Introduction to the Analysis of Hispanic Texts
Group Projects
Prose
- Choose groups of 3 persons.
Identify and stick to roles, i.e. organizers, idea persons, motivators, writers, proofreaders, areas of research, etc.
Develop and implement strategies to ensure equal input/output of group members.
- Choose a short piece (around 4-6 pages).
Inform professor in writing by September 24th of the choice of text. Make the prose piece available to class on September 28th.
- Presentation.
Groups will give appropriate and adequate introduction to the selection/author/period and lead the class in group-discussions toward an analysis/understanding of the text. Active and informed participation of the full class is the primary goal. To achieve the primary goal, the entire class must be fully prepared. A limited amount of audio-visual background is often helpful.
- Written work (typed in Spanish).
- Criteria for selection of piece.
- Appropriate biographical and literary background on piece.
- Detailed outline of elements for analysis.
- Strategies for classroom/small group analysis.
- Specific grading criteria for group project, i.e. how should the project be graded?
- Account of individuals’ contributions in the written project.
- The written work is due on the day of the class presentation.
Poetry
- Choose groups of 3 persons
Identify and stick to roles, i.e. organizers, idea persons, motivators, writers, proofreaders, areas of research, etc. Develop and implement strategies to ensure equal input/output of group members.
- Locate and choose a short to medium length poem (1-2 pages) to (1) analyze or (2) translate to English or Spanish.
Choose the most appropriate example according to your interests and talents and the assignment requirements. Identify the criteria for the choice of text. Inform professor in writing on October 19th of the choice of text. Make the text available to the class on October 24th.
- Presentation.
Class will study and come to class prepared for discussion of work(s). Groups lead class in group discussions toward an analysis/understanding/justification of the text. Active participation of the full class is the primary goal. To achieve the primary goal, the entire class must be fully prepared.
- Written work (typed in Spanish).
- Criteria for selection of piece. Stylistic, thematic, tonal, metaphoric, ideological, etc.
- Appropriate biographical and literary background on piece.
- Detailed outline of elements for analysis/challenges to translation.
- The translation, face en face with the original, if a translation exercise is selected.
- Strategies for classroom/small group analysis.
- Account of individuals’ contributions in the written project.
- Specific grading criteria for group project.
- The written work is due on the day of the class presentation.
Drama
- Choose groups of 3 persons.
Identify and stick to roles, i.e. organizers, idea persons, motivators, writers, proofreaders, areas of research, etc. Develop and implement strategies to ensure equal input/output of group members.
- Write a one-act play in Spanish (5-7 pages) about some topic of interest or concern on campus or the broader community (interpret this loosely). Inform professor in writing on November 14th of your intentions for the play.
Make copies of the play for each member of the class. Make the plays available on November 19th.
- Presentation.
Class will study and come to class prepared for discussion of plays. The group acts out the play, enlisting the help of outsiders when necessary. The group leads class in group discussions toward an analysis/understanding/justification of the text. Active participation of the full class is the primary goal. To achieve the primary goal, the entire class must be fully prepared.
- Written work (typed in Spanish).
- The play.
- Self-critique/assessment of the play, including elements of analysis.
- Strategies for classroom/small group analysis.
- Specific grading criteria for group project.
- Account of individuals’ contributions in the written project.
- The written work is due on the day of the class presentation.
Essay
- Choose groups of 3 persons
Identify and stick to roles, i.e. organizers, idea persons, motivators, writers, proofreaders, areas of research, etc.
Develop and implement strategies to ensure equal input/output of group members.
- Choose a reasonably short essay from an anthology, a book of essays, a newspaper, a magazine, etc. Identify the criteria for selection. Inform professor in writing on December 3rd of the choice of text. Copy the essay and make available to class on December 7th.
- Presentation.
Groups lead class in group discussions toward an analysis/understanding of the text. Active participation of the full class is the primary goal. To achieve the primary goal, the entire class must be fully prepared.
- Written work (typed in Spanish).
- Criteria for selection of piece.
- Detailed outline of elements for analysis.
- Strategies for classroom/small group analysis.
- Specific grading criteria for group project.
- Account of individuals’ contributions in the written project.
- The written work is due on the day of the class presentation.