This will tie into a multiple part essay so I will be using the same writer throughout. This is the instructions for the discussion board “List potential research topics. Since you have to choose your own topic to research for the next 10 weeks, and, since you will write an informative essay AND an argumentative essay on this same topic, let’s jump right in. What are three topics that interest you immediately? Maybe they are related to your major or a hobby or interest. Maybe they are topics that you have always wanted to know more about or wondered about.
*Remember, as you learned in the Week 1 lecture, the topic you choose should meet certain criteria. You should be able to answer “yes” to each of these questions:
Is your topic controversial and debatable?
Can you find scholarly resources on your topic?
Will your topic sustain your interest for the entire class?
Is your topic sufficiently narrow?
Can you remain objective about the topic?
Choose your current favorite of these ideas from Step 2. Now write an elevator pitch to your classmates proposing your topic. A pitch is just the number of words you can say in about 30 seconds. It is a short, memorable descriiption of your topic that makes us want to know more. How can you convince us that we will be fascinated by your essay on this topic? We know you are not an expert – yet – but give us your most compelling reasons for why we should look forward to your essays on this topic. Sell it to us!’
This is for the writing assignment.
“Prewriting is essentially a warm-up activity. Prewriting involves thinking and talking about your ideas, making lists, mapping your thoughts, free associating, and perhaps keeping a collection of the points you would like to make. Prewriting strategies help you uncover several possibilities for your topic.
In this first assignment, you will practice the prewriting technique called freewriting. When you freewrite, you let your thoughts flow as they will, putting pen to paper (or fingers to keyboard), and writing down whatever comes to mind. Do not judge the quality of what you write, and do not worry about style or spelling, grammar, or punctuation. The advantage of this technique is that you free up your internal critic and allow yourself to write things you might not write if you were too self-conscious.
Find a place where you can be comfortable and think without interruption. Then set a timer for 15 minutes minimum (you can, of course, go for longer after the timer rings if you are on a roll), and just start to write or type. Avoid the urge to edit or pause. Continue putting ideas on paper (or on the screen). Keep writing even if you believe you are saying nothing. Word must follow word, no matter the relevance. When you are done with your 15-minute interval, read back over what you wrote and save these thoughts for the future. Yes, there will be a lot of unusable thoughts, but there also will be little gems, discoveries, or insights. Be sure NOT to delete any of your freewriting. ”
More instructions on the free writing
“Here are some prompts to help you get going:
Take the topic you pitched on your discussion board post this week, and complete a focused free write on this topic for at least 15 minutes.
You might consider these questions:
Why does this topic intrigue you?
What do you already know about it?
What do you hope to learn by researching it?
Are other people also interested in this topic? Who are they? Politicians? Parents? People of a certain demographic (like age, race, gender, ethnicity)? People who live in a certain part of the country or type of environment (the South, rural areas, or cities, etc.)?
What questions come to your mind when you think about this topic? List them.
Please do not write about your stance on the topic. Your first essay will be written to inform your readers about the topic; your second essay will persuade us about your topic, so save revealing your own position for now!
Let this quote guide you this week as you activate your curiosity in order to uncover a problem-based topic that will sustain you throughout the quarter!
“It seems to me, then, that the way to help people become better writers is not to tell them that they must first learn the rules of grammar, that they must develop a four-part outline, that they must consult the experts and collect all the useful information. These things may have their place. But none of them is as crucial as having a good, interesting question.” – Rodney Kilcup, historian ”
This is the goal for the rubric on the free writing
“Student demonstrates a dedicated attempt at freewriting for at least 15 minutes to respond to one or more of the provided questions.”