Annotated Bibliography and Leading Class Discussion Assignment.

On four separate days this term, a group of 3-4 students will create a short annotated bibliography entry of a critical essay and lead class discussion.

This assignment has multiple components.

Each student must hand in a 250 word annotated bibliography and two written discussion questions. Each of you must post your annotated bibliographies and discussion questions to the class website (instructions to follow). Discussion questions should be posted by 6pm on the night before class. Annotated bibliographies should be posted before class.

Below is a step by step guide to writing an effective annotated bibliography entry.

1. Each of you must read a critical essay assigned by me.

2. Each of you must write a 250 word annotated bibliography. An annotated bibliography begins with a properly formatted bibliographic entry of the article you read (the same sort of entry you would include in a works cited page). You are welcome to use bibliography generators like the one provided via our school’s library website.

Next, skip a line and begin your 250 word  annotation. Your annotation should briefly introduce the title, author, and topic of the essay

In “Jamesian Feminism: Women in ‘Daisy Miller,’” literary critic Louise Barnett considers the relationship between setting and gender politics in James’s short story.

Next, if  this critic explicitly reacts to other scholars by confirming or challenging their conclusions describe where they think their argument fits into a larger critical conversation:

Barnett suggests that previous critics have failed to consider _____________________.

Then, within the first few lines clearly present the critic’s argument or thesis. Use your own words.

Barnett argues that James constructs the iconic landmarks Daisy Miller visits in her brief European tour as imaginary spaces that lie beyond the reach of oppressive social ideologies. Barnett insists that these spaces offer sanctuary to James’s heroine . . .

Next, you must explain how the critic of your essay uses evidence to support his or her argument. How does your critic interpret this evidence in order to support their claim? You cannot go into great detail or mention every one of the ways in which an authors supports their main argument. You must be judicious and present what you think we absolutely need to know.

Finally, offer your evaluation of the author’s argument. Don’t write that you think an article was good or that it was well written. Evaluate how effectively a critic supports a thesis. Before concluding, you must tell your readers (me and your classmates) “where we can go from here.” In other words, tell us how an author’s argument might advance our overall understanding of the text we are reading. If you think a critc’s argument and reasoning is flawed you might offer a counterargument in lieu of suggesting how we can build on a critic’s conclusions. No matter what, be sure you offer a thoughtful analysis of the critical piece you read.

Reading criticism and reacting to it is a learned skill and a difficult one to master. Try not to be intimidated by this assignment. This may be the first time you have react to a piece of literary criticism. I expect this will be difficult and only ask that you make a serious effort. I want you to engage in an ongoing cultural conversation about literature, and, in doing so, I hope you will develop as a thinker and a writer. As you work on this assignment and as you work on your novel project, the culmination of your work as an English student at Saint Stephen’s, understand that no thinker or writer, however brilliant, ends a conversation. There is no final word on any topic. The object of learning is to continue critical and thoughtful conversations, to honestly engage with the theories, beliefs, practices, and ideas we inherit from the past.

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When you lead discussion avoid taking us step by step through the critical piece you read. Each of you should have different discussion questions that provoke good class discussion. Consider the critic’s use of evidence, have us turn to those pages, ask questions about how an author interprets evidence. Get us to discuss ways in which a critic’s insight might suggest an overall interpretation of the book we had not considered. Reflect on our previous discussions as a class and try to connect some of the things we have been talking about to the piece you read for class.