Alternative Facts: Midterm Assignment (due October 17)

For the midterm project, students will produce a 3-page proposal and 2-page literature review (separate things, both double spaced) in preparation for the final project.  Choose one topic that we're covering in the course and prepare to analyze its impacts on Bennington College or the greater Bennington community (in the broadest sense).  Your topic should explore both the best understanding of a problem to date and also how this understanding is reflected in various media, conversations, polls, etc. You must address the following:  Describe the tension between science and the public. What interests might compel people to take different sides?  And lastly, how is it affecting us here at Bennington?  You do not have to answer these questions for the midterm, but you must start thinking through ways of addressing them. Embed the research you have done (e.g. citations of scientific papers, websites, books, interviews, etc).

Possible topics include:

· Climate Change

· Vaccines

· GMOs

· Astrology/Crystals/Witchcraft/Mysticism

· PFOA

· Influencing factors in gender/sexual orientation

· Marijuana

· Holistic Medicine

Options for the FINAL PROJECT (due December 8) include:

Radio -- in teams of 2-3, students produce a 10-minute podcast.  You’ll present research and conduct interviews with people who hold varying standpoints or possess expertise on the topic. If you work in teams, you must make the case for why more than one person is necessary and describe the division of labor in the team (who is primarily responsible for what).  

The Bennington Free Press -- Students write three installments, each a 500- to 750-word article, about their topic (these will be spaced out, so you’ll want to begin planning for this now).  These articles should be somewhere between a feature and a well-researched op-ed -- personal opinion is not irrelevant, it just has to be backed up by the DATA.  

Photojournalism -- Students produce a photo set that encompasses and explores their topic in some way.  These can be basic (you could go around campus or the Bennington area and photograph applicable sites), or you might explore digital graphics/photoshop/collage.  You will turn in a Statement explaining your point of view, plus captions for each photo.

Blog/Web page—Students construct a blog page or web page that contains images, narrative, graphs and figures, videos, simulations. This must be an ambitious project with both narrative and visual components. Again, if you work in teams, you must make the case for why more than one person is necessary and describe the division of labor in the team (who is primarily responsible for what).

Instructions for 3-page proposal (due October 17):

Double spaced, hard copy. Stapled.

The proposal will help you to organize and initiate your final project in the second half of term.  It should include a description of your chosen topic, the form you’ve decided for your final project (radio, articles, photojournalism, blog or website), and how you’ll use this form to address the topic.  The narrative must include:

· Title

· What is the topic?  What is the history of the problem?  Who are the main players (politicians, religious groups, liberals, wealthy, etc.)?  How do you observe it emerging at or in Bennington and the Bennington area? The larger country or world?

· Why are you selecting a particular form for your project?  What expertise do you have or what must you learn that will help you?  

· How will you address your topic in your work?  If you’re doing a radio piece, what sort of content will you include and whom will you interview?  If you’re writing articles, what is your point of view?  If you’re doing a photojournalism project, what locations will you photograph and what styles will you employ?  

Instructions for 2-page literature review (also due October 17):

As we’re learning in class, digging into the research is the only way to really be informed about an issue.  For the literature review, you’ll find at least 3 sources on your specific topic that will aid you (either through direct citations or just background information) in your final project.  These sources can include scientific studies, book chapters, and reputable articles.  You’ll give a short summary of each source and include the author, article/chapter title, book/publication of origin, and the date it was published.  Try to find different kinds of sources -- a scientific paper, something with a historical overview, something else that’s an opinion piece or an article for a more public audience.  

A Few Notes:

· The radio project and the blog/website can be done in groups because they may require the most labor (somebody in your group should probably have the technical expertise to do a podcast). 

· Groups will turn in one proposal TOTAL, but each individual member of the group must turn in their own literature review.

· For class on Oct. 13, please come with a topic and the selected form for your.  Be prepared to talk about it.