Writing

All quarter long, we've been exploring how language and stories are powerful. The ways in which we read, write, speak, perform, learn, and know, through language and stories, are bound up with our individual and collective identities. These identities--the ways we understand ourselves in relation to the world--may be fixed and stable, or they may change and grow over time. By reflecting on our identities through the lens of literacy, we can better understand how language and stories shape our ways of knowing and being.  This third project of the quarter asks you to reflect on your own literacy experiences to deepen your critical understanding of who you are as a student, a writer, a professional, a citizen, etc, based on the values you have gained in the process of becoming a literate human being.   As you will see in Tolchin's example of a literacy narrative, this project should address a public/popular audience, including your classmates and me. But the audience also includes yourself, because this is a piece of reflective writing. How can you make your personal experiences relevant and interesting to a broader audience?  An effective literacy narrative will do all of the following well:  Develop a culminating idea or philosophy that explains how your experiences with literacy have shaped what you value and that shows readers why these experiences matter (claim and stakes). Use specific details and evidence in your narrative, with evidence drawn from: Your personal experiences "reading" and "writing" texts, and At least 2 outside sources beyond the texts central to your narrative. These sources should be meaningful to you, and/or they could provide a theoretical framework for your narrative (such as the writing center theory that Tolchin integrated into her narrative). Present a coherent and compelling story that uses the rhetorical and narrative strategies from Unit 1 and Unit 2 to connect the different elements of your story with the culminating idea. If you choose to write a more traditional literacy narrative, your final draft should be 4-5 double-spaced pages, not including any images you might include.  If you choose to go a more visual or multi-modal route (as Tolchin did), we can chat more about the elements and requirements of your final draft based on your ideas.  Rubric Rubric for Project 3 Rubric for Project 3 Criteria Ratings Pts This criterion is linked to a Learning Outcome CLAIM & STAKES Your literacy narrative makes an interesting and complex claim about how your literacy experiences have influenced your identity and your values. The narrative also expands the claim by explaining what others might learn from your insights about literacy and identity. 10.0 pts Full Marks 0.0 pts No Marks 10.0 pts This criterion is linked to a Learning Outcome NARRATIVE & RHETORICAL STRATEGIES Your literacy narrative effectively shares your personal experiences with literacy for a public audience, and shows an understanding of how to use rhetorical and narrative strategies when composing a text. You tell a good story, and you appeal to your audience in an engaging way. 20.0 pts Full Marks 0.0 pts No Marks 20.0 pts This criterion is linked to a Learning Outcome OUTSIDE SOURCES Your literacy narrative incorporates at least two outside sources that connect back to your claim and stakes. These sources contribute another layer of meaning to your personal experiences. They are also referenced appropriately within your narrative (with signal phrases and page numbers), and cited correctly in a bibliography (MLA or APA style). 10.0 pts Full Marks 0.0 pts No Marks 10.0 pts This criterion is linked to a Learning Outcome PROCESS Your literacy narrative went through the entire writing process, from an initial brainstorming and storyboarding to a facilitated peer review in the writing center to a completed project incorporating feedback. 10.0 pts Full Marks 0.0 pts No Marks 10.0 pts This criterion is linked to a Learning Outcome POLISH Your literacy narrative is introduced with a compelling title, follows a coherent organizational structure from an engaging introduction to a meaningful conclusion, and shows evidence of careful proofreading and editing. 10.0 pts Full Marks 0.0 pts No Marks 10.0 pts Total Points: 60.0