Annotaton Assignment

Description  The annotation assignment requires students, working in groups of 2-3, to select a passage from a course reading (Oroonoko, Robison Crusoe, Gulliver’s Travels, Pamela) and electronically mark up the text, adding interpretive commentary, links to relevant online resources, images, sounds, and explanatory notes.  Your selected passage should be between 200 and 800 words. The annotation should feature four analytical comments (150-250 words each) and three additional resources: images, links, or multimedia files. Your interpretive comments may focus on:  § The language, structure, and themes of the passage. What is significant about the figurative language (denotation and connotation of specific words, metaphor, repetition, rhythm, etc.) and structure (a stream of consciousness, dialogue, etc.)? How does the passage engage themes that resonate throughout the work?  § References—direct or implicit—to contemporary political, social, historical, and cultural contexts. How do these contexts shape the passage’s presentation of characters, themes, or ideology?  Your annotated passage should be followed by works cited list that provides MLA-format citations for the passage and additional resources.  Guidelines  1. In your interpretive comments, concentrate on the “so what?” Instead of simply identifying an allusion or symbol, analyze how this figurative language functions in the passage.  2. Your additional resources should be relevant to the passage rather than merely decorative. Ask yourself how an image, link or multimedia file offers readers a deeper understanding of the passage. Provide captions for images and brief descriptions of link and file content if necessary.  3. You may layer interpretive commentary and additional resources if you wish, linking to web sites or inserting images into your commentary, or expanding upon the information offered by a link.  4. The easiest way to compose your annotation is via Word. Use the “Comments” or “Footnote” feature to insert your analytical comments. Note that if you include a downloaded audio or video file in your annotation, you must submit the file along with your document.  5. Do not forget the arguments posed in class, textbook introductory materials or materials posted on Moodle. A review of lecture notes, readings, and postings will help you develop your analytical comments. You will, of course, cite specific words and interpretations borrowed from classmates or other authors.  6. If you’re having difficulty devising an approach to the assignment, or if you want to discuss ideas-in-progress, visit office hours or email me to set up an appointment.  Grading  I will grade the annotations using the following criteria. Annotations that fall in the A range excel in all criteria; those that fall in the B, C, and D range exhibit problems in one or more categories. F-range annotations represent another author’s work as the writer’s own, contain few of the required elements, or do not address the significance of the passage in any manner.  § Complexity: The analytical commentary exhibits depth, fullness, and complexity of thought.  § Organization: Body of interpretive comments has a logical structure, with each point connected to the previous and following points; the writer doesn’t offer a list of ideas related to the language, structure, themes or contexts of the passage.  § Completeness: The annotation includes all required elements.  § Connection: Additional resources have a clear relationship to the passage.  § Clarity: Writer expresses ideas clearly, and commentary contains few, if any, grammatical and mechanical errors.  § Citation: The writer correctly cites words and ideas borrowed from others.1