Sometimes these challenges will contain specific instructions for writing one of the three types of essays we will be covering in class, and sometimes they will be generic assignments that can be responded to as you see fit.

For the first challenge, the goal is for me (the instructor!) to gain an understanding of your current writing skills so that I can adjust class to your current skill level. In this case, I want to see what you can do with nothing but a writing prompt for a topic.

Instructions:

• Register an user account on the web site so that you can submit your response.
• Read the question carefully.
• Pause and think about how you wish to respond to the question.
• Open up your favorite word processing program (Word, Notepad, etc.)
• Write your essay! I want to see how you would write if you had to take the test right now.
• Post your essay as a response to this page. Once you log in, there should be a text box at the bottom of the page under the words “Leave A Reply”. Copy and paste your essay into this section, then click “Submit Comment”. You can choose to leave your name off of this, put a nick name, etc.
• Watch for a reply! I will try to review and post comments on these essays as quickly as possible. If the essay needs extensive help, I will print the essay, make specific notes on it, and pass it back the next class meeting.

The Second Writing Prompt: Social Networking Sites

This prompt is closer to the style you will expect to see on the English Composition Exam from Excelsior College. The goal of this particular prompt is to force you to write about something that many of you may not know much about! The goal is not to have you go research a bunch of extra stuff, it’s to see how well you can support your opinion on a topic that you might not know much about.

Social-Networking Sites

You have 60 minutes to compose an essay on the topic assigned below.

Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and assignment.

“One way to understand social-networking sites like Facebook and MySpace is to consider that younger digital natives are not necessarily being exhibitionists when they post photographs of themselves and share personal details there. Instead, these users are living a life in which consciousness is spread out evenly over two platforms: real life and the Web. Rather than feeling schizophrenic or somehow pathological, digital natives understand that these two realms divide the self much as speech and the written word divide language, a division that humans have lived with for a long time without going bonkers.
(Sarah Frere-Jones, “Living on the Radio,” The New Yorker, April 20, 2009)”

Assignment: When young people use social networking sites, including MySpace and Facebook, are these sites serving to enhance kids’ social lives or are they actually being used as a substitute for human interaction? Compose an essay supporting your opinion on this matter. Be sure to support your side of the argument by using examples from things you have read, studies you have heard of, personal obersvations and experiences, etc.  Include in your post your outline and writing planning, as we have completed essays in the Week 2 and Week 3 In-Class Activities.

Hello everyone! Here are the Week 2 Activities that the Fall 2010 class completed recently. Note we will have no class on September 6th, 2010 in observance of Labor Day. Class will resume on September 13th.

As you review these activities, watch closely for the changes we made to our essay through each step of the process.

Brainstorming Topics

Vacation – Where did we go, what did we do, when did we do it, who went with me, why we decided to go, how did we get there.

Holidays – Which holiday, where were we, what did we do, when did we do it, who was there, why did we celebrate that way, how did we get there/get home.

Waterparks – Which waterpark, where is it, what do they have, when did we go, who went with is, why did we decide to go, how did we all get there?

Family – Who, which side of the family, what are they known for, when do they do this, why do they do this, how does everyone put up with them?

Movies – What movie, where did you see it, how was it, who was in it, who were you with, what ideas did we have going in, what specifically made it good or bad?

Restaurant – What type, atmosphere, did you like it or not like it, how was the food, how was the service, where is it located, when did we go, who did we go with, what restaurant were we at.

Work – Where do you work, who do you work with, what do you do, what are the pros, what are the cons, why do we work there.

Beaches – What beach, where is it, who went, how did you get there, when did you go, what was the weather like, was the beach clean, how many people were there, what did you do, where did you stay, how was the water.

Compare and Contrast: Step 1

Brainstorm!
1. Compare two movies.
a. Re-makes of the same movie.
b. Movies with the same actors.
c. Movies by the same director.
d. Movies by the same screen writer.
2. Compare two restaurants.
a. Ones that serve the same food type.
b. Locations in the same chain.
c. Service between two restaurants.
d. Prices for same basic item.
3. Compare two airports.
a. The restaurants.
b. The layout.
c. The shops.
d. Wait time.
4. Compare music.
a. Two types.
b. Two artists.
c. Two record labels.
d. Two listening groups.
e. Two cultures.
f. Two decades.
g. Two instruments.
h. Two versions of the same song.

Compare and Contrast: Step 2

Selecting a topic AND get specific!

Comparing and contrasting two artists/music groups.

1. Genres
2. Types of instruments
3. Language
4. Lyrics
5. Style
6. Clothes
7. Number of people in group.

Michael Jackson vs. Elvis Presley – Styles, musical genre, Lyrics,

Comparing and Contrasting: Step 3

The Outline!

1. Introduction
a. Intro to that particular topic.
b. Intro to Topic 1: Styles
c. Intro to Topic 2: Music genres
d. Intro to Topic 3: Lyrics
e. Conclusion to that topic, sometimes a lead-in to the next topic.
2. Style
a. Intro to that particular topic.
b. Compare: Both liked to dress up in flashy outfits.
i. Example: Elvis wore a cape, Michael wore sequined glove.
c. Contrast: Elvis wore bell-bottoms and Michael wore tight pants.
d. Things specific to one or the other: Elvis wore long side burns and Michael had a baby-face. Elvis tried to look sexy and adult, Michael tended to look more innocent.
e. Conclusion to that topic, sometimes a lead-in to the next topic.
3. Musical genre
a. Intro to that particular topic.
b. Compare: Both were very influential for their time. Both started new genres.
i. Example: Elvis was the King of Rock & Roll, Michael was the King of Pop.
c. Contrast: Elvis had a deep, soulful voice and had very simple backing music. Michael has a higher pitched voice and more layers to the backing music.
i. Example: Elvis’ Jail House Rock vs. Michaels’ Beat It
d. Specific: Since we already have 5 sentences we don’t need another topic!
e. Conclusion to that topic, sometimes a lead-in to the next topic.
4. Lyrics
a. Intro to that particular topic.
b. Compare: Both have songs about hard times and heartaches.
i. Examples: Elvis’ Heartbreak Hotel, Michael Jacksons’ Billy Jean.
c. Contrast: Their idea of a hard time is not the same. Elvis was more about poverty, Michael was more about racial issues.
i. Examples: Elvis’ In The Ghetto, talking about lack of money, and people ignoring it. Michaels’ Black or White, talking about being treated differently based on race.
d. Weird Instance: Even though In The Ghetto & Black or White address different things, they both call for change/social action.
e. Conclusion to that topic, sometimes a lead-in to the next topic.
5. Conclusion
a. Intro to that particular topic.
b. Different but similar styles
c. Different but similar music genres
d. Different but similar lyrics
e. Conclusion

Compare and Contrast: Step 4

Fill In The Outline

1. Introduction
a. We are going to talk about two men who were known as kings in their times.
b. We are going to talk about their flashy dress style, their choice of pants, and the look they were going for.
c. Both kings are influential and their sounds are similar but different.
d. Both have lyrics that influence social change.
e. In conclusion, one was the king of rock and roll and the other was the king of pop.
2. Style
a. In spite of their differences, both men had styles that took on the next wave of fashion.
b. Both liked to dress up in flashy outfits.
i. For example, Elvis wore a cape, and Michael wore a single sequined glove.
c. Although both were dressed in impressive outfits, Elvis wore bell-bottoms and Michael wore tight pants.
d. In addition to the outfits, Elvis wore long side burns and Michael had a baby-face.
e. In their overall style, though they had similarities, Elvis tried to look sexy and adult, while Michael tended to look more innocent or childish.
3. Musical genre
a. Both men had a strong influence on musical trends of the day in addition to their fashion influence.
b. Each became their own individual style of music.
i. For example, Elvis was the King of Rock & Roll and Michael was the King of Pop.
c. However, their music styles each had a very distinct sound. Elvis had a deep, soulful voice and had very simple backing music and Michael had a higher pitched voice and more layers to the backing music.
i. You can hear this particularly well when listening to Elvis’ Jail House Rock vs. Michaels’ Beat It.
d. While each musician had similarities and different sounds, they also had a lot of lyrical influences in common.
4. Lyrics
a. Within their lyrics, both kings tended to bring people together.
b. Both have songs about hard times and heartaches.
i. We can hear this in Elvis’ Heartbreak Hotel and Michael Jacksons’ Billy Jean.
c. While the emotion of heartache is the same, their idea of a hard time is not the same. Elvis sang more about poverty, and Michael sang more about racial issues.
i. Elvis’ In The Ghetto talked about a lack of money, and people ignoring it. Michaels’ Black or White talked about being treated differently based on race.
d. Even though the songs are very different, In The Ghetto & Black or White address different things, they both call for change/social action.
5. Conclusion
a. As we can see, these artists are both similar and different.
b. They both had unique styles of dress that led to fashion trends.
c. They both had unique styles of music that started new genres.
d. They both wrote songs that had different styles, but talked about social issues and called for change.
e. In conclusion, both kings were ahead of their time in fashion, music genre, and social views, though they had different sounds.

Compare and Contrast: Step 5

Edit Outline

1. Introduction
f. In this essay, we are going to talk about two men who were known as kings in their times.
g. We are going to talk about their flashy dress style, their choice of pants, and the look they were going for.
h. Both had unique and influential styles.
i. Both used their art to influence the world.
j. We will be comparing and contrasting Elvis Presley and Michael Jackson.
2. Style
k. In spite of their differences, both Presley and Jackson had styles that started the next wave of fashion.
l. Both liked to dress up in flashy outfits.
i. For example, Elvis wore a cape, and Michael wore a single sequined glove. This added flair to their looks.
m. Although both were dressed in impressive outfits, their overall look differed. For example, Elvis wore bell-bottoms and Michael wore tight pants.
n. In addition, Elvis wore long side burns and Michael had a smooth baby-face he kept shaved.
o. In their overall style, though they had similarities, Presley tried to look sexy and adult, while Jackson tended to look more innocent or boyish.
3. Musical genre
p. In addition to their fashion influence, both men were on the cutting edge of musical trends.
q. Each developed their own individual style of music.
i. Presley was known as the King of Rock & Roll and Jackson was known as the King of Pop.
r. However, their music styles each had a very distinct sound. Presley had a deep, soulful voice and had very simple backing music while Jackson had a higher pitched voice and more layers to the backing music.
i. You can hear this particularly well when listening to Presley’s Jail House Rock and Jackson’s Beat It.
s. While each musician had similarities and different sounds, they also had a lot of lyrical influences in common.
4. Lyrics
t. Within their lyrics, both kings tended to bring people together.
u. Each musician had songs about hard times and heartaches that people connected with.
i. We can hear this in Presley’s Heartbreak Hotel and Jackson’s Billy Jean.
v. While the emotion of heartache is the same, their idea of a hard time is not. Presley sang more about poverty, and Jackson sang more about racial issues.
i. Presley’s In The Ghetto talked about a lack of money, and people ignoring it, while Jackson’s Black or White talked about being treated differently based on race.
w. Even though the songs are very different, In The Ghetto & Black or White address different things, and they both call for social action and change.
5. Conclusion
x. As we can see, these artists are both similar and different.
y. They both had unique styles of dress and music that led to fashion trends and new musical genres.
z. While they had drastically different sounds, both talked about social issues and called for change.
aa. In conclusion, both kings had very different sounds to their music, but were ahead of their time and still influence music today.

Compare and Contrast: Step 6

Make sure your arguments are supported!

6. Introduction
bb. In this essay, we are going to talk about two men who were known as kings in their times.
cc. We are going to talk about their flashy dress style, their choice of pants, and the look they were going for.
dd. Both had unique and influential styles.
ee. Both used their art to influence the world.
ff. We will be comparing and contrasting Elvis Presley and Michael Jackson.
7. Style
gg. In spite of their differences, both Presley and Jackson had styles that started the next wave of fashion.
hh. Both liked to dress up in flashy outfits.
i. For example, Elvis wore a cape, and Michael wore a single sequined glove. This added flair to their looks.
ii. Although both were dressed in impressive outfits, their overall look differed. Elvis wore bell-bottoms and Michael wore tight pants.
jj. In addition, Elvis wore long side burns and Michael had a smooth baby-face he kept shaved.
kk. In their overall style, though they had similarities, Presley tried to look sexy and adult, while Jackson tended to look more innocent or boyish.
8. Musical genre
ll. In addition to their fashion influence, both men were on the cutting edge of musical trends.
mm. Each developed their own individual style of music.
i. Presley was known as the King of Rock & Roll and Jackson was known as the King of Pop.
nn. However, their music styles each had a very distinct sound. Presley had a deep, soulful voice and had very simple backing music while Jackson had a higher pitched voice and more layers to the backing music.
i. You can hear this particularly well when listening to Presley’s Jail House Rock and Jackson’s Beat It.
oo. While each musician had similarities and different sounds, they also had a lot of lyrical influences in common.
9. Lyrics
pp. Within their lyrics, both kings tended to bring people together.
qq. Each musician had songs about hard times and heartaches that people connected with.
i. In Presley’s Heartbreak Hotel, he talked about his woman leaving him and being depressed over the loss. In Jackson’s Billy Jean, we hear about the controversy of a woman claiming Jackson fathered her child when he did not.
rr. While the emotion of heartache is the same, their idea of a hard time is not. Presley sang more about poverty, and Jackson sang more about racial issues.
i. Presley’s In The Ghetto talked about a lack of money, and people ignoring it, while Jackson’s Black or White talked about being treated differently based on race.
ss. Even though the songs are very different, In The Ghetto & Black or White both call for social action and change.
10. Conclusion
tt. As we can see, these artists are both similar and different.
uu. They both had unique styles of dress and music that led to fashion trends and new musical genres.
vv. While they had drastically different sounds, both talked about social issues and called for change.
ww. In conclusion, both kings had very different sounds to their music, but were ahead of their time and still influence music today.

Compare and Contrast: Step 7

Remove the Outline Formatting.

In this essay, we are going to talk about two men who were known as kings in their times. We are going to talk about their flashy dress style, their choice of pants, and the look they were going for. Both had unique and influential styles. Both used their art to influence the world. We will be comparing and contrasting Elvis Presley and Michael Jackson.
In spite of their differences, both Presley and Jackson had styles that started the next wave of fashion. Both liked to dress up in flashy outfits. For example, Elvis wore a cape, and Michael wore a single sequined glove. This added flair to their looks. Although both were dressed in impressive outfits, their overall look differed. Elvis wore bell-bottoms and Michael wore tight pants. In addition, Elvis wore long side burns and Michael had a smooth baby-face he kept shaved. In their overall style, though they had similarities, Presley tried to look sexy and adult, while Jackson tended to look more innocent or boyish.
In addition to their fashion influence, both men were on the cutting edge of musical trends. Each developed their own individual style of music. Presley was known as the King of Rock & Roll and Jackson was known as the King of Pop. However, their music styles each had a very distinct sound. Presley had a deep, soulful voice and had very simple backing music while Jackson had a higher pitched voice and more layers to the backing music. You can hear this particularly well when listening to Presley’s Jail House Rock and Jackson’s Beat It. While each musician had similarities and different sounds, they also had a lot of lyrical influences in common.
Within their lyrics, both kings tended to bring people together. Each musician had songs about hard times and heartaches that people connected with. In Presley’s Heartbreak Hotel, he talked about his woman leaving him and being depressed over the loss. In Jackson’s Billy Jean, we hear about the controversy of a woman claiming Jackson fathered her child when he did not. While the emotion of heartache is the same, their idea of a hard time is not. Presley sang more about poverty, and Jackson sang more about racial issues. Presley’s In The Ghetto talked about a lack of money, and people ignoring it, while Jackson’s Black or White talked about being treated differently based on race. Even though the songs are very different, In The Ghetto & Black or White both call for social action and change.
As we can see, these artists are both similar and different. They both had unique styles of dress and music that led to fashion trends and new musical genres. While they had drastically different sounds, both talked about social issues and called for change. In conclusion, both kings had very different sounds to their music, but were ahead of their time and still influence music today.

Compare and Contrast: Step 8

Proof-read!

In this essay, we are going to talk about two men who were known as kings in their times. We are going to talk about their flashy dress style, their choice of pants, and the look they were going for. Both had unique and influential styles. Both used their art to influence the world. We will be comparing and contrasting Elvis Presley and Michael Jackson.
In spite of their differences, both Presley and Jackson had styles that started the next wave of fashion. Both liked to dress up in flashy outfits. For example, Presley wore a cape, and Jackson wore a single sequined glove. This added flair to their looks. Although both were dressed in impressive outfits, their overall look differed. Presley wore bell-bottoms and Jackson favored tight pants. In addition, Presley wore long side burns and Jackson had a smooth baby-face he kept shaved. In their overall style, though they had similarities, Presley tried to look sexy and adult, while Jackson tended to look more innocent or boyish.
In addition to their fashion influence, both men were on the cutting edge of musical trends. Each developed their own individual style of music. Presley was known as the King of Rock & Roll and Jackson was known as the King of Pop. However, their music styles each had a very distinct sound. Presley had a deep, soulful voice and had very simple backing music while Jackson had a higher pitched voice and more layers to the backing music. You can hear this particularly well when listening to Presley’s Jail House Rock and Jackson’s Beat It. While each musician had similarities and different sounds, they also had a lot of lyrical influences in common.
Within their lyrics, both kings tended to bring people together. Each musician had songs about hard times and heartaches that people connected with. In Presley’s Heartbreak Hotel, he talked about his woman leaving him and being depressed over the loss. In Jackson’s Billy Jean, we hear about the controversy of a woman claiming Jackson fathered her child when he did not. While the emotion of heartache is the same, their idea of a hard time is not. Presley sang more about poverty, and Jackson sang more about racial issues. Presley’s In The Ghetto talked about a lack of money, and people ignoring it, while Jackson’s Black or White talked about being treated differently based on race. Even though the songs are very different, In The Ghetto & Black or White both call for social action and change.
As we can see, these artists are both similar and different. They both had unique styles of dress and music that led to fashion trends and new musical genres. While they had drastically different sounds, both talked about social issues and called for change. In conclusion, both kings had very different sounds to their music, but were ahead of their time and still influence music today.

Compare and Contrast: Step 9

Come up with a title!

“The Tale of Two Kings”

In this essay, we are going to talk about two men who were known as kings in their times. We are going to talk about their flashy dress style, their choice of pants, and the look they were going for. Both had unique and influential styles. Both used their art to influence the world. We will be comparing and contrasting Elvis Presley and Michael Jackson.
In spite of their differences, both Presley and Jackson had styles that started the next wave of fashion. Both liked to dress up in flashy outfits. For example, Presley wore a cape, and Jackson wore a single sequined glove. This added flair to their looks. Although both were dressed in impressive outfits, their overall look differed. Presley wore bell-bottoms and Jackson favored tight pants. In addition, Presley wore long side burns and Jackson had a smooth baby-face he kept shaved. In their overall style, though they had similarities, Presley tried to look sexy and adult, while Jackson tended to look more innocent or boyish.
In addition to their fashion influence, both men were on the cutting edge of musical trends. Each developed their own individual style of music. Presley was known as the King of Rock & Roll and Jackson was known as the King of Pop. However, their music styles each had a very distinct sound. Presley had a deep, soulful voice and had very simple backing music while Jackson had a higher pitched voice and more layers to the backing music. You can hear this particularly well when listening to Presley’s Jail House Rock and Jackson’s Beat It. While each musician had similarities and different sounds, they also had a lot of lyrical influences in common.
Within their lyrics, both kings tended to bring people together. Each musician had songs about hard times and heartaches that people connected with. In Presley’s Heartbreak Hotel, he talked about his woman leaving him and being depressed over the loss. In Jackson’s Billy Jean, we hear about the controversy of a woman claiming Jackson fathered her child when he did not. While the emotion of heartache is the same, their idea of a hard time is not. Presley sang more about poverty, and Jackson sang more about racial issues. Presley’s In The Ghetto talked about a lack of money, and people ignoring it, while Jackson’s Black or White talked about being treated differently based on race. Even though the songs are very different, In The Ghetto & Black or White both call for social action and change.
As we can see, these artists are both similar and different. They both had unique styles of dress and music that led to fashion trends and new musical genres. While they had drastically different sounds, both talked about social issues and called for change. In conclusion, both kings had very different sounds to their music, but were ahead of their time and still influence music today.

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