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last.updated 8.6.07

 

Sample Assignment

Purpose

You all know from your own experiences as students that the generic expectations for assignment sheets (or the document an instructor uses to articulate the instructions for a major project) are fairly loose. We have experienced a wide array of different presentations of this curricular material. For the students, this articulation and presentation of instructions can either facilitate or hinder the process of completing an assignment and fulfilling the audience's expectations. This assignment will give you the opportunity to practice writing an assignment for the unit that you are developing.

Instructions

The unit that you are developing should have at least one major writing assignment. For this assignment you will be writing out the instructions for this assignment (or one of your major writing assignments) to your students.

Compose the writing instructions for this text. As you do so, keep in mind...

  • your audience's grade level
  • the information that your audience will ask for to fulfill this assignment successfully; this is an exercise in audience awareness
  • the genre of the assignment and the corresponding expectations
  • other assignment variables that Soven presents (p. 137)
  • the samples that Soven provides (pp. 167-170)

To give the instructor the context for your assignment sheet, compose a brief cover sheet (no more than a page) in which you explain...

  • the audience of this document (i.e., grade level, type of class)
  • the overall goal of the unit, how this assignment fits into the course goals and the unit's goals. Explain why doing this assignment will help the students fulfill these goals
  • any background information the instructor needs to understand this assignment sheet. This will include relevant assignments or activities that precede or follow (build upon) this assignment–anything that demonstrates that your students will be prepared for what you are asking them to do or that makes this assignment more relevant to an overall process.


Criteria

Logistic:

For the portfolio, reconsider your original position in light the new things that you have learned this semester, as well as the feedback you received from the instructor. The final revised draft of your Sample Assignment is due with the portfolio on December 10, 2007.

In addition to the general evaluation criteria, the instructor will be looking for evidence of...

  • a sense of audience–is the assignment something that students at the stated grade level should be able to accomplish? will the students be able to understand all of the terminology and concepts presented? will the students understand why they are doing what they are being asked to do?
  • an assignment that is executable and corresponds with your course goals and assignment goals
  • clear, manageable instructions that are easy to follow
  • an informed understanding of language arts curriculum
  • appropriate use of conventions, especially a readable format that complies to document design principles
  • a teacherly persona