Some
Suggestions for Your Final Project
Due no later than Dec. 20, Friday
For your
final project, I expect you to demonstrate your analytical and communication
skills through the completion of a 4-5-page paper that discusses the representation
of food in any texts and/or films. You can explore the role of food in
the construction of individual or group identity or the representation
of culture, or both. You can also choose to discuss any other significance
of food in the text(s). You must both use internal evidence to anchor
your argument and integrate a reasonable amount of external research findings.
More specifically, your bibliography must include at least one informative
article and one critical article, with a limited amount of web sources,
if any. Your final portfolio must include the following elements: a final
draft of your paper after careful revision(s), an annotated bibliography
in which you summarize and evaluate the general ideas and arguments of
your external sources, and your first paper of this semester.
In your first outline (1 page, due Nov.14, Thursday), you must identity
your topic, outline your research plan (i.e., what kind of books, articles,
and films you plan to research, any preliminary research discoveries,
and a rough timeframe), and explain briefly the significance of your project.
I will then schedule individual meetings with you to discuss your project
on Nov. 21, Thursday. You are expected to turn in a more detailed outline
on Dec. 3, Tuesday, which should include a tentative thesis, a proposed
argument, and any questions or issues that you have found challenging.
After receiving feedback on the second draft of your final project, you
can start writing as well as prepare for your last formal presentation
of the semester.
The class will break into groups of six to present on their final projects
on Dec. 10, Tuesday, and Dec. 12, Thursday, respectively. You must have
a rough draft ready before your presentation, and also prepare an outline
for the convenience of your audience. When presenting, you are expected
to spend 5-7 minutes to tell your audience about your topic, your thesis,
your argument, including what internal and external evidence you use to
support your thesis, and your conclusion. You will then answer questions
and/or ask for help from your audience. You are expected to incorporate
the feedback into your final draft.
The final draft of your final project is due no later than Dec. 20, Friday,
but I would recommend that you submit your paper earlier in order to receive
sufficient attention, since I also have a deadline to turn in the grades
to the Registrar.
You have made much progress this semester. Your final project should be
both a great opportunity to continue honing your research, reading, and
writing skills and a culminating point that will lead to bigger and better
things during your career at Grinnell.
Best of luck!
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