Final Project - Weeks #11 - Finals
 URL: http://www.cocc.edu/cagatucci/classes/eng104/final.htm

Final Project = worth 25 % of Course Grade. 
Final Project Paper Due at Final Exam Meeting:  Thurs., Dec. 12, 2002; 1:00 p.m., Des 1.
NO Late Final Project Papers will be accepted (see ENG 104 SYLLABUS on Course Grading & policies).
Deadlines for related assignments/activities:
Mon., Dec. 2:  Topic Proposal (with copy for Cora)
Wed., Dec. 4:  Worksheet (with copy for Cora) & Seminar #5
Thurs., Dec. 12, 1:00:  Final Project Paper

Final Project Goals:

Successful Final Projects will demonstrate your ability to:

  1. Exercise & apply effective ENG 104 learning skills and knowledge (listed below);
  2. Further develop and achieve ENG 104 Course Competencies (listed below);
  3. Extend and deepen your ENG 104 learning experiences and competencies beyond required course readings, presentations, resources, and assignments, by addressing new primary work/s of, and/or sources on, narrative fiction;
    and
  4. Help your readers--especially other ENG 104 students--better understand and appreciate the work/s and author/s of narrative fiction addressed in your Final Project.

Final Project Specifications:

1.  MANUSCRIPT FORMAT:

MLA-Style Heading Example (to be placed in upper left-hand corner of  first page):

Janet Mikulski (your name)
English 104, Prof. C. Agatucci (identify course & instructor)
Final Project (identify assignment)
12 December 2002 (identify date assignment is due)

MLA-Style Running Page Header Example
 (to be placed in upper right-hand corner of subsequent pages):

Mikulski  2
(your last name and page number)

2. LENGTH & GENRE :  Your Final Project should be 1000 to 1300 words. Overall, that would translate into 5-to-6 double-spaced typewritten/wordprocessed pages, including the separate Works Cited page (if applicable) to be placed at the end of your Final Project Paper.  The genre of your Final Project will vary depending upon which Topic you choose (see below). 

3.  PLAGIARISM MUST BE AVOIDED in your Final Project Paper.  See relevant handouts given with Midterm Literary Analysis Paper for more guidance:

Using Sources Effectively - Week #6
URL: http://www.cocc.edu/cagatucci/classes/eng104/usingsources.htm
Citing Sources Correctly (MLA Style) - Week #6
URL: http://www.cocc.edu/cagatucci/classes/eng104/citingsources.htm


Most Topics (especially Essays) will require:

4.  WRITING GOALS, AUDIENCE, CLARITY, & COHERENCE:  Review useful advice given in (Midterm)  Literary Analysis Paper directions. Be sure to PROOFREAD AND EDIT your Final Project Paper before submission.  Grammatical errors that hurt the clarity, coherence, and effectiveness of your written expression will be considered in grading.  NOTE: Neat handwritten corrections in black or blue ink on the typed/wordprocessed pages of the final draft are acceptable. Remember: There is NO revision option with the Final Project Paper.

Final Project Paper Topic Choices:

Topic #1:  Literature into Film (Essay)
 Compare/contrast a literary work of narrative fiction to its film adaptation, in order to:
    a. evaluate, analyze, and illustrate the respective strengths of these two different artistic media (i.e. literature vs. film); and/or
    b.  analyze and illustrate the challenges/problems a filmmaker must address in successfully adapting a literary work into film.
Apply relevant point/s from Karen Kline's theories of film adaptation (see Cora's Online Reserve Articles) to your analysis.  Be sure to develop and support your points by citing and analyzing specific examples from selected works of literature and film. 

Some Resources for writing about film: 
(1) How to cite a FILM (Charters 1036);
(2) "Student Essay: . . . 'Making Mental Things Physical: Wright's 'The Man Who Was Almost a Man' and the Film Almos' a Man" (in Charters 1037-1041);
(3) Agatucci, Cora.  "Film Basics: Learning to 'Read' and Write About Film."  English 104 course web site, Central Oregon Community College, 20 Aug. 2002.  25 Nov. 2002.
URL: http://www.cocc.edu/cagatucci/classes/eng104/film.htm 
(4)  Included in Cora's Online Reserve Articles: < http://www.cocc.edu/cagatucci_articles/ >
resources on film adaptation (including Cora's detailed summary of Karen Kline's article) and
Joyce Carol Oates & Smooth Talk (1985).
(5) PBS Online offers valuable lessons & resources on Masterpiece Theater
adaptations of literature, including drama to film, novel to film, autobiography to film. 
Root URL: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece/
A bibliography of sources on film adaptation is given on Film Adaptation of Literature, Humanities Instructional Resources:
URL: http://www.cocc.edu/humanities/HIR/Film/filmadaptation.htm

Topic #2: Creative Writing & Interpretation
Literature into Play/Screenplay
First, locate and cite a suitable play or screenplay - preferably with extensive stage or scene directions - to use as a model. Then use this model to help you write a one-act play or a screen adaptation of one key scene or sequence of scenes from a short story included in our Charters textbook. 
---You will be expected to supply stage or scene directions to describe setting, costume, props, gesture, positioning, tone of voice, music, etc., to make concrete your visual (sight) and aural (sound) interpretations.  You may (should?) use dialogue, action, setting clues, etc. from the literary original - depending on your theory of film adaptation (see a below) and be prepared to justify departures from the literary original (see b below).
---You will also be expected to provide a 1-2 page Interpretive Commentary:
    a.  Use Karen Kline's article on film adaptation to categorize your approach to film adaptation and explain your goals.  Comment on how your adaptation "translates" narrative point of view, style and language of the literary original.
    b.  Identify and justify key changes (additions, deletions) made or departures from the literary original, and/or key challenges you encountered in trying to adapt the literary original into play/screenplay.

Alternative Topic #2:  Creative Writing and Interpretation
Perspective Shifting or Filling Interpretive Gaps
 Another way to understand a story and its characters is from the inside out, so to speak.  Choose one of the characters presented from a third person point of view in the original story, which offered limited (or no) inner views into that character’s thoughts and feelings--especially at key moments in the story.  Then “become” that character and re-write one or two key dramatic scenes in the story from that character’s point of view--using either first-person point of view or third-person (limited) omnicient with that character as the “center of intelligence.” Or perhaps add a plausible scene that was left out of the original story, or extend and resolve one of those stories with ambiguous endings by writing a new scene that takes place some time later.   Your goals are to more fully reveal what is going on inside that character and how s/he behaves (or would behave) during the key scene(s), as well as to help you and your readers better understand the story.  Though this topic gives you much imaginative license, you must make your scene/s and characterization internally consistent with other relevant “evidence”  we are given in the original story.  Use two or three different methods to create your characterization—e.g. dialogue/interactions with other characters; interior views or first-person monologues; significant detailing of external action and gesture; description of setting as an extension of dramatic mood, character’s state of mind, story’s theme, etc.

Topic #3:  Continuity and Change in Narrative Fiction over Time (Essay)
Choose one author and literary work from the 19th century, and one author and literary work from the 20th century.  Use comparison/contrast analysis to demonstrate significant continuity (similarity) and change (difference) represented in the content and/or form of these two selected literary works of narrative fiction. Be sure to:
    a. develop and support your comparative points by citing and analyzing specific examples from selected works of literature; and
    b. explain the significance of the points of continuity/similarity and/or change/difference.
Draw upon relevant course and outside resources to integrate relevant contextual (background) information by or about the authors and/or others' critical interpretations significant to understanding your points of continuity/similarity and/or change/difference in the two literary works.

Topic #4:  Comparison/Contrast of Two Literary Works (Essay). 
Take the lead from Topic #3 directions given above and follow directions for In-Class Response Writing #2 - except expand the scope of your essay (e.g. address more points of similarity/difference and/or develop each in more depth) as appropriate the length and formal nature of the Final Project paper. Also follow key requirements of Topic #3 above:  that is, be sure to:
    a. develop and support your comparative points by citing and analyzing specific examples from the selected works of literature; and
    b. explain the significance of the points of similarity and/or difference.
In addition, draw upon relevant course and outside resources to integrate relevant contextual (background) information by or about the authors and/or others' critical interpretations significant to understanding your points of similarity and/or difference in the two literary works.

Topic #5:  Comparison/Contrast of Two Works by the Same Author (Essay), including one assigned work that we have studied in ENG 104.  
Use your comparative analysis to identify distinctive similarities in the author's themes and use of other selected elements of narrative fiction.  And/or try to account for any significant differences between the two works by considering their writing/publication dates, progressive stages or development of the author's writing, relevant context (background) information by or about the author during these time periods, etc.  You may also wish to draw upon others' critical interpretations.  As with Topics #3 and #4 above, be sure to:
     a. develop and support your comparative points by citing and analyzing specific examples from the selected works of literature; and
    b. explain the significance of the points of similarity and/or difference.

Topic #6:  Interpretation of a New (non-assigned) Work of Narrative Fiction included in our Charters textbook (Essay).  Otherwise, follow guidelines for the ENG 104 (Midterm) Literary Analysis Paper.

Topic #7: Interpretation of an Assigned Work of Narrative Fiction (Essay), applying at least three new secondary sources.  Otherwise, follow guidelines for the ENG 104 (Midterm) Literary Analysis Paper.

Topic #8: A Gendered Theory of Short Story Writing? 
Some of you have theorized that males and females write differently, expressing different perspectives, themes and experiences, and perhaps even using different “gender-specific” techniques in their short stories.  Others of you may think that factors other than gender are more significant in accounting for differences in the ways female and male authors write.  Test the hypothesis that an author’s gender is a significant factor in shaping how authors write and what they write about through comparing and/or contrasting at least one short story by a woman and one short story by a man that we have read thus far in Eng 104.  Identify, analyze, and illustrate a limited number of differences and/or similarities that seem especially significant to this hypothesis.  Then present your conclusions.

Topic #9: Alternative Topics may be proposed so long as you can demonstrate that your proposal meets Final Project Goals and Specifications, and requires tasks comparable to other Topic choices stated above.

TOPIC PROPOSALS (Choices) ARE DUE - with copy for Cora - & will be discussed in-class ON MONDAY, DEC. 2, 2002.
a.  Identify Topic # Choice, works & authors to be addressed.  If possible, also identify key points you intend to address in your Final Project Paper.
Alternative Topic #9 requires full description of Final Project Goals, tasks, works & authors to be addressed to demonstrate that it is comparable to other topic choices.
b.  Working Bibliography (i.e. tentative Works Cited list of relevant works & sources that you think you will be using in your Final Project Paper, giving full bibliographical entries in MLA Style.)  If you don't know how to cite any of your sources, give as much info as possible and Cora will help you format.
c.  Questions for Cora (if any).

WORKSHEETS (or Detailed Outlines) are DUE - with copy for Cora -  & In-Class Seminar #5 will take place on WED., DEC. 4, 2002.
Design of Worksheet or Detailed Outline will vary depending on your topic choice.

ENG 104 Learning Skills and Knowledge, & ENG 104 Course Competencies
(from ENG 104 SYLLABUS)

What will you learn in ENG 104?  Assignments and activities, detailed in the ENG 104 Course Plan, have been designed to enable students to achieve major ENG 104 Course Competencies, by developing independent & collaborative learning skills necessary to successful college-level study of literature, including:

(a) close reading of literary texts and annotating (i.e. taking notes on) significant passages in those texts;
(b) describing and analyzing personal responses to literary texts;
(c) applying literary terms and concepts, approaches and methods of analysis, and relevant background information, introduced in class and assignments;
(d) identifying and investigating informational resources (e.g. library and internet sources) valuable to the study of narrative fiction;
(e) formulating and explaining tentative interpretations and evaluations of literary works--drawing upon logical reasoning and specific examples from the works, as well as other relevant sources;
(f) actively participating in class discussions and small-group seminars--prepared to explain and illustrate one's own interpretations and questions, as well as to understand and respond to others'  interpretations;
(g) seriously considering, and evaluating the merits and limitations of, others' opinions and evidence--especially those different from one's own; and being willing to re-think one's own interpretations and evaluations of literary works as warranted;
(h) adapting general academic writing skills to the special forms and requirements of writing successful literary criticism (i.e. literary analysis, interpretation, evaluation)

ENG 104 Course Competencies state major learning objectives of this course, and will be used when evaluating assignments.  Study of narrative fiction in English 104, will enable students to:

1.  Define and illustrate principal literary elements of narrative fiction (e.g. plot, character, theme, point of view, setting, symbol, style), as well as significant variations within this genre (e.g. static vs. dynamic character, short story vs. novel), using well-selected examples from representative works.

2.  Analyze relationships among selected elements of literary form and thematic content (e.g. setting and characterization, or symbol and theme) within a work of narrative fiction, to explain how these literary elements can interact to shape the meaning and impact of individual works of narrative fiction.

3.  Identify key characteristics of literary historical periods and movements (e.g. 19th-century literary Realism) influential in the development of narrative fiction; and illustrate these characteristics using representative literary works.

4.  Apply background information by and about authors--e.g. their lives, cultural identities, socio-economic circumstances, reputations, literary influences, creative practices--to analysis and interpretation of their works of narrative fiction.

5.  Analyze others' literary criticism (e.g. commentaries of professional literary critics, interpretations of other ENG 104 students), and apply relevant critical opinions to one's own analysis and interpretation of narrative fiction.

6.  Use comparison/contrast analysis to demonstrate significant differences and similarities between selected works of narrative fiction (e.g., in fiction by the same or different authors; in fiction from different literary-historical periods; in different types of narrative fiction, such as short story, novel and/or film adaptation).

7.  Evaluate selected works of narrative fiction, based on defensible evaluation criteria appropriate to literary genre and context, and persuasive with a diverse English 104 audience.

8.  Demonstrate effective writing skills when communicating and supporting literary analysis, interpretation, and evaluation, in graded writing assignments.

9.  Select and interpret persuasive specific examples from primary works of narrative fiction, as well as from relevant secondary sources, in order to illustrate and support one's points.

10.  Avoid plagiarism by using an acceptable academic style (e.g. MLA) to cite direct quotations, paraphrases (indirect quotations), and summaries taken from primary and secondary sources.

Cora's ENG 104 Course Web Site: Index
 Fall 2002 Syllabus | Course Plan | Online Course Pack | Assignments Index | Other Links? go here

YOU ARE HERE: Final Project Paper ~ Fall 2002 Assignment
 URL of this webpage: http://www.cocc.edu/cagatucci/classes/eng104/final.htm
Last updated: 11 September 2003


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