In-Class vs. Long-Term

1. How does one prepare for an in-class writing assignment?

I think one prepares for an in-class writing assignment by trying to predict possible essay questions. If a student reviews his notes, especially the questions asked and answered in each day's discussions, themes will emerge. Chances are that the essay question will be connected to one of the themes. Another way to study is to make a list of important events and then try to figure out which ones go together. For example, in IPA, going to get the TV connects to going to get the China bowl. In both cases, men take risks for seemingly unimportant material things. Another possible connection is when TW allows the destruction of the village for a petty reason. An essay question that links all of these together might be, "When is war most dangerous?"

2. What is the difference between writing a long-term, formal essay and a timed, in-class essay?

A long-term, formal essay requires careful planning and following a step-by-step process. A student can work slowly and carefully. Usually it also involves being able to get feedback at many steps along the way. A student can always ask for extra help on a long-term essay. The expectations are very high for a long-term essay because the student has so much support as he writes. Two important parts of a long-term essay are textual evidence and word-by-word analysis.

An in-class essay requires careful preparation, but when it comes right down to it, writing in-class is about making a strong, clear argument and worrying less about beautiful prose. A student has to work quickly and independently. While the expectations are still high, the writing on an in class essay does not have to be perfect. Instead of quotations, a student has to use specific examples to support his ideas.

In both cases, the most important thing is for the student to have read and understood the book.