Cover Letter

Throughout the fall 2009 semester there have been numerous types of essays presented. Three essays in particular include the ethnography, the annotation project, and the argument against convention. Each piece of writing served as a vehicle to develop different writing skills and reinforce basic grammar and style issues. The process of developing the aforementioned essays allows one to review their writing skills and evaluate their overall process.
Writing the ethnography began with choosing a topic which I could vividly remember. Since I recently attended my first country concert, I figured it would be fresh in my memory. By making a list of details from the things that stood out in my mind, I was able to organize the information that my ethnography would contain. After creating the basic structure of the essay, I added specific details to make it more interesting to the reader. Next I received feedback from my instructor as well as my classmates which I took into consideration during the revision process. The major changes made to my essay were in regards to the introduction and the conclusion. The ethnography served as a valuable tool which mainly improved my ability to write in great detail.
The annotation project proved to be interesting as it allowed for discussion of a vast array of information. The image I chose was a political cartoon that lent itself to numerous issues surrounding America’s current war on drugs. The main issues I chose to write about included visual rhetoric, the bills of rights as it relates to the war on drugs, the prison industrial complex, the Ku Klux Klan, the cost of the war on drugs to the taxpayer. Next I gathered valid sources to find information and created an MLA style works cited page. After viewing the information I wrote about the topics I previously chose in about one paragraph per topic. Finally, I added in text citation where needed and check for grammatical errors. The annotation project allowed me to evaluate my ability to write research style material and review the format for a works cited page.
Another piece of writing creating over the semester was the argument against convention. The assignment was to purpose a conventional idea and then challenge it. The topic of my argument essay was against religion. By examining the consequences of religion over the years, a valid argument against its positive effect on society can be made. After developing the main ideas of the essay I added specific details and examples which further supported the argument. This essay allowed me to evaluate my ability to make and support a valid argument and challenge a conventional idea.
The English 11 course contained interesting assignments that encouraged writing in different styles. Although the use of blogging in an English class was new to me, it added depth to the class by allowing for easier peer editing and teacher student communication. The assignments presented in English 11 improved my overall writing skills by forcing me to evaluate my strengths and weaknesses.