A. Extra Credit Overview For this short essay assignment, you’ll be graded on yo

A. Extra Credit Overview
For this short essay assignment, you’ll be graded on your ability to demonstrate comprehension and critically reflect on the film.
Most students who do their work on time don’t need extra credit. Having said this, it’s a lot easier to get an “A” in this class when you do the extra credit. I’ve seen hundreds of “B” students earn a higher grade because they did the extra credit early on. Just make sure to follow directions and submit on time. They get easier to do the sooner you finish your first one.
I don’t allow for late work when it comes to extra credit – it’s in our Late Work Policy.
B. Literary Essay Guidelines (20 Points)
You are writing a literary/media analysis in the form of an essay. Your essay is worth up to 15 points. It should have all of the following, and up to how many max points you can lose if you don’t add it to your essay:
Up to -2 Points | short intro (2-3 sentences) with highlighted thesis statement.
Up to -2 Points | proper grammar and free of spelling errors,
Up to -4 Points | use proper citations with timestamps,
Up to -9 Points | based on the assigned media (e.g. film),
Up to -2 Points | apply and highlight a course concept to argue your theme/thesis,
Up to -9 Points | directly address all aspects of the prompt(s).
Up to -2 Points | concise conclusion (2-3 sentences)
C. Media/Literary Analysis
How to use a social lens to watch media
First, it’s important to watch the film carefully with a critical eye. Consider why you’ve been assigned to watch a film and write an analysis. How does this activity fit into the course? Why have you been assigned this particular film? What are you looking for in connection to the course content? Here are some tips on how to watch the clip critically, just as you would an entire film:
Give the clip your undivided attention at least once. Pay close attention to details and make observations that might start leading to bigger questions.
Watch the clip a second time. For this viewing, you will want to focus specifically on those elements of film analysis that your class has focused on, so review your course notes. For example, from whose perspective is this clip shot? What choices help convey that perspective? What is the overall tone, theme, or effect of this clip?
Take notes while you watch for the second time. Notes will help you keep track of what you noticed and when, if you include timestamps in your notes. Timestamps are vital for citing scenes from a film!
D. Media Analysis Prompt
Film: Human Zoo
In September 1906, nearly a quarter of a million people flocked to the Bronx Zoo in New York City. Many came for a startling new exhibit in the Zoo’s Monkey House. But it wasn’t a monkey they came to see. It was a man. His name was Ota Benga. A pygmy from the African Congo, Ota Benga was exhibited in a cage along with monkeys.
Benga was not alone. He was one of literally thousands of indigenous peoples who were put on public display throughout America in the early twentieth century. Often touted as “missing links” between man and apes and as examples of the “lower” stages of human evolution, these native peoples were harassed, demeaned, and jeered at. Their public display was arranged with the enthusiastic support of the most elite members of the scientific community, and it was promoted uncritically by America’s leading newspapers.
Human Zoos tells the shocking story of how thousands of indigenous peoples were put on public display in America in the early decades of the twentieth century.
Often touted as “missing links” between man and apes, these native peoples were harassed and demeaned. Their public display was arranged with the enthusiastic support of the most elite members of the scientific community, and it was promoted uncritically by American’s leading newspapers.
This award-winning documentary explores the heartbreaking story of what happened, shows how African-American ministers and other people of faith tried to push back, and reveals how some people today are still drawing on Social Darwinism in order to dehumanize others. The film also explores the tragic story of eugenics in America, the effort to breed human beings based on Darwinian principles.
Critical Reflection / Media Analysis
Answer the below question(s) or prompts according to this week’s readings.
From whose point of view is the film “Human Zoos” speaking?
Who has power in the film and how do we know this to be true?
What are the multiple viewpoints and how does racial power (ability to make decisions based on ideas of race) influence perspectives?
What are the motivations behind scientific racism and how do we know this to be true?
*No external sources. Base your response on the author’s conversation in the assigned book and, as an add-on, you can tie in your own personal experiences, stories, and examples.