Workshop:
Helping Writers Understand and Respond to Writing Assignments
Across the Curriculum
Jan Frodesen and Lía D. Kamhi-Stein
English Language Learner/Basic Skills Colloquium:
Academic Writing Across the Curriculum
SANTA MONICA COLLEGE
May 6, 2011
Workshop Structure and Tasks
Context: For this workshop, imagine that you and your colleagues in ESL/English/Basic
Skills have identified three main goals concerned with preparing students for writing
assignments across the curriculum. You will be working in small groups to address these
goals.
Task 1:
One goal is to help students understand what the purposes and expectations of
specific writing assignments are. To address this goal, you will be
“deconstructing” and discussing assignments. Your group will be assigned one
writing prompt from the samples in this packet to analyze and discuss. On the
next pages, you will find a set of questions to guide your discussion.
Task 2:
A second goal is to help your students consider and articulate the kinds of
questions they might ask their instructors (either in writing such as an e-mail
message or in a conference) to understand more completely the objectives and
expectations of a prompt that might not be clear to them. You and your group
members will address this goal in relation to the writing prompt you have
analyzed.
Task 3:
A final goal, one that more broadly involves your writing courses, is to consider
some reading and writing tasks you could design to help students develop
rhetorical and language skills for responding effectively and appropriately to
writing demands across the curriculum. Again, you will be addressing the goal in
light of the prompt that you have examined. We hope that you will be able to
draw on some of the topics from the morning presentations as well as your own
teaching experiences and materials development.
This workshop will include time for each small group to share with workshop
participants some of the findings from their analysis and ideas for helping student
writers.
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Questions for Examining Sample Writing Assignments
The following questions are intended to help instructors design writing assignments.
We’ll use them to analyze prompts for the purpose of considering how we might
provide support for student writers: rhetorical, linguistic and cultural. Thus, you’ll want
to note not only what the prompts include, but also what may be missing that students
might need to know or discover. These questions serve as guidelines for group
discussion; you don’t need to answer them all! Consider ones that seem most relevant
to the prompt your group is examining.
Rhetorical aspects
 What is the purpose of the assignment? Does it address specific goals of the
course?
 Does the format of the writing assignment (research paper, position paper,
problem-solving paper, book review, etc.) fit the purpose?
 Who is the intended audience?
 Is there a specific situation or context of writing?
 If there are choices, are the options clearly indicated?
 Does the writing assignment have sub-parts? If so, are they clear?
 What verbs are used to specify what students are asked to do? Do the verbs
make clear how students should address the task?
 What questions are raised for students to consider or address? If students are
asked to write an essay or research paper with a thesis, is it possible to respond
to all questions in a unified thesis?
Use of sources:
 Are the kinds and numbers of required sources clearly stated? Are they ones that
students have previously read for class or ones they will need to find on their
own?
 If students need to find sources, is guidance provided?
 How will students use the sources (Should they be used to support a thesis? Is a
source a primary text for analysis?)
 What information, if any, is given about appropriately referencing sources (e.g.,
citations, paraphrasing)?
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Language aspects
 Will it be clear to students what kind of language style or register is expected?
 Does the intended audience suggest a particular style or register?
Formatting
 Are there instructions for the appropriate format (length, font size, cover sheet,
etc.)?
 Are there special instructions, such as for headings?
General
 Are the assignment instructions clearly sequenced?
 Is the language of the assignment precise and clear?
Evaluation Criteria
 How will the assignment be evaluated? Are there breakdowns for content,
organization, writing skills?
 If writing skills as well as content are important, are expected writing skills
stated?
 If a rubric is given, are the criteria clearly stated?
 Do students have access to models of the kinds of writing they are being asked to
do?
 Are late assignments accepted? If so, is there a penalty?
Some of the questions above were taken or adapted from Colorado State University’s WAC
website resource “Teaching Guide: Designing Writing Assignments”
(http://writing.colo.state.edu/ guides/teaching/wassign).
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Sample Writing Assignments from General Education Courses:
University of California, Santa Barbara and California State University, Los Angeles
Sample 1
History 2A Paper #1
UCSB
Using the method that Mark Kishlansky recommends for reading a primary source,
write a four-page paper analyzing this document. Your goal is to discuss what you can
discern about the society that produced this document, the second question in the
third step of Kishlansky’s analysis. But in order to do that, you should also discuss as much
as possible your conclusions regarding the questions in the first and second steps of
analysis. Once you have squeezed as much as you can about the society that produced this
document, use the last two paragraphs of your paper to answer the following two questions:
1) of those civilizations that we’ve studied up to now, which one do you think produced this
document? (you’ll want to answer this question by drawing on other documents and
material artifacts from the class), and 2) what’s the significance of this document for you as
a person studying ancient civilizations? (Kishlansky’s last question).
To write this paper, do not use any resources other than those assigned for
this class. In particular, do not use Google, do not use Wikipedia, or any other
internet site other than the course website. Papers that show evidence of such
tools will be penalized in a manner too horrible
even to contemplate.
This text was written in the mid-450s BCE. It is an inscription found in the city of the
E-------people to which the text refers. Some of the text on the stone has been damaged.…
“[So and so] made the motion. The people of E------- are to bring sacrificial victims
to the Great Pan---------aea. The victims are to be worth not less than three minas and the
sacrificers are to allocate to each of the people of E------- who may be present a portion of
the meat worth one drachma. If the sacrificial victims that are brought are not worth three
minas as has been prescribed, the sacrificers are to buy sacrificial victims and the costs are
to be assigned to the people of E------. As for the meat, anyone who wishes may take
some. The council of the people of E-------, which is to be chosen by lot, shall number 120
men. Each person who is designated by lot shall undergo scrutiny in the Council of the
people of E-------. No one may be a councilor who is less than 30 years of age, nor may a
foreigner be a councilor. Convicted violators shall be liable to prosecution. No one may be a
councilor more than once every four years. The Overseers from the city of A----- and
garrison commander shall now conduct the allocation and establish the Council, but in the
future the Council and the garrison commander shall do it. Before entering office, each of
those who are to serve as councilors for the people of E----------- shall swear an oath by
Zeus, Apollo, and Demeter, invoking destruction on himself if he swears falsely and on his
children, and he shall swear the oath over burning victims. Each councilor shall serve
according to the established law. If he does not, he shall pay a fine of one thousand
drachmas and pay not less to the people of E-------. The Council of the people of E----- shall
swear the following oath: I will be the best and most just councilor that I can for the people
of E------and the people of A-------- and the allies, and I will not revolt from the people of
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A-------- or from the allies of the people of A-------, neither on my own initiative nor
persuaded by another. Nor will I defect on my own initiative or persuaded by anyone
else…”
Papers will be evaluated on the extent to which they analyze an issue and present
the analysis in the form of an effective argument. They must also conform to the guidelines
for style, structure, and format that your TAs will present in discussion section.
Excellent (A+, A, A-): The essay thoughtfully develops an interesting thesis based
fundamentally on the sources from the period under discussion. The essay shows command
of the topic and some originality and enthusiasm in discussing it. The essay is well
organized, convincingly argued, and clearly expressed—it is a pleasure to read. It is free of
errors in grammar, spelling and punctuation, and correctly uses conventions of
documentation.
Very Good to Good (B+, B, B-): A competent, interesting, and accurate treatment of
the topic, supported for the most part by the source material. The essay is well written and
has a clear thesis. Essays at the lower part of this range may not have fully digested the
material. The organization is good and the sentences are all comprehensible. There are few
errors in grammar, spelling and punctuation. The essay follows standard conventions of
scholarly documentation.
Good to Fair (C+, C, C-): An average essay, with an unclear, undeveloped, or trivial
thesis. Much of the essay summarizes or paraphrases the source, with only occasional
analytical comment. There may be inaccuracies or lack of engagement with the ancient
author. The essay may be disorganized; it may have convoluted and incomprehensible
sentences. There may be frequent mistakes in grammar, spelling and punctuation, and
carelessness about documentation.
Poor (D+, D, D-): Shows serious inaccuracies or inconsistencies. The essay has
barely grasped the topic, with no thought and analysis. When passages are cited, they tend
to be misused or misinterpreted. The essay may express opinions, but they are not
supported with evidence or argument. The essay lacks coherence, is unclear and has many
errors in grammar, spelling and punctuation.
Failing (F): Shows total misunderstanding. The essay is disorganized, obscure, full of
grammatical errors and unscholarly.
N.B. Papers that fail to use appropriate citations or fail to use the assigned reading
as the basis of the essay will automatically earn an F. Using another person’s paper is
plagiarism. Using your own work submitted for another class will automatically earn a 0. We
will not accept late papers.
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Sample 2
ENGLISH 50: Research Paper and Abstract
UCSB
While the paper assignment is called a “research paper,” it should not be a paper about a chosen
topic (e.g., Japanese internment). This topic clearly relates to a relevant theme of this course, and
the selected literature of the course, but we are not looking for a chronicle, or detailed
exploration of what Japanese internment was like for Japanese Americans. You will instead do a
literary analysis of your given topic. As such, you should read and analyze a given text,
formulate a thesis that offers a specific reading of your text, and use your research as support for
your argument. Your research will merely be a way of reinforcing your textual analysis.
How to begin: 1) Choose a course text of interest and allow that text to guide your research
options. For example, Mine Okubo’s Citizen 13660 will lend itself to research on Japanese
internment, both in terms of policy as well as living conditions. 2) Choose a historical event and
match it to a text. For example, if you are interested in Angel Island, then you’ll have to find a
literary text to analyze. Choose one poet, or several poems by different poets that explore the
same subject. 3) Choose a theme and find a text/s that explore your theme. For example, if
you’re interested in assimilation, find 2 texts (no more than 2 for short excerpts, no more than 3
poems) that address your theme in a similar fashion (e.g. pro- or anti-assimilation).
Research advice: in addition to researching the historical background of your given topic, try to
locate critical articles about the text you’ve chosen. MLA International Bibliography is a helpful
online database.
Library Orientation on Research Skills: If you attend this library orientation, you will receive
extra credit (attendance will excuse another absence and section assignment!). Gary Colemar
will work with you individually, if you should so desire, on your topic. Ask him how to locate
helpful sources on your specific approach to the material.
Don’t forget to sign-in! You will not receive extra credit without it.
The Abstract: An abstract is generally a summary of a paper’s content, including research
methodology and basic synopsis of an argument. In this case, your abstract will be a proposal
about a paper topic you’d like to explore. In it, you should outline the following: a specific text
on which you’d like to focus, tentative argument, means of approach, and research content. It
should be about ¾ to a page in length.
Example
I am interested in exploring the theme of education in Milton Murayama’s All I Asking for Is My
Body. In this text, an example of a bildungsroman, Kiyo’s education becomes highly important
in understanding Murayama’s statement about education, specifically about what type of
knowledge is valued. As a bildungsroman, Kiyo’s own cultural knowledge is attained slowly
through contact with opposing ideas and ideals. As a result, by analyzing what, and how, he
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learns, I hope to arrive at a conclusion about…..[situate a tentative explanation of your
argument] Since the setting of this novella is Hawaii, I will research the relevance of the
Japanese inhabitation in Hawaii, sugar plantations, the regional dialect of pidgin, or HCE
(Hawaiian Creole English), and racial/cultural tension on the island [Since your abstract will be
written after you have located sources, you should be able to expand upon how these sources
specifically]
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Sample 3
RELIGIOUS STUDIES 1
“Book Paper Assignment”
UCSB
Coelho’s The Alchemist, Hesse’s Siddhartha, Hosseini’s The Kite Runner, McCarthy’s The Road
Analyze a contemporary novel based on the concepts and themes introduced in the course.
1) A short biography of the author and discussion of the book’s place in relation to his other
works. Is it one among several he has written? Does it stand out from his other writings in some
way? (1 page)
2) Briefly what was the book about? Who were the main protagonists? (1/2 to 1 page)
3) Does the book deal with specific religions or members of such religions? If so, what/who are
they and how does it represent them? Positively? Negatively? Does it do so in terms of myth?
Ritual? Salvation? Politics? Experience? If it does not mention specific religions, does it
represent concepts, themes, or issues that can be called religious? Explain and provide
examples. (2-3 pages)
4) How does the book illustrate the theme of religious journey as developed in our class? (E.g.,
What landscapes does it take place in? What journey(s) do the main protagonists take? Do
women also participate in the journey? If so, how significant are they? Do the protagonists
encounter or invoke supramundane beings? Do they have to overcome obstacles or travel to
sacred places on their journeys? What transformations do the protagonists experience, and what
causes these transformations to occur? How is the subject of death portrayed, and how is it
related to the protagonist’s journey? (2-3 pages)
5) Provide a conclusion that clearly and succinctly relates back to your original thesis statement.
Include your critical assessment of the book, good and bad. (1/2-1 page)
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Sample 4
COMM 176, Argumentation
CSULA
Critical Thinking and Advocacy Exercise
Learning Objectives
1. To enhance the student’s ability to analyze claims.
2. To refine the student’s capacity to construct and present reasoned arguments in support of a
thesis.
3. To improve the student’s clarity and quality of writing.
Requirements
1. Select one of the quotations provided below and analyze it.
2. Decide whether, for the purposes of this assignment, you agree or disagree with the idea
expressed by your author. You cannot equivocate; you must advocate agreement or
disagreement.
3. Write an essay in which you accomplish the following:
A. Present and explain what you believe the author meant. Read the quotation carefully.
You cannot make words mean what you want them to mean. You need to
understand what the author meant.
B. Indicate whether or not you agree with the idea expressed through the quotation you
have selected to analyze.
C. Present at least two reasons why you agree or disagree with the author of your
quotation. Each reason is a claim and its support. Be explicit in the expression of
your claims. Enumerate them. And be sure to support your claim with
explanation or an example.
D. Start your essay with an introduction in which you (1) arouse the reader’s interest, (2)
present an explicit thesis, and (3) preview the development of your essay.
E. End your essay with a conclusion in which you (1) summarize what you have done in
your essay, (2) restate the thesis of the essay, and (3) leave the reader thinking
about your ideas.
Quotations for analysis
1. The man who makes no mistakes does not usually make anything.
Edward Phelps (19th Century U.S. Senator from Vermont)
2. Memory is more indelible than ink.
Anita Loos (American screenwriter, playwright, and author)
Grading Criteria
1. Meeting the requirements of the assignment
2. Quality of analysis; a clear demonstration of an understanding of the ideas raised by the
author
3. Adherence to rules of grammar and expression
4. Clarity in the presentation of claims
5. Quality of support for each claim
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Sample 5
HISTORY 110
CSULA
Please write an essay on comparison and contrast of ancient Greece and Roman civilization with
an emphasis on religion.
Length - 10 pages
Format - Double space, Times New Roman, size 12
Required elements:
1. Definition of Greek Civilization (location, time period, major contribution to world
history)
2. Definition of Roman Civilization (location, time period, major contribution to world
history)
3. Compare and contrast their political systems, economic systems, social structures and
military systems
4. Describe in detail the belief system of ancient Greece
5. Discuss the unique aspects of the Greek belief system and the factors that contributed to
these features
6. Describe in detail the belief system in ancient Rome
7. Discuss the unique aspects of the Rome belief system and the factors that contributed to
these features
8. Discuss the differences and similarities of these two systems
9. Cite at least three outside source (research book, film, collections of primary sources,
novel, poetry, etc.)
10. Clearly written
Suggested Readings:
1. Sarah B. Pomeroy. A Brief History of Ancient Greece: Politics, Society, and
Culture. Oxford University Press, 2004.
2. Mary T.Boatwright. A Brief History of the Romans. Oxford University Press,
2006.
3. Numa Denis Fustel De Coulanges. The Ancient City: A Study on the Religion,
Laws, and Institutions of Greece and Rome. The Johns Hopkins University Press,
1980.
4. Robert Turcan. The Gods of Ancient Rome: Religion in Everyday Life from
Archaic to Imperial Times. Routledge, 2001.
5. Simon Price. Religions of the Ancient Greeks. Cambridge University Press, 1999.
6. Valerie M. Warrior. Roman Religion: A Sourcebook. Focus Publishing, 2002.
7. John E. Stambaugh. Sources for the Study of Greek Religion. Scholars Press,
2000.
8. John Scheid. An Introduction to Roman Religion. Indiana University Press, 2003.
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Sample 6
BIOLOGY 100A
Final Lab Writing Assignment: Coevolution
CSULA
Due at the BEGINNING of final lab session
Co-evolution has been a powerful force shaping life on earth, often linking organisms from
different kingdoms together in mutualistic or parasitic relationships. Some mutualisms are so
interdependent that neither organism could survive without the other. Similarly, parasites have
often co-evolved with specific hosts, without which they cannot complete their life cycle; in turn,
the hosts have evolved mechanisms to survive exploitation by their parasites.
For the final assignment in the laboratory portion of Biol 100A, you will write an essay
describing a coevolved relationship between two organisms. Choose one of the following
examples, or get instructor approval for a choice of your own. Note that in the options listed
below, the 2 organisms are distantly related, usually from different kingdoms. Think about how
such different lineages have affected each other’s evolutionary history, and how these
interactions shape the ecology and biogeochemistry of the planet as a whole.
For your chosen example, you must write an essay explaining how this interaction is an
important example of coevolution. If appropriate for your choice, discuss how your example of
coevolution contributes to ONE of the following:
- Adaptations critical to the survival of both organisms. What unusual adaptations are
present in each organism to facilitate interactions with their partner organism? How do these
adaptations reflect the characteristics of each organism involved? For instance, algae normally
live only in water, but in lichens, they can exist on dry land. What makes this possible?
- Speciation and global biodiversity. Coevolution has been fundamentally important in
promoting the diversity of body forms we see in the natural world, and has contributed greatly to
the number of different species in certain groups. Has your example of coevolution affected the
species richness of the planet?
- Biogeochemical cycles. In many mutualisms, one organism extracts energy or matter
from a source that the partner organism cannot itself obtain. These interactions can result in
chemical transformation of inorganic gases and salts, or may make chemicals and nutrients
available that would otherwise not be available. These symbioses can alter the environment or
atmosphere, or determine where certain organisms can live. Is biogeochemistry involved in, or
affected by, your chosen example?
- Maintaining the health of ecosystems. Some coevolved relationships are crucial for
maintaining healthy ecosystems, those that are self-sustaining and promote biodiversity and
normal ecosystem processes. Does the relationship between your coevolved organisms
contribute to the general well being of their ecosystem?
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Possible examples of coevolved relationships:
- dinoflagellates and reef-building corals
- angiosperms and pollinating animals
- angiosperms and herbivorous insects
- parasitic protists and their hosts
- mycorrhizae and plants
- cellulose-digesting bacteria and herbivorous animals
- termite and hindgut (bacteria) relationship
- sea slugs and host alga
- clown fishes and anemones
- deep-sea hydrothermal vent worms and chemoautotrophic bacteria
- endosymbiosis involving two distinct organisms
- predator vs. prey relationship(s)
Other examples are permissible with prior approval of your lab instructor.
*****REQUIREMENTS – Your essay must be:
- typewritten in 12-point Times Roman font
- a minimum of 2 pages in length (anything under 2 pages and over 4 pages will not be
read)! Quantity is NO substitute for Quality…
- double-spaced!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
CITATIONS –
Your essay must include a minimum of 2 citations; more are acceptable but are not
required. Literature citations are a fundamental part of science writing, and tell your reader the
source from which you got your information. The primary literature is where research is
published in scientific journals such as Science; the primary literature contains experimental
results, and is often difficult for a non-expert to read. The secondary literature is found in
textbooks or journals such as Scientific American or BioScience, which are written for a general
audience. These sources summarize results from the primary literature without reporting the
original data. For your essay, you should cite one book (such as your textbook), and one
journal article from the primary or secondary literature. You should use an on-line search
engine such as Basic Biosis to do a search for key words related to the topic you have chosen,
and find an article or section of a book that talks about your example.
References should be cited in 2 places:
(1) In the text, when you re-write information from a source in your own words.
Typically you only need to cite an article or book the first time you use information from that
source in a given paragraph. The source should be cited using the following format, in which
you place the author’s name and the date of publication in parentheses, separated by a comma. If
there are 2 authors, you use both authors’ names separated by “and,” then a comma, then the
date. If there are more than 2 authors, you use only the first author’s name and follow it with, “et
al., ” then a comma, then the date. NOTE:- YOU SHOULD INCLUDE THE REFERENCES
ON A SEPARATE PAGE!
The sea slug Alderia modesta can lay many small eggs or a few big eggs (Krug, 1998).
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Remote sensing can be used to study biogeochemical processes (Gamon and Qiu, 1998).
Arctic ecosystems are undergoing rapid warming (Stow et al., 2004).
Biology is very interesting (Campbell and Reece, 2002).
(2) At the end of the paper, ON A SEPARATE PAGE you should have a heading called
Literature Cited, under which you list the sources used in your paper. They should be in
alphabetical order by author, and follow the format below (Note from Lia and Jan: We have
deleted the formatting examples for journals, books) If you have questions about the format to
use, speak to your lab instructor; do not wait until the last minute to do this.
WEBSITES –
Websites are not scientific literature and may not be cited in your essay. Articles in
journals and textbooks are reviewed by experts in the field, to make sure the experiments were
done properly and the conclusions are reasonable. Material on the internet has no such quality
controls, and is not suitable to cite and reference. You can use the internet to locate citable
materials, but do not cite a website.
PLAGIARISM –
Everything in your essay must be in your own words. It is a serious violation of the
university’s academic policies to plagiarize, or copy directly, from any source. You must rewrite
any information in your own words, and cite the sources from which you base your report. Just
because you cite a source, it is NOT OK to copy directly from it; you must still phrase
everything in your own words. In particular, be aware of the following:
(1) NO QUOTES. Direct quotes are almost never used in science writing. Do not copy
sentences directly and put quotation marks around them. Rephrase the information yourself.
(2) You may discuss your paper with classmates, but do NOT work together when
writing this assignment. If 2 or more of you turn in an essay that is basically the same, you will
not receive credit for the assignment. We are very good at detecting people who copy from one
another, so don’t do it.
(3) Don’t copy from the internet or from a book and assume we won’t know. Your lab
instructor knows your writing style and grammar. If we read something that is not your own
writing, we will find out if you copied from another source. If you did, the course instructor may
fail you for the entire class. This has been an issue in other courses, so we are very aware of the
problem. It is critical that you learn now how to properly research, write, and cite a paper based
on the scientific literature.
If you directly copy even ONE SENTENCE from another source, expect to receive a failing
grade for the entire course!
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BIOL 100A Final Writing Assignment – Rubric (20 points)
CSULA
(5 points) - clear description of coevolved relationship between 2 organisms
(5 points) - appropriate and effective discussion of ONE of the following:
a) adaptations
b) speciation and global biodiversity
c) biogeochemical cycles
d) ecosystem health
(5 points) - format and style
page length
proper use of citations (in text and bibliography)
appropriate grammar
(0 or 5 points) - original writing
5 points - student's own writing entirely
0 points - evidence of partial plagiarism bordering on academic dishonesty (for example,
some sentences or paragraphs stolen), but evidence the student did most of the writing
and attempted to use citations.
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Sample 7
POLITICAL SCIENCE 150
CSULA
POLITICAL IDEOLOGY AND POLITICAL PARTY IDENTIFICATION (ID) PAPER
The purpose of this exercise is to assess your individual political ideology and political
party identification. You will be asked to reflect upon the factors that influenced the development
of your political belief system and party identification.
1. To self-assess your political ideology go to the following website:
http://typology.people-press.org/typology/
What were your results?_________________
Print out the results and attach to the paper you submit.
2. To determine your political party affiliation go to the Republican and Democratic Party
websites. Democratic website: www.democrats.org (click on "what we stand for" to view issue
positions). Republican website: www.gop.com (click on "Issues", then click on "Issues" and/or "2008
Party Platform"). After reading the issue positions of the two major parties which one do you
identify with the most?_____________________
If you are an Independent do you lean Republican or lean Democratic?
3. In essay format, answer the following questions:
Political Ideology
1. Were you surprised by your political ideology results? Does your overall ideology
placement feel right to you? Why or why not?
2. Where would your results place you on the ideological spectrum we discussed in
class? Explain your answer.
3. How do you think you developed your political ideology? What factors have
influenced you the most (family, schools/educational system, friends, experiences,
the media)? Explain. Would you consider your parents’ ideologies to be liberal or
conservative or something else?
4. Do you believe this survey was a valid measurement of your political ideology? Why
or why not?
Political Party
5. Explain your political party affiliation and how you came to identify with a specific
party (or not affiliate). Thinking about the political socialization process, what factors
influenced your choice of party id? How has your parents' party identification
affected your choice of party? Is there a strong relationship between their party
preferences and your own? According to your religious affiliation, ethnicity, gender,
residence, and social class, what party would you expect to belong to? Is this the
party you identify with? If not, explain why not.
DUE: Feb.22. Page length: no more than 6 pages, double-spaced, Times New Roman, 12 point font.
REMEMBER TO PROOF READ YOUR PAPER AND TO RUN SPELLCHECK!!
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Sample 8
Chicano Studies 201
Mexican Literature in Translation
CSULA
Writing assignment: a short story, minimum 4 pages long, typed, and due on the day of the
final examination, 10% of grade. Or, two reviews (two pages each) of films shown on
campus as part of the Latin American Film Festival (for more details regarding this festival,
consult the course blog).
Notes on the short story assignment:
Students are asked not to engage "Spanglish" unnecessarily, thus focusing on representations of
life in metropolitan Los Angeles where at times people speak one language only in certain situations
(English or Spanish. Students are informed that a successful short story usually follows a 'blueprint" or
template based on a "snapshot" taken of a character (thus not on a character's development, as we find
in a novel). This snapshot results in a character's exposure while in a critical situation, thus marking the
"before" and "after' the incident in the character's life. In the classroom I give my students illustrations,
then let them think about their short story, an assignment that is due at the end of the quarter.
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OTHER SAMPLE ASSIGNMENTS USED IN TUTORIAL CENTER WORKSHOPS UCSB
Art History 6B
In this assignment you will compare and contrast two works of art. Your comparison
should be based on a close analysis of each work according to the criteria provided in lecture and
in additional information given to you in section and on the class web-site. Although you will be
analyzing each work separately, your final essay should discuss the two works in relation to one
another. This is a looking and thinking assignment. You are not expected to know or provide
detailed historical information about these works. You are expected to study them carefully,
analyze them, and discuss the differences and similarities in their compositions and expressions.
However, you are welcome to suggest reasons for dramatic differences between works as long as
you can demonstrate their validity (e.g. formal or textural differences due to different media, and
so on).
English 10
Write an essay analyzing how Zoot Suit applies Bertolt Brecht’s concept,
“Verfremdungseffekt” (or alienation effect). Discuss several narrative and dramatic devices that
reflect the central idea of the concept, the distancing of audience in order to stimulate critical
thinking and political action.
Film Studies 46
Choose a film from the “Film Titles” list and use the five principles of film form presented
in the Film Art chapter on “The Significance of Film Form” to analyze the film. Be sure to
discuss at least three of the principles in your essay. Be very careful not to use plot summary
extensively and to organize your observations into a coherent thesis, which you support with
specific evidence from the film.
History 4B
How did medieval kings inspire loyalty? Use two of the following primary source texts on
which to base your answer: The Song of Roland; “Magna Carta;” The Life of Saint Louis.
Religious Studies 7
Research and write a paper on the religious history of your family. This should be based
mainly on library research on the tradition or traditions in which your family participated
(participation may have been enthusiastic, indifferent, or hostile). The paper may, but is not
required to, include oral history and interviews. You should thoroughly explain the beliefs and
practices that were part of your family’s history. You should also tell how these beliefs and
practices changed over the years. Finally, you should relate the changes to what the course calls
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the “oneness” of American religion. In other words, you should ask How does or does not the
religious belief and behavior of family members illustrate common themes in all American
religious history.
Sociology 128
In his ethnography, Changing Identities, James Freeman discusses many of the problems
experienced by Vietnamese-American immigrants in the years following the war in Vietnam. In
thinking about the question “What does it mean to be an American?” Please answer the
following:
1) Describe the different waves of immigrants from Vietnam, and how they arrived in the
United States. How did this provide different opportunities and constraints for different groups?
2) What are some of the contradictions and changes in identity formation that many
Vietnamese-American families experienced living in the United States? Please discuss some
aspects of resettlement; education; family structure; religion; and contemporary progress.
3) What are some of the current dilemmas for Vietnamese-American families today?
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