Pop Culture
Shen
Name: _______________________________
Current Pop. Culture Project
Over the next two weeks, we will be studying numerous aspects of 21st
century popular culture. You are the daily consumers of this culture
and as such, I would like each of you to choose a current pop culture
topic (i.e., a tv show that you’re addicted to, a movie you’ve seen
recently, a song that you think is particularly good, etc.) and put
together a mini-lesson for the class. Once you have selected your
topic, I will assign you a day on which to present.
Possible topics could include a profile of your favorite band or music event, a tv show or movie, a new or
recent fashion trend, a dance craze, sporting event or phenomenon, a video game, a celebrity icon, comic
book series or hero. Your topic should be large enough that you can feasibly do a 6-10 minute presentation
on it so please choose accordingly. ALL TOPICS MUST BE APPROVED BY ME.
Research and prepare a 6-10 minute oral presentation about your respective topic. I will be grading you on
content and presentation so please be creative with how you use your time. You will have two days in the
library and two days with access to the computer lab to research and plan for your lesson.
You are choosing to profile something that interests you – do your best to interest the class too! Integrate
visual aids, clips, artwork, sound bites, music, posters, etc. into your presentation, as they will enhance your
presentation.
Requirements:
Length: 6-10 minutes
Content:
• What is the topic? Provide a brief background on it. Why do people find it entertaining?
• Who is the target audience? What type of people most identify with it? Why?
• How is this an example of popular culture? APPLY what you know about pop culture to this topic.
• As with everything we study this year, it is critical that you CONNECT the world we live in today.
What does this source say about our society, values, etc.? How is it reflective of our attitudes, beliefs,
norms and values? In what way is society shaped by the source?
• Much of our popular culture is simply a remake of something made earlier. In your presentation, you
should include some reference to its cultural ancestors. Consider how this topic is an outgrowth of or
remake of something made earlier.
Keep track of all of your sources as you will need to submit a bibliography.
Dates to keep in mind
Block 5
Block 6
Friday, March. 7th – Library research day AND 3
sources due by end of class (5 points)
Friday, March. 7th – Library research day AND 3
sources due by end of class (5 points)
Tuesday, March 11th - Thursday, March 13th – In
class work days (laptop carts) AND Completed
group notes sheet due by end of class Wednesday
(20 points)
Monday, March 10th and Tuesday, March 11th –
Library research days AND Completed group notes
sheet due by end of class Tuesday (20 points)
th
Tuesday, March 18 - Presentations begin in class
(50 points)
Thursday, March 13th – In class work days (laptop
carts)
Monday, March 17th - Presentations begin in class
(50 points)
IMPORTANT: You need to provide the class with a handout or sheet to take notes on. You MAY NOT simply
hand them the notes. The class needs to take their own notes on what you are saying, but you can help them by
providing them with an outline, guided questions which mirror your presentation, key terms, etc.. Your notes sheet
should include at least 2-3 key questions that help to summarize your topic. Consider what about the topic is important.
How does your topic reflect the needs of the people in the 1930s?
Before making the handout, figure out what you are going to say and in what order so you can be sure that the handout
is easy to follow. You ideally want it to match the information and go in the same order as your presentation.
You must show me your handout in advance of your presentation! (If you get it to me the day before, I will make
copies of it for the class. If you would prefer to make copies for the class, make 30 copies.)
A word about sources…
How should I research this project?
For this project, you MUST use at least THREE sources
• TWO of them must originally have been in “print” form, i.e., a newspaper article, a magazine article, excerpts
from a book, etc.. (Some sources which were originally in print, like a magazine article, may also be accessed
online. This still counts as a print source.) You may find it easiest to get these from an L-S database. Databases which may
be useful include Pop Culture Universe, U.S. History in Context (GALE), Biography in Context (GALE.)
• Other great resources include NPR’s Pop Culture page (http://www.npr.org/sections/pop-culture/),
http://popmatters.com, http://popdose.com/, http://flavorwire.com/
• You also must have at least 1 primary source that you somehow work into your presentation. This primary
source could be episode(s) of a show, a song, an interview with a performer/celebrity, a picture or artwork, a
clip from a radio broadcast, copies of comics, etc.)
How do I access the database?
Ø To access the school’s database, go to www.lsrhs.net. Go to “Quick Links”, click on “Library” and then
look for the link for “Research” at the top of the page. Once you’re there, click on the link for “History” in the
box that says “Browse Databases by Subject Area.”
Pop Culture
Shen
Names: ________________________________________ Points: ______/20 points
Notes
Feel free to use the following sheet to compile your notes. Your presentation should address the 5 Ws (who, what,
when, where, why.) You also should keep your eyes out for interesting visual aids (artwork, songs, posters, film clips,
etc.) and quotes/primary sources to integrate into your presentation. Be sure to write down where you found them so
you remember to go back for them when it comes time to plan your lesson.
Your topic: ________________________________
Notes on my topic (remember to cover the who, what, when, where, & why questions – see key questions for your
topic):
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Notes on my topic (remember to cover the who, what, when, where, & why questions – see key questions for your
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Pop Culture
points
Shen
Names:______________________________________________ Points: ______/5
Current Pop Culture Presentation - Sources
Instructions for Library Research Day:
1. Your task today is to find three (3) articles and/or books upon which to base your presentation. As a
reminder, 2 of them need to either be books or articles that also appear in print. They CANNOT be
sources that are found exclusively on the internet.
2. Use this sheet to keep track of the articles / books you find. Please fill in the titles and publishing info of
your sources below. Please make sure to cite them properly (use EasyBib if you need help with this!)
3. Make sure that you either have print-outs or photocopies of all the articles you find by the time you leave
the library, and/or the books taken out of the library.
SOURCE ONE - PRINT:
SOURCE TWO - PRINT:
SOURCE THREE - PRIMARY: