Hey Freshmen Writers - Get to Work!!

I may be setting the bar a tad bit too high for First Year Composition students.......but hey, this is all for fun anyway right?!

This week's writing prompt: What are types of assignments which you would include in a FYC syllabus?

ASSIGNMENT 1

(This assignment gets the students thinking and writing about composition. It also prepares them to discuss their writing amongst a group.)

Write your personalized responses to the following:

·         What type of writing have you been required to do before?

·         What type of writing have you most enjoyed?

·         What type of books do you enjoy reading?

·         What type of magazine do you enjoy reading?

·         Define what plagiarism means to you?

·         Define what composition means to you?

Be prepared for a group discussion on your answers.

ASSIGNMENT 2

(This assignment is writing for the simple purpose of writing and putting thoughts on the page. It speaks to identifying an individual voice in the writing and a flowing discussion.)

Keep a journal or blog and write between 300-400 words on any topic each week. Strive to find a consistency of voice in your writing – which could very well consist of random topics, but all the while creating a flow of conversation to your writing.

ASSIGNMENT 3

(The project works with writing that serves a business purpose of communicating to an audience. It introduces critique from an editorial perspective, simulates small work group discussions, and includes a slightly more formal, yet familiar, method of communicating with a business through the final email memo.)

Choose the web site, Facebook page, (or other web presence) of a local business and write a critical analysis of the site. Consider the visual aspects (color, layout, font use), as well as the textual content, and address these in your writing. Reflect on the audience and customer base of the site and write about how the site communicates, whether appropriately or inappropriately. Assemble in work groups of 4 or more students and compare notes and project progress – learn from each other. The final aspect of this task is to draft an email message in the form of a memo with the intent to submit your findings and any recommendations you might have to the business through the contact information you find on the site.

ASSIGNMENT 4

(This assignment brings in practices of more disciplined writing and provides a side-by-side comparison of the different citation styles used in scholarly writing. This could lead to discussions about contextual constraints in the form of corporate style guides, specifications, and other bounding elements and restricting agents.)

Each week, pick a topic of your choice and provide 14 references in the appropriate citation style: Modern Language Association (MLA), American Psychological Association (APA), and Chicago Manual of Style (CMS). The final product of this assignment will be 2-page summary addressing how and when these styles would be appropriate for use.

	Category	Week 1 - MLA	Week 2 - APA	Week 3 - CMS
		Topic 1:	Topic 2:	Topic 3:
1	Single author book
2	Two-author book
3	Magazine
4	Journal (by issue)
5	Entire web site
6	Page from web site
7	Image from web site
8	Entire Blog
9	E-Mail
10	Video or Film
11	Podcast
12	Lecture
13	Government publication
14	Dissertation

ASSIGNMENT 5

(This formal research paper brings together elements of writing that have become more structured throughout the course. The task involves peer review of other’s work and allows the student to recieve criticism and feedback on their writing.)

For the of the course-culminating research paper, develop:

1.       A project plan (including a schedule)

2.       A Rough Draft including the following:

·         Thesis Statement

·         Opening Paragraph

·         Placeholder for the Body Section in which you will include quotes from at least three different sources on your chosen topic.

·         Closing Paragraph

Submit these items to a fellow student for a peer review and provide feedback on the items you receive from that student.