Sample Writing Assignments

In many of the writing prompts below, students are asked to use writing to interrogate something familiar to them, be it a literacy skill (reading or writing), a meaningful place, or their relationship with an influential person. Additionally, many of the prompts ask students to create multi-genre and/or multimodal texts. 

Literature and AI Final Essay

Ai & Lit essay

For this essay in a literature course focused on AI, students are asked to use the assigned readings to make an original argument about how they think AI is impacting humanity. 

Book Banning Research Essay

Book Banning research essay

For this essay in a literature course, students are asked to read a banned book, research the context in which it has been banned, and then make an argument about book banning in relation to the book. 

Writing Myths Reflective Essay

Writing Myths

For this essay in a writing course, students are asked to pick one of the myths of writing mentioned by L. Lennie Irvin in their article "What is Academic Writing?" and write a reflective essay on their experience dealing with this myth.

Definition of Place Essay

Definition of Place Padlet essay

This prompt asks students to use Dorothy Allison's essay "Place" as a frame to consider how they define a meaningful place in their own unique way. Students are also asked to "publish" their essay on an interactive, multimodal Padlet, and include an audio recording of their essay on the Padlet post. 

Global Warming, Local Impact

Global Warming, Local impact

For this multimodal, multi-genre research project, you will identify a climate change topic, similar to the ones Hope Jahren writes about in The Story of More, and research how it is impacting Ventura County. You will use this research to produce an essay and research brochure that will report on your topic and offer personal insights into how local people are being impacted.  

Research Paper Prompt

Writing in Your Major

This prompt asks first-year students to investigate the types of genres and assignments they will be asked to write within their respective majors. 

IMRaD Qualitative Research Project

IMRaD Primary research project

This project asks students to design their own qualitative research project centered on a topic of their own choosing. 

Entering the Conversation: Reflective Literacy Narrative

Reflective Literacy Narrative

This reflective literacy narrative is a culminating assignment in a writing course that asks students to consider what they learned about writing from the course. Students are asked to situate their experiences alongside course readings about writing.