Essay No. 5: Writing to Solve Problems
and Present
Solutions
University of South Dakota
| W |
12/3 |
Chapter 7 (incl. Cedeno, Synder) |
| F |
12/5 |
Chapter 7 continued. |
| M |
12/8 |
Final preparations for In-class Essay (Essay #5). |
| W |
12/10 |
In-class Essay. Be prepared to write! |
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F |
12/12 |
Class wrap-up. |
The Assignment:
For this assignment, you may write an essay, an editorial, or a letter.
There is no length requirement. Here are your choices:
- Write an essay about a human relations problem that exists in your
workplace, church, or community.
- Write an essay about the problem of sexual harassment on campus/in
your commmunity.
- Identify a problem related to cultural diversity at your school or in
your community and write an editorial or a letter to the editor of your
school/community newspaper about this problem and the solution you
propose.
- Write a letter to an administrator in which you identify and propose a
solution to a problem that affects a particular group of students (e.g.,
disabled students, dorm students, students taking German, etc.).
For this assignment, you should be able to discuss the problem
objectively and solve the problem. Be sure that you have a serious
proposal to present to your readers.
Plan ahead:
- Ideally, you should plan to 1)define the problem, 2) evaluate
alternative
solutions, and 3) argue for your proposed solution.
- You should bring the blue examination booklets (or lined paper),
pens (no pencils), and this assignment sheet to class. You may also bring
a dictionary.
Step by Step:
Before you begin your in-class writing, write at the top: essay,
editorial, or letter (whichever one you have chosen). Identify your
audience (e.g., other students; editor and community; administrator).
When you have finished writing, you should underline your thesis and
write "thesis" in the margins.
You must use at least three of the following patterns of
development (narration, description, exemplification, comparison/contrast,
or cause and effect), and you must identify the patterns in the
margins (so that I can see that you are conscious of what you're doing).
You must have a conclusion.
Write neatly on every other line. Allow
yourself at least ten minutes to revise your writing assignment.
Your assignments will be turned in at the end of class. Remote sites, your
assignments should be mailed immediately after class.
Go to the English Composition page.