Multi-Genre Paper Basic Requirements

Topic: Me

What is the assignment?This assignment is going to be a story with the topic of you. It will be a collection of multiple genres of writing expressing a story about your life. Ideas: focus on an important moment in your life and tell that story. Create a collection of pieces that show the important moments in your life. Tell your life story from beginning to now. Write a collection of pieces that create a picture of who you are right now, in 2014. Or, come up with your own idea.

What is a multi-genre paper? A multi-genre paper uses different genres (poems, short stories, letters, emails, postcards, memos, labels, text messages, tweets, essays, fairy tales, recipes, lists, etc.) to tell one big story. The use of multiple genres, or types of writing, helps the writer express his/her topic in a multi-faceted way, expressing the topic in various forms.

There are three parts to a multi-genre paper. The first part is the genres-the writing you do in the different genres. The second part is how you connect each piece together to the next. These are called “threads.” The third is a reflection piece, where you explain each piece in your paper.

In your paper, you are required to have at least 6 separate genres of writing. Choose genres that will best help convey each part of the story. The genres are connected with “threads” or connecting elements. Threads can be quotes, pictures, maps, or anything you feel connects one genre, or piece of writing, to the next. At the end of your paper, you will reflect on the process of writing the paper and the genres you chose to tell your story. Each separate genre should receive at least a paragraph reflection.

You must have in your multi-genre paper:

  • Cover Page including original title for your collection, your name, the class period, and date
  • An introduction piece explaining what you’re writing about in your multi-genre paper. What you hope your reader will learn from reading your pieces. Your audience is the reader. It should introduce your story, why you chose to write about that, and what you hope to accomplish in your writing. It should be about three to four paragraphs in length.
  • Within your paper, you should include 6 different, separate genres (you can have more than 6, but no less)
  • One of the genre pieces must be a piece that is at least 2 full pages in length
  • One piece must be entirely visual with little to no text (art, drawing, or something like that)
  • One poem(rhyming, free form, or another type at least 10 lines or longer)
  • Three other genres of your choice; you may only use the same genre TWICE in your story. For example, you may have two poems, but not three. You may have two short stories, but not three. You may have two Facebook pages, but not three. Etc.
  • All work must be original-your work!
  • If you use research or look any information online or in a book, you must include a source page identifying your sources. Exceptions: if you use a quotation, you can cite that source by simply using the person’s name who said that after or before the quote.
  • A “thread” or connecting element must be used between each genre to connect each piece of the story.
  • A reflection paper at end of genre piece. In this paper, focus on each separate piece of your writing. Reflect on why you chose towrite each piece in the specific genre you chose; the strengths of using that genre;the weaknesses of that genre; how each piece you chose developed and changed over time; and, how each piece you used contributed to the whole of the story.
  • Your paper should follow this basic pattern:
  • Introduction paper
  • connection or thread
  • Genre of writing
  • connection or thread
  • New genre of writing
  • connection or thread
  • New genre of writing
  • connection or thread
  • New genre of writing
  • connection or thread
  • New genre of writing
  • connection or thread
  • New genre of writing
  • Reflection paper

Multi-genre Paper Grading Rubric

Return this paper with your final paper.

Name: ______

Requirements / Excellent
Met all the requirements. Project was above and beyond the expectations.
10-9 points / Average
Met all or most of the requirements. Project was done with care and creativity and showed effort.
4-8 points / Insufficient
Met some or none of the requirements. Project was done without care or creativity, or showed little effort.
0-3 points
Cover page with title, student name, period, date
Introduction explaining direction of piece and topic
6 different genres used to express one overall story
One longer piece (at least 2 pages in length)
One visual genre with limited to no text
One poetic piece
“Threads” connecting each different genre/piece of writing
Reflection piece with reflections on each genre used and the “threads”
All work is original. If research or information is used, a source page is included and sources are cited correctly and completely.
Story shows depth of thought, creativity, and effort.

TOTAL POINTS (out of 100)=______