English 101/Lape
Writing Assignments

Writing Assignment #1: People Matter. Select a person who “matters” for you. The person can be someone in your family, someone else you know or know of who is not in your family, someone in the news, someone in history – someone you want to write about and try to get across to me why I should admire as you do. Who is this person, and what is his/her significance either to you personally or to our society today? You need only one secondary source to back up what you say in this paper. I just want to see you use a source and cite it: if the person is someone you know and you create a primary source by interviewing the person, then you would have two sources. If you intend to interview someone, read page 448 in your text and start preparing the interview questions.

We haven’t gone over any of the “rhetorical modes” that most of the semester’s writing will involve but we’ve mentioned them briefly. You may use any of the modes in this paper: describing the person physically, or some place associated with the person; you may define terms you find necessary in discussing him/her; you may tell a brief story that exemplifies the importance you associate with the person. Most importantly, you must have at lest one secondary source.

Your paper should be no more than three pages [12 font, double spaced and standard margins] – not counting the Works Cited page.


Writing Assignment #2 - Argumentative/Persuasive Essay With Research: Select some idea or issue you feel passionately about and about which you think you could suggest some rational solution or approach that you would like to persuade us to buy into. Make sure you are able to articulate opposing ideas that others might challenge you with. Do some research to find authorities your audience will find convincing to support your arguments, and present their research or ideas in your paper. Be sure to follow MLA guidelines in the following details:
· The formatting of your paper overall
· In-text citing of any sources you use
· The formatting of your Works Cited page

Your Argumentative Research Paper must be 4 to 6 pages in length including the Works Cited page. You should observe the usual requirements relating to font size and spacing. The following date commitments MUST be adhered to or your grade will suffer.
· You will need to commit to a topic by Sept. 22
· Your thesis statement, outline and list of four sources must be turned in on Sept. 27, and periodic checks will be made on your note-keeping.
· Your paper must be completed and turned in on Oct. 27 - to Turnitin AND a hard copy.

Writing Assignment #3 - Definition OR Classification Essay Assignment: We have read examples of both a Definition Essay and a Classification Essay – the Definition Essay focuses on one term or idea. The Classification Essay breaks a common term or idea into a set of categories and then discusses how the categories differ. You may choose which one you want to do.
Definition Essay:
Write an essay of no more than two full pages that focuses on exploring the REAL MEANING behind a term that is important to you: Truth, Loyalty, Deception, Friendship, Integrity, Modesty, Evil, Patriotism, Heroism, Funny, Sad etc, etc.

Do some real free-writing before you focus and write your essay. These topics are so potentially huge, you need to limit the scope of your discussion, make it specific to your Thesis.
OR
Classification Essay:
Write an essay of no more than two full pages that explains how something [some common term, some experience, some concept] can be broken down into different categories, each representing something quite unique. We have read several classification essays that looked at different ways of talking about literature, different types of responses to the dangers of global warming, and different levels of meaning in literary works.

Select some topic that can be broken down into different categories. Make sure you articulate how each category is unique and give examples for each.

Writing Assignment #4 - Cause and Effect OR Process Analysis Essay:
You have a choice again for Writing Assignment #4. You may do an essay that follows the Cause and Effect approach or the Process Analysis approach:
Cause and Effect Essay:
Select a topic that means something to you that would explain WHY something is what it is - what caused it to be. If you can't think of something you are personally into, here are a few suggestions you might think about:
• The effects of peer pressure in our lives
• The effects of technological change over the last twenty years
• The effects of participation in athletic activities or competitions has had on your character
• How the "war on terror" has impacted our lives

Make sure you develop a personal insight that will form the basis of your thesis, and organize a discussion of the cause and effect relationship you want to highlight. The paper should be no more than three pages typed.

OR
Process Analysis Essay:
If you choose this, you can explain to me how your reader might go about doing something you think you know how to teach. Again, if you can think of something on your own, go with it, but if you need some ideas, you can choose from these topics:
• How do you think young men and women should choose the career path that is right for them? What is the process they should follow? If you are pretty sure of what you want to do, how have you chosen your path, and what could others learn from what you have done? Or if you are not yet sure, how do you envision yourself making your way along the road to the future?

The paper should be no more than three pages typed.


Writing Assignment #5 - Compare and Contrast Essay:
Write an essay comparing and contrasting one of the following topics:
• Believing and knowing
• Living in the US compared to living in some other country you know well and can compare from your experience.
• Two career paths you may be drawn to compared
• Liberal and Conservative
Explore one of these topics and discuss (compare and contrast) how you view them. You should not need to doo any research on these topics. I want you to write from your experience or your own thought process. You may check dictionaries and you don’t need to cite them. The paper should be no more than three pages typed.


Writing Assignment #6 - Narrative/Descriptive/Reflective Essay:
Select a topic category from the following list and write an essay no longer than four pages that tells the story of -
· A time when you felt secure, hopeful, distraught, appreciated, confident, frightened, exploited, or misunderstood
· A time when you made a decision about lifestyle, career path, education or religion
· An event that tested your will, patience, self-concept or goals
· An event that changed or confirmed your assessment of a person, group or institution
AND don’t forget, your narrative essay must have a Thesis – a message or insight that the event taught you.

Your paper should be no more than four pages [12 font, double spaced and standard margins