Author: Caitlyn McLoughlin

Blog Post Assignment

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This assignment asks students to contribute to a shared blog (http://u.osu.edu/eng2367section14663) dedicated to primary texts relevant to the course theme. Throughout the semester students will submit their own entry to the blog (2-3 pages), about any primary source of their choosing related to the theme. Students might choose a film, a television show (or a particular episode), a song/music video, a visual or musical artist, a comic, a video game, a podcast, or any other relevant artifact. Students’ posts will include: 1) a brief description and summary of the artifact and why it was chosen and 2) an analysis of the artifact. This analysis does not necessarily need to be driven by a thesis, but should include close reading and should analyze the ways in which the artifact engages with the themes/topics we have been discussing in class. Students may write about why this artifact is particularly interesting in the context of the course theme, how this artifact relates to other similar texts we have examined in class, or how the artifact engages with our course theme in particularly unique or challenging ways. Because this blog post is intended for a public audience (as opposed to an academic audience), students have the freedom to exercise a more casual writing style, although an academic level of critical thought is still expected. Posts will be assessed based on depth of analysis, critical thought, and connection to the course themes and conversations. Essentially, this assignment is just like the Literary Analysis paper but intended for a different audience. Below is a list of objectives; I will refer to these objectives when grading this assignment. This assignment is due at any point before the final day of class on Monday, April 23.

 Objectives:

  • Choose one primary source – a film, comic, television show/episode, song/music video, video game, podcast, or other artifact relevant to our course.
  • Produce a 2-3 page analysis that demonstrates your ability to identify and extrapolate on elements of your text that are interesting, revealing, or strange. Your analysis should begin with a brief summary/description, but more importantly must engage in close reading and interpretation.
  • Assert and maintain your own critical voice as you discuss explicitly the ways in which this artifact fits in with our course theme and how it engages with the topics/tropes/themes that we have discussed in class.
  • Include an image of or link to your artifact for your readers’ reference.

**Students may complete an additional blog post for extra credit.