In this course, you will work in groups of two or three to find an “Artifact of Empire” and deliver a 20-minute presentation on it (10 minutes for presentation; 10 minutes facilitating class discussion). On the first day of class you will sign up to present on a certain day. The day you decide to present determines the decade from which your artifact must come (i.e., If you choose to present on Sept. 21, your artifact will be from the 1830s).
Your photos, presentation, research notes, and works cited must be uploaded to our course blog in the form of a blog post before you give your presentation. Remember to add "Labels" to your post. (i.e., if your artifact is a handkerchief commemorating Queen Victoria's Diamond Jubilee in 1897, you may want to give your blogpost labels such as "Diamond Jubilee," "1890s," "Queen Victoria," "Celebrations," "Souvenirs," etc.)
What is an “Artifact of
Empire,” you ask? An “Artifact of Empire” may be a cartoon, travel narrative,
diary or journal entry, map, advertisement, painting, photograph, or poem. Your
presentation must:
- Briefly describe what your artifact is (for example: Who made it? What is it made out of? Where is it from?);
- Contextualize your artifact in its historical moment (for example: Does it reflect a certain political or social movement? Does it criticize or reinforce the British Empire? Why is it interesting or noteworthy?);
- Use the artifact and its historical context to illuminate some aspect of a novel, poem, or non-fiction text we have read in class. You will be graded according to the originality, thoroughness, and persuasiveness of your historical close reading of the novel, poem, or non-fiction text.
This means that you will
not only have to research the “artifact” itself; you will also have to research
the time period from which it comes and you
will have to think critically about how the artifact illuminates an interesting
passage or theme in the novels we are reading in class.
Do not speak in generalities about the text! (i.e., "This picture is about criminality, and Jekyll and Hyde is also about criminality.")
The more specific you are, the better your presentation will be. (i.e., "Curiously, the portrait of criminality illustrated in my artifact suggests that criminals, because they were considered 'less rational' according to early ethnological thought, were associated with femininity. This highlights in Jekyll and Hyde, a curious aspect of Hyde: the text seems to suggest that he is somehow emasculated, maybe even somewhat feminine. For instance, on page ...." and so on).
I will model an “Artifact of Empire” presentation in the second week of class to give you an idea of what I expect.
Do not speak in generalities about the text! (i.e., "This picture is about criminality, and Jekyll and Hyde is also about criminality.")
The more specific you are, the better your presentation will be. (i.e., "Curiously, the portrait of criminality illustrated in my artifact suggests that criminals, because they were considered 'less rational' according to early ethnological thought, were associated with femininity. This highlights in Jekyll and Hyde, a curious aspect of Hyde: the text seems to suggest that he is somehow emasculated, maybe even somewhat feminine. For instance, on page ...." and so on).
I will model an “Artifact of Empire” presentation in the second week of class to give you an idea of what I expect.
Moreover, you will also
be expected to facilitate a 10-minute discussion that leads students to think
critically and creatively about the text(s) we are reading in class in light.
Be sure that questions are open-ended and invite discussion (avoid “yes/no”
questions!). Also, set up students to have a successful discussion by giving
them necessary background information and specific passages from novels or non-fiction
texts during your presentation. You may want to make a handout or create a
visual aid to encourage class participation. You must have a works cited
page that adheres to MLA format.
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