Literature reveals the power of words, and it helps us understand culture. Most importantly, it opens us up to others’
experiences and helps us understand the complexity of the human experience.
From What Do Our 17-Year-Olds Know? By Diane Ravitch and Chester E. Finn, Jr.:
We urge the study of history and literature because we believe they are important. It is not simply because they
are repositories for our cultural heritage, nor is it merely that they help us understand the past. Those who study
these subjects become more knowledgeable, more perceptive, and more intelligent by doing so. They learn
about the forces, individuals, trends, and events that shaped the present; they discover from their own
experience the power of novels, poems, plays, and stories to move, delight, entertain, inform, shock, and reveal
us to ourselves.
History and literature are the essential studies of the humanities because they interpret for us the human
experience. To the extent that we are knowledgeable about these subjects, we are better able to communicate
with one another. And the more knowledgeable we are, the more complicated are the discussions that we can
have together. Paradoxically, the broader our shared background knowledge, the better able we are to argue,
debate, and disagree with one another.1
Multimedia Project Assignment
For your Multimedia Project, you will create a presentation that explains how 3 readings reveal some important part of
human nature and/or human experience.
• Choose 1 short story, 1 poem and 1 play
• You may choose readings we have covered in class or choose your own from the textbook
• The presentation must include:
o Illustrations
o 1 short video (either you speaking or a relevant video from the web)
o At least 1 quotation from each of your chosen readings, with an explanation of why the quote is
important
• Your presentation should be no more than 10 slides
You may use PowerPoint or Prezi for your presentation. These web resources may be useful:
Prezi
Presentation Helper from Presentation Magazine
Microsoft’s PowerPoint Support/Training
PowerPoint: Guides, Tips and Help (Dartmouth Libraries)
Improving Presentation Style (Washington Univ. in St. Louis Teaching Center)
Design a Presentation
1
Ravitch, Diane and Chester E. Finn, Jr. What Do Our 17-Year-Olds Know? New York: Harper & Row, 1987.