Presentation Assignment for Friday, Dec.27th

Graphic Novel Presentation: Friday, December 27^th

For our final day of class, I want you to present a shortish, 5-15 minute presentation on your fifth (outside) graphic novel.  The purpose of this presentation is twofold: one, it’s a way to introduce the class to over a dozen new graphic novels, and two, it helps me see how you’ve learned to discuss graphic novels based on our class discussions and assignments.  BEFORE you do the presentation, answer questions 1-4 from the Template and e-mail it to me.  Doing it first will help you consider how to approach your presentation; the more you write/think about it before hand, the more prepared you will be to present.  I will post your questions on the blog for future students/browsers to read and enjoy. 

The presentation should have 3 basic parts, which you can expand, contract, blend, or re-arrange however you see fit.  These are:

I.                 Brief Biography and Background: tell us a little about the author and illustrator (if they’re different people) and the origin and basic story of the work.  Help us appreciate what kind of work this is—what genre within graphic novels/comics—and why it was written.  How might it relate to other works the author(s) have written or other works in class? 

II.              A Discussion of the work that discusses some of its main features: this could be the characters, the narration, the style, its uniqueness, its themes, its controversy, and/or its contribution to the field in general. Consider questions 1-3 from the Template and try to help us appreciate what the work does and why you find it significant or interesting.

III.           A Close Reading of a focused passage—a few frames, a page, etc.  Help us really ‘read’ and understand what’s going on here, how it relates to the work as a whole, the characters, the underlying themes, etc.  You must discuss the artwork as well as the words/story.  Consider how it uses word + image combinations and transitions between frames.  The more you can help us see/appreciate this passage, the better. 

I expect everyone to do wonderfully on this assignment, so I am only grading on (a) the amount of time/thought invested in it, (b) your ability to connect to some of the ideas and themes of the class, and (c) if your discussion can make it at least past the 5 minute mark.  You can come with a written paper and simply read it to the class, you can use brief notes, or you can just narrate off the top-of-your head.  I would strongly encourage you to use some kind of visual aid: Powerpoint, Prezi, handouts, or even the book itself, passed around to the class.  We need to see the book to really appreciate your discussion. 

Please let me know if you have any questions or concerns, and I will be glad to help you, even on Christmas day.  This is worth 30% of your grade (30 points out of a 100), but it’s not designed to trick you—it’s a very easy, straightforward assignment.  Good luck and I look forward to learning about your book!