Starla Alexander
Long Writing Assignment for Students
2005 Workshop on Improving Student Writing
Center for Writing Excellence
Center for the Enhancement of Learning and Teaching
INTRODUCTION FOR FACULTY TO THIS LONG WRITING ASSIGNMENT
Ideas in Western Architecture:
Great Monuments in the History of Architecture
ARC188
Course Objectives:
- To identify important monuments and styles
- To comprehend simple plans and structures and apply within a group
- To briefly explore architecture in the east for comparison
- To learn the terminology in regards to materials, parts, and the context
How the assignment progressed…
Coming into the workshop, I had assumed I would do some sort of journal for a long assignment, but that quickly changed. By the first day, it was apparent that journaling would be the focus of my short assignment. After hearing all of the wonderful feedback the first day, my existing oral report for the class seemed to fall flat. Looking through the eyes of the CWE staff, fellow teachers, and Bean…the oral reports lacked instruction, focus, and a way to have the students do more writing. Any part-timer will always tell you (as well as many a tenure track I am sure), that time is a huge struggle with the driving back and forth and teaching six or more classes a term.
So, my biggest shock. By using a “building” project with small writing which will also get revised, my grading will be minimal, and most importantly the students will LEARN to research and write better papers for all of the their classes. By going through a step process, they will learn to do papers in small amounts and focus. What better goal could a Liberal Arts teacher have for their students taking classes for elective credit?
SHORT WRITING ASSIGNMENT Discovering an Architect Basically…
Objectives
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Overall Project Outline Assn. 1: Sequence of Steps 50 points Assn. 2: Presentation to class 50 points Assn. 3: Hand-out with sources 30 points Assn. 4 Architect Biography 20 points Total 150 points possible ________________________________________________________________ Assignment #1 - Sequence of steps 1. Build an annotated bibliography. We will go over how to do this in class. I suggest you search Ohio Link for possible book choices (remember Ohio Link takes a few days). You may try The World Encyclopedia of Art and of course architectural journals in our library. Please do not use the internet. We will discuss this in class. Feel free to ask me for suggestions. 2. Write one page of biography of your architect. Include some personal information, their style, and obvious information on how he/she is unique in the word of building! 3. Summarize in two pages the architectural style of your architect and specific buildings he/she designed. Compare and contrast the architect to one of his/her contemporaries. It is your decision if you pick a similar choice or one that is completely opposite what your architect cares for in regards to principles of design. 4. We will have peer review in class. This is so you can help each other focus in on the objectives (above) and improve each of your three writings. 5. You will revise your work after peer review, and turn it into me for a grade of 50 points possible. To receive full points, you will need to meet all of the deadlines and turn in quality work. Read this entire hand-out to fully understand.
Timeline for sequence of steps (as above): assignment due date points possible 1. architect’s importance 10 2. annotated bibliography 10 3. 2 page summary 10 4. peer review participation 10 5. peer group draft and final draft 10 ________________________________________________________________
Assignment #2 - Presentation to class You are responsible for bringing visual aids for your project. You must use power point. You may also use posters, the overhead projector, images in books...your call. For power point, please copy the report on a CD and back it up in your e-mail account. This gives you insurance against any technical issues. Note: This is the only time during this project that you can use the internet...which is an excellent source for images. Make sure you cite them in the power point. ________________________________________________________________
Assignment #3 - Hand-out for oral report
You will provide a typed ONE page hand-out for your classmates. This must include the period, history, description of the architect and the building, and a list of citations. You will have all of your sources from your annotated bibliography to list. Internet sources from the power point need only be listed on the power point, not on this hand-out.
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Assignment #4 – Architect’s Resume for the oral report Hi, I am Michael Graves. You may know me from my designs I do for Target, but did you also know about the building I designed in Portland?...
****Make sure you have assignments 3 and 4 stapled together in order to save time. You will need enough copies for the class and one for me. These hand-outs are meant to strengthen your presentation and showcase your research. ****Just to make it obvious…assignment 1 takes place throughout the term on the assigned dates. Parts 2, 3, and 4 are all due the day you present at the end of the term. This is a liberal arts class so feel free to be creative and have some fun. It can be college level and entertaining. This, my friends, will help your audience pay attention to you, teach them, and show how brilliant you are! Good hunting to all! ________________________________________________________________
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