Sample Assignments Used in FS 101/102 courses

These assignments may be copied and/or modified by any faculty member who would like to use them.

Note: many of these entries link to Microsoft Word documents. Those that link to web sites are marked "web."

Summary and Description	Persuasive writing
Description of an event where gender or sexual identity mattered, Jennifer Hellwarth's "Modern Sexualities" Exercise on loaded language, Ann Sheffield's "The Pursuit of Health in Northwest Pennsylvania" (102) Summarizing a book chapter, Josh Searle-White's "Conflict Resolution" class (101) (web) Intertwining summary and analysis, Ann Bomberger's "U.S. Protest Movements of the 1960s" class (102) Fifth and Forbes redevelopment controversy (summary and persuasion), Ben Slote's "Forging a Future: Pittsburgh and the Question of Progress" class (102) (web-- click on "writing assignments" and then "#1.") Voyage to Meadville, Christopher Bakken's "Questions of Travel" class (102) Description of a place from your youth, Terry Bensel's "Human Geography of Where We Grew Up" class (101) Summary/Reflection on Group Presentation, Josh Searle-White's "Conflict Resolution" (101) Autobiography, Ward Jamison's "The Language of Music" (101) (scroll down to assignment #1)	Defend a postition you don't believe in, Rick Holmgren's "The Good Life" class (102)(web) Literary analysis of Alice Walker's Meridian, Ann Bomberger's "U.S. Protest Movements of the 1960s" class (102) (web) Fifth and Forbes redevelopment controversy (summary and persuasion), Ben Slote's "Forging a Future: Pittsburgh and the Question of Progress" (102) (web-- click on "writing assignments" and then "#1.") How does the writing in Out of This Furnace affect how one can think about progress in America?, Ben Slote's "Forging a Future: Pittsburgh and the Question of Progress" class (102) (web-- click on "writing assignments" and then "#2.") How does William Attaway’s representation of the lives of mill workers differ from Bell’s, and how do those differences matter?, Ben Slote's "Forging a Future: Pittsburgh and the Question of Progress" class (102) (web-- click on "writing assignments" and then "#3.") Summarize and persuade, Ben Slote's "Forging a Future: Pittsburgh and the Question of Progress" class (102) (web-- click on "writing assignments" and then "#4.")
Preparing for a research paper	Writing about writing
Evaluating Web Resources, Ann Bomberger's "U.S. Protest Movements of the 1960s" class (102), the accompanying grading sheet, and the results of the assignment (web-- results link only) Searching the Internet, Ben Slote's "Forging a Future: Pittsburgh and the Question of Progress" class (102) (web-- click on "related course material" and then "2. Searching the Internet") Internet Assignment, Judith Rose	How Persuasive is the Author?, Rick Holmgren's "The Good Life" class (102) (web) Analysis of your own revision (short assignment that accompanied one of the papers), Rick Holmgren's "The Good Life" class (102) How does the writing in Out of This Furnace affect how one can think about progress in America?, Ben Slote's "Forging a Future: Pittsburgh and the Question of Progress" class (102) (web-- click on "writing assignments" and then "#2.")
Short Research Papers	Critique of a Text
Analysis of an online community, Terry Bensel's "Human Geography of Where We Grew Up" class (101) Persuasive paper about sprawl, Terry Bensel's "Human Geography of Where We Grew Up" class (101) Research Paper, Ann Bomberger's "U.S. Protest Movements of the 1960s" class (102) Op-Ed piece, Ben Slote's "Forging a Future: Pittsburgh and the Question of Progress" class (102) (web-- click on "writing assignments" and then "#5.")	Critique of Counterfeit Community by John Freie, Terry Bensel's "Human Geography of Where We Grew Up" class (101) Literary analysis of Alice Walker's Meridian, Ann Bomberger's "U.S. Protest Movements of the 1960s" class (102) How does the writing in Out of This Furnace affect how one can think about progress in America?, Ben Slote's "Forging a Future: Pittsburgh and the Question of Progress" class (102) (web-- click on "writing assignments" and then "#2.") How does William Attaway’s representation of the lives of mill workers differ from Bell’s, and how do those differences matter?, Ben Slote's "Forging a Future: Pittsburgh and the Question of Progress" class (102) (web-- click on "writing assignments" and then "#3.") Musical reactions to a listening assignment, Ward Jamison's "The Language of Music" (101) (scroll down to assignment #2)
Self Analysis	Analyzing an Example and Applying Relevant Concepts
How do you handle conflict?, Josh Searle-White's "Conflict Resolution" class (101) (web)	Observing and analyzing a couple having an argument, Josh Searle-White's "Conflict Resolution" class (101) (web)
Collaborative Writing	Analysis of a community or an issue
Observing and analyzing a couple having an argument, Josh Searle-White's "Conflict Resolution" class (101) (web)	Analysis of an online community, Terry Bensel's "Human Geography of Where We Grew Up" class(101)
Academic Planning	Interviews
Three different majors, Terry Bensel's "Human Geography of Where We Grew Up" class (101) Academic planning portfolio, Ward Jamison's "The Language of Music" (101) Associate Dean's Page on APL assignments	Interviewing Wesbury Residents, Christopher Bakken's "Questions of Travel" class (102)
Comparison/Contrast	Creative Writing
Shadow Oaks and Chestnut Street, Terry Bensel's "Human Geography of Where We Grew Up" class (101) How does William Attaway’s representation of the lives of mill workers differ from Bell’s, and how do those differences matter?, Ben Slote's "Forging a Future: Pittsburgh and the Question of Progress" class (102) (web-- click on "writing assignments" and then "#3.")	Where do you want to live in 20 years?, Terry Bensel's "Human Geography of Where We Grew Up" class (101)