09 Jul special topic

Choose your topic for your final project.   READ the choices!!!  A couple of times.  Message me with questions.  

Choice #1:

You are a news reporter!  Using your midterm monster or choosing an existing one (like Dracula, Son of Sam, the Blair Witch), report on his/her/its antics to the general public.  These events reported can take place in the past, present, or future, but they need to be invented by you!  They cannot be reports already created by someone else.  For example, if you choose to report on Son of Sam, or any other real person, you cannot just find an old published report and change it up a little. (That’s called plagiarism.) Make something else happen!  Report on a Son of Sam sighting at the local mall.  Report on a murder that we never knew was connected to him.  Use your imagination! 

This choice can be in the form of written newspaper articles or video news reports. Three for either is required.  For the written articles, 250-275 words per article, totaling 750-825 words.  For the news reports, each report needs to be 2.5 to 3 minutes.  That’s it! Why the cutoff on word count and video length?   In this case, more is not more.  Read a newspaper or watch the news.  Space and time are limited.  

Choice #2:

Expand on your midterm monster.  Create a new story for him/her/it. 

Examples:

• • • Your midterm monster running loose during the 2020-2021 pandemic. 
    • Your midterm monster meeting up with another monster and having a battle. 
    • Your midterm monster trying to remain hidden in the disco days of the 70s. 

For this option, like the midterm, no written paper will be collected, but a presentation, with voiceover or presented live or on Zoom, is required.  Your presentation should be 5-7 minutes.  

Choice #3:

You have four options:

• Choose a specific monster (Dracula, Frankensteins Monster, Jack the Ripper) and analyze its depiction in various forms of media. (You must choose at least three forms.)  Discuss the similarities and differences in the representation of this monster.
• Choose a specific monster (Dracula, Frankensteins Monster, Jack the Ripper) and analyze its depiction in one form of media over a period of time. (This should be over a substantial period of time, not just a few years.) Discuss the similarities and differences in the representation of this monster.
• Choose a type of monster (vampire, zombie, serial killer) and analyze its depiction in various forms of media. (You must choose at least three forms.)  Discuss the similarities and differences in the representation of this type of monster.
• Choose a type of monster (vampire, zombie, serial killer) and analyze its depiction in one form of media over a period of time. (This should be over a substantial period of time, not just a few years.) Discuss the similarities and differences in the representation of this type of monster.

Your analysis will be shared in a presentation.  Although PowerPoint is the most popular, you can choose any visual method you like.  At least four credible sources are required. (A works cited slide is required.)

When choosing option 1 or 3, understand that your sources need to include at least three different types of medium.

With any option, you are permitted to use only one source that was provided to you in this course.  Think outside of the box!

You must select Option 1, 2, 3, or 4 and then either a specific monster or a monster type.  READ the instructions carefully.  

Would this be a good topic selection?

Option 1, Vampire

NO!!!  Option 1 requires that you select a specific monster, not a type of monster. Get it?  The answer above would earn you ZERO points.  

Like the midterm, you must be part of the presentation.  Voiceover or embedded video of you is required, unless you present live or on Zoom.   Your presentation should be 5-7 minutes.  

All choices require RESEARCH.  Yup.  I’ve said it.  The dreaded word.  Obviously, Choice #3 has research. But how do you incorporate research into the other choices?  Well, I’ll tell you.  For Choices #1 and #2, consider the examples.  Including facts about the times and places can easily result in your doing research.  Dates, times, locations, and events all are facts that need to be backed up with sources.  An MLA formatted Works Cited page or slide is required for all choices.  Use your Berkeley librarians to help!  They love this stuff!