Discussion Essay 2: Rappin' About the Documentaries
Assignment: If you have questions, contact your grader, your GAT or visit Dr. Sanchez during office hours. Follow the rubric and demonstrate a scholarly knowledge of the topic as well as show writing competence. You can be more informal in your response. See the rubric and the discussion guidelines in the contents section. Discussion/Essay 2 is due Sunday, February 5. Note that this module is different from the others in that two discussions are offered. In all other modules, only one essay discussion will be offered, and it will be at the end of the quiz. Submit to assignments dropbox and then post in the discussion forum. You will not get credit unless you do both. Pick one of the two assignments below: 1. Compare the overt use of music in Krush Groove to issues presented in the documentary The Black Power Mixtape or the documentary Hip-hop: Beyond Beats and Rhymes. The second choice is to compare subtle soundtrack meanings of music in Do The Right Thing to Krush Groove, using the article Musing New Hoods as your theoretical base. How do these movies comment on African American experiences? 2. In this case, you will ALSO reference chapter 2 in the Ebook Understanding Black American Aspects in Hip-Hop Cinema. What additional insight does this chapter give to your understanding of the film you have chosen? 3. Be focused, detailed and use short quotes. Yes, you can and will probably need more than 600 words. Remember the essays should contain in-text citations. See the discussion guidelines in the content section and the Course Rubric. You will be graded by the Rubric. Post your original discussion essay in the discussion area and submit to the assignments dropbox February 5 before midnight. 4. The response counts for 20% of your grade. Respond to at least one of your group members' essays and/or to the comments of others who respond to your post. before midnight February 6. This is NOT a peer review. Your comments on style and how well they wrote are not wanted and will not help your classmates. This is a scholarly consideration of ideas and analysis. You are to address ideas and consider how they apply or don't apply compared to the scholars and the experts. You are to consider how your classmate's ideas take the discussion to a deeper or appropriate level. Make sure that your response is meaningful and continues a conversation. Remember the fictional films are NOT reality. They are the materialization of expressions of ideologies or refutation of those beliefs that exist in society, sometimes from Hollywood, sometimes from a black perspective. Your job is to use academic writings and your own interpretations to produce an essay that analyze words, themes, mise en scene as they project beliefs. Note this EXACT SAME paper must be uploaded into the dropbox as well as posted here. Guidelines: Remember the essays should contain citations and are practice for the final course paper. However, they are also an opportunity to start less formal conversations and responses among group members. You must complete both aspects, so be sure to respond to at least one of your group members about what they found and/or to the comments of others who respond to your post. This assignment counts toward class participation. Copy and paste or type your discussion/essay in the discussion area and submit your file to the dropbox for a plagiarism check. What should be included in your essay(for more detail look at the rubric in the content section and in the dropbox: Minimum 600 Words for initial post for Discussion/Essay 150 or more words for your response to one classmate Contains a thesis At least 3 proofs to support the thesis two from course materials one from your own academic or primary research Use of in-text citations with page numbers Works cited with webpage links or full printing press information Good Grammar Discretionary points for Excellence Essay Format: This is the general format of what your essay should look like. Paragraph 1 -- introduction to tell me where you are going. This paragraph includes or starts with a specific distinct thesis that states exactly what you plan to argue. It does not say "I will discuss..." Instead, state your argument and move on to prove it. If I have to wait until the end of the paper to figure out what your point is, you have already failed. Some students put the thesis sentence in italics or bold it. If you want to do this that's fine. It helps me zero in immediately on what you will argue and may help you keep track of your focus. Paragraphs 2-5 -- justifications. Each subsequent paragraph proves some part of your thesis. They start with and include sub-assertions. These sub-assertions introduce related bits of evidence and are in effect a mini thesis that makes a refined point about SOME aspect of the thesis. In other words, it pinpoints a specific part of the thesis and explains why the information you present is relevant. After the sub assertion, include your evidence -- an example, quote, and citation, for example. You must include examples from the narrative. You can combine justifications in paragraphs as long as they relate to the sub assertion, which on a larger scale connects to the thesis. Start each new paragraph with new sub-assertions and justification that highlights another different part of the thesis. Continue until all parts of your thesis are illustrated and justified. Adjust your thesis if need be. Final Paragraph -- add some deeper insight. You started with a thesis -- what additional intellectual points can you add that both reflects the original thesis but seems to carry your initial concept further? Under no circumstances are you to attack anyone personally. Thoughtfulness, creativity, and clarity will work in your favor. Simply repeating what someone else has previously said will not work well in this area. You will not get credit if you do not respond in a scholarly way.