ENGL 511 Special Topics in Writing: Young Adult Literature
PECHA KUCHA FINAL PROJECT
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Need to be in touch with me?
Lee Torda, PhD Interim Dean of Undergraduate Studies 200 Clement C. Maxwell Library 508.531.1790 Teaching Website: www.leetorda.com |
OFFICE HOURS: By appointment. Email me at [email protected] with times/days you'd like to meet, and I will respond within 24 hours.
“Let’s save pessimism for better times” --Eduardo Galeano |
ZOOM link to attend class: https://bridgew.zoom.us/j/91202035302?pwd=akVFQ4cdIaHX77ttkfZFFM10iTdtmW.1
THE RATIONAL
I know, you want to know what that means. Pecha Kucha is an import from Japan, an idea for presentation created by two architects that were frustrated by years of bad PowerPoint presentations. I think we can all appreciate that. It uses the visual aid that PowerPoint helps us with, uses parts of the software that are relatively underused, and crafts an argument or narrative that efficiently and effectively deliver content.
THE FORMAT
For a general introduction to Pecha Kucha and a sample presentation, click here .
To watch my Pecha Kucha on Wolfgang Iser click on the file here:
I know, you want to know what that means. Pecha Kucha is an import from Japan, an idea for presentation created by two architects that were frustrated by years of bad PowerPoint presentations. I think we can all appreciate that. It uses the visual aid that PowerPoint helps us with, uses parts of the software that are relatively underused, and crafts an argument or narrative that efficiently and effectively deliver content.
THE FORMAT
- A Pecha Kucha requires 20 slides at 20 seconds per slide. This is non-negotiable. It is like saying you need to write a 10 page paper, not a 9 page paper and not an 11 page paper, but a 10 page paper.
- You will locate or produce 20 images, one per slide. There is some wiggle room here, as you’ll see in any examples you check out. You might repeat images. You might add to an image for a second 20 seconds on the same image.
- Using the “RECORD SLIDE SHOW” feature in PowerPoint, which is located on the “SLIDE SHOW” tab, you will actually record your twenty, 20 second scripts for each of your slides.
- If you are wondering, this means you are recording a 6 minute, 20 second presentation.
- You will work with your google.doc book club. You don’t need to meet to do it. You could do this largely online. YOU CAN’T USE THE GOOGLE DOCS VERSION OF POWERPOINT TO DO THIS ASSIGNMENT. It won’t work because you can’t record in the google.doc version.
- To use the template I made for your Pecha Kucha and for a copy of the instructions on how to record your Pecha Kucha script, click here.
For a general introduction to Pecha Kucha and a sample presentation, click here .
To watch my Pecha Kucha on Wolfgang Iser click on the file here:
THE CONTENT
Well, for starters, this is a new thing for all of you, so I’m going to cut you loads of slack on the technology part of the project. The Pecha Kucha project is worth 25% of your grade.
To earn a “B” grade, you must
In order to earn an “A” grade
In order to earn a "C" grade
If you can't meet the "C" grade requirements, you will fail the 25% you could earn for this assignment.
- On the syllabus page, the article I'm asking you to read is linked. The names of the members of the group are listed below. Everyone in the group is responsible for reading the article (obviously)
- You need to (obviously) read and identify the significant ideas in your article. So a thoughtful summary with a focus on the thesis/argument the writer is making. This is tricky: you could get trapped in giving too much summary and still not give us a clear sense of what the thesis of your argument is. So you want to focus on what the author(s) is/are arguing and use summary to support that.
- Locate between 3 and 5 other articles that connect with the article I assigned to you. You should locate articles cited in the article. You might look to see if there are older or newer articles in the bibliography that seem pretty central to the way the author made the argument. You don't have to summarize these with the same intensity as the anchor article, but your viewers should understand what how they connect to the broader argument in the anchor article..
- Then, using at least 2 of the FICTION texts we’ve read in class, make a connection between the significant ideas in the article and these texts. You can approach this by talking about the text from a literary perspective or the classroom or both.
- Render your ideas in, as explained above, twenty slides, with twenty seconds of explanation for each.
- Save your presentation as a file that you email to me (I don't think you can put it in the google drives). If it turns out that files are too big, I wil make a file on dropbox that you can save it to . I will give you instructions on how to access that cloud file the week the Pecha Kucha is due.
- As part of your final project, produce, individually, 200-300 word annotations for the articles you located and used in your presentation. Include the appropriate citation for each. Make clear what the main argument of the article is, what methodology they use to prove their point, and, most importantly, why you think the author of the anchor article used this particular piece of scholarship.
- As part of your final project, produce, individually a 750 word reflection on what you learned about the relationship between literacy instruction and young adult literature. This is pretty informal, but do reference the main article and the 3-5 supplementary articles you looked at for the presentation. Here is a place to connect to other novels we've read in class and/or novels you love to read and/or novels you love to teach. If you are inclined, you can write about what you've learned from these articles about writing YA for a YA audience.
Well, for starters, this is a new thing for all of you, so I’m going to cut you loads of slack on the technology part of the project. The Pecha Kucha project is worth 25% of your grade.
To earn a “B” grade, you must
- Read your article, and between 3 to 5 articles from the bibliography/works cited
- Follow the 20 slide, 20 second per slide format
- Have it ready to be viewed by the class on the due date on the syllabus.
- Complete the 200-300 word annotations required for each supporting article, making sure you cover all three of the parts I've requested you touch in (see number 7 above).
- Complete the 750 word reflection (see number 8 above).
- Be a decent group member.
In order to earn an “A” grade
- You must do all of the requirements for the “B” grade and:
- Do a thoughtful job of explaining the theory/article you read in relationship to the YA lit text(s) you chose as an example.
- Be an exemplary group member.
In order to earn a "C" grade
- You must come close to following the 20 slide, 20 second per slide format.
- Don't let down your group.
If you can't meet the "C" grade requirements, you will fail the 25% you could earn for this assignment.