東京理科大学 A英3: Writing assignment 3 (The Small Book of Big People・The Stories of Science)・作文3

Hello!

How are you? Today I will show you our 3rd writing assignment (作文3) - comparing and contrasting (比較対照している) different important people, discoveries, or inventions in science and technology. 

As an example - look at the picture above. It is Pierre and Marie Curie, the famous husband-and-wife physicist and chemist. Both of them won Nobel Prizes, with Marie Curie winning two prizes - one in physics and another in chemistry. 

She is the only woman to ever win two Nobel prizes, and the only person to ever win in two different sciences. Is it possible that she might have achieved more than her husband? Or is it possible that her husband might still have been greater, because he made it possible for her to do research at a time when it was very difficult for women to work in the sciences? What do you think? 

While I have already given you the handout about the assignment, I will post it here as well as another way to help remind you about it, and what you can do for it.

Task


You have a choice between two (2) different topics. Choose one (1) of these:

1. Compare and contrast (比較対照して) two (2) different important people in science or technology to each other. Compare the two people you admire and respect, and who are important to you and how you think about science and are interested in it. But which person do you think might have had the overall greater impact? Think about this and make this the basis of your comparison and contrast.


I will gather your writing on this topic into The Small Book of Big People book I have talked about before in class.

2. Compare and contrast two (2) different important related scientific or technological discoveries or inventions in their impact to each other. Compare two important discoveries or inventions in science or technology within the same or similar field, especially those that may have gotten you interested in science and technology. Which discovery or invention do you think might have had the overall greater impact? Think about this and make this the basis of your comparison and contrast.


I will gather your writing on this topic into another book called The Stories of Science.

How much to write

I would like you to write as much as you can, because your work may be published

(出版した) on both this blog and in The Small Book of Big People and Stories of Science books. 

I would like to see maybe 3-4 paragraphs' worth of writing - the more, the better. You can write more than this if you can - and I encourage you to do so!

Deadline (締め切り)

It will be at the beginning of the class on July 9th (7/9), so I want you to bring in a first draft (下書き) on that day in your notebooks in pencil. I will then show some more guidelines in class with language and other points of comparison and contrast, changing things about the draft as you need to, then write to the finish and turn in your work on 7/9. 

Good luck with this! I hope you can have fun with this, and enjoy writing comparisons and contrasts about people, discoveries, or inventions in science and technology. 

See you next time!

Image: By Unknown - hp.ujf.cas.cz (uploader=--Kuebi 18:28, 10 April 2007 (UTC)), Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=20426111

東京理科大学 A英3: Writing assignment 2・作文2 (The Small Book of Big People・Places & Traces)

Hello!

How are you? Today, I'll tell you about our 2nd writing assignment (作文2). While I usually would give all of you the handout about the assignment first, this time I am posting it here first as a different way to communicate the assignment to you. 

You have three (3) choices for topics. Choose one (1) of them:  

1. Write about a unique, interesting, or special person you know  
In this topic, write about a unique, interesting, or special person you know, like a teacher, best friend, coach, or even a family member like a mother, father, brother or sister - or a famous person you think is unique and inspiring, like a singer, musician, actor, athlete, or a writer or artist. 

I will gather your writing on this topic into a book called The Small Book of Big People. I started this a few years ago with my students at another university. You can check out their writing at this link, and also at this link too.

2. Write about a figure in science or technology that you admire 
In this topic, choose a figure from science or technology - any major person and any field of science or technology (biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics, engineering, IT - any area of science or technology is okay) that inspired you to study science seriously. It can be a Japanese or foreign person, and anyone from the past or present. 

I will also gather any writing on this topic into The Small Book of Big People collection.

3. Write about your favorite place 
While we have been doing some writing about people, you can also write about a place - in this case, your favorite place. I would like you to go deep and far with it – in it, you can write about where the place is and why it is special to you, and very importantly, what feelings you have about it. Write deeply about those feelings and even give some history about them - especially about the first time you ever saw the place and what impact it had on you at that time.

If the place is a tourist spot, or has some long history to it (such as an important event in the past that happened there, or an important person who came there), also show why it brings tourists, or the reasons why it is so historical. 

I am gathering writing on this topic into a book called Places & Traces - a collection of student writing about unique places. 

You can use the place that you wrote about when doing your practice writing about places, and make your writing about it bigger and longer. 

How much to write
I would like you to write as much as you can, because your work may be published (出版した) on both this blog and in The Small Book of Big People and Places and Traces books. So write to the best you believe you can!

I would like to see around 3-4 paragraphs. (Make the paragraphs at least a little longer!) But if you can write even a little more - go for it!

Deadline (締め切り)
It will be June 4th (6/4). So starting from today, I want you to work on a first draft (下書き) in your notebooks in pencil in class. 

I will remind and show all of you how you can review each others' work. Then you can change things about the draft as you need to, then write to the finish and turn in your final draft on 6/4. 

Good luck with this! I hope you can have fun with this, and enjoy writing about a person who is special and unique to you, a scientist you admire, or a place that you have a great feeling for. 

Images: Top & bottom - personal photographs. All rights reserved/Kikunae Ikeda - by original uploader Dan@mac at German Wikipedia - Transferred from de.wikipedia to Commons by Magnus Manske using CommonsHelper., Public Domain, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=8297726

東京理科大学 A英3: Mid-term (spring final) writing assignment・中間「前学期」作文

Hello! 

How are you? Here is our mid-term (spring final) writing assignment (中間「前学期」作文) - comparing and contrasting (比較対照している) different people or places.

While I have already given you the handout for this assignment, I am posting it here as another way to help you know what you can do.

Topic choices

 You have two (2) choices for topics. Choose one (1) of them.

1. Compare (比べる) two (2) different people to each other.

In this topic, compare two different people – it could be the personalities of some people you know, such as a brother to a sister, or our mother and your father. 

It could also be about two different people you know outside your family who may have the same jobs, or have had the same impact on your lives, like two teachers who had an impact on you, or two friends, coaches, or other people who have been big in your lives. But it could also be two famous people you think are unique, interesting, or special, like two singers, musicians, actors, athletes, writers, artists, or scientists. But remember – how similar are they? How different are they?

I will gather your writing on this topic into The Small Book of Big People book I have talked about before in class. 

2. Compare two (2) places to each other.

In this topic, compare two different places that you know about, and may mean a lot to you – two different schools, or other kinds of places from your childhood. It could also be about two different cities or towns – maybe places you know, but also places you have never been to but would like to go to, maybe even live in someday. 

I am gathering writing on this topic into the Places & Traces book I have also talked about in class. 

For this topic, you can use the pictures from my blog that I posted about places and homes, or you can find your own pictures.

How much to write

I would like you to write at least four (4) paragraphs – but if you can go longer that would be great! I would like you to write as much as you can, because your work may be published (出版した) on both this blog and in The Small Book of Big People and Places & Traces books. 

Deadline (締め切り)

It will be next week (来週) on July 31st (7/31), and it will be a final version (完成版). This means you must begin writing now – do not wait until the day or night before!

To help you, I will give you a draft sheet (下書きシート) that you can write ideas, notes, topic sentences, and supporting sentences on. You will then write your final version on a separate sheet of notebook paper. On 7/31, you will hand in both the draft sheet and the final version.

Good luck! I will look forward to reading your great writing – and please relax over the summer for a job well done!

Image: Unattributed copyright-free photograph courtesy of Apple iPhoto gallery  

東京理科大学 A英3: Writing assignment 2 (The Small Book of Big People・Places & Traces)・作文2

Hello!

How are you? Today, I'll tell you about our 2nd writing assignment (作文2). While I have already given all of you the handout about the assignment, I am also posting it here as another way to help remind you on what you need to do. 

You have two (2) choices for topics. Choose one (1) of them:

1. Write about your favorite place. 
In this topic, write about your favorite place. While you did this in your practice writing, I would like you to go deeper and farther with it – in it, you can write about where the place is and why it is special to you, and very importantly, what feelings you have about it. Write deeply about those feelings and even give some history about them - especially about the first time you ever saw the place and what impact it had on you at that time.

If the place is a tourist spot, or has some long history to it (such as an important event in the past that happened there, or an important person who came there), also show why it brings tourists, or the reasons why it is so historical. 

2. Write about a unique, interesting, or special person. 
While we have been writing more lately about places, you can also write about a person. In this topic, write about a unique, interesting, or special person you know, like a teacher, best friend, coach, or even a family member like a mother, father, brother or sister - or a famous person you think is unique, interesting, or special, like a singer, musician, actor, athlete, or a writer or artist.

I will gather your writing on this topic into a book called The Small Book of Big People. I started this a few years ago with my students at another university. You can check out their writing at this link, and also at this link too.

How much to write

I would like you to write as much as you can, because your work may be published (出版した) on both this blog and in The Small Book of Big People and Places and Traces books. 

I would like to see around 3-4 paragraphs. (Make the paragraphs at least a little longer!) But if you can write even a little more – go for it!

Deadline (締め切り)
It will be June 26th (6/26). So today, I want you to work on a first draft (下書き) in your notebooks in pencil in class. 

I will show you how you can review each others' work. Then you can change things about the draft as you need to, then write to the finish and turn in your final draft on 6/26. 

Good luck with this! I hope you can have fun with this, and enjoy writing about a place that you have a great feeling for, or a person who is special and unique to you. 

Images: Personal photographs. All rights reserved.

電気通信大学 AWE I: Writing assignment 1 (The Small Book of Big People)・作文1

Hello!

How are you? Today, I'll tell you about our 1st writing assignment (作文1). While I gave all of you the handout about the assignment, I will post about it on here as another way to remind you, with a little extra information. 

Topic
Write about a unique, interesting, or special person. You can write a one-sided argument about a unique or interesting person of your choice. Research and write about anyone - a scientist, for example; or even someone who is not from science, such as a singer, musician, actor, athlete, writer or artist.

I will gather your writing on this topic into a book of student writing about people called The Small Book of Big People. I started this a few years ago with students I had at another university. 

So here's some extra information: Check their writing out at this link, and at this link too. These are student writings on other kinds of topics, but they are good examples of the kinds of things students can do. I hope they can give you some confidence that you too can write as well as they can. I believe you can!

How much to write
How much do you write? I would like you to write as much as you can, because your work may be published (出版した) on both this blog and in The Small Book of Big People book. 

I would like to see all of you go for at least 2-3 paragraphs' worth of writing – even more is better, if you can try for it.  

 
Deadline (締め切り)
Our deadline is May 26th (5/26), so you have two weeks. I want you to bring in a first draft (下書き) next week (5/19) in your notebooks in pencil. I will then review your work, then you can write to the finish and turn in your work. 

Good luck with this! I hope you can have fun with this, and enjoy writing about a person or a place.

Images: Top - "Blank Document Area Shows Copyspace White Background For Note" (courtesy of Stuart Miles)/Albert Einstein: Screenshot courtesy of Famous World blog. 

I do not own the rights to the Einstein image. All rights reserved to copyright holder(s). Uploaded for classroom use only.