CRW 111
Decoding Texts
McCarthy
Final Map Project and Reflection Paper, and Presentation Assignments
Nov. 2012
Project
Purpose of the project: To allow students to create a map (in other words, a visual/prose text) that makes an argument about the
way(s) in which specific target audiences are (or are not) educated to read/decode specific types of texts.
Author's (your) process: Choose one type of text and one target audience to focus on. For instance, how would a visual/prose text best
show how Feed's School™ (versus home school environment) educates characters to decode banners? How would a visual/prose text
best indicate the long-term yet dynamic relationship that Douglass had with reading and with prose texts? Which type of visual/prose
text would best convey how new recruits without high-school literacy are educated (or instructed) by the Army? Which type of
visual/prose text would best show emerging reading ability gaps (with, for instance, text messaging) between generations?
Remember to use the course terms that we have discussed to help you create your map's and your research's focus (for example: text,
electronic text, prose text, visual text, print text, variety, register, language, education, instruction, script, to decode, to read, semantic
analysis, reading strategies, reading process, subordinate, literacy, modes, multi-linear, multimodal, adequate, reading education,
reading instruction, and affordance).
Be sure to use prose and visuals to address the following questions:
Are needs of the target audience "subordinate to the ...[needs] of the organization" (Sticht as cited in Kozol 191)?
Is the reading education that the target audience receives adequate?
Is the reading ability of the target audience a result of, or did it pave the way for, basic needs (Brice Heath 29)?
Based on your research, what do you predict will happen to the target audience's ability to read and decode texts? OR Based
on your research, why did the reading ability of the target audience halt at the point that it did?
Does Anderson's Feed help to interpret your map's implications?
How did your two independently located resources help you to gather information and create the map?
Due dates:
Two independently located, credible resources that you will rely on when forming your map: Wednesday, November 21
Draft version: Wednesday, November 21
Final version: Wednesday, November 28
Other guidelines:
You will need to create a visual/prose text which all members of your target audience—in other words, your classmates—can view at
once.
You may create the map as an individual or in a group with up to three members. If you chose to work as a group, you will need to
briefly explain how each person contributed to the map.
You will need to include a list of the sources that you relied on when creating your map.
Presentation Reflection Paper
Purpose of the paper: To allow students to reflect on what they have learned during CRW 111 this semester in order to prepare for the
presentation. The papers will be written individually.
Author's (your) purpose: To write a brief paper that reflects on your learning process over the semester, and which uses the final
project as an example to illustrate that process. Your sources in this paper will be your first and second papers, your final map project,
and your independently located resources. Be sure to address the following questions in your paper:
Which assignment or reading (or other assigned text) caused you to develop your ideas about a course term most fully? Why?
What does the progression of your papers indicate about how your writing process has changed during the semester? Be sure
to use at least two references to your own writing as examples.
What does your final map project indicate about how you are able to use research materials to form new ideas?
What does your final map project indicate about how you are able investigate the way that people decode texts? Be sure to
use at a reference to your map project as an example.)
Due dates:
Version one (at least 2 pages): Monday, December 5
Final version (at least 2 pages): Monday, December 11
Presentations will take place on December 3rd, 5th, 7th, and 11th .
Students will be responsible for giving their own presentations and for responding to the presentations of all their classmates. Any
student who is absent on any presentation day will need to meet with Meesh to discuss the issue. Any student with more than three
absences who is absent a subsequent time during December 3st through December 11th will severely jeopardize his or her class
participation points. Plan on being in class and on being responsible to your classmates during these two weeks.
Presentations should last 3-4 minutes (no more, no less) and should include a discussion of your map and reflections.
1) Your Map
What did you map? What does your map indicate about reading education? Is it adequate? What observations does your map make
about Anderson's predictions?
2) Your Reflection Paper
Explain your learning process over the semester, using at least one reference to each of the following to illustrate that process: the
final map project, your first paper or your second paper, and a course or an independently located reading.
Which assignment or reading (or other assigned text) did you learn from most fully?
What does the progression of your papers indicate about how your writing process has changed during the semester?
What does your final project indicate about how you are able to work with multiple texts and multiple target audiences?
During your presentation, you may discuss your map project first, or your reflection paper first, or you can combine the discussion of
the two. Simply make sure that you include all the points listed above.
Your optional presentation handout
You may make 13 copies of a presentation handout to distribute to your classmates. If you choose to do so, rely on visual and prose
text to help you to best deliver your message about what you learned during the semester.