Sample Student Vignettes

Hello All,
   As promised in class today, I am posting two sample vignettes from other students, to hopefully assit you in composing your own vignette. As always, e-mail me if you have any questions. Remember to include sensory details in your writing along with a minimum of 4 literary devices.

Student Sample #1:  Hairs Modeling

Lips

My mom says my lips are like my grandpa, her father.  My lips are nice and smooth like the skin of a shark or a ground with no cracks in it.  Everyone says that I am always looking mad like a mad dog.  To me, I feel as if I don’t have to smile unless something is funny or I want to.  My lips are sad most of the time because I am bored.

My sister says I have a big mouth, which is like saying I have big lips also.  Maybe it’s because of whatever comes out of it.  She says this and the word big reminds me of an ugly fish.  My mom says I talk too much and that everything that comes out of my mouth has to be a smart remark.  Maybe.  But I like my lips.  They describe me. 

Student Sample #2:  Hairs Modeling

Skin

Everyone in my family has different skin colors.  Even though we are family, our skin colors are different because we all come from at least three other places:  Africa, the Northern Plains, and Europe.  Black.  Indian.  White.  That’s why I think my family and I have different skin colors.

My grandmother on my mom’s side is light skinned like a fresh banana, mixed with black, white and Indian.  My grandfather on my mom’s side id dark skinned like a dark brown crayon and mixed with black and Indian.  Their child, my mom, is also dark like a dark brown crayon.  Black, white and Indian.

Both of my parents are mixed with black, white and Indian, which makes me light, lighter than both of them.

Even though we all look different, somehow we are as one.  After all the ancestry and the two sides of my family coming together, I was the one.  Togetherness.

The color of my skin reveals who I am, where I came from, what I am all about.  It is what identifies me.  My ancestry.  Where it all started. 

Cycle II Reflection

We have come to the end of Cycle II and it is time to do some self-reflection. As the year progresses, you should be seeing some type of improvement in your writing, reading comprehension, or critical thinking skills. I want to know which area(s) you are improving in(stregnths), and which area(s) you still need to work on(weakness). What are your goals for cycle III? What is your plan to achieve these goals?

     Cycle II looks like this:

   A= 0

  B=0

     C=2

   D=1

   F=15

Your post should include the following:

1. Your areas of improvement

2. Your areas of weakness

3.Goals for Cycle III/ Plan to achieve those goals

**Extra Credit**

This assignment will be counted as EXTRA CREDIT if you choose to accept =) The last day to post your response is 2-2-2011 (Wednesday)

"A man who stands for nothing will fall for anything."
Malcolm X

Controversial Social Issues

As we mature into young adults and pursue higher education, controversial social issues often begin to grab our attention and affect our view of the world.  Whether we choose to give up eating meat, avoid wearing furs, or stop driving gas-guzzling SUVs, most of us will eventually take a stand on a controversial social issue and examine, if not change, an important facet of our life. What controversial social issue has become important to you?

Write a multi-paragraph essay addressed to an admissions officer in which you discuss a controversial social issue that has become important to you or caused you to rethink how you live your life. Be sure to include specific details and examples to support your ideas. (3 paragraphs)

As you write, remember your essay will be scored based on how well you:

develop a multi-paragraph response to the assigned topic that clearly communicates your controlling idea to the audience.

support your controlling idea with meaningful examples, reasons, and information based upon your research or readings.

organize your essay in a clear and logical manner, including an introduction, body, and conclusion.

use well-structured sentences and language that are appropriate for your audience.

edit your work to conform to the conventions of standard American English.