
GROUP MEMBERS
R 1/26
1) Alixandra Hawkins (ahawkin1@my.westga.edu)
PRESENTATION TOPIC
Presentation 1: Biography/
Autobiography
2) Kate Theobald (kate@westga.edu)
3) Brandon Perry (bperry1@my.westga.edu)
4) Amanda Shoemake (ashoema6@my.westga.edu)
R 2/2
1) Laura Gordon (lgordon1@my.westga.edu)
Presentation 2: Biography/
Autobiography
2) Nathan Jones (njones6@my.westga.edu)
3) Jason Cole (jcole10@my.westga.edu)
4) Stefani Sarabia (ssarabi1@my.westga.edu)
R 2/23
1) Catherine Evans (cevans8@my.westga.edu)
Presentation 3: Biography/
Autobiography
2) Sydney Bolding (sboldin1@my.westga.edu)
3) Roby Redding (rreddin2@my.westga.edu)
4) Nathan Pruett (npruett1@my.westga.edu)
R 3/8
1) Tara Prouty (tprouty1@my.westga.edu)
Presentation 4: Captivity
Narrative
2) Skyler Engle (sengle1@my.westga.edu)
3) Benjamin McClain (bmcclai1@my.westga.edu)
4) Shantel Dean (sdean1@my.westga.edu)
R 3/29
1) Kimberley Smith (ksmith36@my.westga.edu)
Presentation 5: Personal Essay
2) Elizabeth Wood (eraborn1@my.westga.edu)
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4)
T 4/10
1) Whitney Jobson (wjobson1@my.westga.edu)
2) Kyle McFadden (kmcfadd1@my.westga.edu)
3) Jami Miller (jmille12@my.westga.edu)
4) Christine Fonville (cfonvil1@my.westga.edu)
Presentation 6:
Biography/Autobiography