Writing Assignments - Between Classes

There are some interesting exercises along the way including introducing a local playwright and having him talk about reading drama. Drama is meant to be performed on stage so playwrights prefer obvious conflicts, defined actions and the expositions tend to be fast and direct. We will discuss the structure of plays, conflict, antagonist, crisis, etc. The difficulty of reading the script of a play vs. seeing it performed on stage. Our textbook brings up a curious observation which is that the reader must bring his imagination by making the kind of decisions that the Director usually does. The reader must visualize what the characters are wearing, the interior of where it takes place, along with the stage direction. So, I am hoping that we will get some feedback and conversation between the invited director/playwright and my students. They may even become interested enough to audition for local plays performed on campus.

With the Advanced Academic Writing Class, I hope to encourage deeper thinking. They have to write four 500 word papers and one long research paper. I am encouraging more collaborative projects. One topic that I am looking forward to discussing in greater detail is introduced by our textbook. After reading a poem by James Merrill Casual Wear (1992) the students are to read about a particular terrorist activity somewhere in the world. Then read further to gain some understanding of the group’s motivations. First, students must write a letter to the New York Times in which a leader of this group justifies its activities; then write a letter to rebut the leader’s arguments. Another in class writing assignment will have the students thinking about and writing descriptions of several times during their childhood in school or out of school when they received values instruction. Both are interesting assignments.

I like these assignments because they give me some insight into my students thinking and clue me into some assumptions they make. The other day, I had the students read an article about rap music influencing a jury. On student wrote something about the older generation not understanding the younger generation. Another viewed the decision of the jury as a government mistake. We talked about assumptions and proving them valid. Since a member of a jury can be 18 or older, her supposition or assumption did not hold true. A government mistake did not make sense. So we look at the whole picture and discuss using inductive and deductive reasoning when critically reading fiction and nonfiction or faction as my husband likes to say.

I am looking forward to talking about paraphrasing, summarizing and my favorite part is when the Reference Librarian comes in to discuss research methods using online sources and books. I have them go up to the stacks in the library insisting that with their research paper, they use at least one hardcover book. I find they like to ferret out the book and they enjoy being active. Collaboration with their classmates is also a good activity because by discussing with others, they can argue diverse viewpoints or maybe find similar viewpoints which will give them some kind of familiarity with other students on a small comfortable campus. It will be a good semester.