Overview of the Final Project //Your final project will be based on a real-world case of environmental injustice – past or present, from this course or external to it. You will choose this case yourself and research it thoroughly, ultimately producing (1) a media object that reflects upon/communicates the case in some way, and (2) a 5-7 page scholarly paper that describes the case and explains your choices/aims in representing this case.Note: your case should be different from the one you covered in your Group Project.You may develop your final project in one of many different media formats. I encourage you to choose a media format that you are excited about and/or that you feel competent with. Possible media formats (and suggested lengths) include:» Zine or e-zine (~8 pages)» Investigative journalism piece (~5 pages)» Speculative fiction short story (~5 pages)» Bitsy (Links to an external site.) or Twine (Links to an external site.) video game (~3 minutes playing time)» Choose-your-own-adventure booklet (~10 pages, at least 2 different endings)» Interactive WordPress webpage (~5 minutes viewing time)» Short documentary* (~1-2 minutes viewing time)» Short podcast episode* (~5 minutes listening time)*Students using a documentary or podcast format must have completed COMM 101.This list of possible formats is necessarily partial. You could alternatively make a song, a sculpture, a sonnet, a series of photographs, etc. Once you have an idea of the media format you wish to use, I would suggest meeting with me in office hours to discuss expectations.Overview of the Final Project Proposal //The first stage of the Final Project — the Proposal — is a space for you to think about and let me know your plans and ideas. You will not be obligated to stick with producing exactly what you propose, but it will be helpful for you to begin thinking about your Final Project.For the Final Project Proposal please submit a single document (.docx or .pdf) that includes the following sections:» Case – Describe the case that you will research and focus on, being specific about the environmental issue, why it is unjust, and the community, communities, and/or (non-)human lives affected. (250 words)» Media object – Describe the media object that you would like to produce, including the specific format you will be using and what you hope it will communicate. (150 words)» Justification – Provide a justification of why you think this media object (and this particular format) is a good way to communicate the particularities of this case. (250 words)You should have 3-5 sources cited in this document (likely in the “Case” and “Justification” sections) that demonstrate some exploratory research into the topic. Sources can be scholarly articles, news sources, government websites, etc. Sources should be cited appropriately, using a consistent citation style of your choosing.Use the 10% rule when gauging your adherence to the word limits. You should not write more than 10% above or below the word limit for each section.The grading criteria for the Final Project Proposal is as follows:» Specificity and appropriateness of case;» Specificity and appropriateness of justification;» Thoroughness of research;» Clarity of proposal.
