• NOTE ON COST
• SCHEDULE
• GRADING
• PROJECT TYPES - SAMPLE PROJECT IDEAS:   POSTER SESSIONS - ARTIFACT DISPLAY - PERFORMANCE
• SOURCES OF INFORMATION FOR PROJECTS
• TOUR PAST FAIRES ON THE WEB!
• INSTRUCTIONS FOR PROGRESS REPORTS
• GO TO ENGL 395 COURSE HOME PAGE

I  LIKE TO HELP! Click here for my current office hour schedule.
 

Purpose of the project: To allow you to explore in some depth a linguistic or cultural phenomenon related to the subject matter of the course (see topic-suggestion list, and tour past Faires). The project is intended to allow you to indulge/display/try out talents and interests you might have that don't fit a research-paper format, and to do a project that is both educational and fun. NOTE: You do not have to include a term paper with your project. The project consists entirely of what you display at the Faire.

COST

NOTE ON COST: This project is not intended to bankrupt you! Be careful of excessive costs; substitute where possible with less expensive materials, or alter your project (for example, one person made a costume for a porcelain doll to save on the costs of producing a human-sized gown; another made a miniature working model of  a Roman catapult).
 
SCHEDULE:

Faire event sequence: There will be a 15-minute period for setup. When I declare the Faire open, fairegoers circulate among exhibits. After 20 minutes or so, I will call the group to attention for performances (if any). After performances, fairegoers will once again circulate among displays. Fairegoers will be asked to vote for their favorite projects. Winners will be announced later in class. Please put your name on your display so that fairegoers can identify whom they are voting for. There will be modest prizes for the top three vote-getters.

GRADING:
ALL FOUR ITEMS -- PROPOSAL, PROGRESS REPORTS, AND FAIRE DISPLAY -- WILL BE GRADED: Proposal = 5 points, PROGRESS REPORT I = 5 points, PROGRESS REPORT II = 10 points, Faire exhibit = 60 points; Total: 80 points (27% of course grade).

Projects will be graded excellent (A range) / good (B range) / fair (C range) / unsatisfactory (D-F range) on the following criteria, in order of importance:

• Informativeness of project and associated textual information
• Originality or authenticity
• Quality of workmanship
• Attractiveness, quality, and accessibility of display

Click here for a facsimile of the form I use to grade the Faire projects.

Project proposal: submit a 1-2 page typed proposal describing the following:

(a) Identify yourself and any other student in the class who will be working with you on your project (up to 2 students can work together on a project). State your name, major, class status (junior, etc.), give our course title and the date of your proposal, and title the paper "Faire Project Proposal."
(b) Which project type you have chosen (see Project Types, below), and what your specific project is.
(c) Plan of attack: Where will you look for materials, information, or instruction? What facilities (a craft shop, etc.) will you use to produce your display? What resource people will you contact?
(c) Display plans: how will you display your project? What accompanying materials will there be? (There has to be SOME text accompanying your project.)
(d) Report initial research results: list books, websites, people you have spoken with, etc., which you believe will be major sources of information for your project. For books, articles, or web materials, give an ordinary bibliographic citation as you would for a research paper, following a consistent and recognized format such as MLA, APA, etc. For websites, BE SURE the URL you give is one which can allow me to access the exact material you are giong to use. The whole source list must include at least three items.
(e) This is a preliminary proposal; changes can be made. Major changes must be made before Mon., 2/27 (this could impact your grade for Progress Report i); minor changes can be made later, but you must check with me for approval of ALL changes.

Formatting:

• Type your proposal. Give your identifying information at the top (left- or right-hand corner), not on a separate title page.
• Single-space your text.
• Only a Times-type font is acceptable: Times, Times Roman, Times New Roman. Font size must be 12-pt.
• Margins of 1" or 1.25".
• Page length: One- two pages.

Click here to go directly to Faire project types and examples.

 Progress Reports:  

• Complete instructions for the Progress Reports will appear soon.

Formatting:

• Type your report. At the top (left- or right-hand corner), give your name, major, our course title, and the date you hand the report in.
• Type the title of each source in boldface style. Title only in boldface.
• Single-space your text, but skip a line between each bibliography entry.
• Only a Times-type font is acceptable: Times, Times Roman, Times New Roman. Font size must be 12-pt.
• Margins of 1" or 1.25".
• Page length: TBA

 NOTE: You do not have to include a bibliography with your project display at the Faire.

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PROJECT TYPES

Be creative -- the sky's the limit! You may work solo or in pairs. Pair projects must have more substance than solo projects (i.e. be bigger, longer, more complex, more difficult, whatever is appropriate to your choice of project).

Facillities: The room will be furnished with enough six-foot trestle tables to accommodate all projects. DO NOT USE MORE THAN HALF OF A TABLE. Features like electrical outlets, Internet outlets, etc. may be few and oddly located. As soon as I have a room, I will announce it and you can tour it, or I will tour it and let you know the layout. There will also be sufficient seating for all students in the class and some visitors.

ERAS: Your project can be drawn from any period we study in the course of the quarter, from the prehistory of Britain (the Celts and the Roman occupation) to the modern day.

IF YOU ARE A FAN OF RESEARCH PAPERS AND DON'T LIKE CREATIVE PROJECTS, CHOOSE THE 'POSTER SESSION' OPTION.

• ARTIFACT DISPLAY: Tables will be available; all other display equipment (stands, easels) are your responsibility. Create a mock museum display (go to a museum for models! There are several in our area.). Your piece should be accompanied by texts explaining important facts about the piece (as is typically found in museums); you may also include some short information about the various stages of creation of your project (with photos of it in intermediate forms? - But this should not be the biggest part of your project). Do not rely on being able to hang things on the wall. This is not allowed in most venues. Interactive displays (in which your fellow students and I can interact with your materials in some way) are encouraged. Past interactive displays have included callligraphy, kilt-fitting, interactive computer-meditated projects, lessons in making chain mail, casting the runes (ancient Germanic fortune-telling) and operating a minature yonager (a kind of catapult).

• PERFORMANCE: Space will be reserved in the exhibit room for performers, with enough chairs for an audience. A Q&A session will follow each performance, so you should be prepared to answer questions from your audience (anticipate the kinds of questions you might get, and prepare answers). Prepare a handout with appropriate information: the script or a summary of your piece and a translation (if necessary), with some informational/literary notes (2 sides of one page maximum). Bring at least 30 copies of this handout to the Faire. In the past, there have been instrumental and voice performances, recitations, scenes from plays and films (e.g., Monty Pythong and the Holy Grail), dance, jester gymnastics, impersonations (in which the student dresses up as a period or literary character and wanders the room, introducing him/herself and telling his/her story).
  
  
• POSTER SESSION: (For research/data projects) You sit at a table (provided), with your presentation around you -- on easels behind/next to you, propped on the table, etc. Include text, diagrams, charts, illustrations, artifacts, video/audio if appropriate (you can check equipment out of AV; my signature as faculty sponsor is required). A visitor to your table should be able to grasp an overall picture of your topic with a variety of important details from your exhibit. Be prepared to answer questions that people may ask you as they circulate at the Faire (including me!). Easels are not provided! NOTE: You do not have to submit a paper if you choose this option (or any other, for that matter). Your project is what you display at the Faire, period.

Writing: Here are some examples of past projects in this area:

* Write a short story or poem in Middle or Early Modern English (write it in Modern English first, then translate it, consulting models. Make the content authentic to the period!! Incorporate idiomatic usages of vocabulary in their period meanings!! Provide a translation for your Faire exhibit. Do not attempt Old English. The grammar is too complicated for the time you have. If you choose Middle or Early Modern English, your grammar must conform to the grammar of the period and your spellings and vocabulary must be authentic to the period. There are numerous sources on these topics I can help you with.
* Compose a 'lost' Canterbury Tale, or other portion of a famous work from one of the periods of English history, in the correct language for the period.
* Write some diary entries for an imaginary person (famous or not) in Middle or Early Modern English (see me for models).
* Back to the future! Write a piece set in the future, with some changes in English vocabulary, etc. to reflect the social changes you project. (See, for example, the novels '1984' or 'A Clockwork Orange' for models). Your piece could be a short story, or a mock newspaper editorial, news report, personal letter, diary entry, etc.
* YOUR IDEA HERE (all ideas have to be approved by me before you start)

Arts/Crafts: Again, these are all past projects that were very successful.

* Calligraphy and/or manuscript illumination: Design, produce, and illuminate page(s) of a manuscript in Old or Middle English. (Reproduce a famous one by hand, or be original.)
* Jewelry: Study the design of jewelry from a period of history: ancient Roman, ancient Celtic or Anglo-Saxon; medieval or Elizabethan; Victorian, Edwardian, Art Nouveau, or Art Deco. Nothing after 1940 please. Design and produce a piece. Use substitutes for precious metals and gems if you can't afford the real thing. Local bead shops, Beverly's, and our own Craft Center are good sources of materials, help, and classes. This is not as hard as you think -- I make jewelry, and can help you out.
* Glass: Design and create a piece of stained glass with a medieval or Renaissance theme of your choice. Castle Stained Glass offers materials and lessons/classes locally.
* Glass: Design and create a blown-glass artifact (a goblet, for example) typical of the earliest periods of settlement in England (including Roman). Make it authentic to period.
* Pottery: Study styles and techniques for making pots from a certain period (Anglo-Saxon, Celtic). Make a pot and a museum display for it to explain its use and how it was made (one year one woman did sand firing at the beach).
* Clothing: Study the clothing of one of the periods of the history of English (Old, Middle, Early Modern, 18th or 19th centuries). Design and sew a costume that will fit you or a doll (Viking Barbie?). Model it at the fair; post texts with details for your classmates to consult. (A Medieval fashion show???) (Note: fabric can be expensive for this project; dolls are a good way to save $$ and can be a great gift for a kid in your life!)
* Weaving, embroidery, needlework: Study tapestry, embroidery, or textile designs from a period of the history of English; replicate or design and make a small textile sample.
* Artifacts of everyday life: Research the everyday life of one of the periods of the history of English. Choose an artifact (a tool, basket, implement, or machine), and create a facsimile of the artifact.
* Create a miniature working model of Caxton's printing press (maybe one that prints only one letter at a time).
* Industrial/craft processes: Create an exhibit showing some process from an earlier period (leatherwork, paper-making, ink-making, tanning leather, smithing, spinning & weaving, etc.) Come as near as you can to replicating the process for your exhibit, showing a step-by-step description with some artifacts to back it up. You could spin or do small metalwork at the Faire, and give fairegoers quickie lessons and have them try their hands at it. There are local spinning/weaving enthusiasts; I can give you some leads.
* YOUR IDEA HERE (all ideas have to be approved by me before you start)

* Find authentic music (sheet music) from the Middle Ages or the Renaissance, rehearse and perform a piece at the Faire (vocal and/or instrumental). Or, if you are a composer, compose and perform a piece in the style of one of these periods! Include some details in a handout to accompany your performance.
* Same, but in dance: medieval or Renaissance dancing, folk dance such as English Country dance, Scottish Country dance, or Morris dance.
* Memorize a poem in Old or Middle English, and recite it at the Faire, along with a handout with the poem, translation, and some literary information. In costume?
* Drama: perform a morality or mystery play; aim for performing it in the correct pronunciation for the time. Be prepared to give some introductory / explanatory comments about morality plays and their importance in medieval culture. (Dr. Fitzhenry is a specialist in medieval drama; Dr. Schwartz is a specialist in Arthurian legend and medieval poetry.)
* Drama: perform a scene from Shakespeare or another writer in costume and in the form of English characteristic of the period (NOT the kind used in British productions today!!) (I can help you with pronunciation!)
* Impersonation: Dress up as a character from a period. In the past we have had monks, bog mummies, and a Black Death doctor. Create a poster display or some handout literature explaining who you are and why you are dressed as you are, possibly with explanatory notes on how you lived your life. Circulate and explain yourself to visitors.
* If you choose a recitation project in an earlier variety of English, you MUST consult with me for help with pronunciation. I can help A LOT.
* YOUR IDEA HERE (all ideas have to be approved by me before you start)

POSTER SESSIONS (research presented in summary form on posterboard or computer slide presentation or webpage - if it is one of the latter two, you supply the computer at the Faire. Load projects onto the hard drive; do not depend on an Internet port in the display room.)

If you don't enjoy doing creative projects and would prefer something like a traditional research paper, I recommend this project type. Project ideas (these are suggestions; you may use these or come up with others of your own; get my approval before starting anything):

* Report on the history of a language/language family (Indo-European or non-Indo-European) other than English that is of interest to you.
* Report on the effects of the interaction of a particular culture/region with English
* 'English education through the ages' (History of the study of English language and literature in the English-speaking world)
* Report on a current variety of English spoken somewhere in the world [other than Standard American or Standard British]. Include a brief linguistic description, audio/video sample, and historical sketch of the migration paths and language changes that led to that variety.
* The life of an important figure in the history of English, e.g. the Venerable Bede, Julian of Norwich (a woman), Eleanor of Aquitaine, Queen Elizabeth or Henry VIII, or King Alfred.
* Report on the standardization history of a language other than English, such as German, Norwegian (two offical dialects!), French, Spanish, Italian, Japanese, Arabic, or Chinese. Compare it to the process of standardization English went through.
* Examine a current language policy controversy or decision: Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa are interesting cases involving English, as well as Caribbean islands such as the Bahamas, Jamaica, Trinidad. (The Caribbean islands have interesting stuff going on with local creole languages -- languages that are a mixture of English and some other language(s)).
* Examine the 'English as Official Language' controversy in the United States, and/or survey language policy in various states: Hawai'i and New Mexico are interesting cases, as well as Louisiana. (I can lead you to good sources on this.)

Successful past projects in this area have included:

• a report on loanwords from African languages into English, especially southern place names;
• a report on the life of the Venerable Bede;
• a study of the language of a woman with Down's syndrome, with linguistic analysis and recordings;
• a report on printing and freedom of the press in the American colonies;
• a report on medicinal herbs in Old and Medieval England;
• a report on English language contact in Africa, on a webpage
• a website on Ebonics

• Data project ideas  Data sources can be on-line data bases, library holdings of newspapers/magazines; compositions from Cal Poly Basic Writing and 134 classes, survey of live individuals, etc.

• study of one feature of language (a word, a pronunciation variant, a syntactic structure) that varies  across age groups, regions, or social classes (I can help with ideas). Observe people in action
• Track a change in progress. For example, you could examine ENGL 145 essays for variation in comparative constructions (-er vs. more, most), or use of apostrophes on plural and possessive nouns, or agreement between subjects and verbs. (I can help with ideas).
• Use an online database of actual publications or actual speech. (A database like this is called a 'corpus' in linguistics, plural 'corpora'.)

Sources are plentiful, but some may require interlibrary loan, with a waiting period of up to ten days for the source to arrive. LINK+ is quickest, with wait time of only a few days. Plan ahead! Use: our library, city/county library, world-wide-web, craft center and art department shops, local hobby/bead/hardware stores, etc. NOTE: Sources aren't always available under literature or linguistics searchwords. You may need to use search words from the domains of art, archeology, cuisine, costume, etc. Get help from the reference librarian if you need it.