prompt/response (30%)
various due dates

what am I supposed to do?

On the course syllabus, prompts are listed for almost every week asking a question about the theme of that week's assigned reading and discussion. Students are required to respond to THREE of these prompts during the semester. The response, typically a two-page paper sharing your thoughts on the prompt question and on the assigned reading, is due in class on the same date the assigned reading is due. Download examples of successful student responses here: Morgan--on pity; Hanse--on pity; Alradh--on disability as symbol.

what are the requirements?

Responses should:

• be two typewritten pages (or, the equivalent--see alternative formats question below);
• use quotations from the assigned reading;
• be formatted (if a regular two-page paper) and documented in MLA style. 

which three prompts should I choose?

You should read all the prompt questions in advance and look at the titles of the assigned reading to figure out which three prompts interest you the most. A response on a topic or question that you care about is likely to be lively and engaged, the features I value most in these assignments. However, you should also think about your schedule and timing; don't save work for the end of term when you're likely to be slammed! If possible, plan to prepare responses when you have a little extra time in your schedule.

can I use another format?
Other formats are welcome! If a two-page response paper isn't your kind of assignment, feel free to respond with another kind of writing: fiction, poetry, film, lecture, creative nonfiction, etc. You're also welcome to use new media or mixed media: blog post, podcast, PowerPoint, etc. Are you art-oriented? Try making a poster, short film, or, comic. The only catch? Alternative formats must contain the content-equivalent of a two-page paper! Be sure your poem, blog post, or comic follows the theme of the prompt and includes references to the assigned reading.

how will these be graded?

There will be no letter grade for these assignments. Instead, responses will be marked with a ✔ (full credit), a ✔+ (full credit, outstanding work), or a ✔- (half credit); some of these—but not all—will also be marked with the professor’s comments. Strong responses, regardless of format, will show or explain how the response is connected to the assigned content for the associated session and will make reference to both the assigned literary reading(s) and the critical or theoretical reading(s). The best responses will also bring in new information or experience—reading, viewing, listening, research, or personal experience that adds to the work or discussion shared in class. I'm not lookng for perfection, though, just for thoughtful, engaged work. Find out more about grading.

what's the point?

Prompts are provided to help get you thinking, to anchor the experience of assigned reading, and to develop thinking and research toward the end-of-term project. That's why it doesn't matter if they're a little bit wrong—I want to see your disability thinking in action!