Presentation Instructions and Rubric

Independent Project due Week 10

Independent Reading/Viewing Project & Presentation

This project and presentation is the vehicle through which you will demonstrate mastery of the themes and material from the semester. This, however, is also an opportunity for you to explore some of these topics on your own and to apply them to a film or book of your choice. Ideally, this will be a project that is not only academically intriguing but also personally compelling.

You will need a computer with the ability to record audio for this presentation. Please plan ahead. This presentation must contain your own narration over your typed slides. For accessibility - it is better if you then turn your powerpoint into a movie and post to youtube or embed as a movie. Please reach out if you have concerns as we get closer.

For this project you must:

- Choose a book or a film to read/view independently.

See list below.

- Explain – using the language of the course - how the book/film incorporates ideas, issues, or concepts from our study of moral philosphy.

Identify and summarize the ethical issue/dilemma of your book or film (do not give me the whole plot). then explain why we should spend time thinking about that issue. Is it a piece of our past that we do not want to repeat? Is it a potential danger of our future? How is humanity and morality challenged by the issue at hand? Basically, please your issue into the context of this course, identify the issues, and then analyze the ethical dilemma with some of the themes and vocabulary of this course.

- Present your analysis to the class in an effective presentation with narration (Turning any slide tool (i.e powerpoint, prezi, etc.) into a video works best. Just make sure it is accessible to your peers. Uploading a powerpoint is NOT always accessible to all.)

Please see the detailed chart below and the example posted in Canvas. You all have access to the full suite of products from Microsoft online through your CCV email account.

- Incorporate at one source from this class.

This is where your notes become important. You may choose to compare your work to another we used or actually use one of our academic sources as a resource.

- Cite all sources correctly.

You may use either MLA (Links to an external site.) or APA (Links to an external site.) – whichever you are more comfortable with. Whichever you choose, however, make sure you use it consistently and correctly. I hotlinked two guides from the fantastic OWL at Purdue University above.

- Submit the project on time to the correct forum.

**Please note - you will not get full credit if you spend too much time summarizing the book/film. That is not the intent of this assignment - I am looking for evidence that you understand and can apply the themes we have explored this semester.

Please select a film or book from one of these lists or ask about another choice:

Films with ethical dilemmas from IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/list/ls028883207/ (Links to an external site.)

Carnegie Council's List of Films with Ethical Dilemmas: https://www.carnegiecouncil.org/education/002/film (Links to an external site.)

Books:

The Lifeboat by Charlotte Rogan; really almost anything by Jodi Picoult; The Promise of Stardust by Priscille Sibley; The Road by Cormac McCarthy (very disturbing book); The Light Between the Oceans by M.L. Stedman

You will need a box of tissues for many of these. If you have another idea and it is not listed here, just email me.

Required Slide	Required Components	Points
Title	Name of book/film and your name	1
Overview	Brief summary of plot, characters, etc as they are important to your presentation. Too much summary will earn negative points. Entire Presentation runs 4-6 minutes. Points off for over/under.	2
Why this works as an exercise in Ethics	Using the language and context of the class, explain how the film/book presents an ethical dilemma.	4
Theme #1	Explain your understanding of one of the themes from our class. Demonstrate academic understanding and ability to apply. Specific evidence of this theme in the book/film (how is this theme in this work?) through your own analysis.	5 (explain = 2; evidence = 3)
Theme #2	Explain your understanding of one of the themes from our class. Demonstrate academic understanding and ability to apply. Specific evidence of this theme in the book/film (how is this theme in this work?) through your own analysis.	5 (explain = 2; evidence = 3)
Summary and Appreciation/Critique	Overall – does this work exemplify some of what we looked at this semester? Would you recommend this work to others interested in this topic?	1
References	Remember you must include one reference from our course. You may use either MLA (Links to an external site.) or APA (Links to an external site.)	2 Total: 20