Observing an important location on campus.
Assignment: Write 4-5 page essay (1000-1200 words) observing an important location on campus.
Observing is the first step to understanding. As you progress through your college career, critical observation skills will develop into research skills that you will apply to other courses across the disciplines. In fields such as anthropology, sociology, and psychology, scientists observe people and processes, and use their observations to answer questions. In everyday life, we use our observational skills to learn more about people and places we encounter. When writing an observation, your firsthand impressions of what you’re observing must be carefully recorded with as much detail as possible. When you write as an observer, place yourself in the background and give readers the clearest, most detailed view you can of your subject. In order to practice critical observation, for this essay you will select a location on campus to observe. This location should either be important to you or to the campus community, and you should make this importance clear in your essay. Use the details from your observation to demonstrate that location’s importance. A successful paper will – Effectively use vivid, well-chosen details about the location. – Build trust with the audience by being precise and objective. – Build a strong sense of place through details such as date, time, and the names of objects present. – Effectively address the specified audience. – Clearly establish why the location is important and to whom. – Follow the guidelines for MLA formatting in our textbook.