Paragraph assignment 4
This assignment has four primary goals:
- further practice in the prewriting
techniques and principles of paragraph development and revision covered
in Discovery's first four chapters (be sure your topic sentence is
strong and precise),
- repetition of key words from
the topic sentence in every supporting sentence to foster paragraph unity
(see Writing Tip #3),
- complete and brutal :) eradication
of all sentence fragments—when you edit, read the paragraph in reverse
order, from last punctuated sentence to first, checking to see that all
have subject and verb and express complete thoughts—and
- careful attention to correct
spelling: don't be lazy! Edit carefully, and take the time to look
up any words you aren't sure about in a dictionary (or in our text in chapter
22). Add new problem words to your personal spelling dictionary.
The
final draft of the paragraph must be typed: follow all guidelines for formatting
typed work as explained on my Simple Stuff page.
In addition to the final
product, turn in the prewriting materials and all drafts (handwritten and/or
typed) you created before arriving at the final draft.
Your task: Develop a carefully unified, coherent, and well-developed paragraph of at least 200 words (300 word maximum) addressing either of the options below:
Option 1:
Prewrite and write about any major aspect of Elizabeth Wong's "To Be an All-American Girl" that you can relate to from personal experience (pp. 478-79). Among the more notable ideas we discussed in class were family heritage, attitudes towards parents, regrets relating to childhood, and childhood rebellion.Option 2:
Prewrite and write about any significant issue arising from our discussion of the "Education" excerpt written by Malcolm X (pp. 481-82). The more interesting ideas we discussed in class include the importance of writing effectively (or learning in general), the expression "knowledge is power," and the uncommon initiative, determination, and discipline exhibited by exceptional people.