In Class
A. Evaluation of current Wikipedia article for Wild Seed.
1. Browse Wikipedia's WikiProject Novels, then go to its style guide and read the section "Article body" carefully for the components on an article on a novel.
2. See how these guidelines were fulfilled in the article for Butler's Kindred.
3. Now browse the Wikipedia article on Octavia Butler's Wild Seed. In your groups, discuss whether this article already fulfills the requirements of WikiProject Novels.A. Evaluation of current Wikipedia article for Wild Seed.
1. Browse Wikipedia's WikiProject Novels, then go to its style guide and read the section "Article body" carefully for the components on an article on a novel.
2. See how these guidelines were fulfilled in the article for Butler's Kindred.
4. As a group, go to Wild Seed's Talk page. Click on New Section. Based on what you have learned from the WikiProject Novels style guide, leave ONE suggestion for improving the article.--Don't forget to sign your post!
B. Listing article components covered by this class so far
As a group, visit our course's Talk page, look at the group paraphrases and, Using Wikiproject Novels style guide as your guideline, quickly list what components of the novel we have already begun covering. Continue this list by checking the paraphrases we have done as quizzes: HERE and HERE.
C. Summarizing a secondary source
In his quick review of Octavia Butler's work, "Books to Look For," science-fiction writer Orson Scott Card reveals that
[w]ithin three pages [of Wild Seed] I knew that not only was I a damned fool for not reading Butler's work all along, but also I was going to use passages from Wild Seed in my forthcoming book on writing science fiction and fantasy -- as a perfect example of how to handle exposition of a complex milieu without slowing down the tale.Go to your Sandbox, click on Edit, and create a Level 2 Heading titled "Orson Scott Card on Butler's craft in Wild Seed." In your own words ONLY, summarize what Card has to say about Wild Seed in How to Write Science Fiction & Fantasy. You may use bullet points.
D. Weekly Research Journal Entry - Go to your Sandbox, click on Edit, and create a Level 2 Heading titled "Research Journal Entries." Take a few minutes to write Research Journal Entry #4 (10 points) on what you did and learned today.
Assignments due 10/19
- Read Wild Seed, chapters 11 to "Epilogue." (Up to page 189 on the pdf on Blackboard; the book is also on reserve in the Library, together with the other volumes in the trilogy).
- Log on to Wikipedia. Go to your Sandbox, click on Edit, and create a Level 2 Heading titled "Wild Seed, Chapters 11-Epilogue" (25 points). In your own words ONLY, write a 150 to 200-word summary of what happens in these chapters. Do NOT quote. Do NOT closely paraphrase summaries from outside sources, as this is against Wikipedia policy, as explained in the handout "Avoiding plagiarism on Wikipedia." You may want to preview the page before clicking "Save page."
- Complete Research Assignment #2 (30 points). Instructions HERE.
_______________________________________
