Reality Tv First Captivated Social Media Technolo

the Final Project will be due in the next lesson. You will

have your choice of three options, and at this point in the class, it is

time to think about what you want to do and propose a plan for getting

the work done.

First, explore the various options for the Final Project.

Option 1: Digital Futures

In this project, you will explore the future of digital
technologies by choosing a specific technology that you’re interested
in (video games, the Internet, social media, etc.) and researching what
the experts say is the future of your chosen technology. You’ll also
reflect on the types of literacies that might be necessary in the future
in order to critically read and engage the technology that you chose.

You will present the results of your research in a 4-6-page,
double-spaced paper in MLA format, and include a minimum of three
external sources that discuss the future of the medium that you
selected.

Option 2: Reading Popular Culture

Choose a popular culture event or artifact that interests
you enough to drive a careful analysis. You should select a topic that
can be narrowed down to a clear thesis. Once you have your topic,
you’ll be asked to research it and draw conclusions from the trends you
see over time. Some sample topics follow:

• This project will examine Barbie advertisements from the 1970s
  to the present to show how the doll has moved from a fashion archetype
  to a more practical, career-oriented toy that encourages young girls.
• The Simpsons has gone through many changes, but the
  most successful episodes are the ones that tackle current political
  events. However, is there a political bias that is present when one
  compares and contrasts a politically-driven episode from the Bush
  era with one from the Obama era?
• Reality TV is everywhere, but where did it come from? Some argue that the first reality show was MTV’s The Real World from the 1990s; however, few remember that reality TV first captivated audiences in 1973 when PBS featured its show, The American Family. The rhetoric of that landmark show will be contrasted with a reading of a modern family show in order to draw inferences about the changes to the genre.

You will present the results of your research in a 4-6-page,
double-spaced paper in MLA format that includes a minimum of three
external sources that discuss the future of the medium that you
selected.

Option 3: Research, Read, Design

This project offers you the chance to revise the rhetorical
mistakes of the past. Think of an issue that interests you and has
gained the interest of others enough to be conveyed in a cartoon/comic,
audio/video, or other medium. You will be asked to write a short
analysis of the text that you choose, including information about how
others responded to the text. Then, you’ll have the chance to revise
the text into a more effective format. For your consideration, some
sample ideas follow:

• Flaws and Fallacies: Find a commercial, comic, or
  other text that commits a fallacy or other flawed reasoning. Describe
  the text in a short analysis before revising a text to correct the
  issue that you saw in your reading. Conclude with a short explanation
  of how you want your audience to respond to your revision.
• Revised History: Find a text that refers to a
  decision or event in history that could have (or should have) turned
  out differently. For example, perhaps you’d like to analyze the
  conflict behind the 9/11 Memorial in New York City. There were hundreds
  of designs that were pitched. Did they select the right one? In this
  case, you’d research the selected design, research alternatives, write
  an analysis of the texts that you discovered, and design a new
  solution. Conclude with a short explanation of how you want your
  audience to respond to your revision.
• You may choose another direction, as well!

This project will consist of 1-2 pages that describe the text
that you plan to revise (in MLA format), a design for a solution
(either drawn or written), and 1-2 pages that describe how you’d like
your audience to read your revision.

Next Steps

For this lesson’s assessment, you are to select a topic, describe
your plan to find the information you’ll need to complete the project,
and propose a completion schedule, keeping in mind the due date for the
Final Project. Also, keep in mind the very notion of the future. Think
of how the ideas you’ll engage will shift in the coming generations as
technology continues to make progress and changes the way audiences read
and respond to texts.

Final Project Planning

Using the choices provided in the lesson, select a topic for your Final Project.

• Write a paragraph that describes your reason for selecting the topic.
• Write an additional paragraph that describes your plan to find the information you’ll need to complete the project.
• Conclude by proposing a completion schedule, keeping in mind the due date for the Final Project.

Your work will be assessed by the following rubric.

Criteria

Max. Points available

Content: All requested elements are present and are clearly detailed.

15

Grammar/Mechanics: The assignment has been proofread and spellchecked prior to submission. There are no errors that impede comprehension.

5

Total Points Possible

20