A memo convince that all students should (or should not) be required to read and study African American literature

ESSAY 1

DIRECTIONS:

The Smithsonian 's National Museum of African American History and Culture (Links to an external site.) in Washington D.C. is planning to add some inscriptions outside of the museum. Since you are a student of African American literature, the designers of the museum have requested your help to identify two quotes which will set the tone of the entire museum. You will write a paper to convince them of your choices.

• • You must select two quotes from our reading of authors in the Norton anthology this semester—one quote from a woman and one quote from a man—and argue that these should be featured outside of the museum.
  • You must argue that each quote–and its author–will be representative of the museum’s mission to explore “what it means to be an American and share how American values like resiliency, optimism, and spirituality are reflected in African American history and culture.”
  • You must research the quotes and the authors using secondary sources (in addition to the two primary sources you will use from the Norton anthology).
  • You must present your argument in a 750-1000 word essay. While you are writing, be sure to use research AND your own analysis to support your argument that both then quotes AND the authors will exemplify the museum’s mission.

SOURCES: You will use sources to help contextualize quotations and provide relevant biographical information for your chosen writers. I encourage you to draw on all of our class materials as you make your case. You must include at least THREE secondary sources besides the textbook. Of those, TWO sources must come from library sources. That means you are permitted only one web source unless you want to go beyond the minimum required sources in your essay. Refer to this website for information about researching for this project: ENG 253 Library Guide. (Links to an external site.)

CITATION: Cite in MLA 8 format (Links to an external site.) ( http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/ (Links to an external site.)), using parenthetical citations and a Works Cited page. Please refer to the Research Toolbox on the left menu for more information. Note that the databases have their own citation tools.

LENGTH: This essay should be 750-1000 words long, not including your Works Cited entries..

FORMAT: Follow MLA formatting for your header (Links to an external site.): ( http://libguides.nvcc.edu/c.php?g=619745&p=4314735 (Links to an external site.)) Use double spacing. You must save your essay as DOC or DOCX format so that I will be able to open the file and grade your essay.

PURPOSE

This final essay encourages you to think critically about the material throughout the course. It also presents you with an opportunity to research two specific early African American writers and connect them with current scholarship.

GRADING

This essay is worth 200 points.

ESSAY 2

DIRECTIONS:

This essay is divided into two parts.

• Part I consists of writing the essay
• Part II requires you to submit a scanned PDF of the notes used for the essay within 15 minutes of completing Part I.

You must complete both parts of the essay to receive credit. You will not be able to access Part II until you have submitted Part I.

PART I:

DIRECTIONS

• You may use your course publisher printed copy of your textbook and ONE page (8-1/2" x 11" – one side only) of handwritten notes.

ESSAY QUESTION

WRITE A 750-1000 WORD MEMO TO THE PRESIDENT OF NOVA TO CONVINCE HER THAT ALL STUDENTS SHOULD (OR SHOULD NOT) BE REQUIRED TO READ AND STUDY AFRICAN AMERICAN LITERATURE.

• FORMAT: Your memo should be in the form of an academic essay with an introduction, thesis, body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Be sure to use good quotations, which you cite properly and analyze thoroughly.
• QUOTES: For each body paragraph, choose some quotations that you plan to incorporate to support your idea. You must use evidence from at least three of the assigned readings to support your argument. (Do not use Obama's speech. Do not use the introductions to the authors in the anthology.) Do not include quotes that are take up more than 3 printed lines in your essay.
• MLA: Although it is difficult to achieve MLA formatting throughout, please be sure to include appropriately formatted in-text citations as well as the final Works Cited "page." Simply put the title "Works Cited" after your last paragraph and include your appropriately formatted Works Cited entries. Do not worry about the hanging indent and spacing, which are difficult to manipulate in this format.
• FIRST PERSON: You may use the first person "I" sparingly in this assignment as it is warranted.

TIP 1: Read the question carefully. You do not have to encourage students to take/not take an entire class on African American literature. You just have to consider whether studying African American literature should be part of the overall curriculum.

TIP 2: Be sure to organize your essay according to reasons that support your argument. Do not simply summarize writers' works. You need to use examples from our reading to support your overall argument.

GRADING

This essay is worth 150 points.

PART II:

In order to receive credit, you must submit your typed OR handwritten work (depending on what is allowed in the course), scratch paper, and/or notes after completing Part I.

Seeing evidence of your work supports grading and helps document your learning, to include partial credit opportunities. Please note: It's important to submit your documentation within 15 minutes of submitting Part I. After 30 minutes you will no longer be able to submit your documentation, so if you are having difficulties with submission, e-mail your professor immediately to advise of your circumstances