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Literacy Narrative Assignment Sheet According to your textbook, “[A] literacy narrative is a particular kind of narrative that recounts a writer’s personal experience with language, reading, writing, and thinking skills, or with education as a process and a social intuition” (Ramage, et.al. 119). For this assignment, I am broadening the definition of literacy to include experiences dealing with multimedia, computer languages/programs, music composition, or other wide ranging discourse communities. No matter what topic you choose, your goal is to “find new significant mean for yourself in these experiences and [share] your discoveries with your readers in ways that hold their interest and bring them to a new understanding” (Ramage, et. al.) This exploration will take place using open-form prose, where you develop a theme rather than a thesis. You’ll be using common features of open-form prose such as descriptive language, setting, characters, conflict and resolution to hook your reader and show (rather than tell) meaning. Narratives can employ techniques such as the use of dialogue and a progression of scenes. You will read more about narrative techniques in Allyn & Bacon, Chapter 6. As the text suggests, good writing begins with good questions. So, “what holes or weaknesses in your knowledge and education are you concerned about” (Ramage, et. al. 122)? If you are bilingual, how has your knowledge of these two languages shaped your identity and your view of the world? What people, events and literature shaped you as a writer? Consider both the negative and the positive experiences you’ve had with literacy. Embarrassing moments can be just as interesting to your audience as academic triumphs. For this project, your audience is not only your professor and peers, but an academic audience in general. Imagine you are writing to “university people,” first-year students like yourself, upperclassmen and professors. The key to a successful narrative is focus. You must choose the most important and appropriate moments from your life to write about. You many choose one life event to develop, or instead focus on several moments that are connected thematically. The choice is yours. In any case, you will need to have a clear purpose in your final draft that your audience can relate to. At the end of the unit, you should:

Literacy Narrative Assignment Sheet Fall 2012 Hybrid

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Literacy Narrative Assignment Sheet

According to your textbook, “[A] literacy narrative is a particular kind of narrative that recounts a writer’s personal experience with language, reading, writing, and thinking skills, or with education as a process and a social intuition” (Ramage, et.al. 119). For this assignment, I am broadening the definition of literacy to include experiences dealing with multimedia, computer languages/programs, music composition, or other wide ranging discourse communities.

No matter what topic you choose, your goal is to “find new significant mean for yourself in these experiences and [share] your discoveries with your readers in ways that hold their interest and bring them to a new understanding” (Ramage, et. al.)

This exploration will take place using open-form prose, where you develop a theme rather than a thesis. You’ll be using common features of open-form prose such as descriptive language, setting, characters, conflict and resolution to hook your reader and show (rather than tell) meaning. Narratives can employ techniques such as the use of dialogue and a progression of scenes. You will read more about narrative techniques in Allyn & Bacon, Chapter 6.

As the text suggests, good writing begins with good questions. So, “what holes or weaknesses in your knowledge and education are you concerned about” (Ramage, et. al. 122)? If you are bilingual, how has your knowledge of these two languages shaped your identity and your view of the world? What people, events and literature shaped you as a writer? Consider both the negative and the positive experiences you’ve had with literacy. Embarrassing moments can be just as interesting to your audience as academic triumphs.

For this project, your audience is not only your professor and peers, but an academic audience in general. Imagine you are writing to “university people,” first-year students like yourself, upperclassmen and professors.

The key to a successful narrative is focus. You must choose the most important and appropriate moments from your life to write about. You many choose one life event to develop, or instead focus on several moments that are connected thematically. The choice is yours. In any case, you will need to have a clear purpose in your final draft that your audience can relate to.

At the end of the unit, you should: Produce a final written project that indicates a clear rhetorical purpose and that is appropriate for a

diverse audience of peers;  Use conventions of open-form prose;  Show engagement with issues of language, literacy, rhetoric, or cultures;  Apply knowledge of the following persuasive appeals and rhetorical concepts: ethos, pathos, logos,

audience, genre, and purpose Use specific language (descriptive, figurative, with attention paid to word choice);  Produce a final draft that shows evidence of a thoughtful writing process, including invention,

revision, and proof-reading;  Use syntax, punctuation, and spelling effectively in service of rhetorical purpose. 

Requirements and guidelines: All drafts and essays must be typed, doubled-spaced, Times New Roman 12pt. font. You must conform to MLA style rules (check Everyday Writer). Your second draft should be about 1000 words. Your finished essay should be about 1500 words.

Important Due Dates:8/31 – Discover Draft9/7 – 2nd Draft9/7 – Peer Review9/14 – Final Draft