Adapted from the ideas and work of Tom Romano, Miami University;

Cicely Lewis, Meadowcreek High, & Ashley Ulrich, Northview High

Literature & Thematic Based Multi-Genre Research Paper Multi-genre means exactly what it sounds like it means: a paper that is written in several different

genres. The key is that the genres are connected somehow—in this case, they will be connected by

our class readings from dystopian literature and your own reading of a self-selected dystopian novel

(or novels) to read. You will center your paper on a theme (suggested ones are below) and through

topics and dystopian themes it linked to in your readings. Even though the paper is written in lots of

different genres, the paper STILL NEEDS TO FLOW.

Specifically, you will have to create your paper from 7 genres, two to three from column A and two

to three from column B, and two to three from column C (found within this packet). You must not

duplicate a genre. We will have mini-genre workshops as you work where we look at several genres

and how to create them for the paper. We won’t have time to cover every genre, but most of them

should already make sense to you.

To create a multi-genre paper based upon a work of literature. You must do three things:

Carefully read your dystopian novel and connect it thematically to our class readings and

your own experience with the elements common to dystopia—either through prior exposures

in literature, film, history/ news, or your own personal experience.

Research about the historical, philosophical or mythic events and topics that inspire

dystopian works.

Write a multi-genre paper that explores and communicates through imaginative genres the

content and themes of the literature, as well as historical/critical information and,

perhaps, biographic information about the author that illuminates the work in some way

and enhances the reader’s thinking about a dystopian theme.

You will also learn be doing research as part of your multi-genre paper (MGP). You will learn to cite

your sources including images in MLA format.

Possible Research Topics Reality Television

Propaganda as a Governmental tool

Violence in the Media

Control of the media (Putin’s alleged murder of

journalists)

Poverty: Great disparity between the haves and

the have-nots

Rebellion/Resistance Movements

Current Totalitarian regimes (North Korea, Iran)

For novel read the author’s inspiration

Historical rebellions/ revolutions

Literature as Satire/ Social Critique

Possible Dystopian Themes to Explore Surveillance

Containment

Conformity / sacrifice of the individual for the

‘greater good’ of society

Fear that leads to betrayal of others or self

Propaganda: Manipulation of truth through

language and/ or images

An ‘Us’ versus ‘Them’ mentality/

The Outsider versus the Insider

Family unit destroyed by totalitarianism

Love destroyed

Individualism suppressed and destroyed

Escapism through feeding senses to distract mind

(alcohol, food, etc.)

How Long Should the Literature-Based MGP Be? Your MGP must contain at least seven (7)

“genres.” In addition to this seven are the introduction (‘dear reader’ letter), expository piece, table of

contents, note page, and MLA bibliography of sources. You may find that you need to create more

pieces than the required seven to make your paper complete, high in quality, and aesthetically

pleasing. So feel free to do more.

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What Components Must the Literature-Based MGP Contain?

Introduction: which acts as a Preface or ‘Dear Reader’ letter

Expository piece-Essay (200-300 words. Make this vivid, informational, straight-ahead

writing. Boil your topic and its connection to the theme and text down to the essentials. Write

exposition that is good to read.)

A visual element in at least one of your genres

Bibliography of sources used in MLA format (at least 5 sources beyond your selected

dystopian novel are required.)

Note Page: Where you list the genres you’ve chosen, and write a short paragraph about each,

explaining why you chose that genre. What makes it a good genre for your paper? What

does it add to your paper? What made you think to use this specific genre?

Unifying elements (repeated symbols, repeated images, genres that illuminate your take on

the narrative’s message and build on each other, a detail just mentioned in one piece but

explored and illustrated in a later piece)

Creative/ Column A:

*Propaganda poster

*Original artwork with

descriptive caption

*Emails (at least 3)

*Poetry—concrete poetry,

haikus, two- voice poem, etc.

*Phone conversation (scripted)

*Original photograph with

descriptive caption

*Dream sequence

*Flashback

*Notes, Postcards or Blog

between characters within

your selected novel(s)

*Song

*Survival kit – concrete and/ or

abstract items (what’s in it

and why)

Informational/ Column B:

*Interior monologue

*Tabloid article

*News or magazine article

*Interview

*Dictionary (at least 3 words)

*Editorial/Opinion article

*Advice column

*Diary entry by a character in

your novel.

*Pro/Con list (at least 10 each)

*Top 10 list

*Recipe (rebellion, dystopia,

totalitarianism, etc.)

*Series of text messages (3)

between novel characters.

*Questionnaires/ surveys with

responses peer and/ or

fictional characters

Non-Fictional/ Column C

*Graph/chart of some factual

element that connects to the

novel/ topic/ theme with

descriptive caption

*Battle plan for surviving your

novel’s dystopian oppression

*Legal brief (prosecuting

someone for their actions)

*Standard argumentative

paragraph

*Job application filled out by a

character in your novel or

one of our class readings.

*News images that connect

with topic & theme you’re

your explanatory paragraph.

*Protest placards

*Doublespeak Rules (at least 5)

Some words on the research component of the paper. As an inquirer you will be informed,

surprised, and intellectually delighted by what you learn through your literary and historical inquiry.

As a reader of your MGP, I want to experience these same things: surprise, intellectual delight, and

widened and deepened understanding.

One Tip For Incorporating Into Your MGP What You Learn Through Your Research: Avoid

simply providing quotations from research on a page. Such a move is not effective and shows little

imagination or initiative on your part. Rather, incorporate into genres what you learn through

research.

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For example, one student learned that Harper Lee was greatly influenced by the trial of nine

young black men accused and convicted of raping two white women on a train during the 1920s.

Harper Lee was eight-years-old at the time of the trial. In To Kill A Mockingbird, Scout is about the

same age when she witnesses the trial of Tom Robinson. The student wrote a two-voiced poem to

capture the similarities and differences of the true case and fictional case. One voice was Harper Lee,

the other voice was Scout.

Another student wrote her MGP on The Notebook. She did extensive research to learn more

about Alzheimer’s disease. Another student read a science fiction novel about environmental abuse.

He researched specific forms of environmental abuse taking place when the novel was written in the

early 1970s. The lesson these students provide is to not limit yourself to one predetermined slant

in terms of research. Follow your curiosity and think outside the box.

Grading: The Multi-Genre Paper (MGP) will count as 3 grades

Process Grade

Work ethic (25%): Student is on task during lab time and works well within class and outside of

class. The effort is present.

Structure (45%): Paper includes: preface ‘dear reader’/table of contents, expository piece, at least 7

genres (two from each category), notes page, and bibliography.

Research Log & Post MGP Reflection (30%): Online check-ins the last ten minutes of the class

period on sources found and/ or work accomplished for the day. Your brief paragraph responses

should allow you to provide useful information and meaningful reflections about your process and

progress at the end of this assignment when you complete your post-MGP reflection online.

Composition Grade 1 - Holistic impact of the paper

Quality of Content & Style (50%): Each of the required elements is strong in its language, clarity,

meaning, and information. Rife with excellent writing that includes attention to a pleasing

appearance of the page, action verbs, varied sentence length, effective word choice, and skilled

placement of information, strong leads and endings

Creativity (50%): The paper shows thought, effort, and creativity on the part of the writer. It

knocks me off my feet, bowls me over, so informative and emotionally moving is the paper.

Throughout there is evidence of original thinking, depth, specificity of detail, delights of language or

insight with visual and other sensory imagery.

Composition Grade 2 – Research & Mechanics

Research (25%): Research was thoroughly performed and documented and at least 5 sources were

used and cited in the final paper, and a range of research (books, articles, websites, even primary

sources) is utilized with sources listed in a consistent MLA style in bibliography and parenthetically

in text as appropriate.

Appropriateness of Genres (50%): The genres included are varied and appropriate for the content

presented and specific genre conventions are met. The Expository Piece provides vivid, interesting

information, which adds insight and depth to the overall paper. The Note Page is informative and

thoughtful in explaining and detailing the research and/or the process of creation.

Grammar & Mechanics (25%): The paper is well written with active verbs, specificity, and few

wasted words, and without serious errors in grammar, punctuation, spelling, or typography (layout,

formatting).

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MLA Citation Parenthetical example (in the text of your paper):

A dystopian world is a diseased world in which the government is a “poor physician” to its

realm, “curing the disease” of the land “by throwing [its] patient into another” (Moore 267).

Thus as the district, tribute fighters war to the death in the games, the Capital keeps their anger

focused on each other rather than at the power that oppresses them.

Works Cited examples (in your Works Cited list):

Example of a Book/ Primary Source

Collins, Suzanne. The Hunger Games. New York: Scholastic, 2008. Print.

Orwell, George. 1984. New York: Signet, 1982. Print.

Example of secondary Sources Originally Published for a Specific Source Moore, Thomas. “from Utopia.” Ed. Kate Kinsella, Kevin Feldman, et al. Prentice Hall

Literature: Timeless Voices, Timeless Themes – British Tradition. Upper Saddle River,

NJ: Pearson Education, 2004. 264-7. Print.

Example of secondary sources Reprinted from Other Sources such as Gale series like Contemporary

Literary Criticism, Twentieth Century Literary Criticism, Literature Resource Center Blasingame, James, and Suzanne Collins. "An Interview with Suzanne Collins." Journal of

Adolescent & Adult Literacy 52.8 (2009): 726-727. Academic Search Complete. Web. 16

Feb. 2012.

McAlear, Rob. "The Value of Fear: Toward A Rhetorical Model of Dystopia." Interdisciplinary

Humanities 27.2 (2010): 24-42. Academic Search Complete. Web. 16 Feb. 2012.

Example of an Internet Citation

Creator's name (if given). Web Page Title. Institution or organization. Date of access. Type

(web).

Online Video

Collins, Suzanne. “Classical Inspiration: The Hunger Games.” Scholastic.com. Web. 27 Feb.

2012. Video.

Film

The Hunger Games. Dir. Gary Ross. Perf. Jennifer Lawrence, Josh Hutcherson Liam

Hemsworth, and Woody Harrelson. Lionsgate, 2012. Film.

Image

O’Brien, Tim. “Cover Art: The Hunger Games.” New York: Scholastic, 2008. Image.