東京理科大学 Writing & Composition 1b: Writing assignment 1・作文1

Hello!

How are you? Today I will show you our first (1st) writing assignment (作文1) for this class for the second semester - writing a procedures (手順) composition, with research, on a topic connected to the themes from the textbook in the listening and speaking class. 

Themes (テーマ)

Here are your choice of themes. You can choose one (1) of these: 

• Education 
• Psychology

There are many topics you can choose from that fit with these themes. You can use a topic from one of the textbook chapters we have done so far in this class, plus any ideas you may have gotten from your listening and speaking class on the same textbook chapters. 

But here are also some other ideas for topics that fit with these themes and that you can try for. You could choose one (1) of these if you want: 

• The best way you have found to learn English vocabulary and the steps you use 
• The best way you have found to remember difficult kanji and the steps you use 
• What you believe is an effective way to remember complex chemical or math formulas
• How you would teach a complex chemical or math formula to students
• How a baseball batter can effectively hit a ball - and methods of great baseball hitters
• Examples of how Olympic athletes train - and methods they use to prepare for events 
• How to effectively prepare for a test - including steps to take on best sleep, diet, and study methods 

Deadline (締め切り)
It will be by the end of class on October 14th (10/14), so you have two (2) week(s) to prepare. You should have a rough draft (下書き) for next week (10/7), then have your final draft finished by at least the end of class on 10/14.

*NEW NOTE: I know that some of you have a laptop computer or tablet, but not all of you do. So if you have your own computer or laptop, work on your final drafts, and bring your computer or laptop with you, with a USB, to class next week on 10/14. 

If you don't have your own computer, bring a USB with you. Outside of class before next week, you should work on your writing on a campus computer, and save your Word file on your USB.

Your final draft for 10/14 will be typed on Word, and should be at least 3-4 paragraphs (段落) long - but if you can go longer, try for it! I encourage you to go longer and build your writing and take your ideas out further as much as you can.

Anything shorter than three (3) paragraphs will not be acceptable. I will ask you to re-write if you bring in less writing than what the assignment asks for. 

Please also do not write line-by-line sentences. Remember that you are writing paragraphs (段落), not lists of sentences. I will also ask you to re-write if you hand in a paper that has only lists of sentences on it. 

I will show you guidelines in class on 10/7 about Word formatting for your final drafts.

Guidelines

1. Prepare a rough draft about the topic you want to write on describing a procedure or method for doing or showing something. I will give you some time to do some research, and begin writing, in class.

Important note:

The rough and final drafts should have: 

• A short introduction showing what your topic is
• A procedure or method, including any special or famous cases, conditions, problems, and/or situations where the procedure or method can help (or did help), with details of steps in the procedure or method using signal words (first…, next…, then…, after that…, finally…, and so on) 

2. Be ready with your rough draft next week to read aloud to your classmates, and discuss the procedures in your topics. You do not have to agree with each other! Getting differing viewpoints from your classmates is important, and can help you to deepen your ideas. 

* This is very important! You don't have to have your rough draft 100% finished - but you have to have enough content so you can read aloud and discuss your writing! Do not come in with only 1-2 sentences!

3. Based on the discussions and any feedback you get from your classmates, then finalize your rough drafts outside of class into final drafts, and be ready to hand in on the deadline day on 10/14! 

NEW - here are the board notes for our class on 10/7: 

Good luck! See you next time!

Images: top - courtesy of public-domain.com/Board notes - personal photograph. All rights reserved.