Sample Assignment Sheets

SAMPLE ASSIGNMENT SHEETS

Please remember that you need to provide your students with a written assignment sheet (writing prompt)—either one you have typed up or one from their textbooks. We cannot accept topics that students have copied from the board.

Students need to bring this prompt to the Writing Center in order to receive a prewriting or rough draft conference.

Assignment sheets can be open or very directive, depending on the class level and the difficulty of the prompt.

EXAMPLES:

1. In an expository essay of five paragraphs (introduction, 3 body paragraphs, and conclusion), identify and describe three advantages of attending ECC.

2. In Heart of Darkness by Joseph Conrad and “Gooseberries” by Anton Chekhov, deception is necessary for survival. Compare how deception becomes a condition for sanity in these two pieces. In your discussion, include these points of comparison: the lie, the cause, and the justification.

· Format: Point by point.

· Length: Introduction, 3-6 body paragraphs, conclusion.

3. Restraint and moderation are values to uphold suggests Thomas Hardy in “Convergence of the Twain.” In a five paragraph essay, examine how certain poetic devices support this theme. Include in your analysis form, repetition, and focus (scene selection).

· Introduction: Comment on moderation and excess.

· Thesis: Include title and author and the three devices.

· Body Paragraphs (3): In each topic sentence indicate the poetic device. Then support with details from the poem. Include two quotes in each paragraph.

· Conclusion: Rephrase thesis and close with a general comment.

For additional information on what to include in a user friendly assignment sheet, please see “Tips for Effective Writing Assignments.”

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