Class Presentation: Come see me in office hours to decide on a presentation day.
Objective:
To allow you to further explore a topic or author you're interested in
To practice close reading and generating questions
To practice communicating your ideas to your peers in a clear, logical, and interesting way
For your 15-20 minute class presentation, you will be the GSI, responsible for introducing the class to the material, leading discussion, and stimulating conversation. You may structure the presentation any way you wish, but you must include the following components in your presentation:
Outside Material (3-5 hours)
Select one of the journal articles about this text (I will email out options - also available on bcourses). Read the article and summarize its main argument. Type up a 500-700 word response to this secondary source, addressing the following questions:
What is the main argument of this article? How does its argument change the way you understand the primary text?
Are there any aspects of its argument that you disagree with? If so, specifically outline which aspects you disagree with, and find evidence in the primary text.
What kind of evidence does this writer use to make their main point? Do you find any moments in the article particularly convincing? If so, excerpt these moments and explain why (quote from the text as much as possible, as always!).
What is the overall structure of the argument? What does reading this article teach you about how to structure an argument (you can discuss any aspect of the argument - introduction, use of evidence, conclusions, transitions, etc.)?
Close Reading + Questions (1.5 hours)
Choose 1 passage from the text that seems particularly fruitful for close-reading - your passage must be from the reading assigned for the day on which you present. Perform a full close-reading of the relation between content and form in this passage, and type up a 400-600 word account of the most important aspects of the close reading. Brainstorm what kinds of questions this close reading introduces - it should reflect broader concerns present in the text as a whole. Find and list other passages where the same formal concerns or issues seem to be at stake.
Structure Presentation (1-2 hours)
How can you structure this material into a 15-20 minute presentation that will engage the class in discussion? Your presentation should include some of the additional material you read, but only in a way that makes it relevant to what we have read as a class. You should also include your close reading and end your presentation with questions for the class to discuss. Feel free to use any of the strategies we use as a class - free-writing, group discussion, passages written on the board - you are the teacher today! Finally, type up your presentation in bullet-points or prose. Practice it with some of your friends as students.
In order to complete this assignment, you will turn in to me on the day of your presentation:
500-700 word account of outside material
400-600 word close reading, including questions and additional passages with similar concerns