Eng 100Instructor Dowling

Essay #1: Personal Culture Analysis (DefinitionsAnecdotes)

This essay will serve to both define and orient you within three of your personal cultures.

Cul·ture [kuhl-cher]

* the behaviors, beliefs, attitudes, and characteristic of a particular social, ethnic, or age group: the youth culture; soccer culture; the drug culture, the gaming culture, etc.

* the totality of socially transmitted behavior patterns, arts, beliefs, institutions, and all other products of human work and thought. These patterns, traits, and products considered as the expression of a particular period, class, community, or population: Edwardian culture; Japanese-American culture; the culture of poverty. (excerpted from dictionary.com)

Instructions: Freezing the Picture of Yourself

  1. Pre-write Start. Click yourself into three particular cultures. What defines your life: running, academia, gambling, electronic communication, gaming, spicy food, politics, church, the arts? After you choose three cultures, define them by writing lists of specific attributes for your experiences in each.

What does it taste, smell, feel, look, and sound like to be a part of your cultures?

  1. Intro. Begin with a hook and then use an intro exercise to orient the reader with your tone and style. Include the thesis in correct format at the end of the intro.
  1. Body. Next you will frame yourself within the three cultures by creating a few paragraphs for each using vivid specific details and colorful descriptions that make the reader aware of the richness of your cultures. Each culture’s detail section should then have a single corresponding anecdote which shows a very specific mini-story. Only ONE storyper culture. Each of these anecdotes should be no more than two fully developed paragraphs. The length of the details paragraphs should match the length of the anecdote paragraphs.
  1. Conclusion. Consider one of these topics: Why do you choose to associate yourself with those cultures? How do they shape and define you, even if that definition is negative or outside the norm? Why are these cultures important to your development as a human?

TBSW: Why might it be important to define personal cultures at this point in your life?

Requirements:

This paper must be a minimum of four pages long, formatted according to the MLA guidelines set forth in the syllabus and available online at my website. This paper also must include:

Twist Ties for each paragraph transition

1st person POV

one Melted Together Word

and three metaphors or similes.

Thesis and Outline – Due:Type up your Thesis and outline, and turn in one copy to me.

Rough Draft – Due (Bring 2 copies!!!) Your rough draft must be at least three pages long, with a clear thesis and must show evidence of developing supporting detailed paragraphs.

Final Draft Due— Due Turn in with all rough drafts, esp. with my remarks!

Instructor Evaluation / Essay #1 / Personal Culture Narrative

Writer ______Score______

Your essay has been read and evaluated based on the criteria listed on this prompt.

* The essay considers your personal experience and does not stray from it. * 1st person is consistent.
-----Yes -----Fairly -----Somewhat -----No
* The introductory sentences hook the reader. There is a thesis that states the main idea of the essay.
-----Yes -----Fairly -----Somewhat -----No
* The definition details of the cultures are ultra-sensory and specific.
-----Yes -----Fairly -----Somewhat -----No
* The definitions are balancedby anecdotes of personal orientation within the culture.
-----Yes -----Fairly -----Somewhat -----No
* The organization is clear. Topic sentences are used.
-----Yes -----Fairly -----Somewhat -----No
* TWIST TIESare used for each paragraph transition.
-----Yes -----Fairly -----Somewhat -----No
* 3 similes or metaphors are used. *One fully developed MTW is used.
-----Yes -----Fairly -----Somewhat -----No
* The conclusion insightfully sums up the essay.
-----Yes -----Fairly -----Somewhat -----No
* The essay is free of errors in grammar, syntax, usage, and punctuation.
-----Yes -----Fairly -----Somewhat -----No
* The essay is presented according to the format guidelines stated in the syllabus.
-----Yes -----Fairly -----Somewhat -----No