{"id":33,"date":"2025-08-22T19:52:12","date_gmt":"2025-08-23T02:52:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/rmst201in2021\/?page_id=33"},"modified":"2025-08-22T19:52:12","modified_gmt":"2025-08-23T02:52:12","slug":"reading-week-commentary-10","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/rmst201in2021\/assignments\/reading-week-commentary-10\/","title":{"rendered":"Reading-week commentary (10%)"},"content":{"rendered":"<h1 class=\"page-title\">Reading week commentary assignment guidelines<\/h1>\n<h3 class=\"p1\"><span class=\"s1\">Description<\/span><\/h3>\n<ol class=\"ol1\">\n<li class=\"li3\"><span class=\"s2\">Write and\/or record a commentary that brings together<br \/>\n&#8212; an object or location on the UBC campus (see next section, Instructions &gt; 2)<br \/>\n<strong>UPDATE<\/strong>: OR wherever you are during reading week<br \/>\n&#8212; and one of our narrative texts from Weeks 4-9: Adventuring and other Romance romances.<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"li3\"><span class=\"s2\">Work alone or in a pair or small group (3-4 people).<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"li3\"><span class=\"s2\">Around 500 words \/ 5 minutes talking per person:<\/span>\n<ul class=\"ol1\">\n<li><span class=\"s2\">For a pair, that would be 1000 words \/ 10 minutes; for group of 3 people, 1500 words \/ 15 minutes; for 4, 2000 \/ 20 minutes.<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"li3\"><span class=\"s2\">Form \/ format: the default is a recording, podcast.<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"li3\"><span class=\"s2\">This could be a video.<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"li3\"><span class=\"s2\">It could be recording a voice-over accompanied by at least one slide with an image of your chosen object or location.<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"li3\"><span class=\"s2\">It could include background music.<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"li3\"><span class=\"s2\">Like in a lyric poem, you are aiming for quality not quantity.<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"li3\"><span class=\"s2\">Writing without recording is also an option; or you could work in a pair and distribute the work so that one person does more writing and the other more performing.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<hr \/>\n<h3><span class=\"s2\">Instructions and further details<\/span><\/h3>\n<ol class=\"ol1\">\n<li class=\"li3\"><span class=\"s2\">Reread Marie de France\u2019s <i>Lais<\/i> &amp; <i>The Romance of Silence.<\/i><\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"li3\"><span class=\"s2\">Quest: find a local UBC\u00a0object or location<br \/>\n<strong>UPDATE<\/strong>: OR wherever you are during reading week<br \/>\nthat illustrates, represents (including mood, feel, tone), or can otherwise be connected to a scene, episode, event, or text passage in one of Marie de France\u2019s\u00a0<i>Lais<\/i> or in <i>The Romance of\u00a0Silence<\/i><\/span><\/p>\n<ul class=\"ul1\">\n<li class=\"li3\"><span class=\"s2\">Go to one of the museums \/ collections on campus\u2014free for students\u2014for example the MOA, Beaty, or Belkin<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"li3\"><span class=\"s2\">OR to an outdoor location: a garden (ex. outside our classroom, Nitobe, Botanical, and other <\/span><span class=\"s2\">smaller gardens and vegetative\/reflective spaces around campus).<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"li3\"><span class=\"s2\">Look around until something catches your eye: ask yourself what in the <i>Lais<\/i> or <i>Silence<\/i> it reminds you of;<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"li3\"><span class=\"s2\">repeat until you have found\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"s2\">\u201cyour\u201d chosen object or location.<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"li3\"><span class=\"s2\">If you find too many possible objects or locations and cannot decide: consider forming a team so that you can talk about more than one of them.<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"li3\"><strong>UPDATED 2021-10-15 (thanks anonymous student for the question)<\/strong> Some options for pairs and groups:\n<ul class=\"ul1\">\n<li class=\"li3\"><span class=\"s2\">one object or location, multiple interpretations (2, 3, or 4: one per person); this could be a larger more complex object or location<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"li3\"><span class=\"s2\">OR one text, multiple objects or locations (2, 3, or 4: one per person)<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"li3\"><span class=\"s2\">OR &#8230; open to other options and ideas, come and talk to me<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li class=\"li3\"><span class=\"s2\">Adventure: explain your choice and the connection. This is your reading and commentary.<\/span>\n<ul class=\"ul1\">\n<li class=\"li3\"><span class=\"s2\">(This could include retracing your steps before you chose your object or location, or your rationale for choosing, if it was a complicated process rather than love at first sight.)<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"li3\"><span class=\"s2\">Include an image of the object or location in your commentary.<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"li3\"><span class=\"s2\">Situate the scene\/passage that you\u2019ve chosen very briefly (1-2 sentences): use your word limit for argument, explanation, and ideas.<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"li3\"><span class=\"s2\">Use the text (<i>Lais<\/i> \/ <i>Silence<\/i>) to provide examples to support your reading.<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"li3\"><span class=\"s2\">Focus on your reading, interpretation, and response to your object or location of choice.<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"li3\"><span class=\"s2\">THIS IS NOT AN ESSAY. Commentary is an\u00a0older form beyond (and before, outside, behind, and underneath) the essay. What\u00a0<\/span><span class=\"s2\">might you include in your commentary? What is a commentary? This (slightly ancient) guidance might be useful:\u00a0<\/span><a class=\"inline_disabled external\" href=\"https:\/\/metametamedieval.com\/2016\/10\/23\/on-reading-writing-commentary\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\"><span class=\"s2\">\u201dOn reading, writing, and commentary\u201d (O\u2019Brien 2016)<\/span> <\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<ol class=\"ol1\">\n<li class=\"li3\" style=\"list-style-type: none;\" value=\"3\"><\/li>\n<li><span class=\"s2\">Post your podcast (or writing, if you prefer to write instead of recording):<\/span>\n<ul class=\"ol1\">\n<li><span class=\"s2\">where: week 10: reading-week commentary assignment<\/span><span class=\"s2\"> Canvas Discussion<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span class=\"s2\">by when: Tuesday 16 November, end of day<br \/>\n<\/span><\/p>\n<ul class=\"ol1\">\n<li><span class=\"s2\">that discussion\u00a0 stays open, please don&#8217;t panic about the due date<\/span><\/li>\n<li>\n<h3><strong><span class=\"s2\">THIS IS A SOFT DEADLINE!<\/span><\/strong><\/h3>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Items 1 and 2 above, the research part, might\u2014as with all research\u2014be what takes you the longest:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>reading and rereading the <i>Lais<\/i> and <i>Silence<\/i>\n<ul>\n<li>(pro tip: you could choose one and reread it several times very attentively)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>wandering around campus and visiting beautiful gardens and places like the Museum of Anthropology\n<ul>\n<li>this is what should take you the longest<\/li>\n<li>it\u2019s also a not very subtle way to give you an excuse to spend time in these places ????<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr \/>\n<p class=\"p3\"><span class=\"s2\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/canvas.ubc.ca\/courses\/80613\/files\/17013655\/preview\" alt=\"1E62F985-CC9B-46BC-ABCD-4CBA8B6008F2.png\" width=\"400\" height=\"258\" data-api-endpoint=\"https:\/\/canvas.ubc.ca\/api\/v1\/courses\/80613\/files\/17013655\" data-api-returntype=\"File\" \/><\/span><\/p>\n<p class=\"p3\"><span class=\"s2\">Inspiration (with way more historical background, yours is NOT a research exercise but a reading exercise, and none of us are advanced expert professional museum curators!): a multimedia project from 2010 that brought together a museum exhibit, a virtual exhibit, and commentary. The commentary was a radio broadcast and collected as a book and audiobook.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li class=\"p3\"><span class=\"s2\">\u201c<\/span><span class=\"s2\"><a class=\"external\" href=\"http:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/ahistoryoftheworld\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">A History of the World in 100 objects,\u201d <\/a><\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"p3\"><span class=\"s2\">a co-production between the BBC and the British Museum in London<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"p3\"><span class=\"s2\">The free online exhibition and more is at the project homepage,\u00a0<a class=\"external\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/ahistoryoftheworld\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/ahistoryoftheworld\/ <\/a><\/span><span class=\"s2\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"p3\"><span class=\"s2\">The podcast is at <a class=\"external\" href=\"https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/ahistoryoftheworld\/programme\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noreferrer noopener\">https:\/\/www.bbc.co.uk\/ahistoryoftheworld\/programme\/ <\/a><\/span><span class=\"s2\">\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<div id=\"wiki_page_show\">\n<div class=\"show-content user_content clearfix enhanced\" data-resource-type=\"wiki_page.body\" data-resource-id=\"1437871\" data-lti-page-content=\"true\">\n<hr \/>\n<h3 class=\"p3\"><span class=\"s2\">Learning objectives:<\/span><\/h3>\n<ul class=\"ul2\">\n<li class=\"li3\"><span class=\"s2\">\u201cromancing\u201d a local world<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"li3\"><span class=\"s2\">observation, description, and close reading<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"li3\"><span class=\"s2\">thinking analytically and analogically, doing comparative and pattern-recognition work (similarities, difference, what sticks out, what\u2019s difficult and resistant and problematic; troubling, haunting, echoing, resonating with your other knowledge)<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"li3\"><span class=\"s2\">writing: critical and creative and communicative<\/span><\/li>\n<li class=\"li3\"><span class=\"s2\">showing insight: wandering and wondering, and saying something curious, fascinating, and wonderful<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<hr \/>\n<h3><span class=\"s2\">Marking:<\/span><\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Criteria for an A \/ A+:\n<ul>\n<li><span class=\"s1\">(1 point) You completed and submitted work for which you undertook research; <\/span><\/li>\n<li><span class=\"s1\">(2 points) you developed an argument and used evidence to support it; <\/span><\/li>\n<li><span class=\"s1\">(3 points) you showed thought, understanding, and insight in your reading; <\/span><\/li>\n<li><span class=\"s1\">(2 points) and you presented your ideas in a clear, compelling, creative, and inspiring form. <\/span><\/li>\n<li><span class=\"s1\">(1 point) You handed it in on time (or later but with an extension agreed between us beforehand).<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span class=\"s1\">(1 point) Other students appreciated your commentary, by liking and\/or commenting on it in the week 10: reading-week commentary assignment discussion<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li><span class=\"s1\">Criteria for a B \/ B+:\u00a0<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li>nearly all of the above (7 points)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Criteria for a C:\n<ul>\n<li>most of the above (6 points)<\/li>\n<li>(if this happens, or a lower score, I\u2019ll invite you to talk to me and submit a rewrite later for a compromise mark; my aim in this course is that all of you should\u2014as you can\u2014comfortably have at least a B\/B+, so that you can focus on learning and not be distracted by worrying about grades)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Reading week commentary assignment guidelines Description Write and\/or record a commentary that brings together &#8212; an object or location on the UBC campus (see next section, Instructions &gt; 2) UPDATE: OR wherever you are during reading week &#8212; and one of our narrative texts from Weeks 4-9: Adventuring and other Romance romances. Work alone or [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1097,"featured_media":0,"parent":27,"menu_order":3,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"template-full-width.php","meta":{"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-33","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/rmst201in2021\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/33","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/rmst201in2021\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/rmst201in2021\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/rmst201in2021\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1097"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/rmst201in2021\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=33"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/rmst201in2021\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/33\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":34,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/rmst201in2021\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/33\/revisions\/34"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/rmst201in2021\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/27"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/blogs.ubc.ca\/rmst201in2021\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=33"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}