Monday, December 21, 2015

Blog #6: First Nonfiction Project Check-in

Due: Wednesday, December 22
Words: 300-350
Minimum Links: 1
This blog is an official check in on your research process.

Welcome to your first blog post on your nonfiction project.

You've decided a topic and even started some research on it. You're in the process of collecting information and finding experts to contact or experiences you can have related to your topic.

This is your first official check-in since you shared your original Google Doc. Some of you have changed your topic and others have altered it from its original form. Let's see where you're at today.

Please try to write this as a cohesive post instead of just listing and answering questions.

Some questions to get you thinking:

  • What topic are you pursuing? How could you turn that topic into a question or two.
    • For example; If you are studying the impact of grades on learning, you may have questions like "When can grades be harmful and helpful?", "Are grades fair?", "What do grades really reflect?"

  • How will you share your project? We'll all be doing some formal writing, but think about how you'll share your discoveries with the class. Think about videos, presentations, Podcasts, websites, VoiceThreads, interactive multimedia, or other options. Don't say "PowerPoint." Describe different ways your finished project could look?

  • What are/were your thoughts or preconceptions on this topic at the start of it. What would you imagine you'd find out about the topic? Go ahead and make assumptions and hypotheses here and don't worry about being right or wrong.

  • What sort of research have you done about your topic through print resources and research databases?

  • What kind of first-hand research could you do?

  • What experts or professionals have you reached out to? What sort of responses have you had? If you haven't where and how can you start looking for these people?

  • What questions you do have at this point or what roadblocks/setbacks have you encountered?

  • What are your next steps going to be?

Saturday, December 5, 2015

Blog #5: Creating Satire

Due Date: Friday, December 18
Minimum Words: 550 - However, other formats may be used
Links: Optional, but helpful if you're going to have fun with the tone in a "real" blog.

What is the biggest rock? This  is the most important question.



Start here for an excellent video that defines what satire is and gets you a head start on how to make your own.

Here's an example of satire, outlining the tortures of Teenage Affluenza.


Jon Stewart, who is a modern master of Satire, explains about his relationship with it here.



Your assignment is to create an original piece of satire on a topic of your choice.

It can be written as an essay, an article, a poem, or a song. It could be performed as a piece of music or speech, it could be a video done alone or with partners. It could take the form of anything you please.

Feel free to label your post as Satire if you are worried about your audience forming the wrong impression about you. However, if you truly want to do this well and have your intended effect, you may want to avoid the label.