CCSD Editorial Listicle Concept Writing & Advancing Their Thoughts and Feelings Essay

For this assignment, students will create a listicle based on a topic connected with our course material.

This means reflecting on course topics and module titles, Yellowdig conversations, and your own work with the materials in order to come up with a topic of particular interest to you. After coming up with a topic, create “a list” of points in support of a claim regarding that topic, and then conduct research – as needed – to support the individual points. The objectives of the assignment are outlined below:

1. The first step is to come up with a topic and a claim. For example, a student might reflect on learning in the course and devise a claim like “7 Reasons __________ is the Ultimate Feminist Film,” “7 Instances where ________ Erased Queer Representation,” “7 Disney Movies that Confirmed the Patriarchy.” 

Another approach might be to locate little-known facts about a particular topic. For example, “7 things you may not know about Sexism in the Newsroom” or “7 little-known facts about ____________.” The point is to come up with an interesting angle, something unique, something that interests you and represents your point of view.

1. After coming up with a topic and a claim, create a list of subheadings or the title of each point on your list. Knowing where you want to go before you start researching helps you from repeating yourself, clarifies your understanding of the topic, and keeps you focused on why you thought the topic interesting from the beginning.
2. Choose a form. There are a lot of listicle types; you will create one of two types: Informational or Editorial. 
   1. Informational: If you choose to create an informational listicle, take on a topic that might be difficult to understand in written format and present it in a listicle. The goal isn’t to “dumb down” the issue. Rather, take a complicated issue and use the listicle format to present information in easy-to-digest bites. For example, “What’s Next for the Gay Rights Movement?”
   2. Editorial: If you choose this option, your goal will be to make a claim and argue a specific point. For example, “7 Things That Prove You’re a Feminist.” Choose this form of listicle if you want to make a stand against or for something.
3. Begin research. Obviously, as an academic course, research should begin with course materials, library searches, and google scholar. Be selective. Your credibility counts on it.
4. Overall format: 
   1. 150 – 200  word introduction 
   2. 7 subheadings 
   3. 7 accompanying gifs / images / memes 
   4. 1 paragraph (3-5 sentence; 100-120 words) under each subheading that explains and expounds on the issue / image / point, etc.
   5. 150 – 200 word conclusion – include a valuable takeaway 
   6. No more than 1200 words total. Period. 
   7. Use a word processing like Google Docs or Word, but do not use Pages
   8. Write your list first. Choose images second. Use GIFs. Have fun, but don’t be ridiculous. GIFs should strengthen your point/subheading. And since our class is about analyzing representation, avoid easy to find images of thin, white, cis, heterosexual people. Try to find other ways to represent your ideas.
   9. Finding GIFs may take some effort. I like to Google specific phrases. . . For instance, I tried “Damn Right I’m a Feminist GIF,”  and I found Madea. But there is always this Giphy site to help you find images for your work.
      1. Include a bibliography of your sources at the end of the document, but feel free to hyperlink information cited in your paragraphs along the way. If you’re really feeling it, submit your work to an online source for extra credit.
      2. Pursue something that *really* interests you. A listicle does not have to be dumb or ridiculous. As much as anything, use a little humor, good research, writing, and your insights to educate you and your classmates on a topic you find interesting.
      3. And finally, academic integrity is a *real* thing. Do not plagiarize. Avoid the urge to piece together your listicle from work already completed in other listicles. That’s not research. Make a claim and then set out to find the research you need to support that claim. If you must copy ideas from other listicles, make sure to use in-text citations to credit the original authors.