DWRL Lesson Plans - Lisa Gulesserian

Blogging Research from the Oxford English Dictionary

Gulesserian — Tue, 02 Oct 2012 16:42:54 +0000

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Brief Assignment Overview:

In two short blog posts, I asked students to choose an interesting or perplexing word to look up in the books we'd just finished reading. After conducting their research, students blogged about their findings and made a quick effort at applying their research to a passage.

Type of Assignment:

Homework Assignment

Assignment Length:

One-Two Class Periods

Multiple Class Periods

Pedagogical Goals - Literature:

Close Reading

Historical Context

Oxford English Dictionary (OED)

Textual Analysis

Word Choice

Pedagogical Goals - Writing:

Pre-Writing

Research

Word Choice

Pedagogical Goals - Digital Literacy:

Open Access Software

Additional Pedagogical Goals:

I wanted students to get used to close reading and using the OED in a low-stakes environment. I also wanted students to start thinking about what kind of paper topic they might pursue if they were to use their OED research.

Media Requirements:

Adaptable For Use Without Classroom Technology

Media Console/Projector

Technology-Based Classroom (computers for each student)

Required Materials:

Computers with internet access. I use Wordpress as my course's blogging platform, but I can see a number of different sites fulfilling the same function.

Timeline for Optimal Use:

Early in the Semester

Full Assignment Description:

To prepare for their blog posts, students chose one important, unique, and interesting word used in the assigned text; located all instances of the word in the text and noted their initial opinion of how the word functions in these instances; looked up the word in the OED, paying particular attention to the word’s etymology, historical definitions, and examples of usage; and summarized the three most useful pieces of information they learned from their research in the OED. In their blog posts, students used their OED research to better explain at least one passage in the text that includes their chosen word; developed a sentence-long thesis; and listed possible Paper 1 topics that might stem from their research.

Suggestions for Instructor Preparation:

Before assigning these blog posts, I showed students how to find and use the OED by asking students to look up words as we close read the texts together in class.

Instructions For Students:

Your goal in these two blog posts is to analyze the use of a single word in eitherOroonoko or Heart of Darkness by referring to information from the Oxford English Dictionary. To complete this assignment, you will choose one important, unique, and interesting word used in the assigned text; locate all instances of the word in the text and note your initial opinion of how the word functions in these instances; look up the word in the OED, paying particular attention to the word’s etymology, historical definitions, and examples of usage; summarize the three most useful pieces of information you learned from your research in the OED; and write your blog post. In your blog post, you will use your OED research to better explain at least one passage in the text that includes your chosen word; develop a sentence-long thesis; and list possible Paper 1 topics that might stem from your research.

Choose one important, unique, and interesting word used in the assigned text: As you’re reading a text, you should underline or note interesting words in the text. Look specifically at words that are used frequently in the text, though you might also notice a word that is only used once but seems especially important because it is part of a crucial scene in the text. You might be drawn to words that are unfamiliar to you. You might be interested by words whose meanings may have changed since the time of the text’s publication. Make sure to choose a word that seems important, ambiguous, unique, or interesting. Even if the word you end up choosing seems “basic,” you’ll find that the OED’s entries could open up a world of possibilities!

Locate all instances of the word in the text and note your initial opinion of how the word functions in these instances: Identify passages in the text that include your chosen word. Try using a searchable, electronic version of your text to find passages.Project Gutenberg or GoogleBooks might be good places to check for searchable versions of your text. In your search, make sure to include variations (like “slaves” and “slavery” for “slave”). Examine these instances and make a few preliminary notes about how the word functions in each instance and what each passage means.

Look up the word in the OED, paying particular attention to the word’s etymology, historical definitions, and examples of usage: Navigate to the Oxford English Dictionary resource page at the UT Libraries website by visiting the “Reference Sites” page under the “Research Tools” dropdown menu. Choose “Dictionaries/Translation” at the “Reference Sites” page, then choose the “Oxford English Dictionary” link. Once you’re able to access the online OED, use the site’s search function to look up your chosen word. Click on “Full Entry” (not “Outline”) once you’re at the word’s page.
- Research the word’s etymology: What part of speech (noun, adjective, adverb, verb) is the word you’re looking up? Make sure you choose the right one, but remember that your chosen word might be interpreted as multiple parts of speech. What language is the word descended from? Is it French or Saxon, Greek or Latin?
- Research the word’s definitions: How many different ways has the word been defined over time? According to the date the text was published, how many definitions would have been available to the text’s author? Note all definitions—even conflicting ones—that were in use at the time of the text’s publication.
- Research the word’s historical usage: Look at the etymology and sample quotations listed. What is the earliest known usage of the word? Which usages are familiar to you? Which usages by famous authors or well-known texts might merit your attention? Keep in mind that some usages might have become popular after your text was published, in which case they aren’t as applicable for close reading your particular text. Are there any other words or allusions you need to look up to close read the text?

Summarize the three most useful pieces of information you learned from your research in the OED: As you’re researching in the OED, make sure to take notes on your findings. Write down the entry headings and definition numbers for information that might prove useful down the road. In your notes, summarize at least three pieces of information from your OED research. Remember to choose the most compelling and pertinent tidbits to summarize—what pieces of information might help you understand the text better?

Write your blog post: Draft a single paragraph that encapsulates your research. When writing your blog post, you must:
- Use your OED research to better explain at least one passage in the text that includes your chosen word: Earlier in your notes, you summarized your three main pieces of information. With these three main pieces of research outlined, reexamine the passages in the text that make use of your chosen word. Choose at least one of these passages to better explain with your OED findings. Describe the scene and cite its page number. Next, explain your preliminary hunch about the word’s usage—a sentence taken from your early notes should suffice. How did your OED research change your interpretation of this passage? What information from the OED has helped you understand this passage from the fictional text better? Do your chosen word’s origins matter? Which definitions of your chosen word apply in the passage? If the word is used more than once in the passage, do multiple definitions apply? Does the word’s meaning shift in the course of the passage? Are there any images or allusions to previous usages of your chosen word?   Quote from the OED and your text, making sure to cite your sources. To cite the OED, make sure to include the entry headings and definition numbers, like so:

According to the OED, the word “home” could also mean “the usual contents of a house; a houseful” (“home, n.” 2c).

Develop a sentence-long thesis and move this sentence to the beginning of your blog post: After you have written a paragraph about the use of your chosen word in one passage from the text, try summarizing your ideas about the word’s usage in one sentence. Your thesis should confidently state how and why the text’s author decided to use your chosen word.

End your post by listing possible Paper 1 topics that might stem from your research: Think about possible paper topics that might come out of your OED research. What questions about the text might be addressed by your findings?

Evaluation Suggestions:

I use the Learning Record, so I did not grade these assignments. I had students post comments on each others' blogs, and I also posted comments in a separate private file on PBworks. I mostly wanted students to practice close reading and researching using the OED, and that goal was definitely met by the end of these assignments!

Notes on Reception, Execution, etc.:

Students loved this assignment because their blog posts could be used to build Paper 1. If I assign these blog posts again next year (which I intend to), I might have students only write one of these posts. My class is quite jampacked in the first unit, so it'd be a good idea to give students some more breathing room!

Additional Resources:

wordpress.com

oed.com

Course Type:

Literary Studies Course

Course Description:

Cultural productions have been banned and censored for a number of reasons, some expected—profanity, lewdness, vulgarity, sacrilege—and some surprising—retelling the past. This course will attend to books, graphic novels, short stories, plays, and films that have caused public controversy because of their unique representations of historical events. Whether nostalgically revisiting “the good old days,” vehemently criticizing “the dark ages,” or merely telling a story that “is not a story to pass on,” many from England, South Africa, Iran, Antigua, Israel, and America have been banned, censored, or criticized for their historical imaginings. Through close reading and critical writing using formal, historical, and cultural approaches to literature, we will work to uncover some versions of the past that have gotten a few authors in trouble. The Oxford English Dictionary and other resources essential to literary study will aid us in this endeavor and will also help prepare you for upper-division courses in various disciplines. The stakes are high when representing difficult, forgotten, or unwanted stories from the past—in this course, we will examine why reimagining the past in cultural productions around the globe was, and continues to be, so fraught.

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In-Class Group Evaluations of Short Videos

Gulesserian — Tue, 24 Apr 2012 18:30:07 +0000

Author:

Lisa Gulesserian

Image Credit:

Image of Chrysler's "Imported from Detroit" taken from a post on Jalopnik

Brief Assignment Overview:

For an entire class period, groups of students are tasked with evaluating a short video. Each group is assigned a video and a category of evaluation that they will use to evaluate their assigned video. They will work together to come up with criteria, evidence, and an evaluative claim for their video. By the end of the activity, students will present their evaluation to the class.

Type of Assignment:

In-class Exercise

Assignment Length:

Single Class Period

Pedagogical Goals - Rhetoric:

Pedagogical Goals - Digital Literacy:

Video

Additional Pedagogical Goals:

With this activity, I want students to get familiar with seeing how evaluations can look very different if the category of evaluation is not the same. This activity is also quite useful for getting students to practice coming up with criteria for a given category, as well as making them see that some criteria need justification depending on the audience. Students also start thinking about the rank of importance for the different criteria that they've chosen.

Media Requirements:

Technology-Based Classroom (computers for each student)

Required Materials:

Computer classroom with internet access. I use my course Wiki at PBworks to get students to post their group's findings, which I then project onto the screen so that the whole class can see a group's Wiki page as they present their evaluation. I can see a number of different websites besides PBworks fulfilling the same function.

Timeline for Optimal Use:

Mid-Semester

Full Assignment Description:

In small groups, students evaluate one of two short videos, Chrysler's "Imported from Detroit" Superbowl Commercial with Eminem and Jay-Z's "Empire State of Mind." Each group is assigned a video and a category of evaluation. Students then work in groups to come up with at least three criteria (appropriately ranked and supported/justified with two other "texts" from the same category) to use to evaluate their video. Students will then find evidence for whether or not their text meets/doesn't meet each criterion. By the end of the activity, each group will present their findings, starting with an evaluative claim that they drafted together.

Suggestions for Instructor Preparation:

I spent the previous two classes discussing evaluations, categories, and criteria. The first class was mostly spent explaining the concepts, and the second was spent looking at sample evaluations (of the same item, such as an album by a specific musical group). Students should be familiar with evaluation, category, and criteria before this in-class activity.

Before the activity, I assigned two short videos for students to watch for the day's homework: Chrysler's "Imported from Detroit" Superbowl Commercial with Eminem and Jay-Z's "Empire State of Mind." Students should have finished watching these videos before the in-class activity.

On the day of the activity, split students up into six groups.

Instructions For Students:

You will be put into one of six groups. I am going to assign a video and a category of evaluation to each group. Groups 1-3 will evaluate Chrysler's "Imported from Detroit" Superbowl Commercial with Eminem, and Groups 4-6 will evaluate Jay-Z's "Empire State of Mind." The first Chrysler group will evaluate the Chrysler video as a Chrysler commercial, the second will evaluate it as a 2011 car commercial, and the third will evaluate it as a 2011 Superbowl commercial. The first Jay-Z group will evaluate "State of Mind" as a rap music video, the second will evaluate it as a Jay-Z music video, and the third will evaluate it as a music video set in NYC.

In the next 45 minutes, each group should:

Find two other "texts" in the same category using YouTube.
Use the assigned video and the two supplemental "texts" to come up with at least three criteria for the category, justifying the criteria as necessary for your audience of peers.
Decide on a rank for the criteria.
Provide evidence as to whether or not the assigned video meets each criterion.
Draft an evaluative claim about the video.
Post their findings (category, criteria, evaluative claim) to our PBworks "Group Work" folder.

At the end of 45 minutes, each group will present their findiings to the class using their Wiki page.

Evaluation Suggestions:

I did not assign a grade for this assignment, since I want students to experiment with evaluations before they had to write their own without the help of their peers.

Notes on Reception, Execution, etc.:

Students love this activity! They enjoy giving their opinions, and they gain confidence in the rhetorical concepts of evaluation, category, and criteria. Many of them say it's the activity that finally made them understand what kind of paper they'd be writing in the coming weeks! Plus, I inevitably have a few Jay-Z or Eminem fans in the classroom who are always vocal about their undying love for either artist.

Additional Resources:

Jay-Z's "Empire State of Mind"

Chrysler's "Imported from Detroit" 2011 Superbowl Commercial

youtube.com

pbworks.com

Course Type:

Intermediate Writing Course

Course Description:

RHE 309K: Rhetoric of Suburbs & Slums

Depending on who you ask, London can be a cultural mecca or a den of vice, Los Angeles can be a palm tree paradise or a polluted suburb, and Lagos can be a dangerous slum or an exciting place where residents reclaim space for their own uses. In this course, we will identify, analyze, and evaluate the discrepant ways that we think and feel about cities (and their respective suburbs and slums) around the world. We’ll begin our exploration by looking at explicit arguments made about (sub-)urban places by urban planners, architects, and citizens. After rhetorical analyses of the various arguments made about these places, we’ll then move into uncovering and evaluating implied arguments made about cities, suburbs, and slums by artists, musicians, writers, and filmmakers. We’ll end our journey through these locales with you and your peers adding to the conversation. For better or for worse—with the rapid urbanization of our planet—cities, suburbs, and slums are here to stay. What we say about the nature, value, and future of these places is just as important.

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