Core Writing Assignments Core Writing AssignmentsJump to: 098, 101, 102, General Assignments
Assignments are grouped by the instructor's name, even if the instructor is no longer at UNR, in order to keep all assignments from a given class together.
098 Assignments| Instructor | Assignment Name | Description of What Students Do | Keywords |
| Anonymous 098 |
Description Essay | Visit a place they have never been, then write an essay describing and reflecting about the place | Audience, authority, description, detail, purpose, reflection, senses, specificity |
| Group Presentation | Work in groups to select and present on a piece of writing. | Background information, comparison/contrast, description, discussion, imitation, leadership, narration, summary | |
| Bernard 098 |
Autobiography | Write about a significant event or person. | Autobiography, description, narrative |
| Shaped Observation | Write an observational essay. | Description, observation | |
| Evaluation | Write a critical evaluation on a subject of the student's choice. | Persuasion | |
| Final Portfolio | Create an end-of-semester portfolio. | Portfolio | |
| Camarena 098 | Expository Essay(New!) | Explain an idea, a process, an event, a person, or a place. | Audience, citations, development strategies, explanation, exposition, MLA, research |
| Scholarship Application (New!) | Respond to one of two prompts from a scholarship application. | Audience, brainstorm, development strategies, prompt analysis, purpose | |
| Editorial (Argument Essay) (New!) | Write an editorial about a local issue. | Appeals, argument, audience, background, citation, conclusion, introduction, opposing views, research, support, thesis | |
| Movie Review (New!) | Review a movie (or something) | Argument, audience, evaluation criteria, examples, persuasion, specifics, support | |
| Colombini 098 |
Essay 1: Memoir | Describe an event or experience from the past which had a significant impact on who they are now or on their way of seeing the world | Audience, conclusion, description, opening paragraph, purpose, transitions |
| Essay 2: Place (New!) | Write about a place they know about and attempt to capture its essence in a descriptive essay | Audience, conclusion, description, development, opening paragraph, organization, purpose, transitions | |
| Essay 3: Profile (New!) | Write a profile on a person they know well. See also: Workshop Response Sheet |
Audience, description, detail, focus, interview, observation, organization, quoting | |
| Essay 4: Substantial Revision (New!) | Choose one of the three writing assignments completed during the course, and rewrite it as if it were being written for a specific publication of your choice. | Audience, diction, factual support, genre, genre conventions, point of view, purpose, quotations, revision, rhetorical analysis, syntax, tone | |
| Presentation Requirements (New!) | Give an information presentation of the essay or section of an essay that they are most passionate about and/or proud of. |
Audience, context, presentation, reading aloud, timing | |
| Portfolio Assignment (New!) | Compile their best works and showcase their progression throughout the course of a semester. See also: Grading Rubric for Final Portfolio |
Citation, cover letter, drafts, MLA, portfolio, reflection, showcase portfolio | |
| Perrault 098 |
Review 1 and Review 2 | In Review 1, students write a review of a place on campus to study, eat, or live. Focus on description and persuasion. In Review 2, students write about a different place on campus, and incorporate the observations made by a peer in Review 1 of that place. |
Description, persuasion, use of sources |
| Stafford 098 |
Character Sketch | Write an essay about a person or group of persons (e.g. ethnic group). | Description, detail, dialogue, introductions, leads, narrative, syntax, thematic unity |
| Sweeney 098 |
Restaurant Review | Write a restaurant review. | Audience, description, detail, focus, introduction, organization, senses. |
| Identity | Write an essay about an aspect of identity as shaped by factors such as family, social status, race, gender, personal beliefs, sexuality, etc. | Conclusions, description, discovery, exploration, introductions, invention, self-discovery, sentence structure, thesis | |
| Book Club | In small groups, students read, discuss, write about, and present on a book. | Group work, presentations, reading | |
| Werner 098 |
Point of View: Looking Through Their Eyes | Write an essay describing the student from the point of view of a familiar object in his or her life. | Description, point of view, voice |
| Description: Seeing Myself Through "Place" | Write about a descriptive essay that explains the student's connection to a particular place. | Description, focus, senses, showing versus telling, thesis | |
| Identity: What's Your Bag? | Write an essay describing a subculture the student belongs or belonged to. | Description, dialogue. | |
| Group Story | In small groups, students write a story with each student writing an individual contribution. | Group work, narrative. | |
| Final Portfolio | Create an end-of-semester portfolio. | Portfolio. |
101 Assignments| Instructor | Assignment Name | Description of What Students Do | Keywords |
| Anonymous 101 |
Analysis of Rhetorical Ads & Spoof Ads in American Culture | Analyze and interpret an ad or a spoof ad. | Advertising, analysis, assumptions, complexity, interpretation, rhetorical context |
| Stealing Chewing Tobacco and Trying on Mama’s Clothes: Telling the Truth to Create Memoir | Write a memoir about an experience that involved conflict. | Audience, memoir, narrative, self-awareness | |
| Midterm Reflection | Write a reflection about him/herself as a writer in English 101 | Meta-cognition, reflection, self-awareness | |
| Creative Text for Local Social Change | Write two pieces, one planning the rhetorical strategy to use in the second piece, and the second persuading an audience on an issue. | Audience, creativity, persuasion, purpose, rhetorical analysis, social engagement | |
| Anonymous 2 101 |
Dialogue Essay | Write a thesis-driven essay that creates a "conversation" with an author. | Analysis, evidence, focus, paraphrase, quotation, specificity, summary, support, thesis |
| Group Presentations | Work in two different groups to give two presentations, one on a topic and the other on evaluating sources. | Citation, description, discussion, evaluation, examples, groups, group roles, leadership, reflection on participation, sources, specificity, use of visuals |
|
| Borrowman 101 |
Descriptive Profile | Write a profile about a person or group to show how they people are part of a larger trend/issue/problem in American culture | Coherence, details, objectivity, profile, research, social engagement, subjectivity |
| Film Review/Commentary | Review or write a commentary about a film | Analysis, conclusion, details, focus, introduction, relevance, summary | |
| Memoir | Write a memoir about a person, place, or thing | Description, dominant impression, focus, making meaning, organization, self-awareness, thesis statement, transitions | |
| Public Document Analysis | Analyze how a particular group defines itself and its values in its public documents | Analysis, description, organization, quoting, summary, transitions | |
| Colombini 101 |
Essay 1: Memoir | Describe an event or experience from the past which had a significant impact on who they are now or on their way of seeing the world | Audience, conclusion, description, opening paragraph, purpose, transitions |
| Essay 2: Profile | Write a profile on a person they know well. | Audience, description, detail, focus, interview, observation, organization, quoting | |
| Essay 3: Rhetorical Analysis | Write a rhetorical analysis of a particular piece of writing | Analysis, annotation, argument, audience, author's intention, critique, objectivity, opinion, rhetorical analysis, summary | |
| Essay 4: Proposal | Write a proposal that introduces and discusses a problem at UNR and offers a solution | Audience (real), evidence, facts, persuasion, proposal, statement of intention, summary, testimony | |
| Revision | Choose one the pieces written during the course and rewrite it as if it were being written for a specific publication of your choice. | Audience, diction, factual support, genre, genre conventions, point of view, purpose, quotations, revision, rhetorical analysis, syntax, tone | |
| Portfolio | Compile their best works and showcase their progression throughout the course of a semester | Citation, cover letter, drafts, MLA, portfolio, reflection, showcase portfolio | |
| Hemstrom 101 |
Essay 1: Memoir | Write about an experience that shaped who they are today See also: Memoir workshop handout |
Audience, author's investment, authority, detail, dialectic thinking, flow, purpose, truthfulness |
| Essay 3: Review | Review something See also: Review workshop handout |
Audience, author's investment, context, credibility, detail, evidence, opposing views (including), position (writer's), purpose, reader's investment, support, tone | |
| Essay 4: Genre Revision | Rewrite an earlier essay in a different genre | citation, credibility, details, genre, genre analysis, MLA, purpose, research, revision, rhetorical analysis, sources, support, tone, works cited | |
| Martinez 101 |
Argument Essay | Research and make a judgment on a controversial issue. Suggest a resolution of the issue. | Citations, conclusion, evidence, graphics, interviewing, introduction, organization, outlining, presentations, research, thesis statement, works cited. |
| Letter Assignment | Write a well-constructed letter directed to a specific audience. See also Letter Peer Critique |
Audience awareness, author credibility, details, ethos, focus, logos, pathos, rhetorical purpose | |
| Rhetorical Analysis | Write a well-constructed rhetorical analysis that makes a claim regarding the rhetorical tools exhibited in a text. See also Rhetorical Analysis Peer Edit |
Analysis, appeals, audience awareness, conclusion, introduction, objectivity, organization, rhetorical analysis, rhetorical purpose, structure | |
| Perrault 101 |
Reader/Writer Profile | Write a profile of her/himself as a writer | Details, meta-cognition, reflection, self-awareness |
| Essay 1: Narrative | Tell a story about an event. | Detail, description, relevance, revision, sensory detail | |
| Essay 2: Body of Fact | Inform the reader about some body of fact in a way that is both informative and interesting | Audience, clarity, detail, exposition, information, invention, voice | |
| Essay 3: Analysis of a Cultural Icon | Analyze the significance of a cultural icon | Analysis, awareness of one's own position, clarity, critical thinking, details, revision, sources, voice | |
| Reading Response | Respond to a reading in four ways: literally, emotionally, intellectually, and as a writer | Analysis, craft, critical reading, reading, responding, summarizing | |
| Turner, C 101 |
The Profile | Profile a particular person or place of interest — tell their/its story as the student sees it. | Citation, clarity, conciseness, focus, profile, sources, voices (more than one) |
| The Review | Choose a book, movie, record, consumer product, food item, concert, or anything else about which we tend to make judgments, and write a brief essay evaluating the subject. | Audience, clarity, comparison, conciseness, criteria, detail, ethos, evaluation, evidence, imitation (of style), logos, organization, pathos | |
| The Commentary | Write a social commentary using advertising as the main focus. | Argumentation, audience awareness, citation, claim and evidence, clarity, conciseness, detail, ethos, induction, logos, pathos, revision, sources, thesis. |
102 Assignments| Instructor | Assignment Name | Description of What Students Do | Keywords |
| Anonymous 102 |
Guidelines for Writing Research Annotations | Write annotations | Annotating, citation, sources |
| Visual Rhetoric Analysis & Investigation: Extra Paper Options | Write a paper that relates to the research project relating to visual analysis. Three prompts and an open prompt given.. | Analysis, interpretation, visual rhetoric | |
| Anonymous 102 | Essay 1: Race, Ethnicity, Class (New!) | Reflect on how race, ethnicity, or class have affected them, using an assigned reading as a starting point. | Central idea, closure, conclusion, support, thesis, title |
| Essay 3: Argument (New!) | Argue for or against visiting a particular place or restaurant in Reno, or for or against watching a particular film currently in theaters. | Background information, citations, details, MLA, research, senses, support, thesis, visual argument | |
| Essay 4: Research Proposal (New!) | Write a practical proposal offering a solution to a local problem. See also: Peer Review Form |
Citations, ethos, focus, paraphrasing, proposal, quoting, sources, summarizing, visual argument | |
| Borrowman 102 |
Essay 1: American Education | Describe and relate to an issue in American education | Citations, documentation, narrative, personal experience, quoting, research, sources, story |
| Essay 2: Work | Write about work, using research and personal experience. | Citations, details, documentation, narrative, personal experience, quoting, research | |
| Essay 4: American Cultural Commentary | Analyze and/or interpret a trend or idea in American society | Analysis, citations, documentation, interpretation, personal experience, profile, research, sources | |
| Butler 102 |
Documented Essay | Write an argumentative essay; five topics given | Citations, documentation, evidence, MLA, paraphrasing, quotation, sources, summary, thesis statement |
| Hemstrom 102 |
Examining the World | Examine and write about a new part of the world | Expectations, field work, interviews, observation, reflection |
| Ethnography 1: Proposal | Propose an ethnographic study of a subculture | Analysis, details, ethnography, interviews, methods (research/observation), note taking, observation, reflection, research, self-awareness | |
| Ethnography 2: Field Work | Write a response to field work done in the subculture being studied | Consent forms, ethics in research, observation, questions | |
| Ethnography 3: Using Texts to Examine Conflicts & Persuade Readers | Investigate and explain a conflict in the subculture, and the texts related to the conflict | Bias (overcoming), citation, evidence, interpretation, MLA, persuasion, points of view (multiple), quoting, research, support | |
| Ethnography 4: The Spatial Gaze | Identify and analyze spaces and how they affect the subculture | Analysis, citation, description, MLA, research | |
| Ethnography 5: Oral Myths & Legends | Learn and share the stories of the subculture | Analysis, citation, interviews, MLA, points of view (multiple), quotations | |
| Ethnography 6: Group Presentations | Give a group presentation on the subculture | Citation, group work, media, presentation | |
| Martinez 102 |
Annotated Bibliography | Create an annotated bibliography with at least 10 sources (no more than 4 online) | Analysis, annotation, APA, audience, bibliography, citation, evaluation, MLA |
| Exploratory Essay | Explore potential research topics | Exploration, invention, research | |
| Perrault 102 |
Semester Overview and Essay 1 | Semester Overview: Write a series of pieces on the same issue. Essay 1: Explain the background information necessary to understand the issue. Include an annotated bibliography. |
Annotations, bibliography, citations, documentation, evidence, library research, objectivity. |
| Essay 2 | Present three points of view on the issue, without arguing or showing bias for any of the three. Add to the annotated bibliography. | Annotations, bibliography, citations, documentation, evidence, library research, objectivity. | |
| Presentation Guidelines | Present an argument on the issue. | Argument, counter-arguments, evidence, public speaking, support, visual aids. | |
| Article | Write an article on the issue, targeted for a specific publication. | Argument, audience, counter-arguments, evidence, publishing, support. | |
| Ryan 102 |
Biggest Carbon Loser Challenge | Calculate, attempt to reduce, and keep track of carbon footprint; write a reflective essay about the experience | Critical thinking, primary research, reflection, self-awareness |
| Turner, C 102 |
Annotated Bibliography | Compile a short annotated bibliography of five articles, books, novels, films, web sites, and/or other sources. | Annotation, bibliography, citation, sources |
| The Forum: A Robot Round Table | Present ideas and research to the class. | Conciseness, guiding questions, presentation, research, summary | |
| Final Paper | Write an essay based on research. | Citation, clarity, conciseness, critical thinking, grammar, mechanics, research, sources, spelling, voice | |
| Turner, D 102 |
Interview: Essay & Presentation | Conduct an interview and write up and present results | Evaluation, inquiry, interview, MLA, presentation, research, synthesis |
| Conduct a survey and write up and present results | Evaluation, inquiry, MLA, presentation, research, survey, synthesis | ||
| Research Project | Do a research project on some aspect of science and/or technology that affects their daily life | Analysis, APA, bias, citation, documentation, evaluation, evidence, examples, inquiry, MLA, research, self-awareness, sources |
General Assignments| Instructor | Assignment Name | Description of What Students Do | Keywords |
| Farnsworth General Assignments |
Memoir | Write a creative memoir. | Detail, imagination, memoir, memory, narrative |
| Persuasive Essay | Write a persuasive essay that represents at least three points of view. | Audience, citations, documentation, evidence, persuasion, point of view, sources | |
| Persuasive/Argumentative Essay | Argue for a specific view, position, opinion, or solution | Argumentation, citation, documentation, persuasion, sources, thesis | |
| Profile and Analysis Essay | Write a profile and analysis | Analysis, description, detail, facts, interpretation, opinion, profile | |
| Review or Best/Worst of… | Write a review, or a "Best/Worst of..." list, with support for the ranking. | Audience, evidence, opinion, persuasion, support, tone | |
| Padilla General Assignments |
Writing Notebook | Keep a reading, writing, thinking journal. | Journal, notebook, reading, self-awareness, writing |
| Sweeney General Assignments |
Reader Response Journal | Keep a journal on a novel they are reading. | Active reading, description, journal, reading, responding |