Read âHow coronavirus stress may scramble our brainsâ by Laura Sanders
- What did you think of the piece? Be honest! Did you find any parts interesting? Did you learn something new?
- Who do you think is the intended audience of the piece? Who is meant to read this text?
- What do you think is the purpose of this text? Why do you think the author wrote it?
- How do you know that this is an example of a feature article? Be specific!Â
- What did you notice about how the author wrote this piece? Maybe the tone (formal, informal, humorous, casual, etc), or the use of ethos (statistics and facts) or the use of pathos (emotion) or the use of logos (logic)?
- What stands out to youâ what do you like/ dislike about this writerâs style? What are you confused by? What do you want to know more about? Pay special attention to how this author uses research (outside facts, statistics, history, news, interviews) etc in their writing.
What did you learn from reading this feature article? How did this author use research? How do they use personal experience? Did the author tell any stories? Â
Author: Rebekah Coleman (Page 3 of 6)
The Assignment STEPS
**Donât get too worried about doing this whole feature article all at once. Weâll work together each step of the way!Â
STEP 1: Find Your Beat!
Find a topic/beat or an area of interest to YOU! Whatâs an area that you have a unique interest or knowledge in? Itâs crucial that you choose something that matters to you as youâll be spending weeks on this assignment. Brainstorm a few ideas rather than just going with the first topic that pops into your head. Weâll work together on this in class.Â
STEP 2: Gather Research
 Find at least 4 sources on your beat/ topic. While you might be knowledgeable on this topic, we want to find sources that really reflect your understanding of the topic. They must be credible and relevant sources.
Due: March 28th
STEP 3: Analyze and Present Your Research
- Write a brief summary of each of your four sources (what are the main ideas/ key points)? What is the genre? Who is the intended audience? What is the purpose? What examples of rhetorical appeals do you see?Â
- Is the source credible? How do you know? Is there bias in the piece?Â
- Prepare a short oral presentation on one of the research pieces you found and share it with the class. The focus should be on the Rhetorical Situation (audience, purpose), how the author presents the information, and a brief summary of the piece. Explain why you chose the piece and what the information teaches you about your topic.
Due (Source Analysis and Evaluation Worksheet and Oral Presentation): March 30th
STEP 4: Mentor Article and Publication
Together, we will each look for a mentor article/ publication, which is basically a published article (about something else) that you can use as an effective model for writing your own article. That is, you will be looking for an article in the publication of your choice that you admire. You do not have to copy the style of writing, but you can turn to it for tips on style, word choice, tone, structure, and so on.Â
Due: April 4th
STEP 5: Write Your Feature Article
You have completed the research, chosen a mentor article/ publication and now it is time to write your article in the genre/ style you have selected! Make sure to keep your audience and purpose in mind.Â
Draft Due: April 13th
STEP 5: Peer Review/ Article Due
Engage in online peer review sessions. Following the comments you received, you will revise and edit your article!Â
Final Due: April 25th
Assignment Overview:Â
Write a 250 Word Reflection on Unit 1. Please include the word count on the top of the page. Use Times New Roman 12 point font.
Metacognition: What did you learn about yourself as a writer this unit? Maybe something about your writing process or your strategies?Â
Transfer: How can you transfer this knowledge/ awareness/ learning into other aspects of your lives (other classes or in the world outside of City Tech.Â
A Unit Reflection asks you to reflect or look back at the unit and think deeply about the readings, the major project, and the short writing assignments you completed.Think about what each of our mentor authors taught us and what we learned from our different writing assignments, both short and long!
Guiding Questions
You do not have to answer each question, but rather use them as a guide or inspiration as you reflect or look back on the unit!
- Discuss what you learned about yourself as a writer and a reader in the process of writing your Discourse Community Analytical Essay. For example, what part did you find the most challenging? Or the most successful? Did you try anything new like revising with a specific focus?
- Which of the readings, if any, influenced you or inspired you? Explain the influence, USE SPECIFIC examples. Â
- The focus of Unit 1 was on Rhetorical Situation (audience, purpose), and Genre, what did you find interesting? What did you learn? What would you still like to learn more about?
- What are your thoughts on the experience in general? Was it a useful learning experience? What specific skills or perspectives did you acquire as a result?
- How could you transfer something you learned in Module 1 to other aspects of your life both in City Tech and outside of City Tech?
- Is there anything else you want me to know about you as a writer or reader or your work in this class?
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