ENGL 109F16 – Writing Prompts

 

Prompt 1:

14 Sept (Weds)

 

1. Summarize your article in about a paragraph.

 

2. Answer these questions:

         i) Is the author making an argument? If so, what is it, and how do you know?

         ii) How did this author convince you to change your mind? Why is this important?

OR

         ii) How does this article explain something about your experience?

 

Prompt 2:

19 Sept (Mon)

 

1. Choose one of the three articles assigned

 

2. Summarize the information it reports

 

3. Does the author imply that thereÕs some action we could or should take on the issue? If so, what is it?

 

4. How do you know? What rhetorical cues has the author given?

 

5. What action do you think we should take, if any? If we shouldnÕt, why not?

 

Prompt 3:

19 Oct (Weds)

 

Close Textual Analysis:

1. Answer briefly: What is the rose in ÒA Rose for EmilyÓ?

 

2. Choose two passages you think are particularly important in FaulknerÕs story and read them carefully.

 

3. On your copy of the story, mark up your passages.

         i) Underline significant words and phrases and jot down brief explanations in the margins of why you think they might be important.

         ii) Look up words in the OED that you think might be important. Is the author playing on any ambiguities or dualities in their meanings?

         iii) Is there an emphasis on contrasts? Do any adjectives seem slightly out of place? Look for figurative language. Look for paradox.

        

4. Develop an analysis of your passages in paragraph form.

 

5. Submit your analysis and your marked-up copy of Faulkner.

 

Prompt 4:

24 Oct (Mon)

 

Obama and OÕConnor share an emphasis on Òconvergence.Ó What are some of the similarities in how they examine this concept? The differences? Is this still a useful concept in America? In Canada?

 

Prompt 5:

31 Oct (Mon)

 

Read DonneÕs ÒA Valediction: Forbidding Mourning.Ó

 

1. What is this poem about?

2. Do a close reading of a single stanza.

 

Prompt 6:

2 Nov (Wed)

 

Prompt 7:

9 Nov (Weds)

 

Reflect on one of the Infinite Monkey Cage podcasts.

i. What did you learn?

ii. Is the format of this podcast an effective way to communicate about science?

iii. WhatÕs the importance of trying to communicate scientific data in our current political context?

 

Prompt 8:

16 Nov (Weds)

 

1. Introduce your research essay.

2. Pitch it. Explain why itÕs important.

3. Outline your argument.

4. Exchange this description of your essay with members of your writing group.

5. Critique the descriptions as a group. Be constructive.

6. Submit your rewritten description with a tentative bibliography of 3 sources.

 

Prompt 9:

21 Nov (Mon)

 

Critical analysis

At this point, you should have collected and read at least 6 sources you plan to use to support the argument of your research essay.

1. Read one of your sources closely.

2. Write a critical analysis of your article.

         a) Summarize the argument and the data presented in the piece.

         b) Assess its methodology.

         c) Are there potential flaws in its findings?

         d) How might you balance the findings of the article? Where else might you look to check its accuracy?