The Virtual Presentation is due at the time/date indicated in Canvas. For this assignment, you should use either PowerPoint or Prezi. You will need to use a free tool called Screencast (see instructions below) to record your presentation and upload it to the Discussion Board.
Value: 20% of the Course Grade
For your Virtual Presentation, you should choose one of the following short stories as your primary text:
“A Jury of Her Peers” (PDF)Preview the document by Susan Glaspell
“The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas” (PDF)Preview the document by Ursula Le Guin
“Shooting an Elephant” (PDF)Preview the document by George Orwell
The goal of your presentation is to do the following:
Introduce yourself
Summarize the theme of the short story
Use James Rachels’ essay “The Challenge of Cultural Relativism” to point out the customs, actions, or attitudes that present ethical dilemmas for the reader
Connect the ideas/ethical dilemmas in the story to a real life, contemporary social issue
Use (and cite) direct evidence from your texts
Explain the importance of your topic
Present a question that one of your classmates who views your presentation can engage with
Conclude and thank the audience
Watch and respond to one of your classmates’ presentations in the discussion board
The presentation should use the Screencast software. You can access the software and the tutorial for using the software through these links:
Screencast (Links to an external site.)
How to Use Screencast
Play media comment.
The software is simple to use, allowing you to develop a brief PowerPoint or Prezi and then record your voice comments as you click through your slides. The presentation does not need to be lengthy – it should be approximately 5-10 minutes – but it should adequately and clearly address the assignment prompt. The presentation will need to be uploaded to the discussion board site either as a link from Screencast or as an MP4 file. Please see the schedule of readings and due dates for the presentation due date. You will also be required to respond to at least one other student’s presentation, commenting on the ideas presented, perhaps in comparison to your own. You must do this the day after the due date by 11pm.
The presentation will be graded on the following 5 elements:
Complexity (10 points): The presentation poses questions and analyzes themes that reflect the human condition, such as economic, ethical, historical, personal, political, and/or social issues
Analysis (10 points): Uses an appropriate critical approach (ethical theory) to discuss the topic, using and citing specific evidence from Rachels’ essay and your short story
Makes Connections (10 points): Demonstrates how literature reflects human values and thus has relevance for today’s world
Presentation Style (10 points): Communicates effectively an understanding of the literature and exchanges ideas with others – You must respond to another person to receive full credit in this area
Mechanics (10 points): The presentation is polished, demonstrates good grammar, spelling, and punctuation
Some tips:
Make sure to use images! Images are visually interesting and can be used to convey ideas in an impactful way.
Limit your use of text. Too much text creates a messy look and distracts from your ideas.
Make sure to double check each of the bullets above to ensure you are covering everything.
Practice your presentation so you can do it smoothly.
Go over your slides to make sure your slides are free of spelling/grammar/punctuation errors.
Make sure your question is open-ended, not a “yes/no” question.
When you respond to another presentation, make sure you really engage.
