IOP - Minerva Mirabeel; In the Time of the Butterflies
1. Write a brief descriptive paragraph that summarizes your IOP. Be sure to include the topic, your thesis, and the hook and any visual aids you used.
My IOP was about one of the main characters in Julia Alvarez's novel, In the Time of the Butterflies, Minerva Mirabel. I chose this novel because it is my favorite book that we've read in IB so far, and I admire it for various reasons, from the writing style, to the plot, to the fact that it is based on a true story. I chose to explore the characterization of Minerva because she represents one of the most prominent themes in the novel, feminism, and she also represents the figure of a heroine, who along with her sisters dies for the freedom of her country. My argument was that she most memorable character due to her personality and character traits. I looked into the fact that as readers, we can see her from multiple angles, her personal vulnerability vs. her external bravado. I also examined Minerva's relationships with her sisters. My presentation took the form of a power point, and at the end it concluded with a short film which depicts a scene from the book when Minerva is rebelling at prison, which I, and a few of my friends, "acted" in, and my good friend David recorded.
2. In a well-developed paragraph reflect upon the lessons you learned as a result of the IOP process. This process includes the preparation of your presentation, its delivery, and the subsequent reflection you engaged in following the presentation
itself.
Oral presentations are always useful experiences, it's a chance to demonstrate one's public speaking abilities and practice interacting with a crowd. The IOP process wasn't very different from the book project we did last year, except that this is "official" and it focused almost entirely on the book rather than the hook. I was brutally harsh and critical of myself in my reflection, and rightly so, because I know I could have done much better, but no use crying over spilled milk, I usually learn from my mistakes. I ought to have practiced more for timing, planned it out more thoroughly in advance and narrowed my thesis statement. It was very useful to watch my presentation because I had a chance to observe my body language and my speech and get a different perspective.
