DEFINITION ASSIGNMENT

Defining terms is often based upon our personal experiences. The communities we live in, work in, play and go to school in, all play a role in how we perceive and therefore define terms and ideas. This assignment helps you become familiar with the language of the classroom as it concerns some of our discussions, and it connects our language to communities. Our worlds become smaller and more intimately connected when, through language, we connect to things outside our small circles.

Assignment: 1. Save the second and third page of this assignment as a word document and fill in the heading with your name, date, and course section. Mine would look like: lcohen.defa.doc. 2. The first portion of the assignment should take only a few minutes. Read one word at a time and write the first couple of words or phrase that comes to your mind when you read each word. If you think you don’t know what a word means, write what you think it means. There is no right or wrong. You will be surprised at how close you might come to defining a word you think you don’t know. The spontaneity of you definition is important, so don’t deliberate of any word—just yet. Simply read the word and write. Scroll down.

Name:

EN 101- :

Definition Assignment

Date:

I. What do these words mean to you? Answer spontaneously by writing the first thing that comes to your mind. It does not have to be in a sentence format. The idea is to get the essence from your first thoughts.

Example:

Power- education

Power:

Corruption:

Influence:

Social Harmony:

Collaboration:

Freedom:

Propaganda:

Fear:

Rhetoric:

Action:

Truth:

Liberation:

Manipulation:

II. Write a short sentence on each. This should be a more developed concept of your first thoughts from number I above in this exercise.

Example:

Power-Going to school to get a degree give you power.

Power:

Corruption:

Influence:

Social Harmony:

Collaboration:

Freedom:

Propaganda:

Fear:

Rhetoric:

Action:

Truth:

Liberation:

Manipulation:

Name:

EN 101- :

Definition Assignment

Date:

III. Writing Expansion: Expand the ideas you expressed in the above two exercises by writing paragraphs of which the seed of thought is from above. To expand your thinking, consider the following four ideas and try to incorporate these concepts in your paragraphs. You can combine two or three words in one paragraph, but all paragraphs should be 4-6 sentences.

a. Based upon your responses to the above assignment, formulate how the communities you inhabit influence the definitions you wrote.

b. Provide specific examples of how these definitions came about because of the communities you inhabit.

c. Provide a minimum of three real-life examples that illustrate how these terms affect your reality.

d. Observe themes of social issues within your response.

Example:

Power/Influence

My parents, both migrant workers, were never given the opportunity to learn about college. Therefore, they have influenced me to continue with school in order to empower myself to succeed in life. I want to show everyone I can be the first to go to college and make a great career for myself.

Power:

Corruption:

Influence:

Social Harmony:

Collaboration:

Freedom:

Propaganda:

Fear:

Rhetoric:

Action:

Truth:

Liberation:

Manipulation: