Composition
After the students have read Stephen King's On Writing, they read and discuss several other literary memoirs in essay form before writing their own. The main focus of this assignment is using a variety of modes beyond simple narrative to convey the impact of reading or writing in their lives, and using specific detail to illustrate general and abstract concepts.
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This assignment is based on the NPR series that invites ordinary citizens to compose a belief statement in a personal and interesting way. Students develop a core belief statement and apply strategies of personal narrative, self-definition, etc. to create a brief, focused personal essay.Â
I have often collected a piece of sample writing from students at the end of their Grade 10 year and given it back to them at the start of their Grade 11 AP course to make some observations about their own writing style and habits. The criteria for the sample are: that it be a piece the student is proud of; that it be representative of her as a writer, in her estimation; that it not have any grades or teachers' comments on it; that it be any form of writing, on any subject, whether for school or otherwise. This exercise is an ungraded diagnostic that I assign in early September.
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