Satire Prject It s time t try yur hand at creating satire! Think wicked thughts t make a mdest prpsal t fix a vice in ur sciety, much like Jnathan Swift did in his prpsal. While yur prblem shuld be a serius issue, yur slutin, bviusly, shuld be satirical. Yur bjective is t draw attentin t an imprtant scial issue while prpsing a ludicrus slutin. The cntrast f the prblem and slutin shuld make the need fr refrm evident. The key t success in creating gd satire is t use yur wn style, sense f humr, and pinins t create an infrmed and humrus piece that als advcates a mck slutin t the scial issue in rder t call attentin t the issue. In respnse t a current cncern r issue, write r prduce yur wn mdest prpsal fr publicatin r prductin. Yu may present yur satire in a number f ways. Objective: Yu will create a prduct that represents yur understanding f the use f satire. Frmatting Requirements: Due Date: - 12 pint, Times New Rman fnt - Duble-spaced - Full MLA Heading - All written prtins must be turned in t turnitin.cm Please select the ptin that yu feel yu culd be mst successful with. OPTION #1: News Article Yu will write a news article that pardies either a current event (ex. presidential race, DiCapri FINALLY winning an Oscar) r scial trend (ex. bsessin with smart phnes/technlgy, impatient peple). Just like the articles we examined in class, yur article shuld cntain fictinalized statistics, interviews, and a headline. Remember, the purpse f this is t make it sund like an actual news article (infrmative, bjective) but still ridicule/criticize the issue yu ve chsen t address. Length Requirement: 1 page Maximum Grup Size: 1 (individual assignment) Mdel Text: Any article frm The Onin OPTION #2: Plitical Cartn Yu will illustrate a series f 3-5 plitical cartns that ridicule a current figure/event (ex. presidential race) r scial trend (ex. bsessin with smart phnes/technlgy). Yur illustratins shuld be clrful, cntain dialgue/thught bubbles, and reflect yur best effrt. If yu aren t artistic, this prbably ISN T the best ptin fr yu. In additin t yur cartn, yu will type and turn in a 1 page explanatin f yur cartn that effectively explains the cartn s satirical elements (exaggeratin, irny, humr, etc.). **NOTE: This must be a hand-drawn plitical cartn, s if yu aren t artistic, this prbably ISN T the best ptin fr yu. Requirements: Three-Five full page Plitical Cartn and a typed 1 page explanatin Maximum Grup Size: 1 (individual assignment) Mdel Text: Plitical Cartns frm a majr publicatin like The New Yrker (http://www.newyrker.cm/news/newsdesk/slide-shw-plitical-cartns)
OPTION #3: Bradcast Jurnalism News Segment Yu (and a partner, if yu d like) will perfrm r recrd a 3-4 minute news segment (recrded r live). Cnsider current wrld/lcal events that yu culd mck in yur bradcast. In additin t yur bradcast prductin, yu will type and turn in (t turnitin.cm) yur script and an explanatin f hw yur bradcast effectively uses satirical elements (exaggeratin, irny, humr, etc.). Requirements: 3-4 minute news segment (recrded r live); typed script; typed explanatin f satirical elements included (shuld be riginal fr each persn, NOT the same explanatin frm all grup members). Maximum Grup Size: 2 (partner assignment) Mdel Text: Last Week Tnight with Jhn Oliver, The Clbert Reprt, The Daily Shw, Weekend Update (frm Saturday Night Live) OPTION #4: Original Sng Yu will perfrm a satirical sng. Requirements: 2-3 minute sng (recrded r live); typed cpy f yur lyrics; typed (½ page) explanatin f the satirical elements included in yur lyrics/perfrmance Maximum Grup Size: 1 (individual assignment) Mdel Text: Any Weird Al Yankvic Sng OPTION #5: Cmedic Sketch If yu chse this ptin, yur perfrmance must include all members f yur grup and must reflect at LEAST FIVE different satirical elements. Requirements: 2-3 minute sketch (recrded r live), 2 page typed script, ½ page explanatin f satirical elements used in the sketch frm EACH member f yur grup (shuld be riginal fr each persn, NOT the same explanatin frm all grup members). Maximum Grup Size: 2 (partner assignment) Mdel Text: Saturday Night Live, Key & Peele OPTION #6: Children s Bk Create a children s bk with bth illustratins and written text that satirizes a scial issue. Requirements: a bk with illustrated cver, characters, and plt; text length is a minimum f five pages with at least five illustratins; typed (1/2 page page explanatin f satirical elements and scial issue satirized). Maximum Grup Size: 1 (individual assignment) Mdel Text: Dr. Seuss s The Butter Battle Bk
OPTION #7: An essay similar in frmat t Swift s A Mdest Prpsal Cmpse a multi-paragraphed essay prpsing a Requirements: Write a five-paragraph minimum essay using the same rganizatinal and satirical elements emplyed by Swift t satirize a mdern issue. Feel free t add additinal paragraphs as needed but yur essay shuld fllw the basic mdel belw: 25-30 wrd subtitle. Yur essay shuld be called A Mdest Prpsal, but the subtitle shuld flesh ut what scietal prblem yu are trying t slve (withut giving away yur shcking element). (Swift s full title is A Mdest Prpsal fr Preventing the Children f Pr Peple in Ireland frm Being a Burden t Their Parents r Cuntry, and fr Making Them Beneficial t the Public. Sht fr smething like that.) Paragraph 1: A clear first paragraph that cntains an indelible image f yur scietal prblem. (Swift s image in his first paragraph is that f the mther with six children dressed in rags begging fr alms. Try t include an image f yur prblem that elicits the readers sympathies in a similar way.) Paragraph 2: A paragraph descriptin f yur shcking slutin. (This is like the paragraph in which Swift talks delicius and nurishing babies.) Paragraph 3: A list f six clearly labeled lgical reasns fr why yur slutin wuld wrk. (Label yur sentences firstly, secndly, thirdly, as Swift des.) Paragraph 4: An italicized paragraph describing yur respnse t the ppsitin s argument. (Nte Swift s italicized paragraphs fr guidance n this.) Paragraph 5: Cnclusin. Maximum Grup Size: 1 (individual assignment) Mdel Text: Jnathan Swift s A Mdest Prpsal (page 448 in textbk, handut n Oualline s blg) Optin # 8: anther creative idea (prpse idea t instructr fr apprval and prject specific requirements) Key Things t Keep in Mind When Planning Yur Prject Be knwledgeable abut the tpic, peple, and pint f view invlved. D yur research and get as much accurate infrmatin as yu can abut the tpic f yur chice. This will allw yu t frm a strnger pinin and express it mre clearly. Knw the message r pint f view yu want t cnvey, and then plan yur prject s that yu successfully deliver that message t yur audience. Be apprpriate in yur presentatin. Satire is meant t amuse peple, but yu shuld keep schl plicies in mind when planning yur prject. Keep it clean. Prepare a high quality presentatin. If yu are ding written wrk, pay attentin t the rules f grammar, usage, and mechanics. If yu are prducing a vide, get in t character, be cnvincing in yur presentatin, and speak s yu can be heard. Be riginal. Anything yu can d t make yur presentatin memrable will help yu reach a brader audience. Appeal t yur audience using eths, paths, and lgs. Yur presentatin shuld be rughly 3-4 minutes in length; please see attached rubric fr grading specifics.
SATIRE PROJECT PLANNING SHEET Step 1: Brainstrming/Planning Name: Type f Prject (circle ne) News Article Shrt Stry/Children s Bk Newscast Cartn Essay Cmedic Sketch Original Sng Other What scial prblem will yu examine? What slutin will yu advcate fr it? What gal d yu have in mind fr this satire? What shuld readers/viewers think r d as a result f yur satire? Hw will yu present yur satire? What ideas / specifics will yu include? What supprting details will yu use t create yur satire? What elements f satire will yu use? (Please see rubric fr required elements.) Will yur satire be Hratian r Juvenalian? Step 2: Organize and Write/Draw/Recrd/Etc. Once yu have all the hard facts that yu need, yu can begin writing yur prpsal. Be sure t have a recgnizable persna / clear vice. Make sure t use prper rhetric and lgic (hwever ludicrus) in develping yur arguments. Include enugh factual infrmatin t warrant true reader cncern ver the issue yu are presenting. Yur prpsal will build n this infrmatin t make yur slutin seem that much mre necessary. Begin crafting yur satire! Warning: Have cmmn sense! While this prject is meant t be humrus and mcking in bringing abut satirical refrm, please be sensitive in hw yu apprach yur tpics. It may be tempting t ridicule a grup simply because yu dn t like them r because the grup is an easy target, but yu need t make sure yu are nly ridiculing thse grups wh cmmit a crime against scial cnscience. Fr example, it s plitically incrrect (and just mean) t pick n verweight peple, but yu culd satirize the airline industry fr either making seats that d nt fit Americans ever-expanding backsides r fr adhering t insensitive plicies (ie: remving excessively verweight peple frm their planes). Limit yur use f invectives r harsh reductins. Remember, the pint f satire is nt t ffend but t bring abut awareness f the scial issue. If yu ffend yur audience, they may never learn the lessn r change their behavir. Be warned: yur prpsal needs t attack a scial vice, NOT a persn r subgrup!
SATIRE PROJECT/PRESENTATION RUBRIC Name Tpic fr Satire Medium Authr s Intent Chice f Tpic / Scial Issue 2 4 6 8 10 Tpic is clearly an imprtant scial issue fr American sciety r ur lcal cmmunity. Easy fr audience t understand what the prblem is and why it s a genuine prblem. Research 2 4 6 8 10 Research is evident in the final prject. Research aids in develpment and effectiveness f the satire; incrprated int satire when apprpriate. Research gives an intelligent backgrund t the scial issue. Citatin 2 4 6 8 10 MLA-frmatted wrks cited included All elements are crrect and cmplete Develpment / Organizatin 2 4 6 8 10 Develps the satire in a lgical sequence, leaving ut n imprtant supprt, s audience gets the satire. Des nt belittle r hurt a grup; instead, satire attempts t refrm a crime against scial cnscience /redirect a given grup s behavir. The slutin t the prblem is easy t understand and is lgical, if ridiculus. There are n lse ends. An effective satire. Persna 2 4 6 8 10 The persna (vice f the satire) and/r the main character(s) is clearly described thrugh dialgue and/r actins. The audience recgnizes the imprtance f the character/medium t the stry being tld. Elements f satire 2 4 6 8 10 Intrduces and develps at least 3 elements f satire, including irny, puns, steretypes, inversin/reversal, understatement, hyperble, incngruity, sarcasm, invective etc. Presentatin 5 7 10 15 20 The student has rehearsed his/ her satire and fluidly delivers the presentatin. Gd use f ntes and eye cntact. If a vide presentatin, vide lks prfessinal, with lgical editing and sequencing. Presentatin is between 2-3 minutes in length. Prject as a Whle 5 7 10 15 20 Prject reflects care and cnsideratin. Student shwed gd judgment in apprach t satire and was cgnizant f attacking a vice, nt a persn r grup. N errrs in writing, requirements, etc. TOTAL: /100 pints