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two
A Sampler of Assignments
and Activities
THE FOLLOWING WRITING ASSIGNMENTS and activities were developed
by the book’s authors and other faculty members using Every one’s an
Author in postsecondary institutions across the country. They offer examples of
prompts that guide students to write in the six genres covered in Chs. 11–16 of the
book as well as assignment and activity sheets for doing multimodal writing,
research proj ects, style exercises, peer review, and writing portfolios. We want to
thank these instructors for their willingness to share these materials with us—
and with you.
[ SAMPLE WRITING ASSIGNMENTS ]
[ 26 ]
FOR ARGUING A POSITION
University of Montana– Missoula
Amy Ratto– Parks and Sarah Dozor
WRIT 101
Putting in Your Oar: Writing the Op– Ed
Sketch Workshop: March17
Draft Workshop: March19
Imagine that you enter a parlor. You come late. When you arrive, others have long pre–
ceded you, and they are engaged in a heated discussion, too heated for them to pause and
tell you exactly what it is about. In fact, the discussion had already begun long before any of
them got there, so no one pres ent is quali ed to retrace for you all the steps that had gone
on before. You listen for a while, until you decide that you have caught the tenor of the
Description
For this second major inquiry assignment you will pursue a speci c research topic and
question relating to Montana, Missoula, or UM. (This sounds familiar, yes?) From your
research you will select a single article or editorial to analyze and respond to in the form
• include a clearly stated, cohesive argument.
• include a strong thesis statement that appears early in your paper.
• o er accurate and fair analy sis of your chosen editorial or article.
• use appropriate and researched evidence to support your claims.
• locate the op–ed piece in the context of relevant arguments and counterarguments.
The following must be bound together neatly when you turn in your paper on March21:
• invention work
• primary document (attach photocopy)
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2 % A Sampler of Assignments and Activities
• workshop draft
• workshop worksheet
• clean, revised draft
[ SAMPLE WRITING ASSIGNMENTS ]
[ 28 ]
Johnson County Community College
Matthew Schmeer
En glish 121
Essay 1: Arguing a Position
Write an essay in response to one of the issues raised in Katherine Spriggs’ essay “On
Buying Local” or in Michael Pollan’s “What’s Eating Amer i ca.”
In your essay, argue your own position on ONE of the topics they discuss. Do not
simply agree or disagree with the original author, but strive to pres ent your own solid
position using the pro cess outlined in the Every one chapter on ARGUING A POSITION.
that material correctly using signal phrases and MLA in– text citation style. Since this is
your rst essay for this class attempting to synthesize outside material, you will need to
refer to the Every one chapters on QUOTING, PARAPHRASING, SUMMARIZING; GIVING CREDIT,
AVOIDING PLAGIARISM; and MLA STYLE to learn how to adequately do this.
Audience
For this essay, you are writing for a semi- formal academic audience. This means that as
Style & Format
3–5 pages (no less than 3, no more than 5), double– spaced, in MLA format, as discussed
[ 29 ]
University of Montana– Missoula
Amy Ratto– Parks and Sarah Dozor
WRIT 101
Where You Live and What You Live For:
Writing the Lifeplace Personal Essay
Sketch workshop: April 18
Complete workshop draft: April 21
Background
Composition theorist Bruce Ballenger writes, “As a form, the personal essay places the
writer at center stage. . . . In this sense the personal essay is much like a photographic
beyond the isolation of yourself as a subject and explore what it means to be you right
now in this place.
Assignment
For this assignment you will choose a speci c location and explore how that place
relates to what you believe about the world. You will practice dialectical movement in
your writing as you describe the place in rich, evocative detail and also show the impor–
Research for this assignment is less formally required than for the previous two
essays. You must quote outside material, but this may be from reading we do for class
or from any of your own reading that helps connect a place and its importance for you.
The place and beliefs you write about will dictate the research that you need to use.
Your essay should:
• describe a place and its importance.
• clearly express your thoughts and ideas.
2 % A Sampler of Assignments and Activities
[ SAMPLE WRITING ASSIGNMENTS ]
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• show evidence of dialectical movement.
• use quotes from outside reading, class reading, or research.
• e ectively answer so what? by the end.
Required Ele ments
The following should be stapled together neatly when you turn in your paper to me on
April23. You must include the following to receive full credit:
• 3 pieces of invention work/drafting materials
• sketch with class comments
[ 31 ]
Johnson County Community College
Matthew Schmeer
En glish 121
Essay 2: Nonpersonal Narrative
Pick a person from this class you are not related to, dating, or in a committed relation-
ship with and write an essay about one (1) impor tant incident in this person’s life. You
may not interview your instructor for this assignment.
In essence, this paper should tell a story about one impor tant incident in your
subject’s past that took place in a limited time (the shorter the better) and re ect on
this narrative, what is the #1 thing you want them to remember about your subject’s
story? That #1 thing is the dominant impression, and every thing in your essay should
somehow support the dominant impression. Be sure to explain why this person’s story
is impor tant or in ter est ing WITHOUT saying, “What happened to this person is impor-
and still keep the paper in ter est ing? Remember that if the paper seems boring to you as
the writer, then it’ll prob ably be boring to a reader as well.
A few notes of caution:
• Be sure to describe the person and how/why you know him or her.
• Do not simply transcribe a conversation or interview you’ve had, but attempt to syn–
thesize what the person said and who the person is. Be sure to get across why this
person’s story is worth writing about, why you chose him/her, and why you like/dis-
on an event in the past and its signi cance— either its signi cance at the time, or its
current importance.
• This is not a “lesson learned” essay; read the sample narratives in EAA and you’ll see
2 % A Sampler of Assignments and Activities
[ SAMPLE WRITING ASSIGNMENTS ]
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• Avoid being overly sentimental— injecting an excessive amount of tenderness, sad–
ness, or nostalgia—in a narrative essay. No one’s life is a Hallmark commercial, where
the right card at the right time solves all the prob lems in someone’s life. There is a ne
Audience
Assume you are writing for a general, nonacademic audience who are careful and sin–
cere readers interested in what you have to say and want to be treated with re spect and
Style & Format
3–7 pages (no less than 3, no more than 7), double– spaced, in MLA format, as discussed
in class. Papers that tend to be on the short side tend to get Cs or lower. AVOID FOUR,
[ 33 ]
Northwestern State University
Thomas Reynolds
En glish 1010
Short Writing Assignment #1: Literacy Narrative
Alison Bechdel’s “Compulsory Reading,” Melanie Luken’s “Literacy: A Lineage,” and the
se lections we looked at from the Digital Archives of Literacy Narratives (DALN) illus–
trate a number of ways in which a narrative might be constructed about a variety of
of some kind, make a pre sen ta tion, or even draw a comic. It may be fairly short (about
two minutes to read, watch, etc.) or much longer. It is your story, so you decide.
It should:
• tell a story (not just relay facts or ideas).
• appeal to an audience (be in ter est ing for a reader, listener, viewer).
2 % A Sampler of Assignments and Activities
[ SAMPLE WRITING ASSIGNMENTS ]
[ 34 ]
Northwestern State University
Thomas Reynolds
En glish 1010
Short Writing Assignment #4: Telling and Responding to Someone Else’s Story
Take a look at Jan Brideau’s essay, “Lydia’s Story,” paying attention to the ve character–
istic features of narrative writing:
• A clearly identi ed event: What happened? Who was involved?
• A clearly described setting: When and where did it happen?
Note how Brideau frames her essay around the story of Lydia. In e ect, she is telling a
story about a story she heard and making a point based not only on her own experience
but on how Lydia’s story a ected her and her understanding of her own experience.
Also, pay careful attention to describing the settings, characters, and other details of the
story. Fi nally, use point of view to your advantage: how much will you include the origi–
nal narrator’s point of view and how will it t in with your own.
• Use the Roadmap for WRITING A NARRATIVE to guide your writing.
[ 35 ]
Northwestern State University
Thomas Reynolds
En glish 1010
Essay #1: Telling Your Story
say to comply with such a request. Write your own narrative in which you answer her
call to ‘[t]ell me something good about my country.’ ” This is the question you will
address through your rst essay for this class.
As you develop your own narrative, consider the rhetorical situation of this essay:
Negrete is saying and think about why. She is asking a question steeped in contexts
that are both historical and relevant to many of today’s events as well.
the public) and how these di er ent audiences might require you to shape your
narrative.
Negrete’s call to illustrate something good about our country.
• What is your topic and what is your stance? What do you think and why? If you need
How formal is Cacho– Negrete, and how formal should you be? Consider matching
your style with your purpose, topic, and audience.
For help, consult the following resources:
• In the textbook, you will nd chapters on the following information we have dis-
cussed in class:
THINKING RHETORICALLY
2 % A Sampler of Assignments and Activities
[ SAMPLE WRITING ASSIGNMENTS ]
[ 36 ]
°
MANAGING THE WRITING PRO CESS
TAKING ADVANTAGE OF THE WRITING CENTER
°
HOW TO WRITE GOOD SENTENCES
°
CHECKING FOR COMMON MISTAKES
• Visit the Writing Center for help at all stages. Be sure to bring this assignment with
you!
• Ask for help from your community. Your classmates and friends (and even some of
[ 37 ]
FOR WRITING ANALYTICALLY
Northwestern State University
Thomas Reynolds
En glish 1010
Short Writing Assignment #5: Analyzing Another Writer’s Analy sis
(Group and Individual)
Just as we began our work on narrative writing by looking at a variety of published nar–
ratives, we have been looking at a variety of analyses this week. Indeed, one of the best
ways to come to understand a genre of writing is to analyze samples— identify the con–
With that in mind, this short writing assignment asks you to analyze another
writer’s analy sis: “Mad Men: Stillbirth of the American Dream” by Heather Havrilesky.
You will begin by reading the essay, making notes about the text. Then, you will discuss
the essay and the questions for Thinking about the Text that follow it with your assigned
For your analy sis, write out your own notes for each of the following tasks:
1. Identify Havrilesky’s central claim about the appeal of Mad Men for its con temporary
American audience. Provide at least two speci c passages that make this claim.
4. Explain how Havrilesky uses pathos (appeals to the reader’s emotion) in her essay.
Point to at least one speci c passage in which she seems to address the audience.
5. Evaluate the e ectiveness (and, if you are familiar with the show, the accuracy) of
2 % A Sampler of Assignments and Activities
[ SAMPLE WRITING ASSIGNMENTS ]
[ 38 ]
Northwestern State University
Thomas Reynolds
En glish 1010
Essay #2: Analy sis of an Advertisement
Assignment
1. Choose an advertisement (from a magazine that you read online or in print) that
seems to target you and people like you.
2. Analyze how the ad conveys its message to a par tic u lar audience through use of
visual and textual information. This type of analy sis is called a rhetorical analy sis, so
think about aspects of rhe toric we have been discussing as you study your ad.
You will nd helpful information from Every one’s an Author in the chapter on WRITING
ANALYTICALLY, particularly the Roadmap. Use “Advertisements R Us,” by Melissa Rubin
Your analy sis should:
• introduce the advertisement and the context in which you encountered it (the maga-
zine, date, surrounding stories, etc.).
• describe the major features (visual, textual, and, perhaps, olfactory) of the advertise–
ment, including the ways in which the ad uses colors, arrangement, size, font, etc. to
catch the reader’s eye and direct the reader’s attention toward certain information/
• include an in ter est ing opening and strong thesis that introduce the advertisement
and make an analytical point that is evidenced in your essay.
• move through a well– organized body that pres ents claims and supporting evidence.
• end with an evaluation of the ad’s e ectiveness based on your analy sis.
• be academic in style, tone, and format.
[ 39 ]
Johnson County Community College
Matthew Schmeer
En glish 121
Essay 3: Analyzing an Advertisement
Write an essay analyzing a print advertisement, looking speci cally at how the adver–
tisement re ects the values of its intended audience.
Select a print advertisement from a magazine in which readers may have an inter–
est. Your ad may be from an old magazine from many years ago or from a con temporary
You will need to describe the advertisement, and analyze its components as you
analyze and interpret the messages the advertisement promotes— both the surface
social issue? How well do the content and design of the advertisement match its pur–
pose, stance, and intended audience? In short, explain for the reader what the messages
and intents of the advertisement are and the values the advertisement promotes.
Be sure to include the ad in your paper. Additionally, you must synthesize at least
three (3) outside sources into your paper in addition to the magazine advertisement.
Audience
For this assignment, assume you are writing for a general audience which is unfamiliar
with the advertisement you’ve chosen. Choose your words and phrasing carefully!
Style & Format
3–5 pages (no less than 3, no more than 5), double– spaced, in MLA format, as discussed
in class, plus a works cited page.
Papers that tend to be on the short side tend to get Cs or lower. AVOID FOUR,
2 % A Sampler of Assignments and Activities
[ SAMPLE WRITING ASSIGNMENTS ]
[ 40 ]
FOR REPORTING INFORMATION
Northwestern State University
Thomas Reynolds
En glish 1010
Essay #3: Reviewing Your Media
To get started with Essay #3, read George Russell’s review of Clay Shirky’s Cognitive
Surplus, “What Would Happen If You Threw a Revolution and Every one Showed Up?”
At the end of the text, you will nd a challenge to evaluate the claims of Russell’s
review of Shirky’s book:
You may never have lived in an internet- less world in order to be able to do a
before- and- after comparison; still, you can evaluate both Shirky’s and Russell’s
claims. Think about your online activities. Are they predominantly “grassroots”
activities, such as reading and writing personal blogs or vlogs, communication and
This is the challenge you will answer through your nal essay for this class, and you will
do so through both reporting and reviewing, as follows.
1. Make sure that you have a clear idea about Russell’s and Shirky’s claims. Do more
research if necessary.
2. Create a chart of your online activities. Decide if each activity supports Shirky,
Russell, neither, or both. Then, consider your activity as a whole. Do your online activ–
ities taken together support Shirky, Russell, neither, or both?
pile and save an informal report of the information you have gathered about their
online activities and compare this information to your own experiences and the claims
made by Shirky and Russell.
4. Write an essay in which you review Shirky’s and Russell’s ideas about the role of the
internet in everyday life, report on your experiences with online activities, report on
your brief study of the activity of others, and ultimately assess whether your experi-
[ 41 ]
• What is the context (the immediate occasion or the timing or kairos) of your writing?
In responding to another writer, you are joining a conversation. Hear what Russell is
friends, family, the public) and how these di er ent audiences might require you to
shape your narrative.
• What is your purpose? A report requires presenting information, but a review
requires you to use that information to make a judgment. Your essay should pres ent
reading of the article and any additional research, your own experience, and your
own mini- research proj ect to guide your discussion of this topic to your stance.
work? How will you or ga nize your work? Your essay will be a written text, so how
will this impact your rhetorical choices? Your essay should follow MLA guidelines for
format and citations.
• What’s your style? What is appropriate and correct for your rhetorical situation?
How formal is Russell’s review, and how formal should you be? Consider matching
your style with your purpose, topic, and audience.
For help, consult the following resources:
• In the textbook, you will nd the following information we have discussed in class:
° THINKING RHETORICALLY
° WRITING ANALYTICALLY
° MANAGING THE WRITING PRO CESS
° MEETING THE DEMANDS OF ACADEMIC WRITING
° TWEETS TO REPORTS
° CHECKING FOR COMMON MISTAKES
• Visit the Writing Center for help at all stages. Be sure to bring this assignment with
you!
• Ask for help from your community. Your classmates and friends (and even some of
your family members) are great sounding boards for ideas and can be helpful rst
2 % A Sampler of Assignments and Activities
[ SAMPLE WRITING ASSIGNMENTS ]
[ 42 ]
FOR WRITING A REVIEW
Oregon State University
Lisa Ede
WR 121
Movie Review
Your assignment is to write a 3–4 page review of a movie that interests you. In the case
of this assignment I am specifying your audience: students at OSU who read our school
newspaper, the Barometer. Your charge is to write a review that is fair to the lm being
Because this assignment asks you to write in the context of a speci c rhetorical
situation— a review that will appear in the Barometer— you may nd it helpful to reread
the chapters we read earlier this term on rhe toric and the rhetorical situation. The
Suggestions for Analyzing Movies
The rst step in analy sis should be to get a fairly clear idea of the lm’s theme or unifying
central concern and to identify the director’s intentions. The next step is to consider
how the separate ele ments of the lm relate to and contribute to the theme, central
The basic ele ments of lm include the following:
• story
• dramatic structure
• title
• irony
• cinematography
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• editing
• sound e ects
• dialogue
Before undertaking your analy sis, you should consider the level of ambition of the
lm you are reviewing and adjust your evaluation accordingly. It’s unfair to criticize a
movie that is designed only to entertain, for instance, for failing to have a complex sym–
Any review of a lm— whether lengthy or brief—is in e ect an answer to this
question. Given the nature and ambition of the lm being reviewed, and also the par tic-
u lar interest or focus on the reviewer, some ele ments of lm listed above will be
more impor tant and some less impor tant. Though you should consider all the ele ments
Of course reviewing involves personal response as well as analy sis. So in addition
to considering the lm’s level of ambition, use of par tic u lar strategies and techniques,
etc., you will want to explore your personal response to it. As you do so, remember
2 % A Sampler of Assignments and Activities
[ SAMPLE WRITING ASSIGNMENTS ]
[ 44 ]
Johnson County Community College
Matthew Schmeer
En glish 121
Essay 5: Game Evaluation
I am going to put you into groups. You will play a game I provide you with that group.
After the fun (or not) is done, you will write an essay evaluating the game, providing
examples from the game or gameplay to back up each of your points of evaluation. This
is not a group proj ect; each person will write their own evaluation of the game.
evidence— which will most likely be examples or descriptions paired with your explana–
tions. Remember that evaluations usually require comparison and contrast against
some known standards of excellence.
DO NOT write a narrative/story of the experience of playing the game. Your
DO NOT simply explain how to play the game; this is not about providing instruc-
tions or explaining rules, but about explaining WHY and HOW this game is worth play-
ing (or not).
title of your essay, tell me whom you are writing for as speci cally as pos si ble. When you
are writing, remember whom you are writing for, and remember that people want to
be engaged intellectually and/or emotionally when they read. In other words, make the
tone peppy and authoritative, like you really know what you are talking about.
Style & Format
3–5 pages (no less than 3, no more than 5), double– spaced, in MLA format, as discussed
in class. Papers that tend to be on the short side tend to get Cs or lower. AVOID