MG+Inquiry+-+Writing+Topics


 * OUR MULTIGENRE INQUIRY / WRITING TOPICS**

//** Directions: **// Please add your name below along with a brief description of your topic for your Multigenre Inquiry/Writing Project. Make your topic a link, like I did for Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, so that you have a wiki page where you can post information about your topic, including process notes and products in progress, as well as possible sources, as needed. You will also want to develop an inquiry question, and related questions, about your particular topic.

//**Example:**//


 * //Dr. Y// -- I am a big fan of Sherlock Holmes, and I have been interested in learning more about Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and the evolution of the detective series he crafted. A key question: How did Doyle come up with the Holmes character and to what extent did it originate or reflect the profession of the detective at the time? And/or how far did Doyle's work go in terms of helping to shape the profession into the future?

//**Add your name and topic info below...**//


 * //Scott R// -- I have been planning a "multigenre fiction" work for a few weeks now revolving around a high school love story and a character I've had on the shelf for a long time. The research side of the process would take into account all the research we have on "high school relationships". I'd imagine there are statistics surfacing on the likelihood of those relationships leading to marriage, statistics on the effect of public culture/family values on how teens treat one another, and essays that focus on the complex process that is involved in high school relationships (from a psychological standpoint). If I find enough research to compliment the fictional tale, I think this would be a moving, interesting piece. It would be a little different than one I originally planned and a little different from what you might have originally intended for this assignment.


 * //Blakely// - I love zombies. After all, who doesn't love flesh-eating, shambling undead that also serve as metaphors for the dangers of conformity and modernity? For my multi-genre project, I will explore different depictions of the zombie myth, including films (Night of the Living Dead, Shaun of the Dead, Zombieland), literature (Feed, Forrest of Hands and Teeth, Walking Dead [the graphic novel; not the AMC adaptation]), and television (Dollhouse). I will also incorporate into my project Freud's __Civilization and Its Discontents__, Claude Lévi-Strauss's __Myth and Meaning__, and other academic papers that examine the cultural impact of zombie stories. My project will examine the ways in which zombies mythology represents our collective anxieties about progress; expresses the struggle of the individual to assert him/herself against the demands of civilization; and embodies our craving for brains. Tasty, tasty brains.


 * //Lakeisha// -- Dancing! Something that I honestly love. The type of dance that I plan to focus on is Ballet. Interested in the orgins of Ballet and ballet in general.


 * //Jamye// - I think I'm going to work with Breast Cancer for this project. My mother had it in 2007 and my Mother-in-Law was diagnosed with it this last July. They're both in remission, but it is a topic that is very dear to my husband and me, as well as our families. My husband and I have participated in the Komen Race for the Cure for several years now, and it is inspiring to run/walk beside those amazing, strong women fighting that battle. I think there would be a surplus of information, both factual and personal, that could bring life to the project. As I'm getting into it, I'm finding it to be a great inspiration for getting to know my mothers better through writing and thinking about them from this perspective.


 * //Anna// - I think (still working it out) that I'm going to work on a project about something I love: Boone. Even though I went to ASU and know a lot about the town, I'm interested about the origins. When I began student teaching, I began to learn that there was more to Boone than the college town I knew. There was a great history, oral tradition, and very interesting culture in the people there. I want to learn and explore that, in addition to the very first origins of the town itself.


 * //Teresa// - I am a teacher geek. I love my job and I love learning about it. So, I will be exploring our brains and how we learn and what we as teachers can do in creating a classroom environment and activities to maximize learning.


 * //Heather// -- I'm gunna explore the ice storm emergency crisis of New England 08'. I saw it happen (had to get a new back-hatch on my car because a huge branch of pine tree smashed down on it in the middle of the night). And i saw how it brought the tiny town of marlboro vermont together, and also how it brought outsiders in. It was a other-worldly event and I'd like to learn how exactly it happened and also investigate some short and long term effects for new england, and investigate how these things become local folklore.


 * //Kelly// - I am going to do a presentation on the Golden Age of Hollywood (the 1920's-1950's). I would like to explore various aspects of this time period in the film industry. Basically my presentation will discuss why this era in is called the Golden Age, take an in depth look at the famous actors and actresses during that time, the significant improvements to the quality of film that came from this time period, and an examination of several important films and how they impacted society.


 * //Will// - I've been kicking around several ideas, but I keep coming back to the Victorian Era and more specifically the [|Brownings]. Unfortunately, a play and movie about their love letters has been made, and while I haven't seen either, it cuts out some of my ideas. So I need a different angle. Some ideas I have are to write my pieces from the perspective of Elizabeth's nurse, Wilson, who lived with the couple in Italy. I also think that I could write poems in the different styles of the Brownings, possibly a dramatic monologue in Robert's voice and a modernized, impassioned poem of Elizabeth's voice about current issues. Robert was very interested in art and architecture too, so I think I can do some research on that. Maybe the best approach will be to focus on the couples time in Italy, since the play and movie focused on their courtship in England. That way I will steer clear of covering the same ground. To me the Brownings were the first celebrity power couple, and I think I could do some very interesting things in exploring their own personalities as well as their relationship.


 * //Hannah// - For my multigenre project, I've been tossing around several ideas, and I think I'm going to look at lymphoma research. My father passed away after 15 years of cancer treatment, and during those 15 years, and technology changed dramatically during those years. The project will use my own personal experience in conjunction with the research that I do.


 * =====//Tanesha// - I have decided to do my presentation on Afro-Cuban liberal arts. I was inspired by a biopic of the trumpeter Arturo Sandoval’s life. In this movie, Dizzie Gilespie’s visit to Cuba is documented. It shows his interaction with the Cubans of African descent and he exclaims, “The Heart of Africa is in Cuba”! This quote piqued an interest of discovering the causes of his claim. I frequently watch documentaries and read articles concerning Afro Cubans. In my project I will explore the music, art and literature spawned from this culture. =====


 * //Jen// -- My topic will focus on the effect adopting a stray cat had on my family. More information can be found on my Jen's Digital Portfolio page.


 * //James-// Last semester I read a book called //The Dumbest Generation// by Mark Bauerlein that basically said this generation of students lacks basic knowledge and skills because of their dependance and preoccupation with technology. That's essentially what my topic is, Technology and Its Effect on Students both inside and outside the classroom. I think it's important because education seems to be very pro-technology, though I don't feel we always consider the possible negative side effects. I'd like to compare some of the advantages and disadvantages of students being so dependent on technology!