Assignment #8 - Due Before 7/15
Find a piece of writing that you admire. This can be fiction or nonfiction. Write out a few paragraphs of it, word for word, and show it to me.
Then tell me what you learned by doing this.
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I wrote:
Austin is a cosmopolitan city with plenty of modern architecture mixed with classic styles. Just to walk around some of the local streets and neighborhoods is enough for some visitors. You can visit the Pennybacker Bridge which is surrounded by urban picturesque scenes in all directions or take a stroll near the Congress Avenue Bridge around sunset which is the home to over 1.5 million Mexican free tailed bats. These bats live under the bridge for 8 months of the year and come out around sunset to look for insects to eat. It is quite a phenomenon to see the clouds of bats rising from the bridge during a warm summer evening. The bats migrate to Mexico for the winter.
Animals and nature are all part of Austin’s culture. In fact the Austin Zoo is known as a rescue zoo and sanctuary for over 300 animals that have been saved from the wild or extinction. The Barton Springs Pools and the Deep Eddy Pool are the largest and oldest man made pools in the country and are fed from water from the Barton Spring. The water temperature in the Barton Springs pool is always a constant 69 degrees and thought to be a very healthy place to swim and bathe in the grounds of the Zilker Park. Apart from these two famous pools there are many nature trails, parks and recreational facilities to visit and spend time while taking a break from the more upbeat sights and sounds of Austin.
The reason for Austin’s famous name as the “Live Music Capital of the World” is not just because of the hoards of graduates from the many music schools in the area but also the infamous 6th Street. 6Th Street is the home to a multitude of music venues and nightclubs housed in architecturally unique buildings. Strolling down 6th street by day is entertainment in itself to view the buildings and meet the cosmopolitan residents. All of these attractions and more can be seen from the comfort of the Dillo, an historic reproduction of the trolley cars that will take you downtown, to the capitol complex and around the University complex all for free. It is a perfect way to start your trip around Austin and decide which of the many attractions and places of interest that you want to see.
I learned how important facts help an article more along.
I learned how to structure paragraphs and how the first sentence tells what is coming.
Not to use words that can be left out.
I can write articles from an informational side not the experience side.
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Teacher's comments:
I like the excerpt - and yes, facts can often be used to gain momentum through a piece. Almost like paddles for a canoe, they help push things along, and change course as well!
More than anything, though, the lesson we wanted to get across to people is that anyone can write these words. Anyone's hands can type this prose onto the screen. You are capable of writing at this level - but it's also essential to keep reading at a very high level. We can only write as well as read, but that said, anyone is capable of becoming the master they dream of being.
Keep reading work like this, and keep aspiring to write more fluidly, creatively and engagingly!
Then tell me what you learned by doing this.
_________________________________
I wrote:
Austin is a cosmopolitan city with plenty of modern architecture mixed with classic styles. Just to walk around some of the local streets and neighborhoods is enough for some visitors. You can visit the Pennybacker Bridge which is surrounded by urban picturesque scenes in all directions or take a stroll near the Congress Avenue Bridge around sunset which is the home to over 1.5 million Mexican free tailed bats. These bats live under the bridge for 8 months of the year and come out around sunset to look for insects to eat. It is quite a phenomenon to see the clouds of bats rising from the bridge during a warm summer evening. The bats migrate to Mexico for the winter.
Animals and nature are all part of Austin’s culture. In fact the Austin Zoo is known as a rescue zoo and sanctuary for over 300 animals that have been saved from the wild or extinction. The Barton Springs Pools and the Deep Eddy Pool are the largest and oldest man made pools in the country and are fed from water from the Barton Spring. The water temperature in the Barton Springs pool is always a constant 69 degrees and thought to be a very healthy place to swim and bathe in the grounds of the Zilker Park. Apart from these two famous pools there are many nature trails, parks and recreational facilities to visit and spend time while taking a break from the more upbeat sights and sounds of Austin.
The reason for Austin’s famous name as the “Live Music Capital of the World” is not just because of the hoards of graduates from the many music schools in the area but also the infamous 6th Street. 6Th Street is the home to a multitude of music venues and nightclubs housed in architecturally unique buildings. Strolling down 6th street by day is entertainment in itself to view the buildings and meet the cosmopolitan residents. All of these attractions and more can be seen from the comfort of the Dillo, an historic reproduction of the trolley cars that will take you downtown, to the capitol complex and around the University complex all for free. It is a perfect way to start your trip around Austin and decide which of the many attractions and places of interest that you want to see.
I learned how important facts help an article more along.
I learned how to structure paragraphs and how the first sentence tells what is coming.
Not to use words that can be left out.
I can write articles from an informational side not the experience side.
_______________________________________
Teacher's comments:
S. James Snyder, Posted: Jul. 18th
Hi Tina!I like the excerpt - and yes, facts can often be used to gain momentum through a piece. Almost like paddles for a canoe, they help push things along, and change course as well!
More than anything, though, the lesson we wanted to get across to people is that anyone can write these words. Anyone's hands can type this prose onto the screen. You are capable of writing at this level - but it's also essential to keep reading at a very high level. We can only write as well as read, but that said, anyone is capable of becoming the master they dream of being.
Keep reading work like this, and keep aspiring to write more fluidly, creatively and engagingly!
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