APPLYING YOUR SKILLS: ADDITIONAL ESSAY ASSIGNMENTS

Write a classification or division essay on one of the following topics, using what you learned about classification and division in this chapter. Depending on the topic you choose, you may need to conduct research. (For more on locating and documenting sources, see Chapters 22, 23 and 24.)

TO EXPRESS YOUR IDEAS

  1. Explain whether you are proud of or frustrated with your ability to budget money. For example, you might classify budget categories that are easy to master versus those that cause problems.
  2. Explain why you chose your career or major. Categorize the job opportunities or benefits of your chosen field, and explain why they are important to you.
  3. Divide a store — such as a computer store, clothing store, or grocery store — into departments. Describe where you are most and least tempted to overspend.

TO INFORM YOUR READER

  1. Write an essay for the readers of your college newspaper classifying college instructors’ teaching styles.
  2. Explain the parts of a ceremony or an event you have attended or participated in.
  3. Divide a familiar substance (like toothpaste) or object (like a Web page or a basketball team) into its component parts.

TO PERSUADE YOUR READER

  1. Categorize types of television violence to develop the argument that violence on television is either harmful to children or not harmful to children.
  2. In an essay that categorizes types of parenting skills and demonstrates how they are learned, develop the argument that effective parenting skills can be acquired through practice, training, or observation.

CASES USING CLASSIFICATION OR DIVISION

  1. Write an essay for an introductory education class identifying a problem you have experienced or observed in the public education system. Divide public education into parts to better explain your problem.
  2. You oversee the development of the annual catalog for a large community college, including the section describing the services offered to students. Decide how that section of the catalog should be organized, and then list the categories it should include. Finally, write a description of the services in one category.

Synthesizing Ideas

The Workplace

Both “Speaking Quiché in the Heart of Dixie” and “My Secret Life on the McJob: Fast Food Managers” deal with employment in low-level service jobs. As you answer the following questions, keep in mind that both authors are professionals who were working under the guise of learning the habits, characteristics, and problems that everyday workers face in such jobs.

Analyzing the Readings

  1. What workplace problems did both Thompson and Newman observe?
  2. Write a journal entry exploring the differences and/or similarities that exist between working at a chicken processing plant and working at fast-food restaurants.

Essay Idea

Write an essay in which you explore attitudes toward and expectations about work. You might consider its value, besides a weekly paycheck, or you might examine what type of work is rewarding.