Library Scavenger Hunt
5 Bonus Homework/In-Class Marks
Extra 5 Full Marks for a Perfect Result
This assignment is due at the beginning of tomorrow’s class
The purpose of this activity is threefold. One, it is to introduce and orient you to
the library and the resources available to you. Two, it is to get you to start learning how
to do research. And three, all of the items you need to find are directly related to your
upcoming Argument Essay.
You may complete the assignment in small groups, but each student must submit
one results sheet. At any point during the hunt, you may ask the reference librarians for
assistance. They know you’re coming and are reading and willing to assist you in any
way they can. That being said, they know not to do the work for you.
The results sheet must follow a very specific format. Each item you must find,
listed on the reverse of this sheet, is numbered. Your result sheet must be numbered as
well. Each item you must find in the library must be reported in MLA format. There are
several “cheats” located within the databases/library interface; remember, you need to
“cite this” properly in order to receive full credit and using the “citation tools” that are
made available to you will ensure that this is not a problem.
Following each entry, you must provide a one or two sentence summary that
states the thesis or central argument of the item. But how will I read it all in such a short
amount of time, you ask. Remember that the purpose of an introduction is to do just that:
introduce the reader to the thesis or central argument of the paper. Abstracts also provide
the same information. Your answers should look like following:
1. Smith, James. The Title of the Book. New York: Random House, 1998.
The author discusses the impact that titles have on sales and reception of books.
Using several historical and recent examples, The Title of the Book proves that
people do judge books by their cover.
The summary must give me some detail about what the item is about. All of your items
are generally about ethnic humor; your 1-2 sentences must show what specifically the
item is about.
I know that I am requiring a slightly different format than standard MLA (MLA
Works Cited pages are not numbered and are in alphabetical order), but this is how I’m
asking for it, so you’d better give it to me. We’ve discussed this previously, but
following directions is an essential skill in order to be successful in university and
beyond. Just because it’s different from what you are used to doesn’t mean that you
simply do it however you think you should. I will be stationed near the front of the
library if you need me.
Library Scavenger Hunt
Items List
1. Find the following article in the library databases:
“Theories of Ethnic Humor: How to Enter, Laughing,” American Quarterly
2. Find the following article in the library databases:
“Self-Effacing Wit as a Response to Oppression: Dynamics in Ethnic Humor,”
The Journal of General Psychology
3. Find the following article in the library databases:
“Have we lost our sense of humor?” USA Today
4. Find the following article in the library databases:
“Only joking. But healing South Africa, too” New York Times
5. Find a book in the library using the following search: Ethnic Humor OR Race and
Comedy OR Black Comedians. If you can’t find the first book you searched for,
move on to the next one or the next search terms.
6. Find a peer-reviewed article in the library database Academic OneFile on Ethnic
Humor.
7. Find a newspaper/magazine article in the library database ProQuest on Ethnic
Humor.
We have just learned about using the library’s research tools. You are all smart
individuals; before you go running to a reference library or to me, please take the time to
look at the interface in front of you and see if you can’t figure out what you need to do
based on what we just learned. The library’s webpage is very user friendly and pretty
self-explanatory. If you pay attention to what is described here and what is on your
computer screen, you should be fine. Also, trust your judgment when evaluating what
you decide for the final three entries on the list; the first result is not always the best
result.
Also remember, you can research every item at home except for the book you need to
find. But, in order to do so, you need to activate your Rattler card. There will be no
excuses and no late assignments.