As an open access companion resource to the Writing Spaces textbook series, the Activities & Assignments Archive offers pedagogical resources grounded in current practice and scholarship, organized by topic. Each document presents a pedagogical activity or assignment, curated by teacher-scholars for writing students, and reviewed by the Writing Spaces editorial team. Have an idea for an Activities & Assignments submission? Send us an email at writingspacestextbooks@gmail.com.
Rhetorical & Genre Awareness
Assignments
- Rhetorical Analysis: Creating an App Casebook – by Melvin Beavers
- “Lend Ears!”: Creating Audio recordings of Final Drafts to Develop Rhetorical Awareness – by Heather Shearer
- How to Write a ________ Like a _________ – by Keri Epps
- Reflective Cover Letter by Jessa M. Wood
- Multimodal Proposal – by Charles McGregor
- Avoiding the Savior Complex in Community-Engaged Writing – by Charisse S. Iglesias
- Reflecting with Zines: A Multimodal Alternative to the Final Reflective Essay – Kelli R. Gill
- Multimodal FAQ Assignment – Mary Laughlin
- Outside the Frame: An Image Analysis – Stephen Paur
- Genre Analysis of Project Proposals – Sarah Swofford
- The Grammar of Text Messaging: Analyzing Non-Standard English to Develop Genre Awareness – Kristen Vogel
Activities
- “Establishing the Who”: Professional Writing, Power Dynamics, & Improv – by Lauren Esposito
- Exploring Community and Personal Connection as Idea Generation for Argumentative Writing – by Amanda Rachelle Warren
- Lobsters and Second Conversations: Addressing the “So What” in Your Writing – by Stina Kasik Oakes
- Collaborative Problem-Solving: Deliberative Discourse toward Group Consensus – Sarah Moon
- “So What?” Speed Dating: Articulating an Argument’s Significance – Shannon Mooney
- Rhetorical Moves Analysis of Emails – Lisa Parzefall
- Learning to Listen for Immersion and Rhetorical Choices – Tanya K. Rodrigue and Kyle D. Stedman
Invention (Prewriting)
Assignments
- Engaging Podcasts as a Dynamic Genre for Invention – by Charles Woods & Devon Ralston
- Multimodal Proposal – by Charles McGregor
- Developing Fruitful Research Questions – by Emily Spitler-Lawson
Activities
- Thinking out Loud: The Prewriting Interview – by Helen H. Choi
- Exploring Community and Personal Connection as Idea Generation for Argumentative Writing – by Amanda Rachelle Warren
- Source Speed Dating: Where Do Research Topics Come From? – Hannah T. Davis
- What Is Writing Like for You? Using Metaphors to Explain Writing and Writer’s Block Experiences in First-Year Writing – Olivia Imirie
- Learning to Listen for Immersion and Rhetorical Choices – Tanya K. Rodrigue and Kyle D. Stedman
Language & Power
Assignments
- Non-standardized Grammar Assignment – by Cheyenne Franklin
- Literacy Autobiography – by Anita Chaudhuri & Subrata Bhowmik
- Communication Guide Assignment – Alexandria Hanson
- AI and Language: Facilitating Emergent Participation in New Discourse Communities – Kelsey Hawkins
- Writing, Translating, and Revising Menus: An International Virtual Exchange Project – Massimo Verzella
Activities
- “Establishing the Who”: Professional Writing, Power Dynamics, & Improv – by Lauren Esposito
- Exploring Ideology in Written Language: A Translingual Approach – by Alex Way
- Reflective Writing About Podcasts for Critical Language Awareness – Madeline Crozier
- Map-Making and Storytelling – Gitte Frandsen
- Gen AI: Large Language Models and Linguistic Whitewashing – Chris Mayer
- Building Inclusive Classrooms: Equipping Educators with an Introductory Social Justice Lesson Plan – Bethany Meadows and Kimberly Groves
- Shaping Multilingual Identity: Translanguaging Practices Through Digital Storytelling Workshop – Alexandra Krasova
Research
Assignments
- Using Recipe Archives for Place-Based Research and Writing – by Ashley Beardsley
- Writing About Writing (WAW) Synthesis Essay Assignment by Jessica Jorgenson Borchert
- Emotionally Aware Ethnography – by Sarah Bramblett
- Engaging Podcasts as a Dynamic Genre for Invention – by Charles Woods & Devon Ralston
- Object Ethnography for the Real-World: Using Objects and Documents for Disciplinary Development – by Meng-Hsien (Neal) Liu
- Literacy Autobiography – by Anita Chaudhuri & Subrata Bhowmik
- Developing Fruitful Research Questions – by Emily Spitler-Lawson
- Discourse Communities Manual Presentation – Andrew H. Yim
Activities
- Writing Like a Game Designer – by Elizabeth Caravella & Rich Shivener
- “I Didn’t Know I Could Research That!”: Using Objects for Research Topic Invention – by Mario A. D’Agostino
- “Upstream” and “Lateral” Moves Through Information Networks” – by Philip Longo
- Playing with Paywalls: Information Literacy in Theory and Practice – by Arielle Bernstein & Chelsea L. Horne
- Unpacking Abstracts: Conventions of Empirical Abstracts in Social Science Papers – by Faqryza Ab Latif
- A Full Class Annotated Bibliography: In-Class Community Building & Applied Social Composing Practice – by Zoe McDonald
- Dramatizing the Conversation: Creating Dialogue Scripts to Support Source Synthesis – by Kim Fahle Peck
- Source Speed Dating: Where Do Research Topics Come From? – Hannah T. Davis
- “Getting a Peek Behind the Wizard’s Curtain”: Teaching Students How to Read Academic Articles with Haas’ ‘Learning to Read Biology’ – Kevin E. DePew
- “So What?” Speed Dating: Articulating an Argument’s Significance- Shannon Mooney
- Learning to Incorporate Source Material with a Full Menu of Options: Developing a Discrete Skill in Isolation – Stephen David Grover
- Ethical Use of Generative AI for Conducting Research – Aimee Jones
- Fuzzy Logic: How the Fuzzy Definition of Plagiarism Is Getting Even Fuzzier – Steven Engel and Staci Shultz
- “Read, Feed, and Seed”: Fostering Research Writing in Classroom Spaces – Mustafa Masihuddin Siddiqui
- Teaching Three ‘Writing for University and Beyond’ Course Concepts Simultaneously Utilizing One Three-minute Scene from a Bollywood Film – Kanika Verma
- “Are Cats Good? An Important Study”: Using a Meme Article for Teaching Writing of Analytic Summaries – Wei Xu and Hongni Gou
Cultural and Identity
Assignments
- Non-standardized Grammar Assignment – by Cheyenne Franklin
- Personal and Cultural Identity Through Food: A Multimodal Cultural Cookbook – by Andrea Janelle Dickens
- Literacy Autobiography – by Anita Chaudhuri & Subrata Bhowmik
- Avoiding the Savior Complex in Community-Engaged Writing – by Charisse S. Iglesias
- Intersectional Identity Photo Essay – Jackie Mohan
- Cultural Analysis Podcast – Jackie Mohan
- Communication Guide Assignment – Alexandria Hanson
- AI and Language: Facilitating Emergent Participation in New Discourse Communities – Kelsey Hawkins
- Outside the Frame: An Image Analysis – Stephen Paur
- Writing, Translating, and Revising Menus: An International Virtual Exchange Project – Massimo Verzella
Activities
- “Establishing the Who”: Professional Writing, Power Dynamics, & Improv – by Lauren Esposito
- Exploring Ideology in Written Language: A Translingual Approach – by Alex Way
- Reflective Writing About Podcasts for Critical Language Awareness – Madeline Crozier
- Map-Making and Storytelling – Gitte Frandsen
- Reflective Agency: Journaling to Locate a Writing Identity – Meredith McKinnie and Tabitha McBride
- Building Inclusive Classrooms: Equipping Educators with an Introductory Social Justice Lesson Plan – Bethany Meadows and Kimberly Groves
- Shaping Multilingual Identity: Translanguaging Practices Through Digital Storytelling Workshop – Alexandra Krasova
Grammar & Style
Assignments
- Non-standardized Grammar Assignment – by Cheyenne Franklin
- The Grammar of Text Messaging: Analyzing Non-Standard English to Develop Genre Awareness – Kristen Vogel
Activities
- Concise Writing Strategies – by Elizabeth Blomstedt
- Beyond Transition Words by Roberto S. Leon
- Experimenting with Style: Cyborg Voices – Benjamin Hojem and Rhiannon Scharnhorst
- Beautiful Sentences – Mark Shea
Narrative & Literature
Assignments
Activities
Process & Revision
Assignments
- Emotionally Aware Ethnography – by Sarah Bramblett
- Writing Like a Game Designer – by Elizabeth Caravella & Rich Shivener
- “Lend Ears!”: Creating Audio recordings of Final Drafts to Develop Rhetorical Awareness – by Heather Shearer
- How to Write a ________ Like a _________ – by Keri Epps
- Using a Growth Mindset and Revision Plan to Interpret and Apply Instructor Comments – by Roger Powell
Activities
- Using Reflection and Metacognition to Develop Your Half Essay – by Lindsay Knisely
- Our Sonically-Composed Worlds – by Matt Hill
- Problem-Exploring the Game ‘I Am Bread’ as a Tool for
- Teaching Growth Mindset in First Year Writing – by Laura E. Decker
- Towards Self-assessing Writing beyond Writing Center Consultations – by Saurabh Anand
- Peer Review and the Writer’s Worksheet – by Anthony Edgington
- “So What?” Speed Dating: Articulating an Argument’s Significance- Shannon Mooney
- Learning to Incorporate Source Material with a Full Menu of Options: Developing a Discrete Skill in Isolation – Stephen David Grover
- Experimenting with Style: Cyborg Voices – Benjamin Hojem and Rhiannon Scharnhorst
- What Is Writing Like for You? Using Metaphors to Explain Writing and Writer’s Block Experiences in First-Year Writing – Olivia Imirie
Public Writing & Advocacy
Assignments
- Safety and Accessibility Problem Statement – by Kelly Scarff
- Avoiding the Savior Complex in Community-Engaged Writing – by Charisse S. Iglesias
- Getting in Conversation about Activism: Group Podcast Assignment – by Jeanette Lehn
- Engaging Audiences Beyond the University: Writing in and Reflecting on Non-Academic Rhetorical Situations – by Rebecca Chenoweth
- Proposal for Change on Campus – Sarah Swofford
- Activist Archival Project – by Julie C. Bates and Sarah Warren-Riley
Activities
- Write-a-thons and Community Panels: Encouraging Students to “Go Public” with Their Writing – by Megan Heise
- Our Sonically-Composed Worlds – by Matt Hill
- Building Inclusive Classrooms: Equipping Educators with an Introductory Social Justice Lesson Plan – Bethany Meadows and Kimberly Groves
- Collaborative Problem-Solving: Deliberative Discourse toward Group Consensus – Sarah Moon
Digital Literacy
Assignments
- “Lend Ears!”: Creating Audio Recordings of Final Drafts to Develop Rhetorical Awareness – by Heather Shearer
- Getting in Conversation about Activism: Group Podcast Assignment – by Jeanette Lehn
- Writing Like a Game Designer – by Elizabeth Caravella & Rich Shivener
- Engaging Podcasts as a Dynamic Genre for Invention – by Charles Woods & Devon Ralston
- AI and Language: Facilitating Emergent Participation in New Discourse Communities – Kelsey Hawkins
Activities
- Deep Digital Reading with Google Docs – by Ashley R. Ott
- Summaries: GAI vs. Human – by Tiffany Buckingham Barney
- Large Language Models and Chain Stories: An Exploration of Creativity and Artificial Intelligence – Chris Mayer
- Gen AI: Large Language Models and Linguistic Whitewashing – Chris Mayer
- Collaborative Building of a Course AI Policy – Benjamin Goodwin
- Experimenting with Style: Cyborg Voices – Benjamin Hojem and Rhiannon Scharnhorst
- Ethical Use of Generative AI for Conducting Research – Aimee Jones
- Shaping Multilingual Identity: Translanguaging Practices Through Digital Storytelling Workshop – Alexandra Krasova
Multimodal Composition
Assignments
- Multimodal Proposal – by Charles McGregor
- Literacy Autobiography – by Anita Chaudhuri & Subrata Bhowmik
- Getting in Conversation about Activism: Group Podcast Assignment – by Jeanette Lehn
- Personal and Cultural Identity Through Food: A Multimodal Cultural Cookbook – by Andrea Janelle Dickens
- Engaging Podcasts as a Dynamic Genre for Invention – by Charles Woods & Devon Ralston
- The Twine Project: Engaging Metacognition and Remediation with Digital Narrative – by Brian Ernst
- Informative or Argumentative Infographic – Erin Breaux
- The Zine Project: Reorienting Concepts of Composition through Multimodal Reflection – Tania de Sostoa-McCue
- Intersectional Identity Photo Essay – Jackie Mohan
- Cultural Analysis Podcast – Jackie Mohan
- Reflecting with Zines: A Multimodal Alternative to the Final Reflective Essay – Kelli R. Gill
- Multimodal FAQ Assignment – Mary Laughlin
- Outside the Frame: An Image Analysis – Stephen Paur
- Impersonation Podcast: Understanding Untruth in Uncertain Times – Joseph S. Vuletich
- Brand Style Guide Assignment – Madeleine Sorapure
Activities
- Reflective Artist’s Statement for Multimodal Assignments – by Benjamin Djain & Angela Geosits
- Map-Making and Storytelling – Gitte Frandsen
- Shaping Multilingual Identity: Translanguaging Practices Through Digital Storytelling Workshop – Alexandra Krasova
- The Time Capsule: A Narrative Composition for Developing Social Support Systems – Michele N. Zugnoni
Metacognition & Reflection
Assignments
- Writing Like a Game Designer – by Elizabeth Caravella & Rich Shivener
- Putting Ourselves in the Company of Writers: Creating Successful Collaborations – by Samantha NeCamp & Connie Kendall Theado
- Using a Growth Mindset and Revision Plan to Interpret and Apply Instructor Comments – by Roger Powell
- Reflective Cover Letter – by Jessa M. Wood
- Object Ethnography for the Real-World: Using Objects and Documents for Disciplinary Development – by Meng-Hsien (Neal) Liu
- The Twine Project: Engaging Metacognition and Remediation with Digital Narrative – by Brian Ernst
- The Zine Project: Reorienting Concepts of Composition through Multimodal Reflection – Tania de Sostoa-McCue
- Reflecting with Zines: A Multimodal Alternative to the Final Reflective Essay – Kelli R. Gill
- Multimodal FAQ Assignment – Mary Laughlin
Activities
- Using Reflection and Metacognition to Develop Your Half Essay – by Lindsay Knisely
- Reflective Artist’s Statement for Multimodal Assignments – by Benjamin Djain & Angela Geosits
- Reflective Agency: Journaling to Locate a Writing Identity – Meredith McKinnie and Tabitha McBride
- “So What?” Speed Dating: Articulating an Argument’s Significance- Shannon Mooney
- Collaborative Building of a Course AI Policy – Benjamin Goodwin
- Experimenting with Style: Cyborg Voices – Benjamin Hojem and Rhiannon Scharnhorst
- What Is Writing Like for You? Using Metaphors to Explain Writing and Writer’s Block Experiences in First-Year Writing – Olivia Imirie
- Learning to Listen for Immersion and Rhetorical Choices – Tanya K. Rodrigue and Kyle D. Stedman
- Teaching Three ‘Writing for University and Beyond’ Course Concepts Simultaneously Utilizing One Three-minute Scene from a Bollywood Film – Kanika Verma
- Cultivating Metacognitive Growth: Teacher-student Rubric Co-construction for Enhanced College Writing Instruction – Tong Zhang
- The Time Capsule: A Narrative Composition for Developing Social Support Systems – Michele N. Zugnoni
Information Literacy
Assignments
- Informative or Argumentative Infographic – Erin Breaux
- Impersonation Podcast: Understanding Untruth in Uncertain Times – Joseph S. Vuletich
Activities
- “Upstream” and “Lateral” Moves Through Information Networks – by Philip Longo
- Playing with Paywalls: Information Literacy in Theory and Practice – by Arielle Bernstein & Chelsea L. Horne
- Unpacking Abstracts: Conventions of Empirical Abstracts in Social Science Papers – by Faqryza Ab Latif
- “Getting a Peek Behind the Wizard’s Curtain”: Teaching Students How to Read Academic Articles with Haas’ ‘Learning to Read Biology’ – Kevin E. DePew
- Collaborative Building of a Course AI Policy – Benjamin Goodwin
- Ethical Use of Generative AI for Conducting Research – Aimee Jones
Civil Discourse & Speech Communities
Activities
Assignments
- Communication Guide Assignment – Alexandria Hanson
- AI and Language: Facilitating Emergent Participation in New Discourse Communities – Kelsey Hawkins
- Discourse Communities Manual Presentation – Andrew H. Yim
Technical and Professional Writing
Assignments
- Who Is This Space Designed to Exclude? Instructions and Usability/Accessibility Analysis (IAUA) – Megan Von Bergen
- Rhetorical Analysis: Creating an App Casebook – by Melvin Beavers
- Brand Style Guide Assignment – Madeleine Sorapure
- Informative or Argumentative Infographic – Erin Breaux