etter
Writing Assignment
See Call
to Write Chapter 4, "Letters: Establishing and Maintaining
Relationships," for guidance in doing this assignment. On pages 139-140,
under the section "Call to Write: Writing Assignment," five
suggestions for topics are given. Select one of these, or pick from a topic
that emerges based on responding to journal activities.
One of
the points that John Trimbur makes about writing effective letters is the need
for a clear sense of purpose and audience. In chapter 4, he offers a variety of
model letters. All of these models make a specific point, have a strong sense
of audience, and are organized in a way that helps convey the writer's
purpose. All three of these factors will
be critical in succeeding with this assignment.
Your
final letter will need to be of substantial depth and follow a logical
sequencing of ideas. Use a frame to open
and close your letter, as this strategy will give your letter a clear sense of
direction and unity.
Keep in
mind that although your letter will have a specific recipient, the letter will
be read by others during peer review sessions and might be used for your web
site. Thus, in addition to having the recipient as the audience, you should be
conscious of a larger secondary audience.
Be sure
to consult the following sections of Call
to Write for additional instructions in completing this assignment:
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Arranging your MaterialBe sure to complete journals 1 through 4 before submitting your final draft. You must participate in the peer review session and have me review your draft before submitting your final copy. See the course syllabus for dates for each of these steps.
Evaluation
Criteria
Your final letter will be evaluated using the following criteria:
Organization: Logical development of ideas, effective opening and
closing
Coherence:
Transitions, direct and implied topic sentences, focus on topic and purpose
Details:
Descriptive quality, specifics, and examples
Depth:
Sense of purpose, conviction, and development of central idea
Language and
Mechanics: Effective word choices, sentence syntax, usage,
punctuation, spelling, etc.
Course Syllabus | Course
Schedule
August 23, 2001
J. Arzt