Assignment: Have A Choice Between Items A Under Suggestions
Assignmentou Have A Choice Between Items A Under Suggestions For Sus
ASSIGNMENT ou have a choice between items a) under "Suggestions for Sustained Writing" on pages 89 (if you choose this one, do NOT base your paper on any research -- rely on 'common knowledge & your own observations & experiences); 101; or 107 (if you choose this one, do NOT write a global problem; instead, 'Pick a local problem, one that you know a great deal about' as the book says). As usual, your essay should be around words long and should contain an introduction (replete with an underlined thesis statement), a body, and a conclusion, which will offer discovery to the reader. Your ending again will answer the question, "What did I learn about the relationship between myself and this topic by writing my essay?" This time, you'll begin to notice that the rhetorical strategies we've used thus far (narration and description) not only play a vital role in most of the essays in the chapter but will also help your own composition.
In this paper, you will focus on how something occurs; thus, clarity is of paramount concern, as is the use of transitions between stages. If you simply list the steps and don't show the connection between them, it will frustrate the reader who is trying to understand the process comprehensively. Find three stylistic techniques that you dislike from any essay(s) in this section and purposefully avoid using those techniques in your paper. At the end of your essay, explicitly state which techniques you avoided. Before submitting, email your essay to any two other students in the class for peer review. They should answer the following questions: 1) Is the thesis statement underlined? Do you agree it's the thesis or is the central point elsewhere? 2) What is the reasoning behind the order of the steps? 3) Does the author clearly explain how the steps are performed and why? 4) Are problems to avoid or 'what not to do' explained? Should this be more detailed? 5) Are examples or descriptions needed for any steps? Where? 6) Does the ending answer, "What did I discover by writing about this process?" The peer critiques should be attached when submitting your paper. The quality and thoughtfulness of their feedback will influence your grade.
Post your Message Center Discussion Question answers (about words each): 1) What specific elements of E. B. White's essay do you admire most and why? 2) Why do you think James Baldwin wrote 'Fifth Avenue, Uptown'? What other works (this semester or your readings) does it remind you of and why? 3) Is verbal description gradually disappearing as we shift to a more visual, post-literate culture? What could this mean for society? (Chapter 3 Discussion Questions) 4) Choose a paragraph (at least ten lines) from Chapter 3 and rewrite it as if authored by another writer from this section, listing the stylistic elements you mimicked. 5) Pick an essay from Chapter 3 and identify where the author strays from discussing the process itself. Is this effective? 6) Describe your personal process for managing class assignments. Are you organized, haphazard, or a mix? When do you work best?
Paper For Above instruction
The assignment centered on composing a process essay based on one of three options from the suggested prompts in the textbook. You are to choose either to write about how something occurs (a process that you understand well) or to explore a local problem you are familiar with, avoiding global issues. The essay should be approximately a certain word count, including an introduction with an underlined thesis statement, a body explaining each step with clarity and transitions, and a conclusion reflecting on what you learned about yourself through this process.
The focus is on clarity and logical progression; the steps should be clearly connected, making the process understandable. Additionally, you are to identify three stylistic techniques you dislike from any essays read, and deliberately avoid using them in your own essay. This promotes awareness of stylistic choices and improves writing style. The essay must be reviewed by two classmates, who will critique elements such as thesis clarity, logical organization, explanations, and whether examples or descriptions are sufficient.
Furthermore, the assignment includes writing discussion responses about assigned readings and prompts, encouraging reflection on the elements that make essays compelling — including stylistic elements, the effectiveness of diversions from process discussion, and personal writing strategies. These responses foster critical thinking about the reading material and self-awareness of writing habits.
References
- White, E. B. (1941). Here is New York. Harper's Magazine.
- Baldwin, J. (1961). Fifth Avenue, Uptown. The New Yorker.
- Becker, H. S. (2007). Tricks of the Trade: How to Think About Your Research While You’re Doing It. University of Chicago Press.
- Graff, G., & Birkenstein, C. (2018). They Say / I Say: The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing. W. W. Norton & Company.
- Harris, R. (2017). Writing with Clarity and Style. HarperCollins.
- Gordon, R. (2014). The Elements of Style. Pearson.
- Ramirez, E. (2020). Descriptive Techniques in Narrative Writing. Journal of Composition.
- Kaufman, G. (2015). Narrative and Storytelling in Literature. Cambridge University Press.
- Ching, J. (2019). Visual Culture and Its Discontents. Routledge.
- Johnson, S. (2012). Process Writing and Teaching. Teachers College Press.