SOUTH FLORIDA COMMUNITY COLLEGE
COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES
COURSE SYLLABUS
Spring 2009
ENC 1102—Freshman English II—3 credit hours*
*This credit is what you would receive at SFCC,
not the credit accorded at SHS.
MTWRF 1st, 2nd, or 3rd period
Instructor: Cheryl A. Rosenbaum
Phone: 471-5500 ext. 277
E-mail: rosenbac@highlands.k12.fl.us
Website: http://highmail.highlands.k12.fl.us/~rosenbac/
Welcome to ENC 1102! In this course the focus will shift from nonfiction to literature;
we will also continue to improve our writing for the world beyond college.
Catalog Description:
This class is designed to develop your ability to read literature critically and to
improve your ability to write effectively. Emphasis is on style; exposure to various
literary genres; and planning, writing, and documenting short research papers and
critical essays. Prerequisite: Successful completion of ENC 1101 with a grade of C or
better. Gordon Rule: requires college level writing in multiple assignments. (TR)
Prerequisites:
Successful completion of ENC 1101
Course Materials:
Kennedy, X.J., and Dana Gioia. Literature an Introduction to Fiction, Poetry, Drama,
and Writing. 11th ed. New York: Longman, 2010. Print.
Kirszner, Laurie, and Stephen Mandell. The Wadsworth Handbook. 8th ed. Boston:
Thomson Wadsworth, 2008. Print.
Instructional Methods:
Lecture; small group discussion and oral report; large group discussion; online
research; library research;Turnitin.com.
Course Resources:
You may find the URLs listed here useful for this course. Their relevance and utility
will be discussed during the introduction/orientation session.
 Turnitin.com (http://www.turnitin.com) to help proof your papers for use of
sources BEFORE you hand them in to the instructor.
 Purdue Online Writing Lab (http://owl.english.purdue.edu/) to brush up on
grammar, punctuation, and MLA documentation format and style.


Critical Thinking Across the Curriculum Project. (Longview Community
College, Missouri). (http://mcckc.edu/longview/ctac/) for further explanation
on logical fallacies.
Mission Critical: The Critical Thinking Home Page. (San Jose State University).
(http://www.sjsu.edu/depts/itl/graphics/main.html) for further explanation on
logical fallacies.
Class Attendance and Tardies:
Dual Enrollment students are expected to abide by their district’s Code of Conduct.
Course Requirements:
Students will complete a variety of practice writing both in and out of class to meet
the Gordon Rule requirement: paragraphs, free writing, journal writing, and rough
drafts. In addition, students will submit at least four 500-word essays for formal
grading by the instructor per semester. A 1,200-1,500 word research paper will also
be required of all students as the accountability part of the research component of
this course per semester. Final drafts of essays must meet all MLA writing guidelines
both for format and documentation, as applicable to the essay type.
DESCRIPTION OF REQUIREMENTS
JOURNALS:
These must be a minimum of 250-350 words per week. These papers will be written
using personal experience. No sources or bibliography will be required; however,
you may at times find it helpful to do some research to acquaint you better with your
topic. If such is the case, remember to use proper documentation whenever you
paraphrase, summarize, or directly quote outside sources. See your handout on
Journals for more specific information.
MIDTERM AND FINAL EXAMINATIONS:
The midterm and final exams will be a combination of objective/subjective items and
may include: multiple choice, T & F, completion, short answer, and essay. More
specific information will be given closer to the exam date. You should be aware
that your final exam with your responses will be submitted to the dean at
SFCC to ensure the validity of this dual enrollment class.
RESEARCH PAPERS:
A research paper must be a minimum of 1,200 word, typed, double-spaced, using
MLA format. We will complete a research paper, in addition to other essays, each
semester. Topics will be selected by the students but must be approved by the
instructor. It is strongly encouraged that the student selects a topic in which he or
she is interested. The paper will include a minimum of seven (7) sources, a cover
page, and a bibliography page. Because this paper will require much structural and
grammatical revision, it is imperative that the student complete the rough draft of
this project in a timely manner.
RESEARCH PAPER PRESENTATIONS:
Upon completion of the research paper, students will work collaboratively to present
an abstract of their research papers. To this end, students are encouraged to use a
variety of media, such as Power Point, web pages, and other visual aids. Students
must participate in this activity to receive full credit for the research paper.
IN-CLASS WRITING:
These in-class exercises will be graded largely upon the student’s understanding of
the concept being emphasized at the time.
COURSE EXPECTATIONS:
1. You will be expected to be WELL PREPARED FOR AND TAKE AN ACTIVE ROLE in
class sessions. IF YOU DO NOT UNDERSTAND SOMETHING, ASK! It is preferable
that you speak up and are wrong than for you not to speak at all. You will need to
have all reading and work done at the assigned time or else. Since so much of what
we learn in here will be through group discussion, peer editing, and other such
cooperative learning activities, this is the year to come out of your shell!
2. Late work is not accepted.
3. Make-up work is your responsibility. When you return from an EXCUSED absence
look over my agendas for the days you missed. Then speak to me about making up
the work. If you do not speak to me, I will simply assume you want a 0 for the
assignment we did the day you were absent. I will not remind you if you need to
make-up a test or quiz. You need to get your make-up work into me in a reasonable
amount of time. For example, if you were absent on Monday, get your make-up
assignment on Tuesday, and turn it in on Wednesday.
4. If a student knows ahead of time that he or she will be absent on a day
when an assignment is due (for example, a pre-arranged absence or field
trip), it is the student’s responsibility to turn in the assignment prior to the
due date, or send the assignment to the teacher with another student or a
parent. Any work may be taken to the school’s office and put in the
teacher’s mailbox.
If a student misses class the day an assignment is due but is on campus at
any time during that day (for example, missing part of the day due to a halfday field trip), the student is responsible for bringing the assignment to the
teacher or getting it to the teacher. Failure to do so will result in a grade of
0.
GRADING:
All grades are done on a point system. In-class assignments and some homework
assignments are given a check plus (10 points), a check (8 points), check minus (5
points), or 0; if it is to be worth more I will warn you ahead of time. Your weekly
journal assignment is worth 10 points. Group activities are usually worth 25 points.
Quizzes are worth 50 points (KEEP IN MIND THAT POP QUIZZES ARE ALWAYS A
POSSIBILITY). A participation grade is worth 100 points per nine weeks. Tests are
worth 100 points or more. Notebooks are worth 25 points each time they are
collected. In-class essays and short essays are worth 75 points. Longer essays and
research papers will be worth 150-200 points.
NOTEBOOKS:
You are required to have a notebook that you bring to class every day. Blank paper
must be kept in the notebook for journal entries, lecture notes, vocabulary and
writing assignments. All other class handouts must be kept in the notebook. I will
collect these notebooks at the end of each nine weeks. You will need a one-inch
three ring binder. The notebook is worth 25 points each time it is collected. The
notebook will be collected as followed:
Notebook for 3rd Nine Weeks- due Monday, March 22
Notebook for 4th Nine Weeks- due Monday, May 24
Requirements for the Notebook:
1. Notebook must be a folder with three brackets.
2. The notebook must contain notebook paper divided by tabs into these sections:
A) HANDOUTS- This syllabus should be the first paper I see in your handout
section. All other
handouts should be kept in chronological order as they
are given.
B) JOURNALS- Your journals are to be done weekly, submitted to
www.turnitin.com, and completed as described on your journal handout.
C) ASSIGNMENTS--includes homework, vocabulary, in-class work, and
essays.
D) TESTS AND QUIZZES
3. The front of the notebook must be clearly marked in the upper right hand corner
with the following:
A) Name
B) Subject
C) Period
PAPERS/USING WWW.TURNITIN.COM:
All papers turned in must have the following in the upper right hand corner of the
paper:
A) Name
B) Date
C) Period
D) Assignment Name
All formal essays will be turned in to a plagiarism prevention site entitled
www.turnitin.com. This website checks for improper paraphrasing, citing, and
plagiarism. If you do not hand in your receipt with your formal essay you will
receive a zero for the assignment. I will warn you ahead of time what essay
should be run through www.turnitin.com. The following is your id number and
password:
1st period ID- 2742882
1st period password- awesome
2nd period ID- 2742885
2nd period password- awesome
3rd period ID- 2742889
3rd period password- awesome
RULES:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Follow directions first time given.
Be prepared: in seat, on time, with materials.
Show respect for the rights, property, and feelings of others.
Stay on task.
Speak only at appropriate times.
NEGATIVE CONSEQUENCE
1st time—Warning
2nd time--One detention
3rd time--Two detentions and parental contact
4th time--Referral to office
Severe Clause--Immediate Referral to office
REWARDS
Verbal praise
Written praise
Stickers
GRADING SCALE
90-100=A
80-89= B
70-79= C
60-69= D
0-59=
F
ASSISTANCE
If at any time you need help, please feel free to make an appointment to speak with
me or e-mail me.
Academic Ethics Policy
The faculty of SFCC is committed to a policy of honesty in academic affairs. Conduct
for which you may be subject to administrative and/or disciplinary penalties, up to
and including suspension or expulsion, includes:
1. Dishonesty consisting of cheating of any kind with respect to examinations, course
assignments, or illegal possession of examination papers. If you help another to
cheat, you will be subject to the same penalties as the student assisted.
2. Plagiarism consisting of the deliberate use and appropriation of another’s work
without indentifying the source and the passing off such work as your own. If you fail
to give full credit for ideas or materials taken from another, you have plagiarized.
Consequences of cheating or plagiarism:
The instructor may take academic action consistent with college policy that may
range from loss of credit for a specific assignment, examination, or project to
removal from the course with a grade of “F.” Your instructor and you should seek to
resolve the matter to your mutual satisfaction. Failing this, your instructor or you
may request action from the appropriate chair, dean/director, and the Vice President
for Educational and Student Services (see Grade Appeals in College Catalog) who
adjudicates on the basis of college policy.
D2L (Desire to Learn):
SFCC uses D2L as its course management software. Each class has a page on D2L.
A grade book will be maintained for your class on D2L. It is easy to contact the
instructor and fellow students through D2L. If you are not already aware of and
comfortable with all of the features of D2L or if you do not have a login name and
password, please log on to www.southflorida.edu and click on the Panther Den link.
Then choose the “New user” link. This page will connect you to the self-guided
tutorials. At the end of the tutorials, you will be directed to call the eLearning Help
Desk and receive your login information. Be aware that D2L stores access records,
quiz scores, e-mail postings, discussion postings, and chat room conversations. It is
very important to log off D2L when you are finished; if you don’t, a person using the
computer after you will have access to you course materials, your e-mail account,
and your confidential record. Protect your password.
Students with Disabilities:
In keeping with the College’s open door philosophy and in accordance with the
Americans with Disabilities Act and section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973,
SFCC provides reasonable accommodations to educational and training opportunities
for otherwise qualified individuals with documented disabilities. It is the responsibility
of the student or prospective student to self-identify with the Disabilities Specialist
and provide appropriate documentation. Individuals who chose not to self-identify
may be ineligible for services and/or accommodations. Services include but are not
limited to: admission and registration assistance, orientation, note taking, tutoring,
test accommodations, readers, audio books, course substitutions and assistive
technology. For more information, contact the Disabilities Specialist through: the
Web site, www.southflorida.edu; e-mail at disabilities.specialist@southflorida.edu;
voice/TDD (863)453-661 ext. 7331; or in person at the Catherine P. Cornelius
Student Services Complex, Suite B152, Highlands Campus.
College-Wide Outcomes:
This course supports the following College-wide Student Learning Outcomes (SLOCoWs):
1 Students will demonstrate the ability to communicate (read, write, speak, and
listen) effectively.
1 Students will demonstrate the ability to reflect, analyze, synthesize and apply
knowledge.
4 Students will demonstrate the ability to find, evaluate, organize, and use
information.
5 Prepare students to participate actively as informed and responsible citizens in
social, cultural, global and environmental matters.
Course Specific Outcomes:
The students will be able to accomplish the following:
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2
3
4
5
6
7
Think and read critically through analysis, evaluation, and persuasion;
Write critical analyses, evaluations, and arguments;
Do close readings of short stories, poetry, plays, and literary criticism;
Use and demonstrate knowledge of literary terms and how they relate to
the nature of fiction, poetry, and drama;
Examine, discuss, and write about social issues reflected in literary works;
Examine, discuss, and write about gender perspectives reflected in literary
works;
Examine, discuss, and write about ethnicity reflected in literary works;
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9
10
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12
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Demonstrate critical and expressive thinking/writing in a structured
journal;
Demonstrate research skills through written exercises and library
research;
Demonstrate analytical, persuasive and research documentation skills
through an analytical/persuasive research paper;
Participate in small-group discussion, oral reports, literary work analyses,
student essay evaluation, and outside readings on gender, ethnicity, and
social issues;
Demonstrate objective and critical knowledge on quizzes and
examinations:
Relate class materials and activities to other courses and the everyday
world through discussion, audio-visual media, and printed media.
COURSE SCHEDULE:
Week One(Jan 19-22):
-Begin unit on The Restoration and the Eighteenth Century: 1660–1800
A Modest Proposal by Jonathan Swift
Selections from Alexander Pope
From The Diary of Samuel Pepys
Samuel Johnson’s Dictionary
James Boswell’s The Life of Samuel Johnson
-Bring Literature by X.J. Kennedy and Dana Gioia to class as instructed by your
professor (Occasionally you will need to bring this book to class more often when we
read longer works; you will be warned ahead of time when to bring this book.)
-Read Chapter 37 “Writing about Literature” in Literature; do group activity; selfanalysis activity
-Literature by Kennedy and Gioia Fiction Selections from Chapters 1-5/
Discussion/Assignment
Week Two (Jan 25-29):
-Read Chapter 38 “Writing About a Story” in Literature; do partner activity
-Write Short Essay #1: Fiction analysis/satiric essay in a style similar to A
Modest Proposal
-Continue unit on Restoration
-Literature by Kennedy and Gioia Fiction Selections from Chapters 6-10/
Discussion/Assignment
Week Three (Feb 1-5):
-Finish unit on Restoration and take test (NOTE: All tests will cover materials from
both the British literature covered and the selections from Literature by Kennedy and
Gioia)
-Literature by Kennedy and Gioia Poetry Selections from Chapters 11-14/
Discussion/Assignment
Week Four (Feb 8-12):
-Begin unit on The Romantic Period: 1798–1832
Poetry of William Blake
Poetry of William Wordsworth
Poetry of Samuel Taylor Coleridge
Poetry of George Gordon, Lord Byron
Poetry of Percy Bysshe Shelley
Poetry of John Keats
-Literature by Kennedy and Gioia Poetry Selections from Chapters 15-18/
Discussion/Assignment
Week Five (Feb 15-18):
-Continue unit on Romantic Period
-Literature by Kennedy and Gioia Poetry Selections from Chapters 19-22/
Discussion/Assignment
Week Six (Feb 22-26):
-Finish unit on Romantic Period and take test
-Read Chapter 39 “Writing about a Poem” in Literature; do group activity
-Assign and write Short Essay #2: Poem Analysis of poem/s in the Romantic
Period or from Kennedy and Gioia’s Literature
-Literature by Kennedy and Gioia Poetry Selections from Chapters 23-25/
Discussion/Assignment
Week Seven (March 1-5):
-Begin unit on The Victorian Period: 1832–1901
Poetry of Alfred, Lord Tennyson
My Last Duchess by Robert Browning
Sonnet 43 by Elizabeth Barrett Browning
Pied Beauty by Gerard Manley Hopkins
Dover Beach by Matthew Arnold
To an Athlete Dying Young by A.E. Housman
-Literature by Kennedy and Gioia Poetry Selections from Chapters 26-29/
Discussion/Assignment
Week Eight (March 8-12):
-Continue unit on Victorians
-Assign and write Short Essay #3: Poem analysis of poem/s in the Victorian
Period or from Kennedy and Gioia’s Literature
-Literature by Kennedy and Gioia Poetry Selections from Chapter 30/
Discussion/Assignment
-Assign and present Poetry Alive!- a live performance of a poem in either literature
books
Week Nine (Mar 15-19)
-Finish unit on Victorians and take test
-Literature by Kennedy and Gioia Selection- Christopher Marlowe’s Scene from
Doctor Faustus/Discussion/Assignment
Fourth Nine Weeks Focus:
Week One (Mar 22-26):
-Notebook due March 22
-Begin reading The Importance of Being Earnest
Week Two (Apr 6-9):
- Continue reading The Importance of Being Earnest
-Read Chapter 40 “Writing about a Play” in Literature; do partner activity
Week Three (Apr 12-16):
-Finish reading The Importance of Being Earnest and do group activity, test
-Assign and finish Short Essay #4: Drama Analysis of The Importance of
Being Earnest
-Literature by Kennedy and Gioia Selection- Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s
House/Discussion/Assignment
-Read Chapter 41 “Writing a Research Paper” in Literature and do partner activity;
self-analysis activity
-Paper proposal due for Literary Analysis Research Paper on Read like a Rock Star!
British Independent Reading Book
Week Four (Apr 19-23):
-Literature by Kennedy and Gioia Selection- Finish Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s
House/Discussion/Assignment
-Begin Modern World unit
-Annotated Works Cited and Outline due for Literary Analysis Research Paper on
Read like a Rock Star! British Independent Reading Book
Week Five (Apr 26-30):
-Rough draft due for Literary Analysis Research Paper on Read like a Rock Star!
British Independent Reading Book
Week Six (May 3-7):
-Continue Modern World unit
-Literature by Kennedy and Gioia Selection- August Wilson’s Fences/
Discussion/Assignment
Week Seven (May 10-14):
-Final draft due for Literary Analysis Research Paper on Read like a Rock
Star! British Independent Reading Book
-Presentations of Literary Analysis Research Paper
-Finish Modern World unit and take test
Week Eight (May 17-21):
-Assign and work on Writing Portfolio
Week Nine (May 24-28):
-Notebook due May 24
-Writing Portfolio is due
-Final Exam for Seniors
NOTE: THIS OUTLINE DOES NOT REFLECT THE ADDITIONAL READINGS, ESSAYS,
TESTS, OR HOMEWORK ASSIGNMENTS THAT MIGHT BE ADDED DURING THE
COURSE OF THE YEAR.
Dual Enrollment English II
Journal Assignment
Rosenbaum
Directions: Every week in this class (generally on Friday or on Thursday if there is
no school on Friday that week) you will submit between 250-350 words to
www.turnitin.com toward your year-long journal assignment. You may choose
between one to three topics per week, but you should not repeat any topic during
the school year. You need to have a heading on your paper listing the journal #,
then write the number of the question, then your entry. You may choose to work
ahead (since all the journals for the year are already listed on www.turnitin.com),
but you must make sure you submit your journal every Friday for the correct date
(regardless if you were absent or not on Friday—this is a college class!) in order to
get your 10 points credit per week. I will read these journal entries directly off of
www.turnitin.com and give a grade accordingly. At the end of each nine weeks you
will turn in a hard copy of all journal entries for the nine weeks when your turn in
your notebook (which will be a 3 prong or ring folder) and you will get 25 points for
this.
These journals will be a way for you to creatively express yourself and practice
writing fluency. It should be an enjoyable experience (except for those of you who
choose to start writing your weekly journal at 11:54 pm the night it is due). You
should also keep in mind that you will eventually use these journal entries in your
writing portfolio, which is a collection of your best writings of the year.
The individual journals will be due for this semester are as followed:
Journal
Journal
Journal
Journal
Journal
Journal
Journal
Journal
Journal
Journal
Journal
Journal
Journal
Journal
Journal
Journal
Journal
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19- due Friday, January 22
20- due Friday, January 29
21- due Friday, February 5
22- due Friday, February 12
23- due Thursday, February 18
24 - due Friday, February 26
25 - due Friday, March 5
26- due Friday, March 12
27 - due Friday, March 19
28 - due Friday, March 26
29 - due Friday, April 9
30- due Friday, April 16
31- due Friday, April 23
32- due Friday, April 30
33- due Friday, May 7
34- due Friday, May 14
35- due Friday, May 21
Your journal topics are as followed:
1. Describe your first brush with danger.
2. Tell the story of a job interview that goes badly. (The more your character wants
the job, the better the story will be.)
3. According to officials at Graceland, Elvis Presley receives an estimated one
hundred valentines every year. Write a story about one.
4. Write an argument between two characters that begins in the middle of the
argument.
5. Imagine that you could wake up tomorrow in someone else’s body. Whose would
it be? How would your life change? What are some of the first things you’d do?
6. Write about a near-death experience.
7. Write a story about the 1980s (or any other time period in the past). Use as
many period elements as you can.
8. Since 1980, more than fifty forgeries have been discovered at the Metropolitan
Museum of Art. Write about one of them.
9. Write about the biggest secret you failed to keep.
10. Write a story set in the kitchen of a fast-food restaurant.
11. According to the National Coffee Association, there are more than 300,000
Americans who drink more than ten cups of coffee a day. Describe one of them.
12. Chronicle the longest amount of time you’ve ever gone without sleeping.
13. Write about your first artistic expression.
14. Describe the most disappointing gift you have ever received. What did the gift
reveal about the giver?
15. Describe the worst driver you have ever known.
16. Think of a person you don’t like, and describe what you might say if you had to
share an elevator ride together with this person. Then describe what happens when
the elevator breaks down. For six hours.
17. Tell a story that begins with the discovery of a ransom note.
18. Write a story in the form of a political apology.
19. Describe the worst time you ever put your foot in your mouth.
20. Seventeen percent of Americans claim they have seen a ghost. Describe one of
their encounter, or one of your own.
21. Describe the youngest baby you ever felt, and how he or she felt in your arms.
22. Write about a time you’ve been lost.
23. Write about a beauty pageant without using stereotypes.
24. Describe the worst date of your life.
25. By the early 1990s more than 30,000 Americans held reservations from Pan-Am
airlines for a trip to the moon. Write about one of these people.
26. Set a small mirror beside your desk and write about your reflection. Describe
how you might be perceived by a stranger passing you on the street—what
assumptions might he or she make about you, based on your appearance?
27. Describe the largest crowd you’ve ever been a part of.
28. Write a story that begins with the words, “Why didn’t you call me?”
29. Tell a story in the form of a prayer.
30. More than 10 million prescription medications are filled incorrectly every year.
Write about one of them.
31. If you were going to be marooned on a tropical island with one person, who
would you want it to be? Write scenes that take place five hours after the shipwreck,
five weeks after the shipwreck, and five years after the shipwreck.
32. Describe the last time you were physically involved in a fight.
33. Begin a story with a character who has lost something important to them.
34. Invent a character who has won 76 million dollars in the Florida State Lottery.
What is the first thing he or she buys? How much is given to charity? How long
before an ex-boyfriend or ex-girlfriend re-enters their lives?
35. Describe the most boring event you have ever suffered through.
36. Write from the point-of-view of someone who committed murder today. Do not
mention the murder.
37. Write about the first time you defied your parents.
38. Tell the story of how your parents became engaged.
39. Write about your worst habit.
40. Create a character who is trying to gain access to a club or organization.
41. Create a character who is falsely accused of a crime.
42. Update a classic fairy tale for readers of the 21st century.
43. Write about the black sheep in your family. What is your opinion of him or her?
44. How well do you respond to criticism?
45. Describe your most embarrassing experience.
46. Trace the journey of a five dollar bill through the lives of five different owners.
What was exchanged during the transactions? How much (or how little) did these
transactions mean to each of the people involved?
47. Tell the story about “the one who got away.”
48. Write about a physical trait you would have loved to have changed in middle
school.
49. According to the Florida Department of Corrections, more than 100 people have
registered on a waiting list to see an execution. Write about one of them.
50. Describe a time when you pretended to be someone you are not.
51. Describe the biggest risk you have ever taken.
52. Write a story that begins, “The last time I saw my mother was fifteen years
ago…”
53. Write a story that begins, “Three days passed before they found the body…”
54. Write about the worst driving you’ve ever done.
55. Thirty-four percent of new American school teachers say they plan to quit their
profession within their first five years. Write about one of them.
56. Invent a character that must choose between the lesser of two evils.
57. Write a love story in MySpace. Have the story consist entirely of alternating
messages.
58. Describe a time you’ve settled an argument between two friends.
59. Write about a library or bookstore that has a special significance to you. What
authors did you discover there?
60. Invent a character whose life is governed by Murphy’s Law (that is, anything
that can go wrong will go wrong).
61. Write a story about a phone call that begins at three o’clock in the morning?
62. Write about the worst lie you ever told someone? Did they find out? What was
the result?
63. Write from the point of view of a character on his or her deathbed.
64. Write about your favorite childhood toy.
65. Write about a character that is granted three wishes.
66. Write about a victim of “year-end fiscal cutbacks and corporate downsizing.”
67. Write about a wedding in which the bride or groom changes their mind.
68. Tell a story in the form of a love letter.
69. Tell a story that centers around a recipe.
70. Describe an encounter with a celebrity.
71. Write about the most serious injury or illness you have ever faced.
72. Invent a character that sees a phone number on the wall of a bathroom.
Describe what happens when he or she dials the number.
73. Describe the most meaningful gift you have ever received. What does it reveal
about your relationship to the giver?
74. Describe your favorite experience with Mother Nature.
75. Describe the secret life of a school bus driver.
76. More than 25,000 Americans seek help each year with gambling addiction. Write
about one of them.
77. Describe your favorite family holiday, and explain what made it so special for
you.
78. Describe a bad hair day.
79. According to the Gallup Organization, more than one million American dogs have
been named as beneficiaries in a will. Write about one of their owners.
80. Write about your earliest childhood memory.
81. There are approximately 3500 members of the International Flat Earth Society
(people who insist the Earth is flat). Write about one of them.
82. Write about the most important event you have ever been late to.
83. Tell the story behind your nickname or the most unusual nickname you have
ever heard.
84. Write about your greatest childhood fear.
85. If you could script the plot for the dream you will have tonight, what would it
be?
86. Write a dialogue between a radio talk show host and a troubled caller.
87. Every year, more than four hundred Americans are injured or killed by lightning.
Write about one of them.
88. Write about a childhood experience that made you cry.
89. Write about the most difficult phone call you’ve ever had to make.
90. Write about a dream or goal you failed to achieve. What went wrong? How did
this experience change you?
91. Check the horoscope in today’s newspaper, and use any of the twelve forecasts
as a basis for a character.
92. Describe the unhealthiest meal you’ve ever eaten, and how you felt after eating
it.
93. Write a description of your dream automobile.
94. Write a story that begins with an explosion.
95. If you won the Texas lottery, what would you do?
96. Why do you think some people don't exercise their right to vote?
97. What is your favorite Disney character or movie and why is it your favorite?
98. My full name and how it was decided on
99. I am the one who....
100. First Grade Memories
101. In the left corner, behind the filing cabinet.....
102. The Holiday I Wish We Had
103. Summer Memories
104. My Dad
105. My Mom
106. My Grandma
107. My Grandpa
108. If I was President of the United States...
109. Bugs
110. In 20 Years I'd Like to Be....
111. It was so funny when...
112. Good things about me
113. When I get to college, I will....
114. The best book I ever read...
115. I'm thankful for...
116. My hero
117. I wish I was there when....
118. What My Best Friend and I Have in Common
119. Something people usually don't notice about me is...
120. You are a small animal at a historical event. Tell what is happening.
121. Write an alphabet journal entry 26 sentences long, with each sentence starting
with the alphabet letter as it appears in sequence.
122. Make a list of all the words that are related to or describe heat. Write a story
about Florida in the summer using these words.
123. Write about places you have never been to, but want to go to.
124. Write about people you don't know, but would like to know.
125. Write about things you have never done, but would like to do (conduct an
orchestra, etc.)
126. What if our school classes only went until noon each day?
127. I Did Something Really Nice
128. Observe at least 5 things you see happen on your way home from school. Write
about them.
129. What does a classroom sound like?
130. What is a typical day in the school cafeteria?
131. Write about a perfect day.
132. What I Would Change About My School
133. What I Would Change About My World
134. Where Would I Go in a Time Machine
135. Give advice to a new student who will start school at SHS next year
136. I'll never forget the day ______(teacher's name) did __________
137. Some of the richest times in your life can come from your quiet thinking and/or
praying alone time. Discuss these times in your life.
138. Review the last movie you saw.
139. Describe the BEST ice cream and tell why you feel that way
140. What is an experience you would hate to repeat?
141. What is the ideal age to be? Why?
142. Do you accept yourself as you are, or would you like to be someone else?
143. Answer this question," Have I in any way done something that has hurt my
parents?"
144. "How I think will determine how I live." Do you agree or disagree? Explain
145. Describe a summer thunderstorm
146. Describe the plight of an animal caught in a forest fire.
147. Tell abut a ride on the most exciting amusement park ride you have ever
ridden.
148. Write about an Old West shoot-out in the streets of a western town
149. How might an astronaut feel that discovers that he/she will have to return to
earth early because of a rocket malfunction?
150. Describe the actions of a person who has just hit his or her thumb with a
hammer
151. Describe the feeling of being chased in a dream
152. Tell about the moment when a person realizes that he or she has forgotten to
do a major assignment that is due today.
153. Describe the actions of an athlete in the final moments of a close contest when
he or she makes a winning (or losing) shot, play, move, or effort.
154. It isn't fair....
155. Write about some compliments people have given you
156. Write about some compliments you have given others recently.
157. Create a menu from a fictitious restaurant and describe the entrees.
158. The dispute over comic books. Are they good or bad?
159. Should grocery stores continue to throw away good food each day?
160. Do you get enough sleep? How or why not?
161. A horrible babysitting experience was when…
162. What one non-living item would you take from your house if it caught on fire?
163. You’ve landed on another planet. Tell the inhabitants all about earth.
164. If you were your teacher, how would you treat you?
165. What if your teacher fell asleep in class.
166. How would you think your parents’ view would change if they walked in your
shoes for a week?
167. List 25 uses for a toothbrush.
168. Assume you are the last person on Earth and you have been granted one wish.
What would it be?
169. Imagine a world that contained no written language. What would be different?
170. If you could step back in time to re-live one day, what would you do
differently?
171. Imagine you are 25 years old. How will you describe yourself as you are
today?
172. Imagine you had a hundred dollars, but you couldn't keep it. You had to give it
away to a person or charity. Who would you give it to? What would you want them to
do with it?
173. Describe one time when you were brave.
174. If you could cook any meal for your family, what would you cook? Describe the
meal and tell how you would make it.
175. Describe your favorite character from a book, a movie, or television.
176. If you could have any animal for a pet, what would it be? Describe the pet and
how you would take care of it.
177. Do you have any brothers or sisters? If you do, tell what they're like. If not, tell
whether or not you would like to have a brother or sister.
178. If you could have lunch with any famous person who would it be? What would
you talk about with this person?
179. Describe the oldest person you know.
180. Describe the youngest person you know.
181. Do you think a monkey would make a good pet? Explain why or why not.
182. How old were you four years ago? Describe some things you can do now that
you could not do then.
183. Imagine you worked at a football stadium. What would your job be? (examples:
quarterback, cheerleader, coach, referee, ticket seller) Describe what you would do
while you were on the job.
184. What do you like best about your home?
185. If you could be on any game show, what would it be? Describe what happens
when you're on the show.
186. Describe your favorite season (fall, spring, summer, or winter). Tell what kinds
of things you like to do during that season.
187. If you could spend an afternoon with one member of your extended family, who
would it be? Tell why you chose this person and tell what you do together.
188. Which superpower would you most like to have-- invisibility, super strength, or
the ability to fly? Describe what kids of things you would do with your powers.
189. Think of a time when you've won something. Tell what you won and how you
won it.
190. Invent a new kind of sandwich. Describe what is on it and how you would make
it.
191. Describe one thing you're really good at.
192. Imagine you were twenty feet tall. Describe what life would be like.
193. Take out a photo album or magazine. Find the 14th photo (counting any way
you like) and write the story of that photo.
194. Find a poem that you like. Make the last line of that poem the first line of your
poem.
195. Make a list of 40 things that have happened to you this month.
196. Write a story about someone you know who is weird.
197. Where do you go when you want to get away from the pressures of life?
198. Rewrite “Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs” from the perspective of one of the
dwarfs.
199. Imagine your life is now a book. Write a blurb for the back cover.
200. Write about the easiest decision you ever had to make.
201. Write an excuse for not working today.
202. Use the following words in a story: hypocrite, cookie jar, telephone, city,
onomatopoeia
203. List fifteen simple pleasures. Pick one and write about it.
204. Begin a story with “I wish someone had told me…”
205. List 50 things you’d never do.
206. Write a pure dialogue story. No narration, no description, just dialogue.
207. Write a story 200 years from now about a day in the life of a window washer.
208. Write a feature story about the following: Giant Flies Invade Norway!
209. Write a story about a beggar who loves to hear himself sing.
Bibliography:
Topics 1-94 are from The Writer’s Block by Jason Rehkulak
Topics 95-161 are from
http://www.angelfire.com/ok/freshenglish/250journaltopics.html
Topics 162-171 are from
http://712educators.about.com/cs/writingresources/l/bljrnlspec.htm
Topics 172-192 are from http://www.superteacherworksheets.com/journalprompts.html
Topics 192-209 are from http://www.creativewritingprompts.com/
DISCLAIMER:~ Course policies, procedures, and schedule may be changed at any
time at the discretion of the instructor.~ You will be advised of any changes in
writing.