English 10:
Literature and Culture of Information
Response Paper Guidelines
 

General

Students are expected to write ten short response and reflection papers of about one single spaced page. These papers are imagined as jumping off points for class discussion, and as a way for students to frame their understanding of the themes we are developing throughout the course.

Students have the option of writing critical or creative response papers. These papers will be due at the end of the class sessions indicated in the course time line and no late papers will be accepted (only students who attend class may turn in their response papers). Topics for the response papers will be presented in class.

Discussion papers will be graded on a twenty-point scale.

An excellent paper will show an exceptional and highly nuanced critical engagement with the coursework.
A satisfactory paper will show some critical engagement, but may not be as original or well developed as an excellent paper.
An unsatisfactory paper will neglect to present an analytical approach.

At the end of each discussion paper students should include a question for class discussion. Students should expect to present this question to class; even on days they will not be formally presenting their work.

During the second class session each student will sign up to deliver a five to seven minute presentation based on their response paper.

Guidelines for Writing

Critical or analytical papers should contain the following elements:

1. Observation - Consider the text or texts we have read or watched for that day. What stood out to you? What interested you? Did you notice any patterns? Any intriguing themes? Did something excite or offend you? Use quotations from the text to draw attention to these parts of the text and to illustrate to your reader the validity of your observation or emotional response.
Example: "I noticed that the women in Frankenstein tend to be acted upon (they are saved, framed, murdered, etc.) rather than to be actors in their own right." Offer quotations from moments where this is clearly the case.
2. Hypothesis - The next step in this process is to consider what your observation or response might mean in context of the work itself.
Example: "Women's placement as objects rather than subjects in Frankenstein illustrates a general powerlessness of female characters in the social structures presented in the novel."

3. Significance - This is the "and then what" moment. Why should anyone care about what you have noticed or what you are thinking. Push your ideas that extra little bit further.
Example: "This powerlessness could be read as another level of social criticism within the text."

Keep in mind that response papers are your chance to take chances. Try out an idea. Argue for something you don't actually believe and see if you can prove it. Take a leap.

Creative Papers should respond to the themes and styles of the texts we have read. They should still show that you have been a careful reader. Read, observe, and then build something new of your own.
Examples: A "lost" letter from one character to another, a short story borrowing the themes, an alternate ending, a modern re-imagining, etc.