Long Projects

English 2120: Long Project Assignment Sheet

Long Project 1: Due October 1^st

Long Project 2: Due December 1^st

Conferences are required

Project Description

This semester, students will complete two long projects. All of these projects are designed to encourage students to think critically about the literature we are studying. While tests and quizzes can illustrate that students have memorized the information needed to meet some of the learning outcomes of this course, they cannot effectively prove critical understanding of the texts presented. Therefore, students will choose from the list of long projects below to create work that will demonstrate their mastery of the course concepts. Each project has its own challenges, but all are equal in difficulty and time investment. Students must complete two different projects during the semester, and projects will be scored according to the attached rubric.

Project Preparation

Choose one of the following Long Project assignments and make a plan for how you would approach completing the assignment. The plan should include:

a list of helpful outside resources (you must present at least 5)
2. a paragraph or outline explaining how the project will be organized
3. an estimated timeline of when you should be able to complete the components of the assignment.

Make an appointment for a conference time and bring your plan to discuss with me. Once you have completed your conference, you should begin your assignment. *You may begin before if you have a later conference, but you should submit your plan via email before you start so that I can approve it.

Project choices

Choose one of the works from a section and create a lesson plan for the piece. The lesson plan must cover 5 days, include learning outcomes, illustrate a clear focus on the grade level, offer at least one sample assignment/handout, and offer a clear and plausible daily timeline for the lesson. You must provide sources for all of the outside information you use to create the lesson plan, and the lesson plan must show evidence of research.
Choose one of the works from a section and create a 10 work annotated bibliography. The bibliography must be comprised of peer reviewed scholarly sources and include an MLA citation, summary, and evaluation.
Choose one of the texts and create a five-minute documentary-style video on a cultural issue related to the text. Use a variety of media types, including imagery and quotations from scholarly sources, rather than just speaking into the camera for 5 minutes. You must provide your script, and sources for all of the media and scholarly information. The video must show evidence of scholarly research.
Choose one of the issues presented in a text and write a short story inspired by an idea in the section. The story must clearly relate to the text. It must be at least 5 pages and it must be based of research (5 outside sources). You must include footnotes to illustrate where you’ve used information from the outside sources.
Create WordPress site for one of the time periods, authors or texts. You must post links to websites/videos/images and provide explanations/descriptions for the sources you choose to create links to. You must have at least 20 entries, and they must be organized in a manner that makes the site easily understood. You must provide citations for all video, imagery, and other outside information. The website must show evidence of scholarly research.
Write a 5-7 page research paper analyzing one of the texts we have read this semester, including at least 5 outside sources and direct references (via quotation and paraphrasing) to the work. You should examine the text using one of the of the types of analysis from the “Analyzing Literature Handout.” This should not be a plot summary or simple explanation of what happens in the text. It should have a thesis and approach the text from an angle.

Project evaluation

Each project has a separate, but similar rubric. Be sure to carefully examine the rubrics below when working on your projects. They will help you understand my expectations. Each rubric is designed on a scale of 0-4. These rubrics are used to help me calculate your grade, but the grade does not come entirely from the rubric. Oftentimes, the numerical grade taken from the rubric does not reflect the actual quality of the paper. For example, a student may score a 3 on all of the rubrics. Since the rubric is on a 4 point scale, that student’s numeric average would be 75%, or a mid-range C. However, a score of 3 on the rubric really correlates more closely with a mid-range B than a mid-range C, so in that case, the numerical value of the rubric undermines the true value of the work. So, you should use the rubrics as a guide to what the highest-level work contains and as an opportunity to see how your work fits into that spectrum, rather than as a true numeric guide to your grade.

Rubric for Project 1: Lesson Plan

Planning: The lesson plan shows a clear understanding of timing, information, and materials needed. It offers a complete view of what will be discussed, how it will be discussed, the pace for the discussion, and the audience.

The plan illustrates a clear understanding of pacing, arrangement, audience, and materials needed. It illustrates an advanced understanding of how the material could be best presented.
The plan illustrates a clear understanding of pacing, arrangement, audience, and materials needed. However, it only illustrates a moderate understanding of how the material might best be presented.
The plan sometimes illustrates a clear understanding of pacing, arrangement, audience, and/ or background materials needed. However, it illustrates a lower level understanding of how the material might best be presented.
The plan is not clear, so it is difficult to tell if the teacher has a clear understanding of pacing, arrangement, audience, and/or background material needed. It illustrates a lower level understanding of how the material should be presented
Incomplete

CONTEXT: The assignment should be clearly connected with the text. It should illustrate a firm grasp of the ideas within the text and the relationships between the characters and their world. It also shows a clear understanding of the work in relation to its time period/culture.

This assignment illustrates an understanding of the context both within the text and outside the text at an advanced level.
This assignment illustrates an understanding of the context both with in the text and outside the text, but it sometimes fails to make key connections associated with the context.
This assignment only occasionally illustrates an understanding of the context, and it doesn’t make key connections associated with the context.
This assignment does not consider the context of the text. Or, the contextual information is incorrect.
Incomplete

DEVELOPMENT: The assignment should illustrate careful development of ideas. It should include topics that are supported by sufficient evidence to support the main idea. Each idea in the assignment should be related to a clear thesis.

The assignment develops ideas carefully and the ideas presented are supported with sufficient evidence. Development is performed at an advanced level.
The assignment illustrates an understanding of development and often ideas are developed appropriately, but the development lapses in places leaving holes in the logic.
The assignment illustrates a moderate understanding of development but does not develop ideas consistently and often leaves holes in the logic.
The assignment is not developed properly. Ideas are not explained thoroughly and there are lapse in logic.
Incomplete

ARRANGEMENT: This assignment should illustrate consideration of idea order. Ideas should be arranged in a manner that logically prepares the audience for the ideas that will follow. Movement between ideas should be steady and easily followed.

This assignment is arranged appropriately. One idea follows into the next in a logical manner and arrangement reflects an advanced understanding of structure.
This assignment is often arranged appropriately, but sometimes there are lapses in movement between one idea and the next causing the development of ideas to seem unsteady.
The assignment is sometimes arranged appropriately, but there are often lapses in movement between ideas causing severe breaks in the train of thought.
This assignment is not arranged appropriately. The ideas seem disconnected and it jumps from one idea to the next without preparation.
Incomplete

SOURCE INCORPORATION: This assignment should include references to outside sources. The sources should reflect the best available information on the subject and should be used wisely though out to support ideas. The sources should also be cited appropriately.

This assignment presents sources appropriately. The sources are well chosen and used to support the ideas at an advanced level. They are cited appropriately throughout.
The assignment presents sources appropriately. The sources are used to support the ideas, but they are not well chosen. They are cited appropriately throughout.
The assignment presents sources, but they are not presented appropriately. The sources are sometimes well chosen, but they are not always used to the best advantage. The sources are mostly cited appropriately.
The assignment presents sources, but they are not presented appropriately. The sources are not well chosen and they are not used in an effective manner. The sources are not cited appropriately.
Incomplete

Rubric for Project 2: Annotated Bibliography

Annotation Summary: The annotation provides a clear summary of the article or book. It presents the thesis and important elements of the main argument.

The annotations provide a thorough summary of the ideas presented in the sources. Each annotation is well constructed and illustrates an advanced understanding of summary.
The annotations provide a thorough summary of the ideas presented in most cases. Each annotation is fairly well constructed and usually illustrates a moderate understanding of summary.
The annotations do not always provide a thorough summary. They are a bit inconsistent and in many cases they are not clearly stated. They illustrate still illustrate a moderate level of understanding, but haphazardly.
The annotations never provide a thorough summary. They are seldom clearly stated and do not illustrate a clear understanding of summary.
Incomplete

Annotation Evaluation: The annotation should provide a clear evaluation of the text. It should discuss the text in terms of its strengths and weaknesses as well as in terms of its overall usefulness as a source of information.

The annotations provide a complete evaluation of the text. It illustrates an advanced understanding of evaluation and provides a clear and reasoned evaluation of the text.
The annotations provide a complete evaluation, but the explanation for the reasoning is a bit unclear and or the author is inconsistent in use of evaluation.
The annotations provide an incomplete evaluation. The reasoning is a bit unclear and the author is inconsistent in the use of evaluation.
Evaluations are often missing. When they are presented they are inconsistent in quality.
Incomplete

This assignment presents sources appropriately. The sources are well chosen and used to support the ideas at an advanced level. They are cited appropriately throughout.
The assignment presents sources appropriately. The sources are used to support the ideas, but they are not well chosen. They are cited appropriately throughout.
The assignment presents sources, but they are not presented appropriately. The sources are sometimes well chosen, but they are not always used to the best advantage. The sources are mostly cited appropriately.
The assignment presents sources, but they are not presented appropriately. The sources are not well chosen and they are not used in an effective manner. The sources are not cited appropriately.
Incomplete

Rubric for Project 3: Documentary Video

This assignment illustrates an understanding of the context both within the text and outside the text at an advanced level.
This assignment illustrates an understanding of the context both with in the text and outside the text, but it sometimes fails to make key connections associated with the context.
This assignment only occasionally illustrates an understanding of the context, and it doesn’t make key connections associated with the context.
This assignment does not consider the context of the text. Or, the contextual information is incorrect.
Incomplete

The assignment develops ideas carefully and the ideas presented are supported with sufficient evidence. Development is performed at an advanced level.
The assignment illustrates an understanding of development and often ideas are developed appropriately, but the development lapses in places leaving holes in the logic.
The assignment illustrates a moderate understanding of development but does not develop ideas consistently and often leaves holes in the logic.
The assignment is not developed properly. Ideas are not explained thoroughly and there are lapse in logic.
Incomplete

This assignment is arranged appropriately. One idea follows into the next in a logical manner and arrangement reflects an advanced understanding of structure.
This assignment is often arranged appropriately, but sometimes there are lapses in movement between one idea and the next causing the development of ideas to seem unsteady.
The assignment is sometimes arranged appropriately, but there are often lapses in movement between ideas causing severe breaks in the train of thought.
This assignment is not arranged appropriately. The ideas seem disconnected and it jumps from one idea to the next without preparation.
Incomplete

USE OF MEDIA: The assignment uses media appropriate to the discussion throughout the presentation. The media presented has a clear relation to the topic at hand and is presented appropriately.

The assignment illustrates a good understanding of the relation between media and the discussion. Media is used at an advanced level and with purpose throughout. The media presented is well chosen.
The assignment illustrates a good understanding of the relation between media and the discussion, but media is sometimes used inconstantly without a clear purpose. The media presented is almost always well chosen.
This assignment illustrates an inconsistent understanding of the relationship between media and the discussion. Often, it seems to be media for media’s sake. The discussion is an afterthought. The media presented is often well chosen and appropriate to the conversation even if the connection to the discussion is not always clear.
Media is incorporated haphazardly. There is often no clear reason that the media is used and there is no clear connection between the media presented and the discussion.
Incomplete

This assignment presents sources appropriately. The sources are well chosen and used to support the ideas at an advanced level. They are cited appropriately throughout.
The assignment presents sources appropriately. The sources are used to support the ideas, but they are not well chosen. They are cited appropriately throughout.
The assignment presents sources, but they are not presented appropriately. The sources are sometimes well chosen, but they are not always used to the best advantage. The sources are mostly cited appropriately.
The assignment presents sources, but they are not presented appropriately. The sources are not well chosen and they are not used in an effective manner. The sources are not cited appropriately.
Incomplete

Rubric for Project 4: Short Story

This assignment illustrates an understanding of the context both within the text and outside the text at an advanced level.
This assignment illustrates an understanding of the context both with in the text and outside the text, but it sometimes fails to make key connections associated with the context.
This assignment only occasionally illustrates an understanding of the context, and it doesn’t make key connections associated with the context.
This assignment does not consider the context of the text. Or, the contextual information is incorrect.
Incomplete

DEVELOPMENT: The assignment should illustrate careful development of ideas. Characters should evolve logically and their actions should act as responses to previous actions.

The assignment develops ideas carefully. Characters evolve appropriately. Development is performed at an advanced level.
The assignment illustrates an understanding of development, but the development lapses in places leaving holes in the logic.
The assignment illustrates a moderate understanding of development but does not develop ideas consistently and there are lapses in logic.
The assignment is not developed properly. Ideas are not explained thoroughly and there are lapse in logic.
Incomplete

This assignment is arranged appropriately. One idea follows into the next in a logical manner and arrangement reflects an advanced understanding of structure.
This assignment is often arranged appropriately, but sometimes there are lapses in movement between one idea and the next causing the development of ideas to seem unsteady.
The assignment is sometimes arranged appropriately, but there are often lapses in movement between ideas causing severe breaks in the train of thought.
This assignment is not arranged appropriately. The ideas seem disconnected and it jumps from one idea to the next without preparation.
Incomplete

CONSTANCY OF STYLE AND VOICE:
The assignment illustrates a consistency of style and voice. It maintains the voice throughout.

The assignment illustrates an advanced understanding of style and voice. The author maintains the voice at an advanced level.
The assignment usually illustrates an understanding of style and voice. It illustrates a few small inconsistencies in style or voice, but mostly maintains the voice and/or style.
The assignment illustrates a moderate understanding of voice and style, but lapses often.
The voice and style are haphazard. No clear voice and/or style is maintained throughout the piece.
Incomplete

SOURCE INCORPORATION: This assignment should illustrate familiarity with information gathered through research. There should be no direct quotation or paraphrasing. You should bounce off the information you learn in your research. The sources should also be cited appropriately at the end. BE CAREFUL NOT TO PLAGIARIZE.

This assignment illustrates that research has been conducted and that the author is familiar with concepts related to the time period. The information is included masterfully. Sources are cited appropriately at the end.
This assignment illustrates that research has been conducted and that the author is familiar with concepts related to the time period. The information from research is integrated moderately well. Sources are cited appropriately at the end.
This assignment illustrates that research has been conducted and that the author is familiar with concepts related to the time period. The information gathered from research is not integrated smoothly. Sources are usually cited appropriately at the end.
There is no evidence of research. Sources are provided, but not cited appropriately, and it is unclear that the sources were considered.
Incomplete

Rubric for Project 5: Website

CONTEXT: The assignment should be clearly connected with the text. It should illustrate a firm grasp of the cultural context of the time period, i.e. social, economic, gender, historic, etc. questions of the day.

This assignment illustrates an understanding of the cultural context at an advanced level.
This assignment illustrates an understanding of the cultural context but it sometimes fails to make key connections associated with the context.
This assignment only occasionally illustrates an understanding of the cultural context, and it doesn’t make key connections associated with the context. It sometimes presents incorrect information.
This assignment does not consider the cultural context of the time period. Or, the contextual information is incorrect.
Incomplete

The assignment develops ideas carefully and the ideas presented are supported with sufficient evidence. Development is performed at an advanced level.
The assignment illustrates an understanding of development and often ideas are developed appropriately, but the development lapses in places leaving holes in the logic.
The assignment illustrates a moderate understanding of development but does not develop ideas consistently and often leaves holes in the logic.
The assignment is not developed properly. Ideas are not explained thoroughly and there are lapse in logic.
Incomplete

This assignment is arranged appropriately. One idea follows into the next in a logical manner and arrangement reflects an advanced understanding of structure.
This assignment is often arranged appropriately, but sometimes there are lapses in movement between one idea and the next causing the development of ideas to seem unsteady.
The assignment is sometimes arranged appropriately, but there are often lapses in movement between ideas causing severe breaks in the train of thought.
This assignment is not arranged appropriately. The ideas seem disconnected and it jumps from one idea to the next without preparation.
Incomplete

USE OF MEDIA: The assignment uses media appropriate to the discussion throughout the website. The media presented has a clear relation to the topic at hand and is presented appropriately. The significance of the media is explained.

The assignment illustrates a good choice of media to represent the time period. Media is used at an advanced level and with purpose throughout, and its significance is masterfully explained.
The assignment illustrates a good choice of media to represent the time period and the significance of the choice is explained, but media is sometimes used inconstantly without a clear purpose.
This assignment illustrates an inconsistent choice of media to represent the time period. Often, it seems to be media for media’s sake. The explanation seems an afterthought.
Media is incorporated haphazardly. There is often no clear reason that the media is used and there is no clear connection between the media presented and the time period. The explanation is either unclear or not present.
Incomplete

This assignment presents sources appropriately. The sources are well chosen and used to support the ideas at an advanced level. They are cited appropriately throughout.
The assignment presents sources appropriately. The sources are well chosen, and used to support the ideas, but they are not well chosen. They are cited appropriately throughout.
The assignment presents sources, but they are not presented appropriately. The sources are sometimes well chosen, but they are not always used to the best advantage. The sources are mostly cited appropriately.
The assignment presents sources, but they are not presented appropriately. The sources are not well chosen and they are not used in an effective manner. The sources are not cited appropriately.
Incomplete

Rubric for Project 6: Short Analysis Essay

CONTEXT: The assignment should be connected clearly with the text. It should illustrate a firm grasp of the ideas within the text and the relationships between the characters and their world. It should also show a clear understanding of the work in relation to its time period/culture.

This paper illustrates an understanding of the context both within the text and outside the text at an advanced level.
This paper illustrates an understanding of the context both with in the text and outside the text, but it sometimes fails to make key connections associated with the context.
This paper only occasionally illustrates an understanding of the context, and it doesn’t make key connections associated with the context.
This paper does not consider the context of the text. Or, the contextual information is incorrect
Incomplete

ANALYSIS: This assignment should illustrate a clear understanding of the text from multiple angles. It should break a large issue into its parts and examines them in to see how they relate back to the whole.

This paper illustrates an understanding of the text from multiple angels, and the work is analyzed at an advanced level.
This paper illustrates an understanding of the text from multiple angels, but does not quite make a connection between the parts and the whole.
This paper illustrates a cursory understanding of the text, but it does not consistently consider multiple angles or the connection between the parts and the whole.
This paper does not illustrate an understanding of the text and does not consider the connection between the parts and the whole.
Incomplete

The assignment develops ideas carefully and the ideas presented are supported with sufficient evidence. Development is performed at an advanced level.
The assignment illustrates an understanding of development and often ideas are developed appropriately, but the development lapses in places leaving holes in the logic.
The assignment illustrates a moderate understanding of development but does not develop ideas consistently and often leaves holes in the logic.
The assignment is not developed properly. Ideas are not explained thoroughly and there are lapse in logic.
Incomplete

This assignment is arranged appropriately. One idea follows into the next in a logical manner and arrangement reflects an advanced understanding of structure.
This assignment is often arranged appropriately, but sometimes there are lapses in movement between one idea and the next causing the development of ideas to seem unsteady.
The assignment is sometimes arranged appropriately, but there are often lapses in movement between ideas causing severe breaks in the train of thought.
This assignment is not arranged appropriately. The ideas seem disconnected and it jumps from one idea to the next without preparation.
Incomplete

This assignment presents sources appropriately. The sources are well chosen and used to support the ideas at an advanced level. They are cited appropriately throughout.
The assignment presents sources appropriately. The sources are well chosen and used to support the ideas, but they could be used more effectively in places. They are cited appropriately throughout.
The assignment presents sources, but they are not presented appropriately. The sources are sometimes well chosen, but they are not always used to the best advantage. The sources are mostly cited appropriately.
The assignment presents sources, but they are not presented appropriately. The sources are not well chosen and they are not used in an effective manner. The sources are not cited appropriately.
Incomplete

Jennifer Hall, PhD

Associate Director, Center for Excellence in Teaching and Learning

Long Projects

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