Instructor: Jessica Evans
Cap: 5
In-person Only
MW: 11:00 AM – 12:20 PM in CLEM 112
Description: n addition to the regular work for the course, ENGL 1020 Honors students will choose 1 of the three following projects for the semester:
Option 1 (Class Lesson Oral Presentation): Select one of the readings listed on the schedule for the class (you must inform me of your choice so that there are not duplicates with other classmates). Then, create a 20-minute lesson plan for the class. The lesson plan will need to focus on enhancing students’ critical thinking skills when analyzing and interpreting this text. In addition, you must provide a Bibliography of sources that you used to create the lesson plan (a minimum of two sources). You will need to share with me your outline for the lesson and we will then choose a date for you to implement your lesson in the class.
You will then write a 2–3-page reflection on how your understanding of the text, as well as other knowledge or skills, improved by completing this assignment.
Option 2 (Class Lesson Written Assignment): Select one of the readings listed on the schedule for the class (you must inform me of your choice so that there are no duplicates with other classmates). Then, create an assignment using a rubric that I will provide you. The assignment should be ideally 1-2 pages long, single-spaced (not doubled), and in Times New Roman 12-point font.
You will also need to write a 1–2-page justification of your assignment and how it will help students learn the objectives listed in the rubric. Finally, you will write a 2–3-page reflection on how your understanding of the text, as well as other knowledge or skills, improved by completing this assignment.
Option 3 (Virtual Reality and Reading): Check out the Meta Quest 2 Virtual Reality (VR) Goggles from the Finney Library, Columbia Campus. You can check them out at the Circulation Desk. Make sure to inform the librarian that you need the goggles that are pre-set with tabs for Dr. Evans’ class. If you are unfamiliar with Virtual Reality goggles, schedule ahead of time with the librarian to learn how to use the goggles or watch a tutorial on how to use Meta Quest 2. You may also want to click on and complete the First Steps to Meta Quest 2 app, which walks you through the controls. Take the VR goggles, go to the Wander app, and then select “My Profile.” (You do not have to create an Avatar since it is already created to look like Jane Austen is your tour guide.) Go to the tabs that are pre-saved and labeled. For example, one tab may say, “Required Jane Austen’s Bath,” and another might say, “ENGL 1020 Twain’s Mississippi River.” Make sure to visit the places that say “Required” or have your course number (ENGL 1020). Other places saved in the folder are optional.
Virtually visit and walk through the assigned places. Take note of the locations and consider the following questions: (1) What was your first impression of the location? (2) How do you think it would have looked in the eighteenth century (particularly the late 1700s and early 1800s)? (3) How do you think these places may have impacted the authors we are studying and their writing? (4) How does seeing the places these authors lived or visited impact your understanding or interpretation of their writing? (5) How does this enrich your future reading of these authors?
Challenge for “Jane Austen’s Bath” location: see if you can find The Hot Bath and the Pump Room. Note: You will not be able to enter the buildings, but this section of Bath is similar to what it would have looked like in Austen’s lifetime.
In addition, you should write a 2-3-page reflection essay in MLA format on what you learned and the skills you employed. Class objectives for the course consist of (but are not limited to): (1) critical thinking, (2) problem solving, and (3) analytical reasoning.
