Writing Assignment 2

 

For this assignment, I want you to carefully craft a piece of writing that will seduce the rest of us into being fascinated by a particular content idea. So, first choose some content (preferably in your area of expertise) that you find compelling. Then think about how you could convince the rest of us of the "compellingness" of that idea. What is so compelling about this idea? Why are you fascinated by it? What does it do for you? What is the "big idea?" You may find it helpful to review the things we’ve read about interest, the value aspects of motivation, and intrinsic motivation. In the end, I want a propaganda piece that will awaken anticipation in others and lead them to want to learn more about your idea.

As an example, here is a short, simple statement designed to get individuals captivated by Newton’s Laws (a topic generally considered anything but captivating by students):

  • For much of history, people had not been very successful at predicting and explaining motion. But Newton, with his three simple laws, figured out how to explain the motion of all observable objects. His laws gave him a vision into the very nature of the universe - which in his day was like seeing into the very nature of God. And with that vision came a magnificent, but terrifying power - the power to explain, predict, and control the world. Since that day, the world has never been the same. Let’s take a look at these ideas and see how they might also change our selves, our world.
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    • Send this writing to me as an attachment by Monday (28th) and I will post it on our class web page.

     

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