Formal Writing Assignment Observation and Rhetorical Analysis

This writing project consists of two parts:

Part A requires you to create two descriptions of a location of
your choice: a place on campus, in the community, or even in
your own home, painting two distinct impressions of it one
broadly positive and one broadly negative.
Part B requires you to analyze your two different
descriptions, explaining how you skillfully manipulated
language and style (using all five strategies described on
pages 47-48) to generate two distinctly different impressions
of the same details, the same scene.
Part A: (250 300 words each description, or 500 - 600 words, total). Select a place
on campus or in your community, easily accessible to you. In selecting a location,
take the following into consideration:
1. Choose a place* where you can sit for fifteen or twenty minutes in preparation for
writing a focused description of the scene that will enable your readers to experience
what you describe. A place like the entire college cafeteria in West Hall or the Center
for Learning may be too much to take on for this project. Think instead of smaller,
more focused areas such as the lobby of your dorm, the caf counter at Horizon
Books, the waiting area of your pets veterinarian office, your workplace, the bench
area where parents mingle and chat while their children play in the park. Generally I
recommend avoiding places that you know quite well as it can be hard to develop an
"alternative" perspective of, say, your own living-room. However, some students have
been very successful in describing familiar places from diametrically opposed "angles
of vision."
* If, for medical reasons, you are unable to visit a suitable location, please email me
for an alternative assignment. You could, for example, describe a photograph,
available online, from two opposite perspectives.
2. Choose a place that is interesting to you, as well as interesting to potential
readers. Choosing a location off the beaten track might make a good choice, but
always put your personal safety first.
3. Choose a place you have ready access to and that you can visit more than once if
necessary. This assignment cannot be completed from memory. You must actually
visit the site and take field notes of what goes on there.
Field Notes: In taking field notes, make sure you allow yourself enough time to
observe and document your chosen location. Keep in mind also that these two
descriptions need to be based on the same observation, the same field notes. In other
words, you do not want to conduct one observation when conditions are sunny and
another when conditions are stormy, as the facts or field notes on which both
descriptions are based would be inconsistent.

When taking field notes, remember to consider elements of descriptive detail. Some
elements to consider include the following:
Smells

Sounds

Size

Color

Lighting

Mood

Distractions

Activities

Geography

Tastes

Textures

The feel of things

Writing Your Descriptions: Be certain that your two descriptions are balanced overall.
In other words, you should devote the same attention to both descriptions regardless
of whether one of them is closer to your true personal perspective and probably
easier to describe! You also should reference the same objects or details in each
piece to provide parallel but different descriptions. However, using the various
language strategies learned in this project you will deliver the "facts" from differing
perspectives, very broadly categorized as positive and negative; however, you should
try to aim for much more specific angles of vision such as unsettling vs.
comforting or inspiring vs. depressing or intriguing vs. disgusting you get the
idea! You will also want to minimize telling in your descriptions (direct statement of
meaning), and concentrate on showing the site from two different angles using
descriptive details. Carefully select your descriptive words and try to include lots of
sensory detail (all five senses, if possible) and figurative language (similes,
metaphors, etc.) to paint the scene for the reader. Structure your sentences
appropriately to downplay or emphasize certain features.
Part B: (400-500 words) For this part of the project, write a reflective analysis of
what you learned from writing your contrasting descriptions. First, take your reader
behind the scenes to show how you crafted your two descriptions. IMPORTANT: Be
sure to reference all "five strategies" explained on pages 47-48 of your textbook. A
key part of this analysis involves answering this question: What did I do differently to
create the two contrasting effects in the two descriptions and why? Be sure to quote
or cite examples from your descriptions to illustrate.
Finally, reflect more broadly on what you have learned about the concept of angle of
vision and about the strategies writers use to shape their readers view of a subject.
Think of this writing project as an exercise in thinking about how your own
perspectives are influenced / developed and also an exercise in analyzing your own

writing and writing process. Consider how and why you see as you do and in what
ways you can change your readers' viewpoints, even though the facts remain the
same.
Other Requirements
Double line spacing.
Use standard fonts such as Times New Roman size 12.
Use one-inch margins.
Number the pages.
Type your name, instructors name, and the date at the top left corner of the
first page.
Be sure to label each part of your assignment as "Part A" and "Part B."
Create descriptive titles for your two observational writings. Part B may be
labeled "Analysis."
How to Submit: Submit both parts (A & B) in one document by uploading to the
Assignment Site, using the following file-naming convention: lastnamefirstinitial_F1
Examples: smithm_F1.docx
Remember to also upload at least one earlier draft and your invention / field notes