Use the questions and talking points below to compose your weekly short-response writings. These assignments should appear in the "weekly writings" folder shared with me on your Google Drive and will be graded on the basis of completion by the designated due date. Create a separate Google Doc for each response, and save it using the following naming convention:
<duedate> response: <original title phrase>Newest topic prompts will appear at the top.
[ January 19 | 26 ] [ February 2 | 9 | 23 ] [ March 8 | 15 ] [ April 5 | 12 | 19 ]
ongoing topic, Salopek's milestones:
Check back in with journalist Paul Salopek along his seven-year journey. Every 100 miles, Salopek files a milestone report, recording audio and video, taking photographs, and talking to the nearest human he can find. Scan through the milestones and zoom in on the map to view his progress.
For this post, write a 200-300 word paragraph that focuses on one of the elements -- audible, visual, etc. -- of Salopek's milestone. Think of this as a close reading, assessing the meaning to the sights, sounds, and/or people that Salopek encounters along his way.
You may post to this topic up to four times (and earn up to 40 points) until the end of the semester. **updatedongoing topic, Paco Iyer's TED talk
Travel writer Paco Iyer offers an interesting perspective on travel in his TED talk, "The art of stillness." Follow the link above to watch Iyer's talk, then offer a critical response of at least 200 words in this space. Have you exercised this kind of stillness? How might you do it in your own life or do you even think there is a need for it?19 April:
**last day to submit weekly writing responses, including ongoing topics above
option 1: Write a 250-word response to discuss how the current situation has changed your perspective of place. How have you come to redefine what you consider "home"?
option 2: Provide a progress report -- a paragraph of at least 250 words -- indicating where you are with the revision portfolio and what you still have to do to complete the assignment.12 April:
Review the requirements for the "essay revision" in the revision portfolio on the course website. You'll notice that this assignment requires more than simply looking for "errors" in a submitted essay and correcting them. In a short paragraph of at least 150 words, describe how you will approach the requirement to revise the essay. Which essay will you rewrite? What approach will you take? How will you reconsider the assignment?5 April:
option 1: Create MLA-formatted citations for each of the Olaudah Equiano sources in the "readings" folder on eLearning. (materials forthcoming)
option 2 (repeated/modified from 15 March below): Using the databases accessible through the UNG Libraries website, Provide an MLA formatted list of at least three possible sources to use in your essay. Remember that these need to be peer-reviewed, scholarly sources (from journals). Consider using JSTOR or MLA databases first, then selecting keywords like "Equiano" and "identity," "faith," or others that might suit your topic. (20 points)
option 3: Write a 5-7 sentence summary (annotation) for at least one of these sources (10 points each; summarize 2 = 20 points). Be particularly cautious about plagiarism in this response. ANYTHING that is not in your own words must be in quotation marks. If you need a reminder of summarizing, paraphrasing and integrating sources, see the PurdueOWL. Along with the summary, provide a sentence or two about how this source will be helpful in your essay.
option 1: What are the things you need to consider when reading a graphic novel? Think about articulating some of the points we discussed in class and developing them into a single, organized paragraph of at least 150 words.
15 March (rescheduled to 5 April above):option 2: Moving forward from the theoretical discussion of what you should consider when reading a graphic novel, think specifically here about your process of reading. What do you look at first? How do you negotiate the words and images on the page? Are you finding it easy or difficult? Why?
Provide an MLA formatted list of at least three possible sources to use in your essay. Remember that these need to be peer-reviewed, scholarly sources (from journals). No need to include Equiano or this assignment even though this novel will appear in your list of works cited for your final essay.
Select one of the primary source documents in our contextual reading about Olaudah Equiano, and in a paragraph of at least 250 words, discuss the significance of this document as it informs your reading and understanding of Equiano's narrative.
option 1: Based on your reading of the novel, write a short paragraph of at least 200 words where you explore one of the larger themes of the novel. In your paragraph, begin to formulate an argument about what this theme does.
option 2: On the heels of our in-class introduction to Olaudah Equiano, write a paragraph of at least 250 words discussing your initial impression of the novel. Use the checklist in Gardner to think critically about your response, rather than relying on the way the novel makes you feel. This response should reflect your reading of the novel, so include a properly cited quotation beyond the first paragraph to support this initial impression.9 February:
No topic. Continue drafting and revising essay 1.2 February:
1. Close reading: Select one of the poems by Natasha Trethewey that does not appear on our reading list by accessing her bio and selected poems at the Poetry Foundation. You can find others by Googling her name. In a paragraph of 200-300 words, compose an organized and detailed close reading of one of these poems. Remember that when you quote from the poem, use the appropriate MLA citation format and this time include a bibliographic entry at the end of you paragraph since your selection is not on our syllabus.
2. Giving voice to the inanimate: Sidney Lanier's poem "Song of the Chattahoochee" delivers its message through the voices of nature: the river speaks to the grasses, trees, and rocks that it encounters along its obligatory path southward. For this post, write a 200-300 word paragraph or a sonnet that gives voice to an inanimate object. Remember that Lanier's speaker had a message; so should yours. The plan with these posts is to get you thinking creatively, writing in different forms as you observe the world around you.
3. Using one of the works we have discussed in class to this point, write a single paragraph of 200-300 words to analyze a specific literary element or technique. Remember to lead your paragraph with a clear topic sentence and to provide ample supporting detail. If you quote from the work -- which you should -- insert the appropriate MLA formatted in-text citations and include a bibliographic entry at the end of your paragraph. Gardner and the Purdue OWL can help on both accounts if you're unsure of formatting.
option 1: Write a 200-300 word paragraph modeled after Joel Chandler Harris' introductory description of Lost Mountain. Choose as your focal point some outdoor locale. Again, think creatively.
option 2: Write a 200-300 word paragraph describing one element of Alice Walker's "The Flowers." Refer to Gardner's list on p. 14 for guidance on what you might write about.
Four years ago, I heard a story on NPR's "Morning Edition" about Paul Salopek, a journalist and world correspondent who is undertaking a seven-year trek around the world, following the path of mankind. Listen to the story on NPR, then view Salopek's website.
In a single-paragraph response of at least 200 words, describe a journey of your own. Be sure to provide a clear sense of structure for your paragraph and include ample detail.
