Project 1 | enc2135sp16

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Produce a vivid picture of the author's encounter with at least three genres.
Write in a ‘voice’ that is appropriate for each genre.
Organize the snapshots in a meaningful way, both within and between each snapshot.
Balance each snapshot with detailed reflection that demonstrates engagement with the material learned through readings and in class.
Demonstrate mastery over fundamental elements of writing, such as structure, grammar, punctuation, word choice, and proper use of any sources (e.g. Bedford Book of Genres).
Make significant progress from draft to draft.

The goal of this assignment is to help you begin to develop the strategies you will need to rhetorically analyze and use different genres. Here, you will be considering the different genres that have shaped you as an individual, either during a specific time in your life, or in a certain aspect of your life (e.g. your academic, professional, or personal life). In order to do this, you will first work in class and with one another to define the term “genre” and develop an understanding of how they function practically.

Next, you will think about the genres that have shaped you, or that you use on a regular basis. These might include particular categories of social networking platforms, TV shows, movies, books, etc. Aim to explore 3-5 major genres, though you are welcome to deviate from that number if you wish. Ultimately, you should be able to connect your genres in some meaningful way. How you do so is very much up to you. The three darker boxes on this page contain sample routes you might take.

Understanding Genres: Snapshots of You

Of course, you are welcome to go a different direction. Regardless of the ‘theme’ you choose, you need to create a snapshot and a reflection (i.e. artist statement) that accompanies it. Again, the goal is to get you to recognize how genres have shaped who you are and how you communicate—how you use genres to participate in conversations about American issues and problems.

Through your exploration of these genres, you will develop a 1500-word essay (typically around 5, double-spaced, 12 pt font pages) in which you share with your audience your chosen genres, why and how you use those specific genres, and how your choice of genres reflects who you are.

You might reflect on the forms of communication you used during your first semester at Florida State. One student might send texts to her parents and boyfriend back home, post tweets and Instagram photos for old high school friends, send professional emails to professors, and write on flashcards to introduce herself to new classmates. This student could reproduce actual texts or tweets in her snapshots, and organize snapshots so that they tell a story about her adjustment to FSU and the impact she’s made so far.

You might reflect on the different genres you used to follow your favorite band. One student might recall listening to Beatles records with his parents as a kid, creating a sentimental connection to the music. He may have searched the lyrics to every song, read every biography in reach, attended a Paul McCartney concert, purchased a tour poster and sweatshirt, followed Paul and Ringo on Twitter, even gone on a private tour of the band member’s homes in Liverpool, England. This student might include lyrics from particularly influential songs and his reactions to them, pictures from the concert and the tour, and tweets from the musicians that he’d favorited or responded to—all to tell a story about how the Beatles have so strongly formed his rebellious, counterculture attitude.

You might reflect on the news sources you’ve used to stay updated on current events. One student might recall her mom watching Fox news every morning before school. In high school, she may have occasionally found sources from the BBC to fulfill class assignments. Later, she may have discovered and fallen in love with shows like The Daily Show and The Colbert Report. In her snapshots, this student might vividly recreate specific news stories that impacted her, even formatting the snapshots to mimic the styles of the sources and to reflect the fact that she slowly became more and more liberal (or vice versa).

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