Writing Portfolio:
General Directions

Your major project this semester is an autobiographical portfolio. Assignments will be scheduled on the agendas you will write some in class; others will be homework; you will turn some in for comment, and share others in peer groups. I will spot check periodically to help you stay on schedule. Since you are required to bind your final book professionally, plan ahead. Budget time and money.

You should revise all assignments before rewriting them in final form. You may type your assignments or rewrite them neatly in final draft form. Most assignments will be approximately a page long. You may complete an assignment by writing on the back of a page, but start every new assignment on the front of a new page.

Professional Binding: Plan ahead and budget time and money to have your book bound professionally. You may choose strip or spiral binding, from about $3.00 on up, depending on your choices.

A Cover: Your cover should include your selected title, your name, and an illustration appropriate to your book. For illustrations, consider a word pattern, graphic design, collage, original drawings, photographs, magazine pictures, quotations, etc. Use rubber cement or a glue stick to mount items, and be sure that your cover design hides price tags and brand names.

A Title Page: Select a word or phrase particularly meaningful for you to serve as your title. Browse through a thesaurus, listen to music you love, think of special people and places and interests, and then submit several possible titles. "A Book about Me" or "My Autobiography" are poor titles because they are vague and impersonal. Illustrate the title page with the title, name, hour, and date due.

A Table of Contents: List the assignment number and title of all assignments in your autobiography. Title each contents page.

Every assignment should be:

  • a thoughtful response to the assigned topic
  • revised as necessary
  • neatly and legibly written or typed
  • in order according to the specific assignments list
  • in black ink
  • titled on the top line
  • numbered by assignment (not page) in the upper right corner
  • corrected using proofreading symbols or correction fluid

Your writing should also demonstrate word usage, sentence structure, spelling, capitalization, and punctuation appropriate for sophomores.

Doneness counts!

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