Analysis & Creation Project

PART 1 Decoding: Your analysis of a “found” meme (macro or .gif)  or journalistic article:  more than 500 words
create a short essay, composed in writing, in which they analyze a journalistic essay or article, or a meme (macro)  based on current events/issues and/or current social justice-related theme. You can think about this as the *decoding* part of the assignment — where you are making meaning at the site of reception!

The question I want you to be asking and answering in Part 1 is:
What cultural/political WORK does this meme or gif or journalistic article do?
How does it make meaning?
What meaning does it make?
And how is this related to issues of digital media, social justice & cultural production, and our course materials – readings, guest lecture, video?
How do the course readings help you to make sense of your object of study? 

PART 2 Encoding: Your statement about your own meme (macro or .gif) or short journalistic essay like an OpEd piece or a Letter to the Editor) :  more than 500 words
 Create Your own meme (macro) on a social-justice related theme and provide a short statement about how it works to produce meaning across visual and/or linguistic registers. If students produce a vlog essay, they must also turn in the script for their vlog. You can think of this as the *encoding* part of the assignment – where you are making meaning at the site of production!

The question I want you to be asking and answering in Part 2 is:
What cultural/political WORK does this meme do?
How does it make meaning?
What meaning does it make?
And how is this related to issues of digital media, social justice & cultural production, and our course materials – readings, guest lecture, video?
How do the course readings help you to make sense of your object of study? 

 
MUST cite 3 course readings I uploaded and use direct evidence (quotations) from the texts. Please do not use outside texts. Refer only to course materials! 

Include a Works Cited page and a TITLE for your analysis.
Include files or links to your found and your own meme in your document.

Rubric: 
Part 1: 5 marks – Clarity of ideas, complexity of analysis, development of course concepts, appropriate and interesting use of course materials
Part 2:  5 marks –  Creative thinking in your own meme or OpEd article. Clarity of ideas, complexity of analysis in discussion your creation, development of course concepts, appropriate and interesting use of course materials
Overall: 5 marks – general style, use of course materials and direct references (quotations), works cite, title, organization of ideas, cohesion, and writing mechanics (spelling, grammar, word choice, syntax, etc.)