ENG2DE SEMINAR PRESENTATION
Lord of the Flies (1954) by William Golding
Each group will put together an "oral essay" seminar presentation based on one of the following
assigned topics. The seminar presentation should take approximately 30 minutes. A question
and answer session will follow.
Topics (one group panel per topic):
A) Golding does (or does not) prove his thesis and achieve his purpose in writing the
novel. (You will have to consider Golding’s stated thesis from a secondary source.)
B) Explore the tension between good and evil in the novel. Does either one win out in
the end or does ambiguity prevail?
C) Who, if anyone, is to blame for the final actions and conflicts in the novel?
D) Is the novel credible? Have similar events happened? Could they happen?
E) Evaluate Golding's achievement(s) with characters in his novel.
Preparation and Research

Each seminar should be prepared using the same stages as in an essay: Your presentation
should clearly communicate your topic, thesis, evidence, sources, and have both analysis
and a conclusion.

The presentation of your material should be done in a manner which is creative and
engaging to students in the class. Brainstorm different possibilities: presentations can be
dramatic, rely on audio-visual resources, and can even explore possibilities outside of the
novel to make your point. Don’t just get up in front of the class and “read an essay!”
Organization
A good seminar has a clear beginning, middle and end. While it is crucial that all members of
the group participate and present material, it is recommended that one person be "in charge" of
introducing your presentation (subject/thesis) and then conclude the presentation at the end.
The Beginning

Address your audience and state your topic and thesis clearly.

Define any relevant terms and provide any needed background to establish the validity of
your topic for the audience.

State the method of organization to be used in your group's "oral essay" (possibilities
include chronological order, commentary on factual information, cause and effect
analysis, thematic organization, explication through examples, survey of literature and/or
critical opinion).

Explain (or begin) your creative presentation and involve the audience when appropriate.
The Middle

Explain your reasoning in addressing your topic

Present logical evidence

Develop arguments

Explicitly link your evidence and arguments with your thesis
The End

Reinforce content

Review the seminar to ensure that there has been audience learning and retention of your
presented information by repeating the main points OR by applying the seminar to other
texts or events in discussion

Remember that you should have the same member who introduced your presentation also
conclude it. This person should also keep an eye on the time your group needs to allow
time for both notetaking throughout the presentation and questions from the audience at
the end. Consider having some prepared questions to pose to the class and engage them
in your topic if they don’t have their own queries.
Evaluation
As a group, you will be formally evaluated on both the presentation and the group work that took
place beforehand (see rubric). You will also be asked to assess the contribution of your peers.
As individuals you will each be required to hand in your part of the presentation (in written
format) for evaluation. This written component will be due for all individuals and their groups
the day of the first scheduled presentation.