Due Date: 12 November 2011
Length: 500 words
Style: MLA
Materials: Rain Taxi Review of Books

Overview:

Students read and analyze a recent review in Rain Taxi. They then analyze the review for the following elements: Strategy, structure, development, creativity, argument, etc.

In this essay, it is not critical that the students read the book about which the review was written; instead the student is completely focused on the writing in the review itself.

Variations:

1. The essay can focus on one element of the writing process. For example: Write an essay analyzing the structure of the review.

2. The essay can be a group project in which the group analyzes the review and then each member writes a separate portion of the response, focusing on their assigned element of the essay.

3. Before beginning the assignment, each student must choose a review from the current issue of Rain Taxi, and no two students can chose the same review. The instructor should devise a fun means of assigning which student gets to choose first. For example, the instructor might ask a series of questions related to previous material, and as students raise their hands and provide correct answers, they are allowed to choose their review to analyze.