Length: 1-2 pages. (300-600 words)
Genre: Informal essay (use paragraphs for organization, but extensive proofreading is not expected)
Every week you will write a short essay on a topic/prompt based on what you observed that week. I am not looking for a line-by-line of your observation notes, but rather the thoughts you had about the prompts and observations. There will be questions to get you thinking about your observations. Your essay should be a thoughtful response to one of the prompts below.
Respond thoughtfully to the prompt chosen.
Pick a different prompt each week (two will not need to be completed, since there are six total).
Include specific details from your observations to support your points.
Include the name of your community either in the title of your paper or in the first sentence. (I don't always remember who choose what community, so this avoid confusion.)
Include the prompt chosen in the title of your essay. See example below:
Jane Smith
10/15/2024
Prompt 2: Communication at the Roller Rink
During my observations at Skate World this past week, I noticed that most of the communication seems to happen off the rink. (and so on...)
An example Weekly Essay from a previous student is available in the Project 1 Example Google Drive folder.
There are six questions to choose from and you will complete four essays total (so two of these prompts will not need to be completed).
Pick a different prompt each week:
What kind of writing is done in your community (if any)? How does your community interact with this writing? What impact does the writing have on your community?
As an example, a previous student observed the boba cafe she worked at and wrote about the labels that they write to give instructions for how the drink should be made (such as the acronyms that the customers wouldn't need to understand but the other baristas would).
How do members of this community communicate with each other?
For example: How close are they to one another? Does personal space seem important? What type of body language is used? Do they speak quietly or loudly? Do they laugh often? How much eye contact is there? What kinds of things do they talk about? Are these topics appropriate to the setting? Why or why not? Is anyone on his/her cell phone? Is it appropriate? Is there a different/special language or set of words/phrases that people use here? For example, if you’re observing a community of computer programmers, they probably use very technical language. Reflect on what you see. Why do you think the people in this community communicate in the ways they do?
Describe the space (physical layout and look) of your community.
For example: Look at the space of the place you’re observing. How is it set up? What is the layout? Why do you think it is laid out that way? How do members of this community interact within that space? How do they move? What does the setup/layout say about the community that inhabits that space? For example, if your community contains cubicles, and you see that the people there do a lot of walking around corners and have a hard time getting to each other, you could decide that there are cubicles to keep people separated—perhaps to keep them concentrated and working productively without distractions from co-workers. On the other end of the spectrum, if you are observing a dance club, you might notice that there are only tables on the perimeter of the room (or none at all) and that the space is open in the middle so that people can be close to each other.
How do community members present themselves, and why is their presentation/dress significant for this community?
For example: What are members of this community wearing? How do they present themselves? Do they dress/appear alike? Is there some kind of uniform or dress code? If there is, what do you think is the reason for it? If not, why do you think there isn’t? How might the dress code or lack of a dress code affect the community? Now, think about what people’s clothing/appearance says about them. I am not asking you to make value judgments about people. Rather, reflect on the way people in this community present themselves and then ask yourself why they might be presenting themselves in that manner. Are they wearing name-brand clothing or not? Are they wearing clothing that reflects or broadcasts their social/cultural background?
What have you learned about this community that surprises you?
For example: What is something you have observed that you were not expecting? Why is that significant? How does this observation (the thing you observed) impact this community?
Pick a specific topic that is not covered in Prompts 1-5 to discuss for this week’s post. This should not be just general thoughts about your observations but have a clear topic. Be detailed and specific about your response, and clear about what topic you are going to look at for this prompt.