Name______English 10 Honors

Multi-Genre Research Project

Historical/Cultural Perspectives from 1984 or Lord of the Flies

The Multi-Genre Research Project (MGRP) you will be completing this quarter is a “twist” on the research paper, for it requires you to research a topic and present your information in a “non-traditional” way. You will be selecting from various genres (or types of writing) to demonstrate the knowledge you’ve gained on your topic. This project requires that you blend narrative and transactional (or expository) writing in order to convey details and research in a creative way.

According to Dr. Tony Roma of the University of Miami, credited as founder of the multi-genre research paper (MGRP),“Follow your curiosity and think outside the box. . . [this type of project] recognizes that there are many ways to see the world, many ways to show others what we see.”

For your topic---consider the historical and cultural background that undoubtedly influenced the author of the novel you are reading. Again, Roma acknowledges that the MGRP is a great way to illustrate how…

“…Literature is not imagined in a vacuum, neither when it is imagined and created by a writer nor when it is imagined and recreated by a reader. [The Lit-based MGRP calls for] you to capture some of the historical flavor and ideas afoot during the time the literature you choose was written. . . .

An example of one such historical influence on the writing of literature: There is a strong quality of feminism in the character of Hester Prynne of The Scarlet Letter, which is set in Massachusetts in the 1600s. That isn’t unexpected when we realize that Nathanial Hawthorne wrote The Scarlet Letter in the late 1840s, during a time of significant activity for women’s social, economic, and political rights led by Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B. Anthony. The Declaration of Sentiments, patterned after the Declaration of Independence, was drafted in 1848 at the first women’s rights conference at Seneca Falls, NY.

Your research might take other avenues. One student wrote her MGRP on The Notebook. She did extensive research to learn more about Alzheimer’s Disease. Another student read a science fiction novel about environmental abuse. He researched specific forms of environmental abuse taking place when the novel was written in the early 1970s. The lesson these two students provide is to not limit yourself to one predetermined slant in terms of research.

If I’m just researching and writing about a topic from the past, how is this any different from a research paper?

Simply put—your MGRP will be about a topic that has been researched before, but that is still quite RELEVANT---a topic that SHOULD matter to people today---something that made a difference (good or bad) in the lives of Orwell and Golding 70 years ago and that still influencesour lives today. (It’s up to you to be creative enough to demonstrate this!)

Tocommunicate to others just how relevant---you are tasked with taking this potentially over-researched, banal topic, and presenting it in several, different, creative forms rather than the standard 5-7 pp research paper in five paragraph format ---so thatYOU and your friends, relatives, peers--(not just your English teacher) ---can appreciate and understand its significance in their lives.

How do I begin?

  1. First, read your chosen novel---either Orwell’s 1984 or Golding’s Lord of the Flies
  2. Don’t forget to keep recording quotations and analyses in your 20 dialectical journal entries—due in June. This assignment takes time, but it WILL help you to be a more reflective, active, and critical reader.
  3. Next, formulate a research question. (do this even before you finish reading if necessary)
  1. What might we have in common today with that of 1984 or LOF? How have we learned from the past? Consider the political, historical, and cultural background, as well as any pertinent biographical information that may have influenced Orwell or Golding in the writing of this novel.
  2. Choose a person, event, or issue from the 1930s, 40s, and/or early 50s*and research his/her/its impact on the world in which the author lived and on his writing, as well as on our world today.
  1. After you have chosen a topic to research (see below)---prepare a research proposal following the guidelines on pg.3 of this packet
  2. Research your topic* for relevant information and prepare a MLA page of sources consulted and at least 15 notecards
  3. Develop a repetend/unifying element that you will use to connect the various genres
  4. Begin working on your individual genre pieces—think OUTSIDE the box! (no pun intended)

* See topic chart on next page.

*Orwell wrote 1984 in 1948, and Golding’s LOF was published in 1953-- Lists that follow are by no means exhaustive; if you would like to research another event, person, or issue of relevance, please let me know.

Historical and political eventsof the 1930s and 1940s (and early 50s)—For example: World War II, Great Depression, Holocaust, Hindenburg Disaster, Invasion of Normandy, atomic bombing of Japan, Cold War, New London School explosion, collapse of the League of Nations, establishment of United Nations and NATO, attack on Pearl Harbor, beginnings of Arab-Israeli conflict , Nazism, communism, socialism, Hitler Youth, Gestapo, Battle of Britain, India’s Independence, Japanese internment camps, British evacuation of children during WWII

People-- Leon Trotsky, Josef Stalin, Adolf Hitler, Winston Churchill, Mohandas Gandhi, Franklin D. Roosevelt , Harry Truman, Chiang Kai-shek, Neville Chamberlain, Hirohito, Mao Zedong, Charles de Gaulle, Benito Mussolini, Hore-Belisha, Rommel, Victor Emmanuel, Albert Einstein , Alfred Kinsey, George Orwell, William Golding,Aldous Huxley, Anne Frank, GJoe Louis, Jesse Owens,Charlie Chaplin, Frank Sinatra, Jackie Robinson, Royal Navy, British Imperial Policemen of Burma, woman in the workforce, WACS, WAVES, Uncle Sam

Inventions, social and cultural issues (science, art, literary)-- jet propulsion, first computer ENIAC, radar, nuclear power, microwave oven, Manhattan Project, inventions such as Frisbee, Velcro, plastic; quantum theory, nuclear physics, first hydrogen bomb , Hindenburg, penicillin, , television, Rh factor, plasma, disillusionment of the twenties, cynicism of the thirties, questioning of the forties, Citizen Kane, Hollywood war films, , film noir, the swing, Roller Derby, boxing, , “baby boomers,” desegregation in military, propaganda, media influences, privacy issues, sexual freedoms, religious freedom, government control, economics, aging, war, crime, psychology

Your Research Proposal

A research design, or proposal, is essentially an “I-search” report that “jump-starts” your paper and forces you to think about your topic in a concentrated way. It requires that you do some initial, detailed writing and consider things you would not have, had you only briefly mused about your topic. It also requires that you get to the library early so you find out the information and resources available.

The research proposal must be TYPED and double-spaced in TNR 12 pt. Follow the format as given in the sample on the next page. (Use the Roman Numeral Subheadings as shown and make sure each section is substantial in detail.) This assignment is worth 15% of your project grade. The elements of the research design include the following (see handout for sample):

I.Name your topic.

II.Describe what you know about your topic already. (Without consulting anything, go to the keyboard and free write what you already know. Let it sit a day or so, then come back and edit for redundancies and refine for specificity). You can do this as bullets, if you wish.

III.Tell what you want to learn about—what are you curious about?

IV.Describe the origins of your research. What sparked your interest in the topic? Why do you want to know more about it? (what personal relevance does this topic have to you---why now, why this?)

V.List at least a dozen questions you have about your topic (or twenty, or fifty).

VI.Describe your plan for collecting information about your topic.

VII.Provide a preliminary bibliography (Don’t bail out here. Get a sense of what is out there. I expect this to be thorough). See Sample Research Proposal Handout

How will the final product look—and what procedures should I follow?

  1. Sign-up for a topic from the boxes above--or come up with an alternative that is inspired by the choices.
  2. Use your research time efficiently. We will be in the computer lab for two full blocks. You will be required to write up your research proposal (see handout) and show me 10 completed note-cards based on your research by the end of the second block. Be sure to keep track of your sources for your MLA style Works Cited page. (Even though some of this, including the resources may change in the final weeks, a proposal lays the foundation for your project.)
  3. Once you have completed the research, use the information to create a Multi-Genre booklet about your topic.
  4. Booklets (projects) must include:
  1. Front and Back Cover: include a visual representation of the content that reflects the unique aspects of the time period from which your novel was based.
  2. Title Page: Identify your topic, name, and date.
  3. An Introduction/Preface/Dear Reader page.An introduction that will greet the readers, introduce the subject, and provide any other information you think the readers should know.
  4. Table of Contents: list all pieces included in the booklet in the order they appear.
  5. Five multi-genre pieces: See genre handout for more details. The five (or more) genres can be presented in any format you choose, but must come from five different categories, representing varying types of writing. At least ONE of your pieces must be an expository one from Group 6: Structured, and should reveal your thesis. All genre assignments are to be done as neatly and thoroughly as possible. All written components should be typed. Creativity is encouraged and you may mix written and visual pieces, but make sure it is well-organized. If you choose to do more than five, you can repeat categories, pick from the last category, or use a genre not listed.***
  6. Unifying Element (s)- or “repetend”: repeated images, genres answered, fragmented narrative, a detail just mentioned in one piece but exploded and illustrated in a later piece)
  7. Epilogue /End Note Page (more on this in class): This is a short summary to identify each piece that you wrote and what inspired it, and/or what you were trying to convey.
  8. MLA style Works Cited page: You must use at least two print sources and two electronic sources. Only one encyclopedia entry is allowed. Use only MLA format for your Works Cited page.
  1. Please note: this project requires original thought and creativity. Any work that is found to not be your own will result in you staying after school to redo the project.

***You can present each of your genre pieces separately or interweave them into a larger framework, however they should be connected by unifying themes, repeated motifs, genres that speak to each other, or topics that are mentioned in some genres and expanded in others. Do not simply cut and paste five genres and call it a paper. Use your own professional discretion as to the margins and font you wish to use for each genre. You are free to merge the non-fictional research you do with fictional context, a la the film Titanic.

You must create at least FIVE different genres (one of which MUST be from Category 6). Remember that each creation will ultimately tie into the others to make one unified product that thoroughly represents your topic inspired by your reading.

Group 1: Print Media
  • Advice Column
  • Application-job, school, etc.
  • Dictionary of specific language
  • Editorial
  • Headlines/Front Page
  • Letter to the Editor
  • Magazine Article
  • Magazine Article
  • Mission Statement
  • Newspaper Article
  • Obituary
  • Recipe
  • Wanted Poster
/ Group 2: Visual with Words
  • Ad
  • Bumper Sticker
  • Business Cards
  • Cartoon
  • Greeting Card
  • Invitation
  • Invitation
  • Neighborhood Flyers
  • Poster
  • PowerPoint
  • Response to Art
  • Travel Brochure
/ Group 3: Visual Display
  • Certificate
  • Collage Storyboard
  • Graph
  • Magazine Cover
  • Mandala
  • Map
  • Menu
  • Picture/Photograph
  • Postcard
  • PowerPoint
  • Recipe
  • Scrapbook Page

Group 4: Informational
  • Assignment Sheet
  • Calendar/Agenda
  • Campaign Speech
  • Directions
  • Directions
  • Encyclopedia Entry
  • Idea Web
  • Interview
  • Interview
  • Lab Report
  • Membership Cards
  • Memo
  • Police Report
  • Pro/con List
  • Resume
  • Survey
  • Timeline
  • Timeline
/ Group 5: Creative Writing
  • Conversation
  • Eulogy
  • Letter
  • Personal Narrative
  • Pledge
  • Poem
  • Prayers/Meditations
  • Report Card
  • Short Story
  • Skit
  • Song
  • Telegram
  • Top Ten List
  • Travel Journal
/ Group 6: Structured
  • Book Review
  • Contract
  • Critical Analysis
  • Descriptive Paragraph
  • Descriptive Writing
  • Essay
  • Letter
  • Manifesto
  • Persuasive Essay
  • Report
  • Report
  • Speech

Grading:

Structure (20%): Paper includes: decorated front and back cover, title page, table of contents, dear reader page (introduction), at least 5 genres (one from each category—one must be from Category 6), epilogue/endnotes page, works cited page; dialectical journal is attached (graded separately)

Quality of Content & Style (40%): Each of the required elements is strong in its language, clarity, meaning, and information. The writing meets the intended purpose and matches needs of the audience.

Creativity/Appropriateness of Genres (20%):The paper shows thought, effort, and creativity on the part of the writer. The genres included are varied and appropriate for the content presented and specific genre conventions are met.

Research (20%): Research was thoroughly performed and documented and at least 5 sources were used and cited.

Final Rubric

_____/10 Cover—front and back—professional looking/visually appealing

_____/5 Title page---Name, Date, Title—12 pt TNR D.S.

_____/15 Dear Reader/Preface page---12 pt TNR D.S.—briefly summarize your novel and explain what inspired your selection of the topic; describe what your intentions were in preparing the project and what you hope to convey to the reader/audience. Letter format with signature or report-style

_____/10 Table of Contents---identify each item by a title and assign each a page number

_____/75 Five genres---one per page (more than likely)---creativity applies---some may be longer, more visual, etc, than others---do NOT label the genres (the table of contents should do that)-use titles where appropriate, ex. Poem title or masthead for newspaper---each item should “feel” as if it is connected and belongs –see next item…

_____/10 Unifying element---provide a theme, quotation, visual symbol, etc. that carries throughout and is woven through each genre---for example ---“big brother…”

_____/15 Epilogue page—Handout provided—type up answers 12 pt TNR (Self-assessment/Reflection)

_____/15 Works Cited Page

______/30 Rationale/Notecards (3 pts per card)---number flexible-----10 (Minimum)

______/ GRAND TOTAL 185

______/ X bonus genre pieces (extra credit) up to 10 pts per

______maximum allowable extra credit

166-205 A to A 148 - 165 B to B+ 129- 147 C to C+

Other Items Connected to the Reading that Are Graded Separately

______/15 Your Research Proposal Typed

______/160 (8 pts per entry) Dialectical Journal

______Any Reading Check Quizzes/Other Class Assignments Related To Novels

Laura Strandberg
EDT 427 Sec. A
Multigenre Research Design

I.My Multi-Genre Research Paper Topic

My topic for the multi-genre research paper is motivation in reading. I want to explore why students so often do not read the materials teacher assign for them to read, what factors influence students who do read verses students who don’t read, and what a teacher can do to motivate students to read.

II. What I Already Know

I do not know very much about this topic, but I do have some knowledge from personal experience. I know that I am unmotivated to read when I feel I have no purpose for reading, when I do not think that I will gain anything from the text, when I will not be held accountable for the material, when I am bored or uninterested in the topic of the text, and when I am overtired or extremely busy. I imagine most of these, as well as many other factors, influence all readers at some point. I also know some of the factors that influence students who do the assigned reading, because I am one such student. Some of these factors are self-motivation and discipline, a desire not to disappoint teachers, a high level of interest in the topic of the text, and a positive attitude towards reading.