IOP Proposal for English

[jms96]

For my IOP, I need to write 3 different proposals for a topic I would like to present as a 10 minute speech. Each proposal must contain the following element

1. Identify a guiding question

a. this must be a question that provokes analysis, and cannot be answered with mere plot references.

2. The question needs to be answered in a single sentence. (thesis)

3. Describe how the research question will be explored.

a. Specific aspects of style will be explored

b. The effects that will be highlighted

c. Any outside sources

** The proposals can be a combination from the books, "The Great Gatsby", "Never Let Me Go", or "The Picture of Dorian Gray". It can be about anything but it needs to be based on one of these books, all three of them, or two. I'd really appreciate it if you guys could help me out.

I only have one question so far, "Describe the narrative style of each book. What is the effect on the reader of telling the story?" I need two more, just to clarify things out, from those three proposals ONE of them is going to be used to do a 10 minute speech.

[Sandwich]

Hey jms96,

Firstly, nice post It's nice to have somebody explain their problem really fully and have put a bit of effort in first!

Secondly, the IOP is usually a little different to what you've come up with. What you've come up with sounds like it's from a relatively ambiguous textbook, not really designed for an analytical course. Basically, it would make a really bad IOP. For a 10 minute 'speech' (aka the IOP) I really recommend you do just one of those texts thoroughly because you really can't do effective compare/contrast within 10 minutes.

What we usually suggest is to pick a theme. For instance "The relevance of the red as a symbol in X". Then you want to do a really tight focussed presentation, picking out examples, analysing the author's style and use of words/metaphor/anything literary as you go along, and finally you should conclude about the way in which the author has used red as a symbol and what effect it has on the text. You could also pick a chapter/section and talk about its importance in the novel.

Basically you want to make sure that you do an analytical presentation (rather than narrative, as you've already identified by the 'mere plot references' bit) and get as much as you can out of whichever text you choose. I would choose whichever one you enjoyed reading the most/remember the most about (these often coincide ) and then think of the major themes or ideas within the text. Narrow down from this to come up with one you like the sound of AND could cover quite thoroughly within 10 minutes. 10 minutes sounds like a long time before you're used to presenting, but when you ARE used to presenting, trust me 10 minutes doesn't allow you to fit that much in.

I hope that helps direct you towards the right sort of thing. Feel free to ask if you have any questions.

[jms96]

Do you think my previous question was good to expand more as an IOP?

[Sandwich]

Do you think my previous question was good to expand more as an IOP?

It's not specific enough. "Explain the narrative style" doesn't really mean anything. You'd be much better off picking a theme, as I said. You want to analyse something concrete. I mean your question is perhaps what I'd give to your whole class. I might say to all 20+ of you "Describe the effect of a theme in novel X". However I'd expect each of the 20 students to translate that into "The role of Death in Novel X?" "The role of Love in Novel X?" "The symbol of the dove in novel X?" and so on.

Literature is an ANALYTICAL subject so you need to have something suitably specific in order to really analyse it properly. The whole narrative style of a book is a MASSIVE subject to discuss in 10 minutes.

[jms96]

I understand you now, should I find a symbol that relates to all three books or would one book be much more easy to be specific and talk more about?

[CrazyIBfun]

May i suggest something? Maybe you should ask your fellow juniors for help, or even ask Mrs. Bertram. hahahaha

[DarkKnight]

Hello jms96,

IOPs are fun, well not necessarily - but rewarding in the end (once you've gotten it over with). It seems like you might be a bit confused with the various possible things you can do with an IOP.

I agree completely with Mr. Sandwich about how you should choose a book that you most enjoy or find memorable and focus on a theme to analyze while using various literary devices (tone, antithesis, symbolism, metaphor, comparisons, etc) or concentrating on particular elements of literature (characterization, plot, etc.).

As far as I'm concerned, an IOP can either be creative or full on analytical.

Depending on the type of person you are, you would choose between the two.

Your choice of topic should be, or including

• techniques and style
  
• thematic focus (I recommend this)
  
• interpretation of particular elements from different perspectives
  
• characterization
  
• cultural setting of the work and related issues
  
• author's attitude to particular elements of the work
  
• Anything literary that suits your interest
  

Your focus however, for your individual oral presentation should more or less be on these :

• knowledge and understanding of the works
  
• appreciation of the aspect discussed
  
• good use of strategies to engage an audience (more so for the creative presentation)
  
• delivery of the presentation in a manner that is appropriate (presentation skills, practice pracite pracite)
  

These are suggested activities you can undertake:

Using these, you can answer them to find your overall focus of the presentation.

• An explanation of a particular aspect of an author's work
  
• An examination of a particular interpretation of a work
  
• The setting of a particular writer’s work against another body of material, for example, details on social background or political view
  
• A commentary on the use of a particular image, idea or symbol in one text or in a writer’s work
  
• A performance or a pastiche of a poem being studied—this activity should be followed by some explanation and discussion of what the student attempted to do
  
• A comparison of two passages, two characters or two works
  
• A monologue or dialogue by a character at an important point in the work
  
• Reminiscences by a character from a later point in life
  
• An author’s reaction to a particular interpretation of elements of his or her work in a given context (for example, a critical defense of the work against a charge of subversion, or immorality, before a censorship board)
  

A presentation I remember that has gone well was a powerpoint presentation with an overall focus and thesis statement that goes around the lines of this: To analyze and evaluate the effect of tone, structure, and syntax in revealing "a theme" in this book... ladida.

Let me know if you have any questions! Happy to help.

DK