description / requirements / researching and documenting / saving
Description
This assignment gives you a chance to practice (1) using RU Libraries resources to research a narrowly focused subject (i.e., the Dada art movement); (2) documenting print and online sources in MLA format; and (3) implementing internal page navigation and layout with HTML and CSS.
For this assignment you will make a short Further Reading Page (FRP) for visitors to the Dada art show at the Museum of Modern Art in New York. Your page should observe the conventions of the FRP as discussed in class.
Here is a typical further reading page, on marine biology, that uses MLA documentation style to organize the bibliographical information for each source.
Use the web to learn about Dada. Then use IRIS, the online indexes and databases available at the Rutgers Libraries website, and the search engine of your choice to find the best sources to satisfy the following FRP requirements.
Requirements
Your page will need to include:
- A "general interest" section listing at least three books on Dada.
- An "in depth" section listing at least three articles on specific aspects of Dada. Follow each bibliographical item with a two sentence description of the article. Base your descriptions either on the article abstract or on the article's introduction.
- A "Dadaists" section listing at least three articles on one or more artists int he Dada movement. No description required.
- An "online" section listing and briefly describing at least three really good/useful websites devoted to Dada in general or a particular Dada artist.
- A few relevant images to decorate the page (keep them small).
- Navigation ("subnav") between the top of the page and each section (see castro p. 106).
- Back to top links from the end of each section to the top of the page, like this one:
- Headings of different sizes (h1, h2, h3, etc.) to divide the page.
- A byline that reads "Prepared by [your name]" under the the title/main heading.
- A dadaistically themed banner.
- A one-column layout using divs.
- Style formatting using CSS.
Note: These shouldn't be just any books, articles, or sites; they should be GOOD ones and they need to be genuinely relevant, if not the best you can find. So be selective.
The last two requirements will come into play later, as we learn CSS and revise the FR page. Do not worry about them until weeks 3 and 4.
You should not use Dreamweaver or another WYSIWYG for this assignment. If you do, be sure to clean up your code so that it looks as if you did not.
Your page should follow the course Design Baseline, as discussed in class.
Researching and Documenting
Use the RU Libraries IRIS and other catalogues to research books.
Use the RU Libraries indexes and databases to research articles in science journals.
Use the search engine of your choice to research websites.
For documenting books and articles, use Dianna Hacker's site on MLA style (or the MLA Handbook, if you have a copy).
Saving
Save your Further Reading Page and related files in your "drafts" folder on Eden.
return to schedule
~Jonathan Bass
