who are YOU?

Dear LIII Students,

In preparation for Tuesday’s in-class evaluation, you should use today’s class to do a practice testimony. Here are the instructions:

Use recent homework assignments to write a 200-250-word testimony about who you are, focusing on your unique, individual history. To do this assignment, answer each of the following questions in clear, well-written paragraphs which will become the body of your text. After completing the body, write a short introduction and conclusion.

1) ORIGINS

Where does your family or do your ancestors come from?

Describe its or their history, highlighting important elements.

2) FAMILY

What family member(s) peak(s) your interest?

Describe a person (living or deceased) who you find intriguing. Show through descriptions what this person is/was like. (Recall Teresa describing her grandpa in “The Wolf, The Woman and The Wilderness”.)

3) IDENTITY

How does the above influence who you are? Are there things you embrace?

Reject? What connection can you find between the beliefs and goals you have now and your and your family’s past?

In writing the testimony, you should focus on content and form. The content should include descriptions, detail, coherent ideas, elements of cause and effect, etc. With regards to form, remember that paragraphs should revolve around a central idea. When you start a new idea, start a new paragraph. BUT remember that a paragraph should have a minimum of 50 words (3 sentences). If your paragraph is too short, try to elaborate on your idea by including more detail and/or examples.

Last but not least, after you are sure that your testimony is cohesive (with connectors and transitions) and coherent (logical and orderly), review your use of English. Are your verbs correct? What about word order? Spelling? Punctuation?

And, now, share! Post your testimony on your blog. Take a break from writing and read about your classmates.

For fun:

Learn about your surname:

http://genealogy.about.com/cs/surname/a/spanish_names.htm

Your homework for Tuesday is to practice writing.

These sites are great. Do them before next class:

http://a4esl.org/q/h/9704/rv-mistakes.html

http://esl.fis.edu/grammar/correctText/cable1.htm

http://esl.fis.edu/grammar/multi/satzErr.htm

http://esl.fis.edu/grammar/multi/satzErr.htm (“Fragment” means incomplete sentence; “Run-on” means that there is no punctuation between two complete sentences.)