Final Project Assignment: Cultural Review
Summary:
In this assignment you will write a review of a movie, CD, book, play, or musical performance using a specific format. It will be graded on a scale of A-F, based on content, form, and proper use of research skills and the MLA citation format. Spelling, grammar, and punctuation will be considered also.
Objectives:
q Refine summary writing skills
q Refine note-taking skills
q Refine research skills
q Practice writing essays
q Practice using specific details and examples to develop a point
q Practice with MLA citation format
Assignment:
Write a critical review of a movie, play, musical performance, CD, building or architectural piece, or artistic exhibit/work. Your review should be a minimum of three pages in length (about 900 words) with an additional Works Cited page at the end. The goal here is not simply whether or not you liked the piece, but to engage in a deeper discussion of the significance of your subject.
To do this, you will first summarize and comment on what other reviewers have said about the work in question. This should be possible to do in 1-2 paragraphs. You should then focus on one key theme that is covered in your subject and use outside research to comment on that and explain how it relates to the larger world. This will be your thesis, that is, the idea you are arguing. Put simply, your job is to argue what the cultural/ political/ social significance is of your subject. For example, an examination of Jay-Z’s Black Album might critically engage the theme of hip hop’s (and his) transition into the mainstream of American culture and its maturity as a musical form and use essays from Mark Anthony Neal, Todd Boyd, or Armond White for support. A review of Transformers 2 might discuss the film in terms of the ongoing War on Terror and how the film fits into the current worldview.
Possibilities for research are as follows:
q Other published reviews: agree or disagree with their conclusions and state why you do.
q Interviews with the musician, artist, author, film director, architect, museum curator, etc. Use these to say how the work you are reviewing fits into his/her view of art or life.
q Articles on trends in music, film, art, theater, etc, and how the work you’re reviewing fits into them or breaks new ground.
q Articles or news stories that make wider cultural, political, or social connections to the work you’re reviewing. Show specifically how these connections are shown in your review.
Options for online research:
q Newspapers such as New York Times, Village Voice, New York Press, Washington Post, Wall Street Journal, San Francisco Bay Guardian, the Indypendent. (just to name a few).
q Magazines such as New Yorker, Rolling Stone, Vibe, XXXL, Architectural Digest, Entertainment Weekly, etc.
q Online Magazines such as Slate.com, PopMatters.com, theRoot.com, Colorlines.com
The Key question to ask about online sources is the following: is there an editorial board? If not, then look for another source!
What you should do is provide a brief (1-2 paragraph) summary of the plot and action, state whether or not you liked the performance, and why, and include at least three examples to support your choice.
Format:
This assignment must conform to the following guidelines:
q Either typed or composed on a computer (handwritten papers will not be accepted and will receive a grade of “F”)
q Be a minimum of three pages (900 words) in length, double-spaced using Times (this is times) font with one-inch margins and 12-point type, plus a “Works Cited” page at the end in which you list references quoted in your paper. (This is the normal setting of the computers at the school). Please do not use any other type style and do not use a cover page: your name and title should be on the first page.
q See the attached page for a more detailed sample.
q Include a review of existing reviews, author interviews, or outside commentary on the context of the work (minimum of 2)
q Include outside research support for your analysis of the subject from essays in reputable newspapers, books, or magazines
q Include a “Works Cited” page at the end to document your research
q Conform closely to the MLA citation format, which we will review in class.
The first sentence of the first paragraph should introduce and either offer a mini summary or a comment on whatever it is you are reviewing.
Example:
The Tribeca Theatre’s production of William Shakespeare’s As You Like It presented a modern version of a classic play. The play is set to a hip-hop soundtrack and the “forest of Arden” in the original play is the Arden Housing Projects in this version. As the play begins, the evil Duke—a sunglass-wearing, cell-phone carrying gangster—has stolen the family’s land and fortune….
Your introductory paragraph should tell the reader what it is you’re reviewing (movie title, play, book title and author, etc.) and what it is about. Assume the reader knows nothing about the subject.
Successive paragraphs should detail major themes in the performance and/or specific scenes, songs, or characters that you find noteworthy. Use one paragraph for each major point. The conclusion should answer any unresolved questions and state whether or not you like the performance and why.
You should also talk about the performance critically asking the questions we’ve raised in class. Here are a few examples of questions you might want to raise. What are the strong or weak points? What are the major themes? Who are the main characters? Where is the play/movie set? What is the time period? How does the plot progress? Are there serious flaws or weaknesses in the story, and what are they? Similarly, are there particularly good performances?
Due: Tuesday August 16, 2011
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SEEK Critical Inquiry Workshop
Prof. Williams
Visual biography assignment
To do in class:
Introduce yourself to your partner and interview him/her. In addition to obvious information (major, where they went to high school, likes, dislikes, etc.), also think about longer-term goals and what’s important to them. The objectives are to 1) get to know someone in the class and 2) gather information for tonight’s assignment that you will complete after class 3) informal practice on presentation in front of a group.
To complete at home:
On a standard sized sheet of paper, compile a collage that draws a visual picture of your interviewee. You can use cutouts from magazines, newspapers, etc., compose the assignment on a computer, or a combination of the two. What you should focus on is which points are important to convey your interviewee’s character and how best to describe these visually.
Date due: tomorrow. You will do a formal presentation to the class of your collage and introduction of your interviewee and then turn in your creation to me. Needless to say, these should be done with care. Art skills are unimportant; what I’m concerned with is that you do a good job on the assignment and put some thought into it.
Assessment: This assignment will be graded on a Pass/Fail basis. Satisfactory papers will be awarded a “Pass”. Particularly inspired efforts will be awarded a “Pass +”. Mediocre efforts that minimally fulfill the assignment will gain a “Pass –“. Assignments that are either not handed in or show a complete lack of effort will be assigned grades of “Fail”.
Assignment objectives:
• An “icebreaker” meant to begin conversation and increase comfort level with classmates
• Develop skills in interviewing and assessment of information
• Develop skills in thinking abstractly
Notes: Be sure to put both your name and your interviewee’s name on the paper somewhere and indicate which is which.
