Proposed Alternative Schedule

Last Thursday the class evaluated your work on the first two units, and I asked for suggested strategies to aid your research work. The major suggestion to come out of that discussion was for additional time to do your research. Although I emphasized that time should be easier as your research becomes more efficient as the semester proceeds, I did promise to explore options that would provide more time on each speech.

Below is a proposal that would give you additional time for researching each unit. But it would also change the grading in the course. Since the current schedule carries us through the end of the semester, any schedule that provides more time for each speech means doing fewer speeches, which means fewer grades. Because the grading in the course is essentially "contractual," to implement this calendar I will need to have the UNANIMOUS agreement of everyone in the class.

Please look over the proposal below and email me your choice of the CURRENT SCHEDULE or the ALTERNATIVE before 8 PM on Tuesday, October 14. No conditionals, I need your clear vote one way or the other. Only if the class agrees unanimously will we implemnt this alternative. I will post the decision on the website by 10PM on Tuesday, October 14. We will have some time in class on Tuesday to answer any questions you have about this.

The alternative will make the following changes:

  1. We will eliminate the King speech study.
  2. Instead of all groups working on the Kennedy speech, groups E-H will work on that speech. Thus, each group will have three speeches to study.
  3. The grading on the Roosevelt (Groups A-D) and Kennedy (Groups E-H) speeches will double. That is, the grade on the presentation will be ten percent of your grade and the grade on the bibliography will be ten percent of the grade.
  4. I will ask each group to prepare two documents in writing for our classroom meetings the rest of the semester. At the first group meeting on each speech during class time, I will ask that you go over a planning document with me. The requirements for the document are here.
  5. At the second meeting just prior to your presentation I will ask that you have an outline of the presentation to go over with me . We may fulfill this assignment by going over your powerpoint if you prefer.
  6. Those in groups A-D will have their paper due December 2; those in groups E-H will have their paper due December 11. (This is the late due date. I cannot guarantee grading will be finished on papers prior to exam. Papers handed in at least a week before these due dates will be returned by the exam).

Planning Document

Your planning document should be ready for my review at the meeting indicated on the schedule. The document should include the following:

Part I: List of search terms you will use in specific research drawn from general reading

Part II: Ten priority sources for specific research (drawn from citations and followup from general reading and annotated for expected contents and reason for listing)

Part III: Topics for research and assignments to group members (Division of research and who will be responsible; note assignments may be to more than one person if that is the group's plan.)

The planning document need not be word processed, but should be in writing.