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A Modest Proposal Project²Knighton 2010

Swift approached the subjects of corruption in England and poverty in Ireland from the point of view of a
benevolent humanitarian. Pretend you are a modern social worker, educator, environmentalist, or
military advisor to the president. Attack an evil you see in the world by working on an ironic ³modest
proposal´ for its solution²a proposal so outrageous that readers will see at once the severity of the
problem. Remember that some will miss your irony and attack you for your ³insensitivity,´ just as some
people attacked Swift. Make your moral outrage clear by the sheer outrageousness of your exaggerations.
1.c <ou may work alone on this project or you may work with ONE other person. I would not choose
to work with someone else UNLESS you are able to schedule time outside of school to work with
that person.
2.c If you work alone, you will either write a paper outlining your proposal or you will create a
PowerPoint which outlines your proposal. Æ




 




 


 


 <ou will be required to
turn in a copy of your PowerPoint with the video.
3.c If you work with a partner, you and your partner will create a  
video (under 3 minutes)
outlining your proposal. <ou must also turn in a script.
4.c Pollow the guidelines listed on the appropriate checklist below.
5.c <ou Ê
Æ turn in the rubric with your project or you¶ll lose points.
6.c Æhe video must be in a format that can be easily viewed here at school (see back of this paper).
¬c Æ


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c o I have at least 2 emotional appeals?   &
List them here:

'c o I have at least 2 ethical appeals? &

List them here:

(c o I have at least 2 logical appeals? &

List them here:

)c id I use at least 2 examples of verbal irony? &

List them here:



 
*

 
+c oes my paper use adequate support?   (+
,c oes my paper flow properly from paragraph to paragraph?
¬c o all of my body paragraphs support my thesis statement?
-  
.c id I correct my paper for sentence fragment errors and run-on sentence errors? &
c id I correct my paper for subject/verb agreement errors?



&cid I correct my paper for spelling errors? -1 pt per error up to 5 errors +
 


  


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c id I correct my paper for these types of errors? -1 pt per error up to 5 errors +
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'cIs my paper neat and legible? +
(cIs my paper approximately 2-3 pages long (12pt font, double-spaced)?
Æotal Number of Points Acquired: __________
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c o we have at least 2 emotional appeals?   &
List them here:

'c o we have at least 2 ethical appeals? &

List them here:

(c o we have at least 2 logical appeals? &

List them here:

)c id we use at least 2 examples of verbal irony? &

List them here:



 
*

 
+c oes our content include a clear purpose?   (+
,c Is it creative and compelling?
¬c Are events and messages are presented in a logical order?
-  
.c o all speakers use correct grammar and usage (unless it¶s for effect)? &


  
 

c Are all shots are clearly focused and well framed? +
&cIs the audio clear? Are all speakers clear?
2

3
c Are all my slides legible?
&cIs the font readable?









c id I turn in a clean, legible copy of our script or a clean copy of my PowerPoint? ¬




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'co all partners participate in the video itself or is my PowerPoint legible? (

Æotal Number of Points Acquired: __________

Purther requirements for videos:

1.c I would suggest using a program such as Microsoft Moviemaker to create your video.
2.c Remember that the video should be no longer than 3 minutes in length.
3.c <our final copy should be on a   or C.
4.c Make sure your video will play in Windows Media player.
5.c All content should be appropriate for school. Remember that you can make outrageous
suggestions, but the video has to be appropriate for school. If you have any questions about
content, then ask me. If you have questions, then e-mail me at kknighton@jones.k12.ga.us.
6.c Æhis website has great tips:chttp://www.adobe.com/education/digkids/index.html.