About Wikipedia, SparkNotes, and Databases

DO NOT cite Wikipedia in academic essays. Since it is not edited by reputable experts, it often has errors and isn't reliable. It's okay to use it as a starting point for your own research, but go on and find other sources to verify the information, and cite those in your essay.

Also avoid SparkNotes, ENotes and similar sites. Teachers hate them since they provide only the most superficial analyses. Avoid citing them in academic papers; instead, go find analyses from more reputable academic sources: university and scholarly websites, peer-reviewed journals in library databases, and books. Don't be scared by that word "databases." The databases are just collected electronic versions of articles published in print magazines, journals, and newspapers. They also sometimes contain e-books. You can search them and find tons of good material. There's more about how to use the databases below, on this page, and also on the Writing About Literature page.

How to submit your work

Your essays will be submitted to me via e-mail. Write your assignments in your word processing program. PLEASE SAVE YOUR FILE AS EITHER A WORD, RTF, or PDF FILE. Then attach that file to your e-mail message. When sending assignments, your e-mail message should include your name, the class number (English 102), and the name of the assignment which is attached.

Use correct MLA format for the appearance of your essay and your documentation.

Eliminate spelling, grammar, and other mechanical errors from your writing.

Send your e-mail to me at annw708@gmail.com.

NOTE: always keep copies of all of your assignments. If there is a problem with e-mail, you will need that copy to re-send for credit.

Writing Assignment 1--The Short Story

Choose one of the following topics and write a complete, considered answer. Your thesis statement must be clear, precise and explicit. Support your thesis with specific details, examples, and direct quotes from the stories. An essay which does not include direct quotes from the story cannot receive a grade higher than a C. Required length: 2-5 pages (500-1250 words). Be sure to include a Works Cited list. Use correct MLA format and citation techniques in your essay and your Works Cited list. Maximum points possible: 100.

This assignment is due Tuesday, January 10.

1. Choose one of the following stories. How do the characters have trouble telling the difference between reality and perception?

2. Choose one of the following stories. How are the characters affected by the expectations put upon them by the traditions of their culture?

3. Choose one of the following stories. What social or political point(s) is it making?

4. Some critics argue that graphic fiction cannot be considered "literary" literature; that its purpose is only entertainment. Others disagree. Reread the first part of Lecture 1, on the differences between literature with a little "l", and Literature with a capital "L". Then choose one of the graphic stories we read (Maus, Persepolis, or Two Questions) and explain why it should be considered literature with a little "l", or Literature with a capital "L".

For help writing this assignment, see the models in your book, go to Writing About Literature, or contact me.

Writing Assignment 2--The Station Eleven Museum Project

Louvre Museum

Read the directions carefully. There are several steps; be sure you don't miss anything.

This assignment is worth up to 220 points per student. It is the major assignment of the semester. You cannot pass the class if you do not complete this project. Start early; work smartly and steadily.

Welcome to Concourse C

In Station Eleven, Clark began The Museum of Civilization because he wanted to preserve the memory of what came Before. His goal with The Museum of Civilization was to preserve civilization, and he put the artifacts in context--that is, he explained their role in life Before.

A museum is an institution that cares for (conserves) a collection of artifacts and other objects of artistic, cultural, historical, or scientific importance and makes them available for public viewing through exhibits that may be permanent or temporary.

Museums are different from collections. A museum displays its items to the public. A collection may be kept private.

An artifact is an object made by a human being, typically an item of cultural or historical interest.

A curator is a keeper or custodian of a museum or other collection. A curator is more than someone who dusts off the objects and artifacts, however. A curator's job is to assemble, catalogue, and decide how to display the items to the public. The curator researches the field to see what is important and what is available, chooses what to buy, arranges for funding, applies for loans and grants, negotiates sales, arranges for any necessary restoration of the artifacts or objects, chooses how to exhibit the items, arranges for security, hires employees, promotes the exhibit, and anything else that needs to be done. In other words, a curator is the person who is ultimately responsible for the success of the museum.

Once you start looking for them, museums are everywhere. Some are the ones we usually think of: the L.A. County Museum of Art; the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City; the Art Institute in Chicago; the Louvre in Paris; and more.

Others are smaller or less traditional, and some are downright strange:

And there are hundreds more. People of all types create and maintain museums which express and exhibit their interests. I have been to many, but my one of my favorites is The Museum of Jurassic Technology on Venice Blvd. in Culver City, CA (I will mention it again, and possibly again).

The Museum Project: To Begin

Create your own museum.

You don't actually have to lease a property, collect items and display them; this will be a virtual museum. But you need to plan the museum which will preserve and display some set of artifacts that represent some aspect of civilization.

Choose the topic for your museum. Do you love old cars? Musical instruments? Rocks and minerals? Gems? Dolls? Stuffed animals? Tractors? Noodles? Nail polish? It can be anything.

But a word of warning: you MUST limit your topic to something that can be covered completely in 4-8 pages. You can't possibly cover everything there is to say about old cars in 4-8 pages. It would take at least a full book, and probably more than one book. So you need to narrow your topic. Maybe you choose to have a museum just about the Stutz Bearcat. Or maybe a museum just about the Mustang. Or some other aspect of old cars: maybe you want to create a museum of the bud vases they used to include in vintage cars. Or maybe you want to do a museum about weird features of old cars (did you know that Goodyear once sold illuminated tires?). The point is, your topic must be narrow enough that it can be covered, in detail and fully, in 4-8 pages.

To make this project interesting, you should choose something you have a genuine interest in, an interest you want to share.

Aside from that, you may find that the term "museum" has a lot of latitude. Is a collection of wax replicas of famous human beings a "museum"? Is the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland a museum? Is a library a museum? Is Graceland a museum? These may be questions you need to consider, depending on what you choose to exhibit.

The Various Steps

  1. Visit a museum. Due date: any time before Wednesday, January 18. Points: 10.
    You can visit a museum in one of two ways: virtually or in-person. If you go in person, take a picture of yourself at the museum and email it to me to prove you went.
    If you go to a virtual museum, take screenshots of three separate exhibits to prove you "visited" the museum online, and email it to me. Here is a list of virtual museums you can visit:
    Virtual Museum Tours
    This is a requirement for everyone doing this project. YOU select the museum you want.
    If there's a museum similar to the one you want to start, even better: go visit it. Want to start a children's museum? Go see a couple of them and see what they've done. Think about what works. Think about what you would do differently.
    You need to visit a museum any time before the Proposal is due. While you're there, talk to a docent (or if you are lucky, a curator); that would be a wonderful source.
    And here's great resource: Mr. Wilson's Cabinet of Wonders, by Lawrence Wechsler; the first half of the book is on the history of and nature of museums. The second half is on the Museum of Jurassic Technology, a quirky and wonderful museum on Venice Blvd. in Culver City. I strongly recommend that you go visit this museum--it's an amazing experience. Here's a link for more information:
    The Museum of Jurassic Technology
  2. Create a Project Proposal and submit it for approval (all Projects require Proposal approval).
    Due Date: Wednesday, January 18.
    Look at the directions below to see what is specifically required for the Museum Project Proposal. You will need to turn this in BEFORE the final project. This is worth a maximum of 10 points.
  3. Create a Research Paper showing what you researched and how you will use the information.
    Due date: Thursday, January 26
    For example, if you are going to create a museum on nail polish, you'll need to do some research on nail polish: who invented it? Where? Are there any examples or pictures of ancient nail polishes? How did nail polish change over the years? What is different about today's nail polish? And so forth. You will turn this in before the final project, so be sure to check the Schedule for the due date. The research paper should be a minimum of four pages and use at least three secondary sources (nothing like Wikipedia, please). The last (fifth) page of the research paper will be an MLA-format Works Cited page. This is worth a maximum of 100 points.
  4. Create a Final Project.
    Due Date: Friday, Feb. 3
    This will include an overview of your museum, including a floor plan, a list of key artifacts in different sections of the museum, and a guided tour. This is worth a maximum of 100 points.
    You may present this project in several ways: you may write a traditional paper with the necessary illustrations; you may create a PowerPoint presentation with audio and video, as appropriate; you may create a website or Wordpress site with audio and video, as appropriate; you may create a video (with a written script which you'll turn in, along with a Works Cited list). If you have some other idea for the presentation, please check it with me first.
    Your research and all sources must be documented, and you must include a Works Cited list. (This may be in the form of credits at the end of a video, but it has to be there in some form.)

Sample Projects

Sample projects can be found in the "Files" section on Canvas. None of these samples is perfect, but they are all student work, and show you some of what can be done.

The Proposal is REQUIRED

Before you spend a great deal of time on the research, the invention, the writing, you will need to get a Project Proposal approved by me. Be sure you check the due date on the Class Schedule.

THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT: I will not accept your final project if you have not had the Project Proposal approved. Then things roll down hill in a very unfortunate way--you will not get a score for the 100-point Research Paper, or for the 100-point Museum Project; you will not pass the class.

The proposal itself is not hard, but it does require you to have given some serious thought to the subject of your museum, and to have done some research into the possibilities, so you know what is available. It must include:

A Sample Museum Proposal can be found by clicking on the following link:
Sample Museum Proposal
and also in the "Files" section on Canvas. Be sure to look at this before you turn in your own proposal.

Research in General

In general, research begins with a search for information on your topic and your particular focus. For instance, you may search "museum funding," "museum curation," etc. What can you find on the internet? What can you find in books in libraries? In journals and databases? At this point, you aren't choosing the information you'll use; you are simply surveying the information that is available. Look at all sources. You will not be able to read everything that's been written, but read as much as you can, to get an idea of the range of information that is available to you.

Although you are not allowed to use Wikipedia in your essay, you can read it for ideas and information at this point. Wikipedia is often a good place to start, just to get ideas. But then move on from there to more reliable, professional sources. There are plenty of such resources available to you on the Internet and in the college's books and databases. There are also public libraries. Although they tend not to have much academic research information, they might just have what you are looking for on the topic you have chosen for your museum, for instance.

LAHC Library Research

As long as you're registered at LA Harbor College, you have access to a number of databases through the Harbor College library. Those databases have tons of articles on all subjects from many periodicals, including professional and scholarly journals. You can access the databases from the following link; from there, just follow the directions to log into the system:

Los Angeles Harbor College Databases

The most effective way to search these databases is to use the "keyword" option at first, to get the broadest search results.

For example: let's say I want to create a museum about old cars, from 1968 back to the beginning.

I would go to the library's main page and type "antique cars" in the "One Search" box. The first search would produce over 7,000 results. Lots of these will be useless, of course, but some may be of help. There's an entry for "The Encycolpedia of Classic Cars," for example, and articles on classic car auctions in various places (that could help with acquisitions). To narrow your results, you can add search words to the other boxes as well. You will probably find many more articles than you need. That's okay--it just gives you lots of choices.

Don't forget books; books are good!

Depending on your topic, there may have been books written about your area of interest, as well. To find books on your subject, search the LAHC book catalog. Go to the LAHC Library page and click on the "Search Library Catalog" link. (There's also a link to click if you're off-campus.)

Please feel free to contact me or the librarians if you need help navigating the databases or catalog.