ASSIGNMENT PACKET

WRT 105, Fall 2018

Dr. Rusty Bartels

In this packet you will find all of the assignment prompts, requirements, details, stages, and
deadlines you need for every assignment and assignment related activity for the semester.
Please be sure to read through everything thoroughly in the packet before following up with
questions – I can almost guarantee you that the answer is in the packet. Treat this, and your
syllabus, as your FAQ guide, aka your first point of reference before seeking further
clarification.

UPDATE 9/5: All assignments are due by the beginning of class.

UPDATE 11/2: SEE ASSIGNMENT #3 PROMPT

READING RESPONSE

Reading Response 1 Due: Wednesday, September 5th

Reading Response 2 Due: Wednesday, October 3rd
Reading Response 3 Due: Wednesday, October 31st

For each unit, you will be required to write a reading response on a reading from the unit up
until that point. The reading response will be due part-way through each unit.

In your reading response you should:

• Summarize your chosen text, including identifying a key argument (if there is one)
• Analyze and/or evaluate the text - What does the text do well? What kinds of criticisms
do you have? Is it clear? Confusing? Effective? How does it support its claims? How does
it use evidence? What kinds of examples does it use?
• Connect the content of the text to the focus of the unit and/or assignment as you
understand it.

Some notes:
• In general, the most successful reading responses will include quotations from the text.
But just because it includes a quotation does not mean that it is successful.
• You are allowed to use the first person (“I”)
• You should not be conducting supplemental research.

WRT105_F18_Bartels_Assignment Packet 1
 • You should provide the full and proper citation for the text in question, and use
appropriate in-text citations if quoting.
• If you want to pursue a composition that is not a word file essay (e.g. vlog or blog, twitter
thread, visual art, etc.), you are welcome to, I just ask that you check-in with me to
ensure an appropriate translation of workload & expectations.

Assignment Requirements:
• 1-2 page composition that responds to a course text following the previously laid out
expectations.
• A proper citation (e.g. MLA, Chicago, APA, etc.) of the course text.

Formatting Requirements:
• 12pt font in a reasonable style (e.g. Times New Roman, Arial, Calibri, etc.)
• Double spaced
• 1” margins
• Include: first & last name; course number; assignment number
• Uploaded to your Google Drive folder as ONE google doc or word/.docx file

ASSIGNMENT #1
LITERACY NARRATIVE

Studio: Friday, September 7th

Workshop: Wednesday, September 12th
Peer Review: Monday, September 17th
Due: Friday, September 21st

A literacy narrative is a story about you that address your literacy journey. While many of us
first think of literacy as being able to read and write, I also want us to think about literacies in
diverse ways, whether it’s through literacy in a specific genre, medium, community, etc.
Regardless of what kind of literacy we choose to approach, from our first memories of learning
to read to making a secret family recipe for the first time, our literacies are tied up in awareness
of audience, purpose, and context.

WRT105_F18_Bartels_Assignment Packet 2
In this assignment you will be asked to compose your own literacy narrative. Think about the
role(s) that literacy has played in your life, how it has shaped your attitudes, beliefs, and
abilities; how you have been (dis)empowered by your (il)literacy in something. As a narrative,
you want to be sure to craft a story, and strong stories recall specifics. What were influential
events, scenes, people, “ah-ha!” moments, failures, successes?

Some Notes:
• You are allowed and encouraged to use the first person (“I”)
• You are not required to conduct any secondary research, nor are you required to
incorporate course texts.
• If you do undertake additional research or include quotations or sources in your narrative,
you are required to provide full and proper citation (including in-text) in a style of your
choosing (e.g. MLA, Chicago, APA, etc.).
• If you want to pursue a creative and/or multimodal composition form, you are welcome
to, I just ask that you check-in with me to ensure an appropriate translation of workload
& expectations

Assignment Requirements:
• 3-4 page composition that presents your literacy narrative.
• 1 page reflection essay detailing your writing process from initial conceptualization to
final draft, including reflection on specific choices and changes made along the way.

Formatting Requirements:
• 12pt font in a reasonable style (e.g. Times New Roman, Arial, Calibri, etc.)
• Double spaced
• 1” margins
• Include: first & last name; course number; assignment number
• Title your composition portion AND your reflection portion
• Uploaded to your Google Drive folder as ONE google doc or word/.docx file

ASSIGNMENT #2
GENRE ANALYSIS

Studio: Friday, October 5th

Workshop: Wednesday, October 10th
Peer Review: Monday, October 15th

WRT105_F18_Bartels_Assignment Packet 3
Due: Friday, October 19th

In a genre analysis essay, you will be identifying multiple types of genres to analyze. As
discussed in this unit, a genre is a form of communication, and we use genres to help categorize
these forms of communication. This categorization is important for both author and audience
to establish clear expectations of how a piece is composed to how an audience understands
how to engage with that piece.

For this assignment specifically, you will choose a discourse community, and from that
community analyze three genre artifacts produced by that community. In analyzing those
genre artifacts, you will ask questions like, why does this community use these types of genres?
What values are embedded in these genres? What are the affordances and limitations of
communicating in this genre? How do these genres work together to further communication
within this community? Between this community and others? Who are the audiences? What
are the purposes? How closely does the community adhere to particular genre forms? What
genre rules, if any, are they breaking?

As part of your analysis, you will be crafting an argument that your analysis supports. That
argument will assert a claim about how your chosen discourse community communicates
amongst itself, with outsiders, or both. It will utilize the genre artifacts as evidence, with your
analysis of them supporting your claim. Your answers to one or some of the questions above
could become your argument, but you should not be answering all the questions. They are
exploratory entry points to highlight some ways of thinking about the relationship between
genres and community. You have a lot of freedom in composing this paper, and I know that can
be intimidating, but I also want to encourage you to explore and be creative in your approach,
and ask questions!

Some notes:
• You are allowed to use the first person (“I”).
• You are not required to incorporate course texts. You are not required to research
scholarly sources.
• You are conducting research — in identifying a discourse community and gathering genre
artifacts and analyzing them, you are doing primary source research.
• If you include quotations from your genre artifacts, and/or if you undertake additional
research, you are required to provide full and proper citation (including in-text) in a style
of your choosing (e.g. MLA, Chicago, APA, etc.).
• Even if you do not directly cite your genre artifact, you should still include a citation
reference to it in your bibliography/works cited page. (NB: You need to have a
bibliography/works cited page.)
• If you want to pursue a composition that is not an academic essay, you are welcome to, I
just ask that you check-in with me to ensure an appropriate translation of workload &
expectations.

WRT105_F18_Bartels_Assignment Packet 4
Assignment Requirements:
• 3-4 page composition that presents your genre analysis.
• A bibliography/works cited page that includes citation information for your genre artifacts
and any additional research incorporated
• 1 page reflection essay detailing your writing process from initial conceptualization to
final draft, including reflection on choices and changes made along the way.

Formatting Requirements:
• 12pt font in a reasonable style (e.g. Times New Roman, Arial, Calibri, etc.)
• Double spaced
• 1” margins
• Include: first & last name; course number; assignment number
• Title your composition portion AND your reflection portion
• Uploaded to your Google Drive folder as ONE google doc or word/.docx file

ASSIGNMENT #3
PRESENTING AN ARGUMENT

UPDATE 11/2

Studio: Friday, November 2nd

Workshop: Wednesday, November 7th
Peer Review: Monday, November 12th
Due: Friday, November 16th

What are the different ways that we present our arguments, or stake our claims? In a class, we
might be asked to write a thesis-driven essay. At home, we might engage in discussion with our
family and friends. In public, we might write an op-ed, join an activist or advocacy organization,
or signal our affiliations in some way through apparel, pins, and/or yard signs. All of these
things, and more, are ways that we present our arguments.

WRT105_F18_Bartels_Assignment Packet 5
For this assignment, you will choose an issue and a stance that is important to you. You will
then craft two compositions in which you present your stance in an effort to persuade others
to align with you. In the first composition you will identify a person or an organization who has
the decision making power to actualize change about your issue. In identifying your audience,
you will also have to identify the most appropriate genre to communicate your purpose. The
second composition will be meant to create broader awareness about your issue. This could be
as part of an effort to create change; you may decide that you want to create awareness but do
not need to create agreement on the stance. Like the first part, you will also have to consider
your audience and the most effective genre with which to communicate your purpose.

Some notes:
• You are allowed to use the first person (“I”).
• You are not required to incorporate course texts. You are not required to research
scholarly sources.
• You are conducting research
o To identify the audiences you are addressing
o To identify the types of genres used to communicate to these audiences, and to
communicate awareness and/or action broadly
o To identify sources & information to persuade your audiences
• Neither composition should be an academic essay.
• Either or both composition(s) may require you to make rhetorical choices through
formatting, design, aesthetics, font size, color scheme, audio/video, etc.
• Because you are not writing an academic essay, the way that you cite and reference your
research will look different. It is still important to give credit where credit is due - look to
those genre forms for examples
• If you wish to work with a partner or small group, you are welcome to, but you must
check-in with me first.

Assignment Requirements: (UPDATE 11/2)

• One composition that addresses a person and/or organization who has the decision
making power to enact change around your issue. This is most likely to be a written,
textual piece, but does not have to be.
• One composition that is meant to create broader awareness about your issue. This
composition may have multiple components. This is most likely to be a visual and/or
multimodal/multimedia piece, but does not have to be.
• 1 page reflection essay detailing your composition process from initial conceptualization
to final drafts, including reflection on choices and changes made along the way.
• UPDATE 11/2:
o In addition to the specific pieces you are composing for the first and second part
of the assignment, I ask that you also produce a statement (if needed) that
explains the circulation, distribution, dissemination of your piece -- basically,
what is the context in which your audience will encounter your composition.

WRT105_F18_Bartels_Assignment Packet 6
 o For example, if for the second part as part of "creating awareness" you decide to
create a series of flyers, I would like you draft a short statement that describes
where you imagine they would be shared or posted, and how they would
otherwise generally circulate within the audience you are targeting.
o Depending on how you compose your piece, this may not be necessary, but for
many of you it will be an important point of helping me evaluate and assess the
piece's efficacy.

Formatting Requirements for all written text:

• 12pt font in a reasonable style (e.g. Times New Roman, Arial, Calibri, etc.)
• Double spaced
• 1” margins
• Include: first & last name; course number; assignment number
• Title your composition portions AND your reflection portion
• Uploaded to your Google Drive folder as ONE google doc or word/.docx file

Additional Formatting Requirements:

• If you are able to include non-text compositions in your word file, please do so
• If you have multiple files that you plan to submit as a .pdf, please utilize a PDF compiler
(available for free online) to submit as a single document
• If you are submitting anything with a link as a finished product (e.g. Youtube video) please
be sure that the link is live and active prior to submission.
• Consider issues of accessibility when designing your compositions - consider font size,
color contrast, audio transcriptions & video subtitles, etc. These all effect your ability to
reach your desired audience (including myself).

FINAL PORTFOLIO

Studio: Wednesday, November 28th

Workshop: Friday, November 30th
Peer Review, Revision: Monday, December 3rd
Peer Review, Supplement: Wednesday, December 5th

WRT105_F18_Bartels_Assignment Packet 7
Due: See syllabus

Congratulations - you’ve (almost) made it through the semester!

For your final assignment I am asking you to create what I call a “best works” portfolio. I call it
“best works” because I want you to highlight what you think is your best work of the semester,
or what can become your best work of the semester.

Portfolio Requirements:
• Revise ONE major assignment
o When you revise a piece you are doing more than fixing minor editing errors -
you should be radically rethinking the structure, argument, and
evidence/examples utilized in the piece.
o Sometimes it may feel like you are rewriting the entire piece and while
frustrating, that is ok.
o Sometimes a revision may simply be a matter of fixing one paragraph and
reframing a few sentences here and there - never underestimate the power of
word choice.
• Supplement ONE major assignment (must be a different assignment than the revision)
o Create a piece in a different genre and/or medium that acts as a supplement to
the original assignment.
o Consider: what was the purpose of the original assignment? What was your
argument or narrative? What are other ways to communicate the same or
similar things?
o For example: in assignment three you are asked to create a composition to
create awareness — what’s a different type of composition you could make?
o Another example: in assignment one you are asked to reflect on your literacy
narrative - if you wrote a narrative essay, what might a vlog, zine, or painting
look like?
• 2 page reflection essay on the Final Portfolio detailing your composition process from
initial conceptualization to final drafts, including reflection on choices and changes
made along the way. This should speak specifically to the assignment revision &
supplement.
• 1 page reflection essay on the course that speaks to your thoughts about you as a writer -
how it has (or hasn’t) shifted from the beginning of the semester, things that you’ve
learned, things that you’re still frustrated about, etc.

Formatting Requirements for all written text:

• 12pt font in a reasonable style (e.g. Times New Roman, Arial, Calibri, etc.)
• Double spaced
• 1” margins
• Include: first & last name; course number; assignment number

WRT105_F18_Bartels_Assignment Packet 8
 • Title your different portions (e.g. Revision, supplement, Final Portfolio Reflection, Course
Reflection)
• Uploaded to your Google Drive folder as ONE google doc or word/.docx file
• If you created something that can’t be included in the word file, still provide a header and
note where it can be found (e.g. a web url)

Additional Formatting Requirements:

• If you are able to include non-text compositions in your word file, please do so
• If you have multiple files that you plan to submit as a .pdf, please utilize a PDF compiler
(available for free online) to submit as a single document
• If you are submitting anything with a link as the finished product (e.g. Youtube video)
please be sure that the link is live and active prior to submission.
• Consider issues of accessibility when designing your compositions - consider font size,
color contrast, audio transcriptions & video subtitles, etc. These all effect your ability to
reach your desired audience (including myself).

WRT105_F18_Bartels_Assignment Packet 9