Research Scenario

As John F. Kennedy proclaimed, “We must never forget that art is not a form of propaganda; it is a form of truth.”  The Dickens in Our Day Foundation, a branch of the National Endowment for the Arts, is devoted to promoting artists who extend Dickens’ commitment to speaking the truth about societal ills using art as a vehicle.  Each year the Foundation seeks to award a series of grants to contemporary artists who have made significant contributions that address justice and power in today’s society. 

“If sometimes our great artists have been the most critical of our society, it is because their sensitivity and their concern for justice, which must motivate any true artist, make him aware that our Nation falls short of its highest potential. I see little of more importance to the future of our country and our civilization than full recognition of the place of the artist.”

John F. Kennedy

How are people motivated to change the power structure in a society?

Task and Product

As a reader, it is your mission to find a contemporary artist worthy of the grant.  Once you have analyzed Charles Dickens’ A Tale of Two Cities using the biographical-historical approach to literary criticism to explain how the novel addresses justice and power, find a modern-day Dickens who also addresses justice and power in today’s society.  Analyze the work of a contemporary poet, writer, filmmaker, or musician according to the biographical-historical approach to prove that the artist who created it has a Dickensian approach to addressing societal ills.

Submit a nomination to the Foundation that analyzes the themes in Dickens’ novel and the contemporary artist’s work in the context of the artists’ backgrounds and milieus.  Your nomination should include a thorough written analysis as well as a multimedia presentation to the Foundation highlighting the key points of your recommendation. 

Research Process Model

The most difficult part of a research assignment is knowing where to begin! You may feel overwhelmed by the assignment, the vast amounts of information, all the reading you will need to do, and the decisions you must make in order to ace this assignment.

Check out the the Information Literacy Process Model for a step-by-step guide.

Assessments

The following scoring tools may be used or adapted by your Supervisor (teacher) to evaluate your research process and your final product and presentation.

Questions

Essential Question:

Gather

and Sort

Gather information about your topic from a variety of sources.

Sort your research findings using a note taking worksheet in Cornell notes format or use note cards. If you prefer to take notes on lined notebook paper, write each of your subsidiary questions at the top of a separate sheet of notebook paper.

Click here for some guidelines in deciding which information to record when taking notes (the relevant information) and which to leave out and not include in your notes (the irrelevant information).

Be sure to avoid plagiarism and keep track of your resources for an MLA-style bibliography.

Analyze your completed graphic organizer or sorted note cards to determine if you have gathered enough information about your topic:

• Do you have information pertaining to each of your subsidiary questions?
• Do you have additional information that would be of value to your audience?
• Is there any unrelated or unimportant information you should eliminate?

Synthesize your findings by writing a first draft of your analysis.

Evaluate the effectiveness of your research for the task using the following questions:

• Have you gathered sufficient details about your topic?
• Are your details organized in the right categories or sub-topics to make sense for your audience?
• Are you ready to write your analysis?

Finalize your written analysis and create your multimedia presentation.  Remember, the power of a multimedia presentation lies in its ability to communicate main ideas with pictures, words, and sounds.  Use this powerful tool to persuade the grant presenters that your contemporary artist has addressed justice and power in society through his/her work.

Extension:  Think about the "Adult" power structure and Child Labor in America.  Write an outline for a story, create a visual artifact, or write lyrics to a song that may have influenced social reform during this time of injustice.