America+Project

Mr. Lemons English III Honors American Literature

The America Project- Due June 2, 2011
[|Rubric for Grading]

“Most men lead lives of quiet desperation and go to the grave with the song still in them”. --Henry David Thoreau

__Introduction__: Perception means consciousness. Who we are and what we are depends on our actions, our morals, and our society. We are defined by our dreams, our struggles, and our freedom. In American literature, we examine different visions and viewpoints, some cultural, regional, or generational—still other differences result from race, wealth, and gender. We explore and analyze a variety of characters with distinct values, attitudes, problems, and contrasts.

This project’s primary objective is to examine some aspect of our culture from multiple perspectives and, by studying it, arrive at some new insight into such questions as:


 * // Who is American? //
 * // What does it mean to be American? //
 * // What does America mean or represent? //

__Objectives__:


 * 1) Read and analyze a book written by a notable American author that meets some of the criteria mentioned in the introduction. Choose something that you find interesting.
 * 2) In addition, you need to look at your subject from two more perspectives. Select **two** of the following:
 * 3) Music. Rock, rap, blues; past, present, future; three musical artists’ views of America (e.g., Bruce Springsteen, Tupac, Bob Dylan)
 * 4) Film. Three directors’ work on the same them (e.g., John Waters’ series of teen films); films about war from three different directors, eras, or perspectives; three very important films and what they say about American culture (e.g., //Citizen Kane, Saving Private Ryan, Gone with the Wind//)
 * 5) Art. Three different artist’ perceptions of America (e.g., Andy Worhol, Walker Evans, and Wayne Thiebeau)
 * 6) Poetry. Use a book like //Americans’ Favorite Poems// or a website like  and read a sequence of poems that provides three different views about America (Note: reading three poems would not be adequate.)


 * 1) Develop useful and insightful research questions about your subject
 * 2) Research, analyze, and organize a variety of information that represents a diverse perspective
 * 3) Draw conclusions, make inferences, and connections with literature, media, and/or art
 * 4) Present your observations through images and words (written and spoken)

__Requirements__:

Your work will be assessed on the following:

Option A: Design a //wiki// Option B: Design a video or similiar multimedia production Option C: Design a //PowerPoint// or //Prezi// presentation
 * 1) **Reading**. Create a bibliography (works cited) of what you read, watch, and listen to during the semester. Include Web sites, articles, books, films, etc. Your works cited page must be properly formatted!
 * 2) **Thinking**. Provide evidence of planning, thinking, working, etc. This includes your reading log and your “Think in Threes” graphic organizer.
 * 3) **Writing**. Reflect on what you learned about your subject and the answers to your questions. Give specific examples from each domain. Discuss ideas, connections, conclusions, etc. Cite all sources. This should be at least three pages typed (MLA).
 * 4) **Speaking**. Design a presentation to share with the class.