COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS EDUCATIONAL POLICY · PDF fileCourses in the Core should have the...

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COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS EDUCATIONAL POLICY COMMITTEE PROPOSAL TO ADD A COURSE TO THE CLA CORE This is an information sheet for preparing proposals for additions to the CLA Core. The following page is a fillable cover sheet which should be filled out for each specific proposal individually. The additional materials required in the proposal should be included together with the cover sheet in the same file. Submitted files may be in Word or pdf format. Please create a separate file for each separate course, and save all materials for the same course together in one file, with the filename “[Course designator & number] for EPC” e.g., “ELE 231 for EPC” for Elephantology 231. Courses proposed for the Liberal Arts Core should conform to the formal policies and guidelines for Core courses. The content of a course proposed for the Core should satisfy the description and purpose of the Core category that it is proposed for in a substantial way. ____________________________________________________________ The following long-standing policies and guidelines relating to suitability for inclusion in the Core have since been reaffirmed by the EPC. POLICIES AND GUIDELINES RELATING TO SUITABILITY FOR INCLUSION IN THE CORE. 1. Courses in the Core should have considerable breadth of coverage as well as some depth. 2. Courses in the Core should be introductory in nature. 3. Courses in the Core should not have any prerequisites. 4. Courses in the Core should be offered at least once a year in the Fall or Spring semester on a regular basis. 5. Courses in the Core should have the subject matter of the respective Core category as their primary focus. (Courses which have the subject matter of the Core category as a minor or subsidiary fraction of their content, or which have a passing or collateral connection with the subject matter of the Core category, are not appropriate.) 6. Courses may be included in only one category of the Core. A course should not have the same general or specific subject matter as another course which is in a different category of the Core. 7. Courses in the Core should ideally include some written assignments. 8. Courses that have not yet received final approval from the Senate cannot be considered for the Core. 9. Variable title/content courses are not appropriate for the Core. These are not the only policies, guidelines or criteria that may be applied by the EPC in reviewing a proposal, nor are they to be regarded as absolute regulations. The Committee will review proposals on their merits and will try to be flexible, but requests deviating from these guidelines should be accompanied by specific justification or explanation of the deviation. APPEND THE FOLLOWING MATERIALS TO THE COVER SHEET BELOW, IN THE ORDER GIVEN. 1. A statement addressing how well the course conforms to the policies and guidelines for a Core course (above). 2. A statement of the rationale for inclusion of the course in the Core in general, and in the category of the Core for which it is proposed in particular. This statement should address in specific terms how the course fulfills the description and purpose of the particular Core category in a substantial way. Submitters are advised to consult the official descriptions of the Core categories in the Curriculum 2000 report, which underlies the CLA Core. 3. A detailed course plan and reading list (or a syllabus containing them) from a current or recent offering of the course. The course plan may be in outline form organized by class periods, by weeks, by topics, or in any other appropriate way. The point is to give an accurate idea of what the course material consists of and how it is organized. “Current or recent” means this semester or within the previous 3 semesters. For newly-approved courses the course plan and reading list submitted to the Curriculum Committee may be used. 4. Any other materials that the department would like the EPC to consider in evaluating the proposal.

Transcript of COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS EDUCATIONAL POLICY · PDF fileCourses in the Core should have the...

COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS EDUCATIONAL POLICY COMMITTEE PROPOSAL TO ADD A COURSE TO THE CLA CORE

This is an information sheet for preparing proposals for additions to the CLA Core. The following page is a fillable cover sheet which should be filled out for each specific proposal individually. The additional materials required in the proposal should be included together with the cover sheet in the same file. Submitted files may be in Word or pdf format. Please create a separate file for each separate course, and save all materials for the same course together in one file, with the filename “[Course designator & number] for EPC” e.g., “ELE 231 for EPC” for Elephantology 231. Courses proposed for the Liberal Arts Core should conform to the formal policies and guidelines for Core courses. The content of a course proposed for the Core should satisfy the description and purpose of the Core category that it is proposed for in a substantial way. ____________________________________________________________ The following long-standing policies and guidelines relating to suitability for inclusion in the Core have since been reaffirmed by the EPC. POLICIES AND GUIDELINES RELATING TO SUITABILITY FOR INCLUSION IN THE CORE. 1. Courses in the Core should have considerable breadth of coverage as well as some depth. 2. Courses in the Core should be introductory in nature. 3. Courses in the Core should not have any prerequisites. 4. Courses in the Core should be offered at least once a year in the Fall or Spring semester on a regular basis. 5. Courses in the Core should have the subject matter of the respective Core category as their primary focus. (Courses which have the subject matter of the Core category as a minor or subsidiary fraction of their content, or which have a passing or collateral connection with the subject matter of the Core category, are not appropriate.) 6. Courses may be included in only one category of the Core. A course should not have the same general or specific subject matter as another course which is in a different category of the Core. 7. Courses in the Core should ideally include some written assignments. 8. Courses that have not yet received final approval from the Senate cannot be considered for the Core. 9. Variable title/content courses are not appropriate for the Core. These are not the only policies, guidelines or criteria that may be applied by the EPC in reviewing a proposal, nor are they to be regarded as absolute regulations. The Committee will review proposals on their merits and will try to be flexible, but requests deviating from these guidelines should be accompanied by specific justification or explanation of the deviation.

APPEND THE FOLLOWING MATERIALS TO THE COVER SHEET BELOW, IN THE ORDER GIVEN. 1. A statement addressing how well the course conforms to the policies and guidelines for a Core course

(above). 2. A statement of the rationale for inclusion of the course in the Core in general, and in the category of

the Core for which it is proposed in particular. This statement should address in specific terms how the course fulfills the description and purpose of the particular Core category in a substantial way. Submitters are advised to consult the official descriptions of the Core categories in the Curriculum 2000 report, which underlies the CLA Core.

3. A detailed course plan and reading list (or a syllabus containing them) from a current or recent offering of the course. The course plan may be in outline form organized by class periods, by weeks, by topics, or in any other appropriate way. The point is to give an accurate idea of what the course material consists of and how it is organized. “Current or recent” means this semester or within the previous 3 semesters. For newly-approved courses the course plan and reading list submitted to the Curriculum Committee may be used.

4. Any other materials that the department would like the EPC to consider in evaluating the proposal.

COLLEGE OF LIBERAL ARTS EDUCATIONAL POLICY COMMITTEE PROPOSAL TO ADD A COURSE TO THE CLA CORE

tim315/1015/116

This is a fillable form. Name and save your document using the format <ELE 231 for EPC>.

SCLA 101 for EPC COURSE NUMBER COURSE NAME Transformative Texts: Critical Thinking & Communication I: Antiquity To Modernity CONTACT FOR QUESTIONS ABOUT THIS PROPOSAL

NAME Melinda Zook EMAIL [email protected] CATALOG DESCRIPTION WHICH CLA CORE CATEGORY IS THIS COURSE PROPOSED FOR? 1. Written Oral Communication IS THIS COURSE IN THE UNIVERSITY CORE? Yes IS IT IN MORE THAN ONE CATEGORY? Yes IF YES, IN WHICH CATEGORY? 8. Written Communication (WC) IN WHICH OTHER CATEGORY? 3. Information Literacy (IL) PROJECTED SCHEDULE OF OFFERINGS FOR THE FUTURE every semester (Fall and Spring) IF LESS THAN ONCE PER ACADEMIC YEAR, EXPLAIN: A. DOES THIS COURSE HAVE CONSIDERABLE BREADTH OF COVERAGE AS WELL AS SOME DEPTH? Yes B. IS THIS COURSE INTRODUCTORY IN NATURE? Yes C. DOES THIS COURSE HAVE ANY PREREQUISITES? No D. DOES THIS COURSE INCLUDE SOME WRITING ASSIGNMENTS? Yes E. IS THIS A VARIABLE TITLE/CONTENT COURSE? No

SIGNATURE Melinda Zook (Director of Cornerstone) DATE 9/20/17 (Curriculum Chair, Department Head/Asst. Head, or other authorized department member)

Statement concerning the suitability of SCLA 101 for inclusion in the CLA Core. SCLA 101: Transformative Texts: Critical Thinking & Communication I: Antiquity to Modernity SCLA 101 should be placed in the CLA Core in the Written/Oral Communication category. It fulfills the requirements set down by the EPC as well as those within the Written Communication and Information Literary categories within the University Core. SCLA 10l is the first semester of Level I of the Cornerstone certificate program. It is an introductory course designed for first-year students throughout the university. It has no prerequisites and will be offered both fall and spring starting Fall 2018. SCLA 101 received full approval by the CLA Senate last April and is currently being offered. SCLA 101 is in the University Core under Written Communication and Information Literary. This course has a substantial writing component. It is dedicated to developing and enhancing the ability of students to write in a variety of genres, advancing their understanding of the importance of rhetorical situations and choices; analyzing and constructing arguments; gathering and evaluating sources; as well as learning how to read and evaluate print and visual media. It also introduces students to oral communication and presentation skills. SCLA 101 Learning Objections: Written Communication

1. Write with clarity, coherence, and concision in a variety of genres. 2. Demonstrate an importance of rhetorical situations and choices for a variety of audiences and

contexts. 3. Demonstrate critical thinking about writing through reading, analysis, discussion, composing and

revising texts in a range of genres. 4. Apply a clear understanding of the process of writing (including drafting, revising, editing,

proofreading, and collaborating with others and providing feedback); and successfully organize, present, and communicate meaning to fellow readers in at least 8,000 words of polished writing.

5. Identify, analyze, and evaluate the claims of a variety of print, digital, audio and visual sources. 6. Engage critically with transformative texts, drawing on multiple perspectives including the

individual, the historical, and the contemporary.

Information Literacy

1. Determine the quantity and extent of information needed in order to satisfy a well-designed research question.

2. Demonstrate the ability to access information, using effective search strategies. 3. Demonstrate the ability to articulate, synthesize, paraphrase, quote, and document sources, using

an appropriate documentation style. 4. Critically evaluate information for its quality, accuracy, bias, authority, and relevance. 5. Display an understanding of the historical, ethical, and cultural contexts of both a research

question and the sources used to answer it. 6. Express a clear understanding of the issues of intellectual property (such as fair use, plagiarism,

and copyright).

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SCLA 101 Transformative Texts: Critical Thinking & Communication I:

Antiquity to Modernity

Where is the wisdom we have lost in knowledge? Where is the knowledge we have lost in information?

T.S. Eliot "beauty is truth, truth beauty”

John Keats

Wanderer above the Sea of Fog (1818)

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Dr. Melinda Zook SCLA 101-01 (Fall 2017) Office Phone: 494-4134 Classroom: REC 112 Email: [email protected] MWF, 12:30-1:20 Office: University Hall 327 Office hours: Mondays, 11:30-12:30 & by appointment

Teaching Assistant Ms. Renee D. Gaarder Email: [email protected] Office: REC 409 Office Hours: Wednesdays, 1:30-2:30 and Fridays, 11:00-12:00 & by appointment

Course Description SCLA 10l is the first semester of Level I of the Cornerstone certificate program. It is dedicated to developing and enhancing the ability of students to write in a variety of genres, advancing their understanding of the importance of rhetorical situations and choices; analyzing and constructing arguments; gathering and evaluating sources; as well as learning how to read and evaluate print and visual media. SCLA 101 is based on the fundamental premise that great texts inform and inspire students, encouraging their creative and imaginative capacities, helping students see the world from different perspectives and broadening their worldview. Students will examine a series of texts, seeking to understand the contexts in which they were produced, as well as what these texts mean to us today. What do these books tell us about the pains and pleasures of being human; the use and abuse of power; the existence and nature of God or gods; and the power and limits of human reason? What do these texts tell us about others and ourselves? How do they advance our self-understanding? How do they increase our understanding of other people and their perspectives? Our Theme: The readings below were chosen because they contain the concept of the ‘journey,’ sometimes in the form of the ‘quest,’ or ‘progress,’ or ‘evolution,’ whether physical, mental, or spiritual: through the forest, down the road, over the seas, around the world, across the ages, unto the heavens.

Required Texts

Dante, The Divine Comedy: Volume 1: Inferno [1308-20] (Penguin Classics, 2002). Thomas More, Utopia [1516] (Penguin, 2012) William Shakespeare, The Tempest [1605] (Arden Shakespeare, 2011) Aphra Behn, Oroonoko, The Rover and Other Works [1688] (Penguin, 1993) John Locke, Two Treatises of Government [1690] (Everyman, 1690) Voltaire, Candide [1759] (Penguin, Deluxe edition, 2005) Cormac McCarthy, [2006] The Road (Vintage, 2006) Materials Provided

Poetry Packet Spiral Notebooks Chapters from Andrea Lundsford, et. al, Everyone's an Author (New York: W.W. Norton & Company, 2nd ed., 2016)

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Learning Outcomes: Written Communication By the end of the semester, students should be able to:

1. Write with clarity, coherence, and concision in a variety of genres. 2. Demonstrate an importance of rhetorical situations and choices for a variety of audiences and

contexts. 3. Demonstrate critical thinking about writing through reading, analysis, discussion, composing and

revising texts in a range of genres. 4. Apply a clear understanding of the process of writing and successfully organize, present, and

communicate meaning to fellow readers. 5. Identify, analyze, and evaluate the claims of a variety of sources. 6. Engage critically with transformative texts, drawing on multiple perspectives including the

individual, the historical, and the contemporary. Information Literacy: By the end of the semester, students should be able to:

1. Conduct research, engaging search strategies and locating the relevant sources. 2. Determine the quantity of information needed, including supplemental sources, in order to satisfy

a well-designed research question. 3. Demonstrate the ability to summarize, synthesize, quote, and document sources, using an

appropriate documentation style. 4. Critically evaluate information for its quality, accuracy, bias, authority, and relevance. 5. Display an understanding of the historical, ethical, and cultural contexts of both a research

question and the sources used to answer it. 6. Express a clear understanding of the issues of intellectual property (such as fair use, plagiarism,

and copyright). We will meet these goals in our class through the following activities: Essay writing and revising Writing exercises focused on specific skills Class Discussion & Oral Presentations Class Journals Classroom/Library Activities and Collaboration Grades will be calculated as follows: Discussion and Attendance 15% Journals 15% Short Essay Assignments 30% (3 at 10% each) Research Paper 20% Oral Presentation 20%

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Discussion and Attendance (15%): The success of this course depends on your regular attendance and active participation. You are expected to share your opinions on the readings, ask questions, and listen carefully to your fellow students each class. Students should bring the day’s readings and thoughtful notes to each class and be well-prepared for assigned presentations and short writing and research exercises. On any given day, your participation is graded on a scale from 0 (lowest) through 4 (highest), using the criteria below. Journals (15%): This class requires that you keep a journal in which you take your class notes and your notes on your readings. You may also receive “prompts” that will ask you to answer a question about the readings. Be clear and concise. Refer to the readings as you answer the question, but be sure to use your own words, apart from brief quotations to support your reasoning. We will collect your journal at various times over the course of the semester. Short Essay Assignments (30%) Each essay assignment (4 to 5 pages each) will focus on a different genre or mode of writing and focus on one or more of our ‘transformative texts.’ Research Paper (20%) This paper (10 pages) will involve outside research on one or more of the transformative texts (books and poems) read in class. Students will need to develop a question that suits the scope of this project, and an argument addressing that question, using relevant evidence. Oral Presentation (20%) Each student will make one oral presentation based on their research paper. Students will have 6-10 minutes to state their topic, thesis, and discuss their evidence. Rules of the Game: Attendance at all class meetings is MANDATORY. Each class missed will result in the loss of a half-grade. Never walk into class late. Turn off all gadgets once you enter the classroom. Laptops are not allowed without the instructor’s approval. Use proper email etiquette when you communicate with the instructors (an email should begin with a salutation such as “Dear Professor Zook” or “Dear Ms. Gaarder” and end with a proper closing, such as “Sincerely” or “Yours”). Students who plagiarize any portion of their written assignments will be removed from this course and the incident will be reported to the Dean of Students.

SCHEDULE OF DISCUSSIONS AND READINGS

M/Aug. 21 Our Odyssey Begins: Introduction to the Course & Cornerstone W/Aug. 23 Why We Read? What are “Transformative Texts”? Read T.S. Eliot’s “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” F/Aug. 25 Class Discussion: Eliot’s “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock”

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M/Aug. 28 Dante, the Renaissance & the Inferno

Lost in a Dark Wood: Read Cantos I-V (67-121) W/Aug. 30 Class Discussion: Dante’s Inferno Read Cantos VI-XIII (121-196) F/Sept. 1 Class Discussion: Dante’s Inferno Read Cantos XIV-XVII (196-231)

M/Sept. 4 Labor Day – no class W/Sept. 6 Class Discussion: Dante’s Inferno

Read Cantos XVIII-XXIII, XXXII-XXXIV (231-288, 379-387) F/Sept. 8 Good Habits for Good Writers: The Essentials

Read Chapters 1 & 2 of Everyone's an Author (pp. 5-24): “Thinking Rhetorically” and “Rhetorical Situations” [handed out in class]

M/Sept. 11 Thomas More: Saint, Scholar, Propagandist, & Martyr More & The Renaissance Mind Begin discussing Utopia W-F/Sept. 13-15 Utopia/Dystopia Class Discussion: Utopia [for Wednesday, read pages 57-90, for Friday, read pages 91-122] M/Sept. 18 Shakespeare & The Renaissance Begin reading The Tempest W/Sept. 20 The Tempest: Then and Now Preview Film Versions of the Play F/ Sept. 22 Class Discussion: The Tempest, Acts I and II M/Sept. 25 Class Discussion: The Tempest, Acts III and IV

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W/Sept. 27 Class Discussion: The Tempest, Act V F/Sept. 29 Poetry (about love and death –what else?) in the Seventeenth Century Read the poems in the Poetry Packet, pages 6-12 M/Oct. 2 Aphra Behn and her World Begin reading Oroonoko W/Oct. 4 The New World vs. the Old World Discussion of Oroonoko F/Oct. 6 Individual appointments (sign up on Blackboard) M/Oct. 9 October Break – no class

W/ Oct. 11 How We Argue

Chapters 17 & 18 in Everyone’s an Author (pp. 379-416): “Analyzing Arguments” and “Strategies for Arguing” (pp. 419-439)

F/Oct 13 John Locke and His World Begin reading the Second Treatise M/Oct. 16 What were Rights, Liberties, Privileges in the 17th century? Discussion of the Second Treatise W-F/Oct. 18-20 Introduction to Research: More Good Habits of Good Writers

Read Chapters 19-23, Part V, “Research,” in Everyone's an Author (pp. 443-502) on research planning, finding and evaluating sources, designing a project proposal, and annotating a bibliography.

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Wednesday and Fri: Meet at Collaborative Study Center (HSSE 142) w/ Prof. Robert S. Freeman, Reference, Languages & Literatures Librarian

Discuss basic research strategies, databases, and finding aids M/Oct.23 Individual appointments (remember to sign up) W/Oct. 25 Student Presentations F/Oct 27 Student Presentations M-W/Oct. 30-Nov 1 The Eighteenth-Century Enlightenment Begin reading Candide F/Nov. 3 Student Presentations The Best of All Possible Worlds M-W/Nov. 6-8 Discussion of Candide [For Monday, read pages 1-50; for Wednesday, pages 51-94] F/Nov. 10 Student Presentations M/Nov. 13 Student Presentations W/Nov. 15 Library Day F/Nov. 17 Student Presentations M/Nov. 20 Utopia/Dystopia and The Road

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Begin reading The Road M-W/Nov. 27-29 Discussion of The Road F/Dec. 1 Student Presentations M/Dec. 4 Student Presentations W/Dec. 6 Student Presentations

F/Dec. 8 Student Presentations

Your SCLA 101 Journal:

Your spiral journals are for your class notes, your own notes and observations on your reading of our transformative texts, and for your responses to my ‘prompts’ about our readings. Your journal will be collected from periodically and graded. They are worth 15% of your grade.

Prompts:

Every week or so I will give you a prompt for your journals. Please respond to it in your notebook (either hand-written or, if typed, you will need to literally tape it into the pages of the journal).

Prompts should be at least 3 paragraphs. Paragraphs should be at least 5 or 6 sentences. Please use a formal style. Write in complete sentences. Do not use slang, cliques, or contractions. Of course, you may use the first-person, especially since the prompts will ask you for your thoughts. You may bring in ideas from other books or courses, but avoid online sources. You may illustrate your ideas or write your own poetry – so long as you begin with 3 full prose paragraphs. Always seek to be inspired by your own thoughts and imagination and our readings.

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Prompt 1 (Eliot) Reread “The Love Song of J. Alfred Prufrock” and choose the lines that mean the most to you. Why do those lines seem particularly meaningful to you? What do you appreciate about them?

Prompt 2 (Dante)

Pick one Canto from the Inferno and describe what happens in that Canto, what lines strike you as particularly poignant or meaningful, and why you picked it.

Extra Credit illustrate one scene from the Inferno and include in your notebook. Worth up to 5 points.

Prompt 3 (Shakespeare and utopia) Act II, scene 1 (starting at line 50) Gonzalo creates his perfect commonwealth. Describe Gonzalo’s utopia and discuss why Antonio and Sebastian mock him. With whom should the audience’s sympathize?

Extra Credit

Throughout the semester, there will be opportunities to earn extra credit in this class and improve your grade. All extra credit points will be added to your journal grade (15%).

Poetry Fridays (Extra Credit Fun)

Starting on September 8, we will start every Friday by asking if anyone would like to:

a) Recite a poem in the poetry packet from memory. You may choose a short poem (such as Frost, “Nothing Gold Can Stay”) or a longer poem so long as you memorize at least 2 or 3 stanzas. Email me ([email protected]) if you have any questions about the poem you would like to memorize.

b) Or you may give a dramatic reading of a poem from the poetry packet and describe briefly why you like that particular poem.

SCLA 101 (Professor Zook)

The Research Paper:

Develop a question based around one or more the texts we read in class. I am particularly interested in those papers that analyze a text within its historical context or analyze and compare at least two of our texts. You must do some outside research using our library and its databases. You will want to read and

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bring to your argument primary and secondary sources; they will help you develop your central argument (thesis) and provide evidence for it.

This paper should be at least 10 pages, double spaced (TNR-12). Introduce your topic and state your thesis within the first paragraphs. The body of the paper will support your thesis based on your sources. Include a title page, footnotes and an annotated bibliography. Staple your paper. Number your pages, bottom center. Please use the Chicago Manual of Style.

A single paragraph describing your topic and the question you are asking is due on October 11. A bibliography of your sources is due October 16. A draft of your paper is due November 13 and the final paper is due December 1.

Possible topics:

Utopias/Dystopias: Dante, More, Behn, Shakespeare’s Tempest, Voltaire and Cormac McCarthy all describe types of Utopias and Dystopias. Create a question around the concept of Utopia or Dystopia using one or more of these texts.

Guides/teachers: Dante needs Virgil; Miranda needs Prospero; Candide needs Pangloss; and in The Road, the Boy needs the Man. Create a question around the concept of the teacher, guide, or mentor using one or more of our texts. When does the student overtake the teacher?

Other possible questions (which you should revise to make your own)

In what ways has Dante’s vision of Hell influenced the Catholic conception of Hell in his time or even today? How does More remedy the evils of his age in his utopia? How does More’s utopia compare to El Dorado in Candide or Gonzalo’s speech in The Tempest? How did shipwreck stories influence Shakespeare’s The Tempest? How accurate is Behn’s portrayal of Surinam in the New World or the Gold Coast of Africa? How does Locke remedy the evils of his age in the Second Treatise? What is Voltaire’s conception of El Dorado based on? What inspired Cormac McCarthy to write The Road? Are the 2000s a particularly apocalyptic time? The Oral Presentation: Your oral presentation is based on your research paper. You will only have 6-10 minutes (max) so state your topic, your thesis, and discuss your evidence. You can use power point (or any kind of visual aids) but time yourself; make every word count and do not go over your time limit. Your time to present will be scheduled after October 11. More information to follow.