Multimodal Argument Research Essay Assignment English Composition Dawn

Multimodal Argument & Research Essay Assignment English Composition Dawn Mellinger dmellin 1@kent. edu

Objectives Create a multimodal argumentative research essay using Power. Point, Prezi, a blog, or other digital medium Choose one side of an existing argument within a historical time period with a critical issue Place yourself (your age and gender) in that time period Effectively combine pathos, ethos, and logos appeals to your argument Locate and identify a logical fallacy in a counter argument This research project is worth a total of ______ points

What is a Multimodal Essay? For this assignment, it is an essay that combines alphabetic text and other modes for communicating meaning like sound, still or moving images, video, etc. Think of it like “Show and Tell” You will write parts of the essay to “tell” your argument and you will capture or create sounds/images to “show” your argument

First Tasks • Choose a critical issue raised during an important historical time period. • Do some research before settling on your topic to make sure it’s really what you want! • Write your Prospectus

The Renaissance The Black Plague World War II The Great Depression Prohibition The Revolutionary War The Civil War The Korean War The Civil Rights Movement The Vietnam War The Roaring Twenties The Old West Kent State Shootings The Trail of Tears The Roaring Twenties 9/11 The Gulf War Dessert Storm The Hippie Culture/Era Kent State Shootings The Aftermath of Hurricane Katrina Legalization of Marijuana The Heroine/Opiate Epidemic Examples of Historical Time Periods Be Creative

Important Considerations: v The topic you choose to argue is most important in this assignment. v The time period could be something current, i. e. Global Warming or Gun Control. It does not have to be historic in terms of being old. v Essentially, you have only 10 slides to “show” your argument = 5 Original Works and 5 Repetends v Be sure that every slide and everything you show relates in someway to the topic and is useful in creating your side of the argument.

Components of the Multimodal Essay 1. Prospectus 2. Prologue 3. 5 Original Works 4. 5 Repetends 5. Notes page 6. Works Cited page

A Word document that defines the scope of your multimodal composition: 150 -200 words Typed in Word or Google docs Prospectus Double-spaced Times New Roman 12 pt. font The Prospectus is submitted and approved before the research and composing begins This is not part of the multimodal PPT. It is a regularly typed essay; a design feature

Your prospectus should answer these questions: • What is your topic? • What is the historical significance or critical issue? • Why does it interest you? • What is the claim you will make? • From whose point of view will you be writing? • Who is your audience? • What credible resources do you plan to use?

Title Page • Create an original title for your essay • Include: Your name Instructor’s name Course title Date • May be a plain slide or thematically creative

A Prologue is an introductory speech that describes theme of a play or precedes the first act. Prologue The information provided here “tells” the story that your will “show” through various modes that you will both create in Original Works and find on the internet for your Repetends.

Prologue (contd) It is easiest to write your Prologue AFTER you have finished writing your original works. This way, your story line is already complete through the use of the various modes and genres you’ve chosen to create to “show” you story. You then write the Prologue to “tell” the story. The Prologue tells your reader how to “read” the paper. This component is VERY IMPORTANT! If you are not clear in the prologue, your reader will be lost.

Prologue (contd. ) • You have to explain whose perspective you are writing from in this portion (ex: wife of a soldier, the soldier, child of the soldier, etc. ) and give a brief background of the story. • Use the information generated in your Prospectus to write the Prologue. Look at the example multimodal essays provided for depth of information and clarity.

• You need to create a minimum of five Original Works, representing at least four different genres. Original Works • This is not a collection of pieces you find on the Internet or in books. These are items you write or create yourself. • MUST BE YOUR OWN ORIGINAL WORK, CREATED BY YOU, OR YOU WILL RECEIVE A ZERO!!!

• • • • • • • letter email restaurant menu obituary phone conversation fairy tale postcard pro/con list ransom note recipe song poem fantasy science fiction greeting card advertisement scrapbook page resume job application newspaper article magazine article memo outline illustration comic strip flash forward timeline flashback top ten list collage book review western business card choose your own adventure • dialogue • editorial • eulogy • autobiography • award certificate • speech • tabloid article • romance • photograph • travel poster • wanted poster • sketch/drawing • text message • voice mail • gear list • news broadcast • meeting minutes • software • changelog/development log • eavesdropping/ overheard conversation • • • Original Works Choose five of these genres to create your Original Works

If you choose to write a poem, it needs to be at least 10 lines. Original Works If you choose to write haiku, you need to compose at least three haiku to count as ONE original work. If you choose to create something that is not on the list, please get my approval first.

Another component to this essay is the use of repetends between your original works, which help bind the paper together. Repetends You should have 5 repetends total. The first repetend should be included after your first Original Work, then after your second, then after your third, etc.

THESE DO NOT HAVE TO BE CREATED BY YOU BUT THEY MAY BE. THESE CAN BE PICTURES, GRAPHS, DIAGRAMS, SONG LYRICS, QUOTATIONS, INTERESTING FACTS, VIDEO, SOUND BITES, ETC. THAT YOU FIND. Repetends connect your Original Works ALL 5 REPETENDS MAY BE THE SAME GENRE, BUT THEY MAY NOT BE EXACTLY THE SAME. EXAMPLE: YOU MAY USE 5 QUOTES, BUT EACH QUOTE MUST BE DIFFERENT.

Repetends • Your repetends should somehow relate to your original works. For example, if your topic is WWII, you can include quotes from Franklin D. Roosevelt between each original work, as he was president during this time. • Your repetends connect your essay’s original works to create a cohesive “story. ”

Notes Page You must include a Notes Page about each of your 5 original works. You should have one slide for each original work. Each Notes slide should be 50 -60 words. Each slide should explain your inspiration for EACH Original Work. This is where you should document specific notes from your sources. It should explain what is fact from your pieces, and what has been assumed, inferred, or fictionalized from your research.

WORKS CITED The final component of your essay is a Works Cited Page. Be sure to include a list of your sources for this essay in a Works Cited format. Visit the Purdue OWL website for specific citation guidelines for this assignment. You must have a minimum of four (4) sources for this assignment. One of those sources must be a scholarly article on your chosen topic or critical issue.

Grading Scale 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. Prospectus Prologue 5 Original Works 5 Repetends Notes page Works Cited page Each component is worth ____ pts. Finished by due date and presented to class = ____ pts. Total points = ____pts.

Context Process or Technical Skill Habits of Mind Artifact Substance Assessment

What is preventing you from implementing a multimodal assignment in your classroom? Questions? What road blocks are preventing you from making the multimodal assignment of your dreams?