Jurassic Park
Research Assignment Instructions and Rubric
The Research Paper. The research essay is an original essay where the student poses a research question, gathers materials, focuses the research, shapes the argument, and frames the material in relation to the larger themes developed in the course. For this essay, students will pursue their own research interests that build on the issues discussed in the course, as detailed in their annotated bibliography. You should cite sources from a variety of types of texts (books, journals, websites, etc.) with a full works cited page, including any class readings that you use. Your essay should have a clear thesis statement in the introduction, and a clearly flowing argument with sufficient supporting examples, quotes, discussion and analysis. The Research paper should be at least 2500 words in length and include APA style and format with reference/bibliography page.
Research Paper-to be posted on Livetext
The science fiction genre reflects the contemporary morals and values of culture and society. Take a story, either a text (short story or novel) or a movie and research the elements of the story that justifies its inclusion in the genre of science fiction. If you have chosen a movie, please be sure to read the book that the movie is based upon so that you can intelligently comment upon the differences between the movie and the book, as we have done with Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein.
What are the “speculative” elements? How closely related to current scientific understandings are the speculative elements? Make the logical connections for your reader. Analyze the story in order to identify the various other genres that contribute to the science fiction. Is there a romance, a coming of age story, a detective, or other genres? What are they, and what role do they play in the story?
If you are using a movie as one of your examples, be sure to include a visual rhetorical analysis of one of its scenes or shots considering the above textual concerns.
What are the cultural assumptions, fears, biases that inform the story’s main themes? Highlight the passages, shots, sequences that develop these concerns and explain how they work to move the story forward. How do these concerns reflect the contemporary concerns of culture and society? Finally, make your own conclusions as to the success of the narrative in representing the possible future or futures.