Your course project should build on the different units and readings we do in the course. I am listing options below and you should select one to start working on by the third week of class. If none of these options appeal to you, you are welcome to propose a project but I’ll have to see it and okay it first. This is not something you should do in the first few weeks and try to turn in.

• Options 3,5,7 and 8 are traditional research papers and should be in third person.
• All of the options have a writing component which is required of a humanities based class.
• Your work should have a title.  Make sure to include your option as a part of the title.  Example Option 1: Water from a Spring

Using the resources from George Ella Lyon, you’ll create a “Where I’m From” poem and rationale explaining your choices. You rationale should be 2-3 pages long and it should explain why you selected the items that went into your poem and why this choice appealed to you. You should relate your poem to the Loyal Jones values.

Put together a 5-minute video of all the things that make your area “your” Appalachian.  Your video should reflect time and care. It should demonstrate at least one each of the Loyal Jones value but can focus on the good (and bad) of your area. You will submit a 1-2 page rationale that talks about why you included the pieces that you included.

Using a longer piece by any of the authors discussed in Talking Appalachian, Robert Gipe, or Denise Giardina, or in the PDFs, you’ll read a longer piece or collection that they have published and analyze their writing. You’ll need to submit the book or collection for okay. Your final piece should be 3-4 pages.

Using at least 20 pictures, you’ll put together an interesting photo album with captions or a slideshow with captions that tells the story of what Appalachia means to you and relate to Jones’ values.  The pictures don’t have to be photographer-level but they should reflect time and planning. They can include pictures (taken by you or your family) that you already have but most of them should be originals from you.  A 1-2 page rationale should be included explaining your choices.

Research the coal industry and its impact on Appalachia. Make sure you include the ways your research supports or debunks the things Gipe writes about in Trampoline. The paper will need to be 3-5 pages and use at least 2 credible sources besides Gipe.  If you have a different approach to a coal themed project, let me know.

If you personally or someone in your immediate family has been impacted by coal, this option asks you to write a personal narrative about those experiences. This should be 3-4 pages in length and should tell the story of the impact. It would be great if you wanted to include pictures (but your paper should be written first to meet the page length and then the pictures should be added in).

This semester, some of our units are themed around Appalachian Identity, Geography, and Politics. Identify an issue that is important to you and research that issue in a 3-5 page paper using at least 2 credible sources.

Explore a non-writing based aspect of Appalachian culture and arts.  Your paper should be 3-5 pages in length and since it’s likely to be visual, pictures would be great for inclusion. Make sure you meet the page requirement before you add in those pictures.

Much of Appalachian history is communicated orally. The best stories and life lessons from our elders are often not recorded anywhere. As generations pass, those stories are sometimes lost. For this option, speak to an elder you know (does not have to be family) and gather some of their stories. You can definitely use this as a time to record family history! Recordings will need to be made—they can be sent via email.  Another option is to video record the interaction. You’ll need to translate them into a document which should include a paragraph noting the person’s biography and how you are related to/know them with either recording option.

If  you plan to propose your own project, please make sure to submit for approval to your professor.