Take Home Final
Exam for English 1A, Fall 2004, with Professor Decker
Percent of Grade: 10%
Required Length: a
minimum of 750 words or 3 pages
Required Format: typed,
MLA-style, document all sources cited, summarized, or paraphrased in an
MLA-style ÒWorks CitedÓ page
Due Date: the end of the final exam period for our class (see
Fall Schedule or our syllabus)
Where/How to Turn in the
Final: Either hand it to me
personally or put it in an envelope and slide it through the grill on my office
door, LA-7C.
Audience: Select one of the following audiences: (1) Cathy
Decker, (2) Future English 1A students of Professor Decker, (3) People who
might need to or be planning to take English 1A at Chaffey or have
unsuccessfully taken English 1A at Chaffey, (4) Anyone who has already taken an
English composition class at an American college or university, or (5) A future
employer, admissions officer, or panel of judges for a scholarship or academic
prize who is reading the essay to decide if he or she wishes to employ you,
accept you into his or her college/university, or reward you with a scholarship
or academic prize.
Purpose: The purpose of your essay will be shaped by the
audience that you choose. Think about your audience and why they would be
interested in an analysis of your experiences in English 1A. Are you writing to me to urge me to
change how I teach the class? Are
you writing to my future students to give them tips about how to pass the
class? Are you writing to inform
future students what an English 1A class involves? Are you trying to entertain other ÒsurvivorsÓ of English
composition classes with a tale of your personal growth? Are you trying to convince someone that
you are an excellent student and/or a responsible person?
Assignment: Write an analysis essay about your experiences in
this class. Note that this is an essay, not a letter. Remember in an
analysis, you break something down into its parts and examine them in order to
better understand the whole. You must select a logical way to break down your
class experience to analyze it.
Use subheadings to make the structure of your essay clear (for example:
Introduction, Analysis of ________, Analysis of __________, Analysis of
_________, Conclusion).
Here are several possible
ways to organize your essay. You can make up your own pattern of organization
and subtitles, or you may use these exact subtitles or some modification of
them. If you use any of these
subtitles, you do not have to indicate this assignment as a source for them. Use
of any of the following exact titles will not count as plagiarism, nor do you have to
acknowledge this assignment if you paraphrase these titles. However, any other
document you chose to cite, paraphrase, or summarize (such as the syllabus,
textbook, your journal, or any class handout), you must document and create an
MLA-style entry for on your ÒWorks CitedÓ page.
Logos: The Impact of English
1A Upon My Intellect
Pathos: The Impact of English
1A Upon My Emotions
Ethos: The Impact of English
1A Upon My Personality
What I Failed to Learn And
Still DonÕt Want to Learn
What I Failed to Learn And I
Wish I Had Learned
What I Learned That I Will
Never Use Again
What I Learned That Has
Changed Me
What I Learned That I Will
Use Again
Analysis of My Study Skills
in English 1A
Analysis of My Reading Skills
in English 1A
Analysis of My Research
Skills in English 1A
Analysis of My Writing Skills
in English 1A
Analysis of My Attitude about
Writing and My Writing Skills
Analysis of My Attitude about
Research and My Research Skills
Analysis of My Attitude about
Reading and My Research Skills
Analysis of My Attitude about
Studying and My Study Skills
Analysis of My Experiences in
Weeks 1 to 6
Analysis of My Experiences in
Weeks 7 to 12
Analysis of My Experiences in
Weeks 13 to 18
Analysis of My Classroom
Experiences
Analysis of My Writing-Center
Experiences
Analysis of My Research
Experiences
Analysis of My Reading and
Studying Experiences
Analysis of My Writing
Experiences