Midterm Proposal & Midterm PROJECT - A very High Quality Work Required. 24-26 Hours

ENGL 570

Midterm Project

Final Submission

The midterm project is an opportunity for students to explore paths that align with their interests and goals as they connect with discussions of classical rhetoric. The primary objective is for students to combine their knowledge of classical rhetoric (a theme, a rhetorician, a theory, etc. . . ) with a real-life application. The final submission should be the fully completed assignment connected to the student’s selected project option (Midterm Project Proposal). Each available option is listed below as a reminder. Pay close attention to the aim and requirements for the option chosen.

Note: If a student completes an option that was NOT the project identified in the Midterm Project proposal (module 2 assignment) and the student did not clarify any changes with the instructor one week prior to project due date, then the assignment may not be accepted.

The following were the Midterm Project proposal options a student may have chosen:

1) Book Review Essay: A book review is a common genre of academic publishing and allows for readers to understand not only the basic argument of a text prior to reading it in full, but also its value and/or limitations to the journal’s audience. It is an excellent rhetorical exercise because the reviewer (you) must not only communicate the aims of the text and hit on its key points, you must also be aware of the journal’s audience and how your participation in the review conveys certain value of the text.

What this project entails:

· Choose a book published within the last three years that has a particular focus on Classical Rhetoric (philosopher, theme, theory, history, etc. . . ).

· If you intend to submit it for publication, contact the book review editor for a journal and ask for a list of books they need reviewed. Your instructor can help you begin this process if needed.

· Read the book. (An obvious requirement, but it needs to be clarified).

· Write a review essay (1900-2100 words) that encapsulates the author’s intended argument and key points while also articulating its value to Classical Rhetoric studies.

· Use APA formatting guidelines or the chosen journal’s preferences for citations.

Which students might this interest? This project is for those who seek higher education as a possible career-path, have a desire to publish, have interest in the review process of publishing, enjoy reading, and/or found a particular theme in Classical Rhetoric that is of great interest.

2) Lesson Plans Unit: A lesson plan is the primary genre for teachers as it communicates not only the content to be covered but also communicates (to teachers, administrators, and school boards) the objectives, materials, connections to other lessons, assignments, and activities. Essentially, the lesson plan identifies a particular block of time within a school system’s entire academic structure, day-to-day, year-to-year.

What this project entails:

· Identify a particular philosopher, theme, theory, history, or another topic of focus connected to Classical Rhetoric.

· Identify the educational context (grade level, educational setting, class).

· Create three separate yet sequential lesson plans (400 word minimum for each) that includes the objective/purpose, materials needed, in-class activity, connected assignment (in class or homework), and its link to past or future work in the course.

· Create an explanation of how the lessons work together, accomplish the goal of the unit, and provide a particular value to the student’s educational experience and beyond (Essay: 1000-1200 words).

· Use APA formatting guidelines in lesson plans and the explanation when discussing specific works.

Which students might this interest? This project is for those who currently are or desire to be professional educators, have interest in technical or professional communication fields (the lesson plan is a technical writing document), or have an interest in multiple themes of Classical Rhetoric and cannot settle on one.

3) Time Machine: Before there’s too much excitement about the name of this project, let’s clarify: you are not building nor designing an actual machine for time travel. The name merely suggests that though the rhetoricians, theories, themes, and treatises existed long ago, they are still very applicable today. What you will be do is take a philosopher and transport his/her ideas to current contexts. Explain/outline key points in this philosopher’s rhetorical theory, then apply it to a current object/situation. For instance, how might Aristotle’s views of rhetoric and civic engagement explain recent political speeches or campaign ads? What might Plato expound upon in regards to a movie poster or trailer?

What this project entails:

· Identify one rhetorician to transport to one particular context. Do not try to use more than one person nor more than one context or object to focus on as this would lead to too long of a paper.

· Utilize that rhetorician’s work(s) to analyze the context/object. Citing their work will help with this interpretation.

· Create a short essay (1900-2100 words minimum) that explains and supports the analytical conclusions.

· Use APA formatting to cite references to the original works.

Which students might this interest? This project is for those who desire more practice understanding rhetorical theories and their application to modern day contexts, those who have interest in public relations, digital marketing, or advertising, and those who have latched on to an idea/theory in the class already.

4) Student Designed: The midterm project is intended to include diverse options to avoid limiting the student to one particular idea. It allows for more creativity and unique application. If the above project ideas are not of interest, you may submit a unique project idea, but it must include the following requirements:

Proposal

· The proposal must meet all length requirements.

· It must include a name for the project, what it entails such as the amount of work required to complete it, how it fits the nature of the course, what will be submitted for assessment, and how it applies to your particular interests/needs.

· Note: The proposal stage will serve as a negotiating point for both instructor and student to define the project and its requirements.

Project

· The assignment must be a minimum of 1800-2100 words if in written form or must be an equivalent length/amount of work in another medium (the instructor will determine if the minimum requirements have been met in relation to what a 1800-2100 word essay would entail during the proposal stage).

· The assignment must have a component capable of submission and assessment (the instructor will determine if those requirements have been met during the proposal stage).

· The assignment must use APA formatting guidelines to reference original works.

Which students might this interest? As with all of those listed above, this project is applicable to anyone who chooses it.

Make sure you fulfill the criteria for the project option you chose. The minimum requirements are listed above for each of the project choices. Review the MidTerm Project Rubric before submitting.