The Essay Development Project

ENG101: Week 2 Assignment Page 1
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Course Project: Essay Development - Choose a Topic
Assignment Overview
For this first assignment in your Essay Development Project, you will choose a topic and demonstrate
a prewriting technique with your audience in mind. This is the first step you will take to complete your
final polished essay in the last week of the course. The Five-Paragraph Essay Overview describes
how each of the weekly assignments leads up to your final essay. Review it, so that you can plan your
time throughout this course accordingly.
This assignment is intended to provide practice writing using proper grammar, punctuation and
spelling. You will also explore various writing techniques, including pre-writing, audience analysis, and
diction. Taken together, these skills will inform your knowledge of the steps in the writing process.
Assignment Details:
Perform the following tasks:
 Complete the reading assignment and the interactive lesson before attempting this
assignment.
 Follow the directions below in the Assignment Worksheet section. Begin the pre-writing and
audience analysis process of your essay composition in the spaces provided on page 3.
 Submit your assignment via Blackboard by clicking on the “Week 2 Assignment” link.
 Include the proper file naming convention: ENG101_wk2_assn_jsmith_mmddyyyy.
Grading:
Grading Criteria Points Possible Points Earned
Part I – Pre-write
 Labeled technique and correctly applied technique to
pre-writing activity.
5
 Considered all aspects of topic as shown by free-flow of
ideas.
30
Part II – Audience Analysis and Diction
 Identified audience thoroughly. 5
 Addressed terms/jargon; presentation (diction). 5
 Described approach. 5
 Described characteristics of tone to be used. 5
Grammar and Spelling Overall
The following grammar concepts will receive special attention:
 Used correct parts of speech. 5
 Used correct capitalization. 5
 Used appropriate end punctuation. 5
Total Points 70

ENG101: Week 2 Assignment Page 2
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Assignment Worksheet:
Choose an essay topic from the list, or a different topic with instructor approval, and then complete
Parts I and II below, using the next page:
 Global warming
 Alternative energy options
 Providing free college education to prisoners
 Buying American-made products
 Mandatory drug testing for those receiving Public Assistance/Welfare Aid
 Legalization of drugs
 Impact of health care reform. (This is not referring to a specific piece of legislation, but to a
general legislative topic.)
Note: As part of this assignment, you are expected to demonstrate your knowledge of the grammar
concepts you practiced this week.
Part I: Pre-write
 Refer to the following strategies discussed in your textbook and choose either...
o Free-writing
o Clustering
o Listing
o or Questioning
 Your prewriting MUST be substantive. Show that you have seriously considered all aspects of
your topic. Make sure that you also label the technique (freewriting, clustering, listing, or
questioning) you have used and don’t limit yourself...let your ideas flow!
 There are no right or wrong concepts or ideas in prewriting. You can use the samples given in
your text, or use the sample in this week’s lesson to help guide your writing.
Remember: In the coming weeks, you narrow your approach as you continue developing the ideas
that you begin in this week.
Part II: Audience Analysis and Diction
 As you work on your pre-write, consider your approach to your essay, who is your audience?
Note: Avoid a simple response such as “everyone.” You would want to choose a response that
is well-thought out, such as, “My audience is kids who are ages 5–8 years and who have never
known their father. They have been living primarily with.... They live in an area of town that....
Their home situation is... Their schooling situation is...”
 Write a paragraph to address all of the following questions (at minimum: 5-7 sentences) while
applying the grammar concepts you learned this week:
o Profile your reader. Who are they? What demographics are you trying to reach (age,
gender, class)?
o What terms/jargon do you plan to use? How do you plan on presenting them?
o How will you approach more technical/difficult concepts in your paper?