Instructions: Non-academic Writing Assignment (Social Media Post) (5%)
This assignment assesses your ability to write a short, non-academic text. It is worth 5% of your total grade.
Choose one of the two resources below about water insecurity in First Nations reserves. If you choose the second resource, don’t worry too much about summarizing the entire thing. Your goal here is to raise awareness, and to share your feelings with your audience in a Facebook or Instagram post, or a series of tweets. You should write between 350 and 700 words.
‘I Wanted to Be Beautiful—Or, at Least, Clean’: What It’s Like To Grow Up Without Running Water
Or
Make it Safe: Canada’s Obligation to End the First Nations Water Crisis
• Take a minute to think about how you feel, and how you would like to respond to the resource. What is your purpose? Do you want to inform your followers? Do you want them to take action? Use appropriate vocabulary to add variety to your writing. Don’t be afraid to use emotional language for this assignment. This is not an academic writing, so it’s okay.
• Make sure to paraphrase and give credit. If not, use “quotation marks” and still give credit to the author.
• This is not an academic writing assignment, so it would be odd to use APA citations. Instead, provide a hyperlink to the original resource.
• Before stating your opinion, summarize the resource that you are responding to, in case your audience isn’t familiar with it.
• Use the checklist below before submitting.
Checklist:
• Would somebody who has never read the story/social media post know what I’m talking about? Have I included links to the story I’m commenting on, as well as the sources I have used to support my opinion?
• Who is my audience? Have I adapted my choice of words to my audience?
• What is my purpose? Is it clear? Have I achieved it?
• What words have I used to implicitly and explicitly express my opinion?
• Is my tone informal or neutral?
• Does my writing have a clear hook, enough background information, and a conclusion?
• Is my post interesting to read? How can I make it more interesting?
• Have I provided enough examples and explanations?
• Have I included a hyperlink to the source(s) I mention?
• Is it clear which parts of the text are my words, and which words/ideas I have borrowed from another source?
• When I click on the hyperlink, does it take me to the exact page?
• When linking to outside sources, have I clearly introduced the author? Have I linked what they have said/written to the rest of my writing?
• Does my writing include any grammatical errors? (Check the verb tenses, subject-verb-agreement, parallel structures, and any type of error you had made in your previous assignments.)
• Have I used words that add variety and interest to my writing?