Sunday, August 17, 2008

I'm Stuck. Help?

Hello my fellow academics.

I'm sort of stuck on some fun/interesting classroom ideas for both a Cause and Effect essay, as well as an Analogy essay (although I do have *some* ideas for the analogy essay).

Any thoughts?

I'm looking for anything that will interest the students and keep them actively engaged during the discussion of these two types of rhetoric.

Help?

ps. Ew, I don't like this color.

4 comments:

Lady Audley said...

*about to sound like a bit of an idiot*

I can probably guess what these are, but I've never heard the phrase "Cause and Effect essay" or "Analogy essay" before. So, just so we're on the same page, what are the goals for each kind of essay?

KGreco said...

Funny you ask, LA; that's what I'm trying to figure out.

Welcome to adjunct life:
*Given the curriculum (which is barely a page)

*Told to do this, this, this, this, this, this, and this kind of essay (of which I think are wayyy too many essays to concentrate on in one semester).

*Shall I look at the details of the essays? Nope, because there are none! LOL.

------

But ANYWAY...

Cause and Effect essay: explains why an event happened or what the consequences of the event were. Can focus on causes, effects, or both. For example, the cause and/or effect of spoiling a child.

Analogy: Comparing a topic to something in order to make it more easily understood (?). When I think of analogy, I think of the analogy I wrote about the process of writing in Dr. Mother Bear's course: Writing is like driving a manual; it's hardest starting and getting out of first gear, but once you hit 3rd, 4th, and 5th you're cruising down the interstate.

At Satellite LU campus, I also have to do an Illustration essay with the kids, which I'm not too keen on.

Lady Audley said...

Ooh, I like the analogy for writing one. That would be a good one to do second (are you allowed to do them in any order? or is that actually specific?), once the students have written something, to help you get an idea of how they think of writing.

As for cause/effect, if you have non-majors (I'm assuming it's a mixed group?), you could ask them to choose something in their major to write about (causes of the civil war, effects of the invention of tube paint on artists, Freud's effects on psychology, etc). Or maybe you could have them pick a person and discuss that the effect his/her life had on the world ("hey, young idealists-one person can make a difference!").

KGreco said...

LA, you're AWESOME.

Yeah, I wasn't too worried about the analogy one once I got to thinking about it. I think that one could be really fun. And yes, I have to do the analogy essay AFTER the cause/effect essay.

I definitely do have a variety of majors in my courses.

THANK YOU, this definitely helps to get my wheels turning! You ROCK.