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Writing and Other Diversions (Optional)
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This section offers a variety of tasks and activities that your instructor can assign, you can do on your own, or you can do with your study group. The more you apply and use your new knowledge, the better you will store it for later retrieval. It is also important to find ways in which you can have fun with your new skills and knowledge.

1.
Create a visual representation of the different types of essay formats. Brainstorm examples of each type.
2.
Group-write an essay with your study group. One person writes down a hypothesis and passes the paper to the next person, who adds to the first person's contribution, then passes the paper on. This continues until someone provides the conclusion. Evaluate your essay as a group and revise, elaborate, and edit where necessary.
3.
Working individually, develop one product of your group-write into a polished essay.
4.
An effective persuasive speech begins with a "hook," that is, a creative statement that catches the attention of the audience. The "hook" can be a story, a quote, a statement, a question, a list of words, an image, a visualization, a play on words, or some type of nonverbal communication. Select three topics in which you have a great interest and create a different "hook" for each of them.
5.
With your study group, select several topics and create "hooks" for each of them, experimenting with the different types of "hooks" mentioned.
6.
Expand a "hook" from the previous activity into an essay and present it to the class.
7.
Read an essay out loud, as if you were the essayist speaking to an audience. Remember that your voice is your most powerful tool.
8.
"Interview" an essayist for a talk show or magazine. What would you ask and what would he or she answer?
9.
For several days, try to find examples of as many types of essays as you can in your daily life. Keep track of when and where you see them, as well as the type of essay you see. Present your favorite(s) to the class.
10.
Pick a topic that is important to you and write an essay about it. If you did the first activity in this section you can use your visual representations to guide you.
11.
Pick an issue that does not interest you or with which you disagree, and write a persuasive essay in support of it. (Variation: Write two essays, one in support of the issue and one against.)
12.
Pick a famous person and write an essay on a topic relevant to that person as if you were that person. Read your essay out loud to your study group and see if they can guess who you are.







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