ENGL 371 (Schedule #26725)
Virginia Commonwealth University
Spring 2012
Tues-Thurs 11am-12:15pm :: 429 Hibbs Hall
Prof. David Golumbia
Office: 324D Hibbs Hall
Spring 2012 Office Hours: Tues 12:30-3:00pm

American Literary Beginnings

GUIDE TO ORAL PRESENTATIONS

Each student will present a brief 5-7 minute overview of a topic related to the course during the semester. See the presentation signup sheet for the complete list of presentations.

This page provides a guide to the oral presentations as well as the written follow-up paper each student will write.

Oral Presentations

The point of the oral presentation is to provide the rest of the class with contextual information they will not otherwise get from the main course readings. The presentation should last about 5 minutes and in no cases more than 7 minutes, and I will usually stop all presentations around the 7 minute mark unless arranged beforehand. The presentation will be graded primarily on the content provided and less on the verbal or visual style of presentation; obviously, all things being equal, the better all aspects of the presentation are the higher the grade it will receive. As the semester progresses and we see some examples, criteria for grading should become clear (and will be discussed in class).

It is always advisable to touch base with me via email or during my office hours before your presentation, especially if you have any questions at all about the nature of your presentation.

Topic Advice

If your topic is:

• a primary written or graphical text, such as Jefferson's Notes on the State of Virginia or Letters of Cortés, or maps of the Mexico City encounters, you are expected to read the work, provide a summary of the high points and major issues it raises, and focus in particular on questions of interpretation and reception of the work in history and as it relates to the other figures/works we examine in class. If the work is very long (e.g. Hakluyt's Voyages) you are expected to read any introductory material and a selection of the work itself; you should consult with me via email or during my office hours to determine exactly what to read.
• an individual such as Vasco de Gama or Ferdinand Magellan, you are expected to provide a biographical overview, focusing in particular on points of similarity and/or contact with the main figures we are studying in class. You should do your own research, including reading Wikipedia, to figure out in general what that person did and what they are famous for; definitely look for and, if available, read any primary texts they wrote; and give the class a good sense of where this person fits into the history that the whole class is covering.
• a secondary text, such as the parts of Zamora's Reading Columbus not on the main syllabus, or Sayre's Les Sauvages Americains, you are expected to read the book or section assigned, provide a summary, and then focus in on parts of the text that relate directly to the materials the whole class is reading.

Use of Visual (and Audio-Visual) Materials, & PowerPoint

Visual material should be adequate to make your points but not so voluminous to hinder the development of your ideas. Do not use slides as wall paper, i.e. as backdrop that is not discussed or at least introduced. Video clips, if any, should be short and edited to support your point quickly and directly.

It is expected that images will be presented using PowerPoint. Each slide should maintain consistent format. Choose a single, appropriate font. Dark backgrounds are recommended. Pay attention to basic design issues: consistency, positioning of images, and the like. Keep special effects to a minimum, as they the tend to be very distracting. Text should also be kept to a minimum. Images should be clearly identified by artist, title, date, and any other relevant information (location, dimensions). Text slides should not dominate the presentation. One or two may be used to present key ideas, using bullet format only. There should be no complete sentences, unless you are presenting an essential primary source text. Aside from such primary sources, the slide should never replicate the text you are reading from.

Written Paper

The written paper is due during the class period one week after the oral presentation has been delivered, unless otherwise noted. The written assignment based on the oral presentation can and should overlap with the material presented to the class. However, the written paper will be oriented more toward the main questions the class raises, about the nature of written texts (and other printed texts, such as maps and illustrations) toward history and culture. Here, the goal is not to provide context for the other members of the class, but instead to write a brief (6-8 pages, around 1500 to 2000 words) paper. The paper will be graded by the same criteria used for other written work in the class: the quality of interpretation, apt use of sources, and originality of thinking. This is not primarily a research paper and you are not expected to do encyclopedic research on your topic; however, consulting the primary sources and, where appropriate, important secondary sources will be necessary given the nature of the course subject matter. Please consult with me before handing in your paper if you have any questions about the nature and orientation of the assignment for your particular topic.

Consistent with VCU's Honor Code and with regular procedures for written research, all sources you consult, primary and secondary, should be properly indicated in quotation marks and referenced by footnote or endnote cited in MLA or another appropriate and consistent citation style. You should assume that I have basic familiarity with the assigned topic and have read the Wikipedia page for it (if one exists); I expect you to use this research but, especially with regard to Wikipedia, to go beyond the basic overviews available there.