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The End of the World
as They Knew It
English 303
SPring 2001
ASSIGNMENTS:
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The End of the World
as They Knew It
English 303
SPring 2001
ASSIGNMENTS:
You will be responsible for creating your own personal homepage as well as posting information to it and to your group's WebPages. On Wednesday Jan. 24th we will meet in Library 18 to learn how to use the technology you will need to complete the course assignments, and to create your homepage. If you already know how to make a WebPages, we still need you in class to help others, to share tips on what makes a good page, and to begin to make your group's WebPage.
Three items need to be posted on your WebPages throughout the semester: (1) your annotated bibliography entry of a theory article from weeks 1-4; (2) your portion of the three assignments from the "Native Apocalypse," "Hope" and "Despair" sections of the syllabus (one each of a textual annotation, a bibliography entry, and an annotated cultural artifact); and (3) your final project. There are no other papers of exams in this course.
Please note: web projects must be posted as listed below. You may, however, continue to update them throughout the semester.
1. CRITICAL ARTICLES: METHODOLOGY & ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY ENTRIES
During weeks 1-4, each person should sign up to write an abstract of one of the critical articles. (See the "sample annotated bibliography" in the class reader for examples.) At the top of the abstract should be the title of the article and the citation in MLA format. This abstract should be emailed to the class and posted on your WebPages at least 24 hours prior to the day you have signed up for on the syllabus.
2. "NATIVE APOCALYPSE," "HOPE" AND "DESPAIR" ASSIGNMENTS
Overview: Compose a hypertext to explain one of the primary documents and to connect it to the other readings, theory, discussions, and classmates presentations. Your audience is other members of the class as well as friends who are interested in the class but were unable to take it this semester. (I.e. do not assume prior knowledge when you build the page.)
Detailed Instructions: First, your group will need to agree on which primary text you would like to use (feel free to consult with me). Once you have determined the primary text, each person should choose a paragraph, illustration, or stanza to annotate as a hypertext. You may break this text down into sections, illustrate it with relevant visual images, or connect it to whatever other materials you deem useful. One goal of this hypertext is to provide other members of the class with information they would need to know in order to understand the primary text. You may want to include links to relevant allusions, other parts of the text, other primary texts we have studied, critical articles, prior postings by your classmates, or ideas covered in class discussion. Since your goal is to unpack these connections, you will need to explain your links so that outsiders will know why they are relevant and important. Your links should include two connections to other postings by your classmates (either from this section of the course, or from earlier ones). You may also include a brief introduction to the passage if you find that helpful. Your annotation should be posted on your WebPages and should be linked to on your group's WebPages at least 24 hours before you are schedule to lead discussion.
Deadlines: This assignment is to be posted the night before your group is scheduled to lead discussion on the primary text for the "Native Apocalypse," "Hope" OR "Despair" sections of the syllabus. Note that this means that you will only do one of these annotations per semester. The purpose of this assignment is to provide the rest of the class with a close reading of an excerpt of the primary text.
Evaluation: I will be asking both your groupmates and yourself to evaluate the pages based on (1) how well your page accomplish the assignment and (2) how well your page works as a webpage. You should feel free to make changes to your page and update it as you learn new tricks or think of new connections.
B. CRITICAL ARTICLES: ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY ENTRIES
The night before your group is scheduled to lead discussion on the critical articles for the "Native Apocalypse," "Hope," OR "Despair" sections of the syllabus, you will be responsible for posting an annotated bibliography entry on a relevant critical article. Your abstract should be posted on your WebPages and should be linked to on your group's WebPages at least 24 hours before you are schedule to lead discussion.
This assignment is to be posted the night before your group is scheduled to lead discussion on the cultural artifact for the "Native Apocalypse," "Hope" OR "Despair" sections of the syllabus. Each member of the group should identify one cultural artifact on the web that relates to the discussion from the preceding days. Provide a brief (one paragraph) analysis of that artifact that links it to (1) the questions raised on the first day of the unit; (2) the primary texts; and (3) the critical articles. Your artifact and analysis should be posted on your WebPages and should be linked to on your group's WebPages at least 24 hours before you are schedule to lead discussion.
3. FINAL PROJECT: CRITICAL EDITION
The final assignment for this course is to write an on-line critical edition for one of the primary texts for this semester. Your edition should include
1. A critical introduction that positions the work in the context of colonial New England, theories of the apocalypse, and critical readings on the period.
2. A sample page from the text that is annotated with links that help the reader understand the text as a whole and its relationship to the ideas covered in this course.
3. A Cultural Contexts section that includes at least 5 related cultural artifacts and a brief explanation of the relevance of each to the primary text
4. A bibliography both of works used in preparing your project and of works that the reader might turn to if (s)he wanted to learn more about the subjects you have discussed.
Your final project is intended to build off of the work you and your classmates have been doing all semester. You should feel free to use some of the materials you have written in your earlier assignments and you should link your page to the work of at least three other students in the course (e.g. prior assignments, course discussion, annotations).
Due date: All final projects must be posted by Monday of Finals week.
Acknowledgements: Thanks to Lois Leveen (Reed College) and Randy Bass (Georgetown, American Studies Crossroads Project) for their inspiration and help with developing these assignments.
Reed College, Spring 2001