notes on the last class, 12/20, 9:00—11:00; final presentation; journal check

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Notes on the last class, 12/20, 9:00—11:00 (see first note below on
time)
final presentation (5% of course grade)
and journal check (10% of course grade)

The printed schedule of classes lists the time for our final as 9:00—
11:00, as above and as printed on the syllabus. The college released a
revised final exam schedule, which shows our final to begin at 9:30,
to accommodate 7:00 AM Saturday classes’ finals. Let’s begin at 9:00,
since none of you has mentioned having a 7:00 AM Saturday class (talk
to me if you do), and at the beginning of the term, I told a couple
online students they could do their presentations first because they
have other 9:00 AM Saturday classes. Beginning at 9:00 will let them
go to their other exams on time, and those of you whom I know do have
afternoon classes will have a little extra time to shift your
concentration over to the other subject.

For the final exam, you will present to the class your last essay.
Please prepare a brief outline of your essay to use during your final
presentation, and post it to the message board by 8:00 am, Saturday,
12/20. We may use a different room than usual, but either way,
students will not be allowed to type outlines while others are
presenting—post your outline at least an hour before class begins or
at least email it to me at eng101l...@yahoo.com. Examples from the
summer students are available under their online course files.

Plan to deliver your presentation from the outline. Do not plan to
read your essay as your presentation, but rather explain it to us in
the format provided. Use short phrases for your outline, not full
sentences, definitely not paragraphs. You need to be able to see
enough to remember what to say, but if you keep the points to short
phrases of essential nouns, such as names, dates, and numbers—one
computer screen on the projector—your thorough knowledge of the
subject will be able to fill in all the little words such as a, where,
because, and other grammatical information.

For your outline and presentation, address the following points (a
minute or two on each point = about 5—6 minutes total):

• What did you do?
Explain the thesis; explain background information necessary to
understand thesis and argument; explain argument

• Why did you do what you did?
Explain your motive in studying topic; provide a motive for the
audience; justify the importance of the topic

• What did you learn?
Explain research methodology (where, how, and why you looked at
certain information and not other); explain findings (the importance
of the details your research discovered); and explain conclusions
(lessons of your project—perhaps ethical, associative, and
predictive)

• What else could be done?
If you were in charge of a six-month project, had a one million
dollar budget, and could hire assistants or purchase necessary items,
what would you do next on this topic? What could any of us do today,
in a couple hours without extraordinary time or resources?

For the journal check, organize all the written evidence of your study
this semester: all drafts of essays, including multiple drafts showing
proofreading and revision; all class notes, including copies of online
research; and all research notes, including personally annotated
copies of articles, bills, editorials, or other readings—simple
underlining on readings won’t generate much credit, much less mere
printing of a stack now, but keep everything you already have
organized together anyway. It’s a good way to study for all your
classes. Students will also be asked to take brief notes during their
classmates’ presentations, and these notes will also be included as
part of the journal check.