Contributed by Whittier Strong, 2015 Be honest with yourself Look at your life schedule–168 hours a week What time is not available to you? What time is available to you? What is important to you? Look at your course schedules/syllabi What is due when? …
Tag Archives: Beyond the Classroom
Lesson: Quittin’ Time
Contributed by August Johnson, 2015 Summary: In this lesson we use a resignation letter to discuss the rhetorical situation. Description: This lesson requires at least two days, as there is a homework reading assignment involved. We will read Barbara Ehrenreich’s “Serving in Florida” from 50 Essays. This essay contains a grim depiction of a restaurant …
Prompt: Museum of the North and Representations of the Sublime
Contributed by Jen Schell The Museum of the North and Representations of the Sublime Many Alaskan artists–poets, painters, sculptors, photographers–have attempted to capture the sublime in their work. Put more simply, they have tried to represent in an artistic form the special and awe-inspiring qualities of life in Alaska. Other artists prefer …
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Lesson: Letter to the Editor
Contributed by Whittier Strong, 2015 Summary: Connect the classroom to the larger world by having students write a letter to the editor regarding a class subject. The letter challenges students to consider tone, brevity, audience, and authorial intent. It also encourages students to consider how their writing can change the world around them. Detailed …
Lesson: Overheard Conversations
Purpose: To look at how context plays an important role in any text. Instructions: Go to a public place. Coffee houses and pubs work particularly well for this assignment. Make sure you bring a notebook and a sturdy pen. Eavesdrop on a conversation near you. Write down as much of what is said as possible. …
Prompt: Research Wikis
Research Wikis (300 Points) Research plan post (10 points) due: Thursday 3/31/11 on blog Research paper prospectus (40 points) due: 4/5/11 and 4/7/11 in conferences Rough draft (50 points) due: Thursday, 4/14/11, in class for peer review session Final draft (200 points) due: Tuesday, 4/26/11 in class (turn in all drafts, research plan, …
Prompt: Documentary Review
This assignment can be a nice way of practicing “good research.” Students are required to look critically at the research and presentation of a documentary, and will hopefully incorporate those lessons into their own research writing. THE COVE — CRITICAL REVIEW PURPOSE: To provide a critical review of the documentary, “The Cove.’ INSTRUCTIONS: Watch …
Handout: How to Write an Abstract
This handout is attributed to Philip Koopman, of Carnegie Mellon University. A link to his text can be found here: https://www.ece.cmu.edu/~koopman/essays/abstract.html. It is also copied below: Because on-line search databases typically contain only abstracts, it is vital to write a complete but concise description of your work to entice potential readers into …
Lesson: Research Interviews
(this is designed for two class periods) Research interviews! I required my students to interview “an expert’ for their synthesis/research projects. In addition to actually doing the interview, this required them to identify what sort of expertise was needed for their projects, reach out to the interviewee, and create appropriate interview questions — all important …
Lesson: Exploring Place
Today’s activity is intended to start you on the path of exploring place for your first essay assignment. We will be making observations about three different “places,” and writing a blog post designed to get you thinking about the specific place you will write about in your essay. Place #1: The Exterior World We …