English 101
Journal Assignments unit 3
Nov 3: J1: Audience Analysis of exercise
Write an audience analysis for the standards committee
exercise. What would the committee (made up of 3 professors,
1 college dean, and 1 student representative) value? What might be some
arguments to waive a requirement that would appeal to this audience's values?
Nov 5: J2:
What is your issue and possible persuasive focus; list ideas
Write about what you think your issue for this unit might be. Brainstorm
some ideas for a final persuasive assignment. Consider possible things
you might "do" about the issue you are concerned about.
Nov 7: J3: React to an essay in terms of persuasion
and purpose.
Consider the readings you have done for class. Choose one to write about.
What are the persuasive elements of the essay? What is the intended audience?
What do you think that audience's values are? Or at least, what values
does the writer seem to be appealing to?
Nov 10: J4: What makes the example
you found "persuasive"? What is the intended audience.
Consider the example of persuasive writing you brought to class. Write
a journal entry about that example in terms of persuasion.
Nov 12: J5: Write out an outline
or "zero draft" of your persuasion piece idea.
A "zero draft" means just pick up the pencil (or put your fingers
to the keyboard) and just write for about 15 minutes about your idea for
a persuasive piece. If you don't yet have a clear idea, this option might
help you get some ideas going. If you do have a sort of idea about what
you want to do and you think outlining would be more helpful, then go ahead
and write a more formal outline, taking into consideration audience, purpose,
information needed, etc.
Nov 17: J6: React to an essay in the Internet unit. (Again, focus on the idea of persuasion and audience values.)
Nov 19: J7: Who is the audience
for your persuasive piece? What are their values? How will you appeal to
those values?
Perform an "audience analysis" like you did for the standards
committee exercise. Write about what the audience values and how you know
it. Try and write as much as you can about what you know about the
audience. Remember, the more you have thought about the audience, the more
effective your persuasive piece will be.
Nov 21: J8: What have you learned from working in groups? What has been helpful/beneficial? What has not been useful? Consider the group experience broadly--not just in terms of completing an assignment for this course. Did you learn anything about yourself and your ability to work with others or to organize others? Please take this journal exercise seriously and tell me as much as you can about the group dynamics. I need to consider your input as I evaluate your group project.
Dec 1: J9: What are the major problems you are having with the persuasive piece? What would help you address those problems?
Dec 3: J10: Self Assessment. As we did with the previous unit's self-assessment, please do the following 5 steps--
In addition, write a bit about how I could have made the persuasion
unit more clear for you, what I, as an instructor could have done differently
that might have enabled you to understand "persuasion" and this
final project better.