The Basics:
Length: 10-12 minutes
Due: Full sentence outline due on [date]. Speeches will be delivered
in class beginning on [date].
Teams: This speech will be given in teams of twos. This
means you will be graded together! So, if you have trouble with your
partner ‘slacking off’ please let me know ASAP.
Topic:
In the previous unit we spent time analyzing the content of
articles, advertisements, and even names to understand the different
meanings or types of authenticity they might forward. In a sense,
the previous unit gave you the basic tools to analyze various texts
or artifacts. In this unit, we will spend a long time thinking
about how space is produced. In other words, you will analyze
how different spaces might make various ‘arguments.’
Neighborhoods and subdivisions don’t just appear, they are created
for different reasons. Your job will be to make an argument about
what a particular neighborhood does through its arrangement of space,
the types of houses it has, the images used for promotion, or the rules
residents are expected to live by.
What to do to get started:
Find one of the following (we’ll talk about how to find these
in class):
- A website for a neighborhood/subdivision
- A list of covenants or rules for a neighborhood/subdivision
- Pictures or images from a neighborhood/subdivision
- Housing ‘blueprints’ for houses in the neighborhood/subdivision
What am I supposed to talk about?
The goal of this speech is for you to argue what a particular space
does through either its promotional images, structural arrangement,
or rules of inhabitation. To do this you need to:
-
Tell us what documents/images you are using. Where are these
from? Who produced them? Who is the audience for these
materials?
-
Give a brief summary of the content of these materials. What
is in these documents? Why were they created?
-
Analyze these materials. What do they do? To whom? For whom?
WHY? Some questions to ask could be:
-
What types of appeals are in these documents? How are spaces
structured for certain activities?
-
What types of people are in the images used for promotion?
Does this indicate a particular audience?
-
What rules are discussed, if any, as covenants to be followed?
-
What is promoted about this neighborhood and what might be hidden?
-
What activities are promoted in this neighborhood and what activities
are prohibited?
-
Who do you see inhabiting this space? Is there a particular
person that ‘fits’—why?
Organization: Of course, your speeches should be wonderfully
organized. Here is a sample:
Topic: The traditional neighborhood of Greenbelt, WI
assumes women are only housewives.
Intro: Introducing the neighborhood you are looking at in a creative
way; announcing the ‘blueprints’ you are looking at; stating
thesis; preview
Body: Analyzing the layout of the house and how it assumes
women work inside the home. This includes the placement of the
laundry room, the location of an ‘office;’ the organization
of the kitchen. These things assume the ‘mother’ works
inside the home.
Conclusion: restating thesis, summarizing main points, and leainge
us with some amazing closing remarks.
Research: In this speech you will need to correctly cite the
materials you use. We will discuss how to do this in class. ALSO,
you must cite at least 2 supporting sources (excluding dictionaries
and encyclopedias). These sources might be documents from other
neighborhoods, to compare ideas. You might also use: newspaper
articles, books, websites, class readings, etc.
Visual Aids: You may choose whether or not to use a visual aid
for this speech. If you choose to look at rules, VAs may not be
necessary. However, certain topics almost assume a visual aid
will be used (i.e. images used in promotion). So, use your own
best judgment.
Please see me with any questions
or need any help with the assignment.
Remember to work early! Good
luck & have fun!
