Columnist Assignment

Once each six weeks, do the following for a double daily grade.

1. Choose an article of interest written by a regular columnist in a national newspaper or magazine (online or not). The article may be about any topic, but it must be published during that six weeks. The Sunday before the six weeks begins will count as the beginning date of publication. Do not use letters to the editor or articles.

2. You must either print the column (if it is from an online source) or turn in the original article (if from a newspaper or magazine).

3. Write a detailed SOAPSTone for the article. List all subjects (topics) discussed in the article, what prompted the piece to be written, for what type of audience it was written, what the specific purpose is, what you learn about the speaker, and the speaker’s tone(s).

4. Write at least one detailed paragraph (minimum of 150) explaining HOW the MAJOR techinique(s) the writer employed helped to accomplish the purpose.

5. Include the bibliographic information from the article, following correct MLA format, at the bottom of the last page of your assignment. NO SEPARATE WORKS CITED PAGE. Include the following information: author, title of article, title of periodical, date, and page number(s) of the article. If it’s from a newspaper, also write the section of the paper with the page number. See the example below. EXAMPLE: Barrows, Carlyle. “With an Eye Towards the Future.” New York Times 1 Sept. 2001: 33D.

**Please note that the second line is indented. Also, the letter D represents the section of the newspaper; if there is no labeled section, or if it is a magazine, simply write the page number. Please note that the number is written by itself- no p. or pg.! If the article was obtained on-line, then put the URL last, immediately after the page number.

6. Staple the article behind your work.

WARNING!!!!!!! Although it is possible that two people will turn in the same article, it is highly unlikely that their reports will say the same things in the same way. Avoid even the appearance of cheating.

Helpful Website: http://www.headlinespot.com/opinion/columnists/

WINDOWS OF OPPORTUNITY (due dates): 4th Six Weeks: February 2 – February 23 5th Six Weeks: March 16 – April 13 6th Six Weeks: April 27 – May 22

Adapted from Ann Jackson