Final Assessment Handout

A Progression of Intolerance: From The Holocaust to Human Rights Movements “The highest result of education is tolerance.”—Helen Keller In this unit we have extensively discussed the way in which intolerance, prejudice, and discrimination have arisen in our society and shaped historical, social, and political events in our world. We have also explored the following questions: • • • • • • • •

How do historical events influence the production of texts? How do events in history connect or repeat themselves? How do people and/or nations learn from their mistakes and struggles? Do we have a responsibility to ourselves, to others, to nations to be tolerant? Why or Why not? How does power inform tolerance/intolerance? How do individual’s differences inform relationships? How do genre and purpose connect? How do genre and audience connect?

In order to further answer these questions and explore the relationship between genre, audience, and purpose, you are to complete a multi-genre research project. In order to inform this project, we ask that you take what you have learned in this unit and further that knowledge by researching an event, incident, or movement related to/or as a response to intolerance. This should be the focus of your research project. Potential topics (This is not a comprehensive list, if you have any other suggestions I can add them to the list—just make sure to okay them ahead of time.): • Any Genocide: The Holocaust, Armenian, Rwanda, Darfur (again, there are many more options in this category). • Women’s Rights Movement • Civil Rights Movement • LGBT (Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender) Movement • Other acts of intolerance may occur as a result of: religion, class, ageism, race etc. (Any of these would also be a possibility) This multi-genre research project will contain five parts: A topic proposal, collaboration with group and use of Wikispace to record research, Presentation of an artifact of your research and leading a discussion of this artifact, A multi-genre project, and the presentation of that project. Part 1: Proposal (10 % of grade) The proposal sketch will include (I will provide the sketch sheet): •

Group Member’s names

•

Topic

• • • •

Why we chose this topic How it relates to the unit of intolerance What we know about the topic What we want to know

• • •

Where will we look for this information Date you will present Group Signatures

Due date: Friday May 8th, 2009 Part 2: Collaboration using Wikispace (20 % of Final Grade) You will now create a Wikispace which will house the research you’ve found, your collaboration with your peers, and discussions amongst your peers as to how to complete this multi-genre research project. (We will create the space together in class). This space should: • Illustrate the work you have completed. • Illustrate cooperation and collaboration with your peers. • Function as an update of your progress to me and to your group. Due Date: Will continue for the duration of the unit. Part 3: Present an artifact and Lead a discussion (20 % of Final Grade) From your research you will no doubt come across various texts and artifacts related to your topic. During the unit, before your final presentation, you will share one of these texts or artifacts with the class. You will also prepare questions for discussion of your topic as it relates to the artifact. This discussion should: • Function as the entry for ‘Intolerance Journals’ that day. • Illustrate your knowledge on your topic. • Be relevant to the study of intolerance. • Include open-ended questions for critical thinking and discussion with your peers. o I can workshop questions with you in advance Due Date: Groups will present on either May 14th, 15th, 18th, 19th, or 20th. You will sign up in advance. Part 4: Multi-genre Project (35% of Final Grade) To represent your command of the topic you have chosen and researched throughout the unit, you will create a multi-genre project. For this project, I want you to think of the different perspectives relevant to your topic. Possibilities include: child’s perspective, activist perspective, aggressor’s perspective, the elderly perspective, male/female perspective, parent perspective (Again, not a comprehensive list). Listed below are the possible genres to include in your presentation:

• Poem • Short film • Letter • Create an informational handout • Speech • Bring in a guest speaker • Eulogy • Propaganda • Skit • Present to the school or community • Diary • Start a fundraiser/awareness activity • Visual Collage • News article **I encourage you to try out different genres as they are relevant to your topic, your perspective, and your purpose. Let me know in advance of your plans. For this project, you should use t the models we have viewed this semester as a reference (Night, Long Walk Home, Oprah and Elie Wiesel at Auschwitz , “Cyberbullying: You Can’t Take it Back,” Band of Brothers, Mad Men, “I Have a Dream Speech,” “U.S. Calls Killings In Sudan Genocide,” “Two Little Boys,” Your/Other Groups’ Research Artifacts) Also, be sure to keep our discussions about Form= Audience + Purpose in mind to decide which genres are appropriate for the message you want conveyed. Think: Who is my audience? What do I want them to learn? How can I best present that to them? The multi-genre project should: • Include at least 6 of the options above or those you decide on in your groups. • Adhere to the different standards for each genre (We will work with you on new/unfamiliar genres) • Completed with equal effort/work from all members of the group. • Illustrate extensive use of your research. • Illustrate an understanding of your audience and the purpose of each genre. • Include a works cited of your sources in MLA format (we will learn this format in this unit). • Be presented by you, to the class, on the due date. Due date: Groups will present the week of May 25th. Part 5: Multi-genre Project Presentation (15% of Final Grade) In order for you to illustrate your authority on your topic as well as to inform your peers and I of what you have learned, you will present your Multi-genre project to the class. The presentation should: • Be 60 minutes (an entire class period—leave 10-15 minutes for questions) • Illustrate your research and understanding of the topic. • Illustrate equal work from each group member. • Be polished and clear for your audience. This project may seem overwhelming but you will have your group mates to split up the work and we will also have work days in class. We will take this project one part at a time with continued research and collaboration throughout the unit.

Final instructions: Be creative & Have fun! I look forward to reading/viewing your multi-genre research project!