O’Connor High School



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Due ___________; Bring ONE full hard copy to give to Mrs. McDonald; also bring brainstorming/pre-writing; 1,000-1,500 words in your essay.

Writer’s Workshop date: _____________; Bring FOUR typed, double-spaced copies (of intro + ONE body paragraph you want feedback on) to class

Option A

Language is power, and those who use language effectively enjoy power. Sometimes power holders

introduce new words into our culture, and sometimes old words change their meaning as society evolves

or as political events occur. The meanings of many words are not absolute; they may be ambiguous or interpreted differently by different people. Choose a word or phrase whose definition is debatable or ambiguous. Explore the current meaning of the word by providing your own stipulative definition of it.

But do not make sweeping generalizations. Look at the word from more than one angle and be open to ambiguities as you hash out the definition of this word.

Words with connotations or euphemistic meanings are ripe for this assignment:

“Truth” “Terror/Terrorism”

“Democracy” “Go Green”

“American” “Moral/morality”

“Illegal Alien” “Loyalty”

“Hope” “Integrity”

“Freedom” “Successful”

“Skeptic” “Opportunity”

“Patriotic/Patriot” “Peacekeeping”

“Capitalist” “Socialist”

“Tea Partier” “Feminist”

Words that are hurtful, taboo, controversial, or misused/misunderstood might be interesting if you

handle them tactfully and respectfully:

“that’s so gay” “N------“

“fag” “Wetback”

“Retard” “Bible banger”

New words or words that are understood by a subculture and are either adopted by the larger culture

or not understood by the majority. (Try the urban dictionary to get ideas)

“Phat” “That’s sick” “Frenemy”

“OMG!” “Bro” “Like”

(Check with me if you are not sure if your word/phrase is appropriate for the assignment.)

Reminders:

• No contractions

• No I believe, I feel, I think statements

• Never use the words things, stuff, a lot, good, bad

• Rule of 10

• Do not speak directly to the reader

• Avoid overdone cliché words like LOVE, HATE, HAPPINESS, FREINDSHIP, BEAUTY, etc.

Option B

Most families have idiomatic phrases and words which mean something to that family only. Outsiders

would not “get” the use of these words or phrases. Make a “Family Idiolect Glossary” in which you

define a few of your family’s most interesting or eccentric phrases/words.

Examples From my family glossary:

My family has gone to the dogs. This phrase is an idiom (phrase that means something other than the

literal meaning), which means something is not well maintained or in poor condition. For example, my neighbors’ yards are full of weeds and sometimes their childrens’ toys and this makes the rest of our street

look run down. I do not understand how children can leave their bicycles strewn in their yard for days on

end. I sometimes think I want to steal their bikes to teach them a lesson, but that is something I only think about and would NEVER really do. My husband frequently says, “our neighborhood has gone to the dogs,” referring to how it has gone downhill with the economy and people walking away from their homes. This

idiom originated from my great grandmother Ethel , who was commenting on my family and the exorbitant amount of dogs we recently accumulated. Before she passed away last year, everyone in my family, over the last two years, has gotten a new puppy or two, or three. At family gatherings we would always bring our puppies and they would all play together. Now we use it in a different sense when referring to our neighborhood, but it still reminds me of her every time I hear the phrase.

“Blast these wretched skirts” or “Blast.” This phrase suggests something has gone wrong. It is used by my sister and I who took it from the film Little Women with Winona Ryder. In this story, the youngest sister,

Amy, has a problem with her long skirt. Women in that time period wore floor length shirts and dresses, which were commonly soiled from being dragged on the ground. I remember saying “blast!” or “blast these wretched shirts” just a few days ago when the film I wanted to see in the theater was in transition of going to DVD and

no longer showing. An outsider, upon hearing one of us say this, would probably turn their head and think

we were crazy, but the two of us know exactly what is going on.

Suggested Structure: Intro. Paragraph: catchy lead, transition, thesis to the effect of, “The word ________ is difficult to define; at best, I can arrive at a fluid definition which

may elucidate some of the word’s more salient meanings.” Or “The word _______ is largely misused and misunderstood, but can be used in a variety of different ways.” Or “In my family we had our own idiolect which revealed a bit about our family’s personality and values.”

Various body paragraphs examining the history of the word or etymology (look up in online OED or American Heritage Unabridged dictionary), when and where you have heard it used (give concrete examples, narration, quotations of people who have used it), the meanings you associate with it, what it does NOT mean, what it DOES mean; who uses it correctly; who uses it incorrectly, how the meaning has changed over time, etc.

Concluding Paragraph: What insights did you acquire during your

investigation? How do you see the word or your family differently now,

something about the fluidity of language, the need to be aware of the

meanings of the language we use, etc.

Writer____________________________

Draft Criteria

☻Submit it to on time _________(5)

☻Truly a definition essay following the structures of definition. _______(20)

☻Essay is at least 750-1,000 words; (-5 if short at all) _______(5)

☻AP level diction and use of conventions _______(10)

☻Active participation in writer’s workshop is evident, which means

active listening, following the guidelines of writer’s workshop,

taking notes on own manuscript, and giving thoughtful written

feedback on peers’ papers. Then bring FOUR partial copies to class for

writing workshop groups plus ONE full copy for Mrs. McDonald.

________(10)

Check: ________ OK

________Late submission

________Less than 1,000 words

Total Points out of 50 ________

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