writing project for popular culture class

Individual Writing Project---140 points This is a chance for you to explore either social issue that you are passionate about, impacts you in some way, or you want to explore and it’s intersect with popular culture (examples: documentary films and plastic pollution; science fiction and immigration), or a chance to explore how some aspect of popular culture or social media has affected you or someone you know in a positive or negative way (examples: social media and body image; whitewashing in Hollywood; technology addiction). The popular culture aspect will come into play either by lens you use to explore the social issue you choose in the long form magazine article OR the format you choose will be your pop culture aspect (ie: podcast, film, art, comic, lyrics, slam poetry etc…). Pretty much any thing you choose will be fine with me, if you are stuck, I can help you find a topic. Part 1—Submit a project “plan” (what you are going to do for your project, and the topic you’ll be exploring), and an annotated bibliography containing 2 academic peer-reviewed sources and 4 other sources (magazine, newspaper, website, film, tv show, podcast, Instagram etc…). Submit to D2L drop-box. 10 points Part 2---First draft of your writing (if you are doing an art project, you can submit the written artist statement part). I will give feedback on your writing etc…Submit to D2L drop-box. 30 points Part 3---Final revised project. Submit to your blog. 80 points Part 4---Peer Review. Share your final project by sharing it on your blog with at least two classmates in mentor session for review. You will then ask them to leave their positive comments in the comment section on your blog. Your mentor will give points for this during mentor session. 20 points + 10 points EC if you have a 3rd review. CHOOSE ONE (1) Format—All formats require your 2 academic sources from your bibliography and at least 2 of the 4 other sources from your bibliography (not Wikipedia), so you will need to use at minimum 4 sources.

• Long Form Magazine Article---(approx. 1500 words) This option is basically a research paper for those of you more comfortable with this style of writing BUT in order to encompass a written narrative supported by a visual narrative, you will be writing a long-form magazine article. Often what we read on blogs and online magazine articles today are visually driven narratives and forums for academic and cultural research. For this assignment, you will choose any form of pop culture that you are interested in, and then pick a social issue that interests you. Your magazine article will discuss the ways in which your form of pop culture explores the social issue you chose: For example, Sweatshop: Dead Cheap Fashion is a reality television show that explores the harsh realities of sweatshops in Cambodia. It has all of the elements of reality television, but it focuses on a major social issue. Journalism is an anthology of war reporting rendered in short form comics format. You could look at sci-fi, comics, a specific genre of music, fashion industry, video gaming/games/e-sports, the “tiny house” movement, etc…Just choose a specific topic and look at it through a specific form of pop culture. If you look at sci-fi, for example, choose one or two shows that tackle a social issue—For example, both Star Trek: Deep Space Nine and Dr. Who have episodes that deal with immigration. There are several television HGTV type shows and documentaries, and magazines that focus on the “tiny house” movement (including their use as homes for the houseless and for reducing our carbon footprint). Many students write about the issues with plastic surgery in S. Korea where the pressure is to look like a favorite K-Pop star. Or whitewashing in films in Hollywood. There are a lot of options, so have fun! You are creating an online magazine article, so you will need to add images, tweets, media, video to your online magazine article to create a visual narrative to strengthen and enhance your prose narrative.☺ The final part of this assignment is a reflection---reflect on how the topic you chose affects you

in some way. Why did you choose this topic, does it represent some aspect of your own life you wanted to explore or something you see in our larger culture that in some way affects you or those around you. If someone were to read your magazine article, what would you want to share with them about your topic.

• Visual Art Project (approx. 1,000 word artist’s statement required). If you choose this option, decide on a social issue or aspect of pop culture/social media that is important to you or impacts you in some way in a positive or negative way, and use any medium of art you want to explore this issue. You must still use two academic sources and at least two other sources in not just your artist’s statement about the issue, but the information must also inform your artwork. In other words, if you are creating a web comic or short comic book, painting, collage, photo series, print advertisment etc…the research you find must inform your project in some way. The final part of this assignment is a reflection---reflect on how the topic you chose affects you in some way. Why did you choose this topic, does it represent some aspect of your own life you wanted to explore or something you see in our larger culture that in some way affects you or those around you. Why did you choose the visual medium you did, and how did it reflect your own personal feelings about the social issue you chose to explore. In your artist’s statement explore what you want your audience to sense, feel, experience from your visual artwork, as well as how the piece reflects the research you did about the topic you chose.

• Short story, podcast or short documentary script; slam-poetry/long-form poem (or series of shorter poems); song lyrics (approx. 1500 words). As with the other two formats, choose a social issue, or form of pop culture/social media that you are passionate about, or want to explore more deeply, or that impacts you or someone you know either positively or negatively. You can create either a short story, or podcast/documentary film script, slam poetry/long-form poem (or a series of shorter poems), song lyrics that explores the issue you choose to focus on. You must use least two academic and two additional sources in your writing. The final part of this assignment is a reflection---reflect on how the topic you chose affects you in some way. Why did you choose this topic, does it represent some aspect of your own life you wanted to explore or something you see in our larger culture that in some way affects you or those around you. Why did you choose the form of written medium you did, and how did it reflect your own personal feelings about the social issue you chose to explore. If your short story or podcast/documentary film/poem/lyrics were published/produced, what would you want your audience to feel, sense, think, explore through your work? Why this format rather than a different one to convey and explore your relationship with your topic.

RUBRIC

• Project Plan/Annotated Bibliography 10 points. D2L Drop Box • 5 points---Essay plan must be thoughtful and clearly articulated

• 5 points---Annotated bibliography with 2 academic sources and 4 other sources must include a short paragraph (annotation) for each source as well as the source citation in APA or MLA.

• First Draft---30 points. D2L Drop Box

• 20 points--Have a well-articulated focus in terms of the issue you are focusing on. It must be clear to the reader/viewer what you are trying to convey.

• 10 points---You must use your 4 sources in your project along with in-text citations (author, date) in the written part of your project, and must indicate in your reflection how the research informed your visual narrative (for visual projects).

• 5 points---Grammar, spelling, punctuation

• Final Draft---80 points. Blog

• 40 points—Overall finished project is clear and well-articulated

• 20 points---Reflection is thoughtful and well-articulated • 10 points---Sources are cited correctly on a works cited page • 10 points---Grammar, spelling, punctuation

• Peer Review---20 points + 10 points EC if you have a 3rd review. Blog Comment Section (

• 10 points---Peer review/comment #1 • 10 points---Peer review/comment #2 • EC 10 points---Peer review/comment #3