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ETST 301: Ethnic Studies and Society (Professor Matthew Irwin) [Spring 2022]

ETST 301 Final Project (Professor Matthew Irwin)

*Always consult Cougar Courses for full research assignment guidelines.

This assignment has three (3) parts:

  • A Final Project
    • You have three (3) options: a Research Paper, a Creative Project, or an Annotated Exhibition (Click tabs above for descriptions).
  • A Presentation
    • You will present your final project to the class. Be prepared to discuss the final product as well as the process of gathering information and choosing a format.
  • A Reflection
    • Everyone, regardless of format, writes a reflection. You will use your reflection to think about the relationship between your research, your project, and the course outcomes. Specifically reflect on the Area F SLOs to demonstrate your learning from this semester.

Apply your historical, contextual, and theoretical learning of Ethnic Studies to the contemporary issue of your choice, with a focus on intersectional or relational aspects of oppression and/or solidarity in anti-racist/anti-colonial movements. Research a topic (event, policy, idea, location), develop a thesis, and provide evidence to support your ideas.

Assignment

  • Write a minimum of 1,500 words
  • Use a minimum of two (2) photos
  • Use photo captions
  • Open with an attention-grabbing “lede” that introduces your topic and angle
  • Describe, in one paragraph, your methods and methodologies
  • Research. Use at least five sources; two must come from academic journals or books
  • Properly cite your paper

Reflection for Research Option

  • Write 300-400 words
  • Choose two (2) Area F SLOs, available on the syllabus, and explain why they are relevant to this project and the class.
    • Discuss where the Area F SLOs intersect with PSLOs and specific course outcomes.
    • For each SLO, provide evidence of your learning. It is not enough to claim that you learned about race and ethnicity; you must demonstrate what you learned by referencing citing key ideas, readings, and scholars.

You may choose to present your final project any way you wish: a collection of poems, a short story (fiction or non-fiction), a painting, a drawing comic (book), a performance (live or recorded), original music, an annotated playlist, pottery, food, etc. If you choose this option, you must get it approved by Professor Irwin in advance.

Reflection for Creative Option

  • Write 1,000 words.
  • What is your project? Describe your research in detail.
  • How did you choose the “form” or medium (ie poem, blog, poster, etc) for your project?
  •  Which class readings did you use to inform your research?
    • How did they inform your project?
  • What additional sources did you find on your own?
    • Theoretical
    • Topical (i.e. specific to your topic)
    • How did they inform your project?
  • Choose two (2) Area F SLOs, available on the syllabus, and explain why they are relevant to this project and the class.
    • Discuss where the Area F SLOs intersect with PSLOs and specific course outcomes.
    • For each SLO, provide evidence of your learning. It is not enough to claim that you learned about race and ethnicity; you must demonstrate what you learned by referencing citing key ideas, readings, and scholars.
    • Also discuss which activities you found most productive to your learning, including the Group Wikis, Group Facilitations, the Mid-Term Exam, and the Final Project

Create a digital collection of objects, practices, performances, and appearances. Annotated them with Museum Title Cards describing the significance of each object in the larger scheme of the exhibition.

Format: Google Slides or PowerPoint

In this project, you must:

  • Design a theme for your Exhibition, which can be:
    • topic-based (e.g. Black Lives Matter) i
    • history-based (e.g. Western Expansion and Indian Removal) 
    • artist-based (e.g. Picasso)
    • object-based (e.g. one of Picasso’s paintings)
  • Create a title for your theme (10 points)
    • Your title should describe your theme in a creative and attention-grabbing way, such as “Urban Visuality in Detroit.”
  • Write a 200-word summary of the Exhibition
    • identify the theme
    • create a sense of urgency or intrigue so people will want to attend
    • hint to the potential of your exhibition in creating new ways of understanding the topic/history/artist/object and create awareness of ongoing problems or issues that need to be addressed
  • Choose 8-10 visual objects
    • Include images related to your objects and events
  • Create a Title Card for each object
    • Properly caption/credit each visual object
    • Describe each visual object in 100 words (give-or-take).
      • What does it look like?
      • What does it represent?
    • Describe the significance of the visual object in 100 words (give-or-take)
    • How does it contribute to or advance your theme?
    • How does it relate to the other objects?

Reflection for Annotated Exhibition

  • Write 300-400 words
  • Choose two (2) Area F SLOs, available on the syllabus, and explain why they are relevant to this project and the class.
    • Discuss where the Area F SLOs intersect with PSLOs and specific course outcomes.
    • For each SLO, provide evidence of your learning. It is not enough to claim that you learned about race and ethnicity; you must demonstrate what you learned by referencing citing key ideas, readings, and scholars.
Subjects: Ethnic Studies