Instructions for Group Presentations -- English 228A/001

In groups of five to seven people, choose a topic and create a presentation on that topic to deliver in one of the designated classes; a sign-up sheet will be circulated early in the term. You may choose to concentrate on the work of a single lyricist, songwriter or performer, or to examine how popular song is used in a given text or video. It is preferable, thouygh not required, that you address songs related to or mentioned in works on the course syllabus that week.

You are free to decide collectively on your specific topic, but make sure that you focus on debating a particular issue or idea in your presentation. (You may wish to consider, but are not limited to, such things as performance, social or cultural context, mass media, populism, celebrity and public image, counter-cultures and subcultures, style and voice, the politics of song, technologies of dessemination and reproduction, the musicality of language, pop history as memory and forgetting -- but remember to focus your presentation, and not to try to do too much in your given time.) You will have 35 minutes of class time; each member of the group should contribute equally in the delivery of the presentation.

Consider carefully the format for your presentation: how can you most effectively communicate your ideas? How does the topic you have chosen affect or impact the form of your discussion? Can you incorporate different kinds of performance? Different critical strategies? Other pedagogical techniques? Remember that it is your task to teach the class how to read this material: what sort of teaching practices can you use? Remember, too, that you will be evaluated on the clarity and the critical acuity of your presentation, as well as on its effectiveness. Please ensure that each member of your group is given roughly an equal amount of time to speak. Following each presentation, there will be time for questions from and discussion with the rest of the class. (If no one else asks any questions, I will, so be prepared to respond.)

Within a week after the presentation, EACH member of a group must also hand in an individual report on or response to the presentation, consisting of about 2 typed, double-spaced pages (no more than 700 words -- concision will be valued). You can elaborate on an issue that arose in discussion, give a close reading of a text, continue an argument or point of debate, or give your reactions to the presentation. Your grade will consist of a combination of the mark on this report and a mark on your group's performance.