Timed Writing

For project three in Persuasive and Analytical Writing, I examined the negative impact Americans had on the environment. For the final assignment our class was informed that we were to make a blog, three letters, and a children’s fable on whatever topic we had chosen. I immediately cringed, how was I supposed to make American’s ignorance towards the environment into all these different things... especially a children’s tale?! It wasn’t until the professor further explained to us why we were doing all this, that I achieved the ultimate boon. We were using these three types of mediums to reach out to all ages and audiences, and make our insights available to an extremely large scale of individuals.

To express my views of the topic to a larger audience I created a blog, in doing so I was able to really get my message out there. After a bit more research on Americans and the environment, I found three organizations that actively worked with the issue (Green Peace, Friends of the Earth, & Green Action). I then proceeded to write letters to these associations after fully inspecting their websites. In this correspondence I commented on my appreciation for what they did, instead of simply informing the public of horrors we inflict upon the environment, these institutes also go out and take action! Ultimately for project three, I created a children’s story to relay my subject to a younger crowd. I constructed a fable titled, “Jean the Silly Human Being,” which was about a day in the life of a young wasteful girl named Jean. On every page the reader is told to identify what Jean is doing that wouldn’t be classified as a conservation lifestyle.

Overall, project three was a very interesting and rewarding assignment. I was able to see how broadly spread a topic could go. A complex issue like conservation could be expressed to Internet users on a blog, to organizations through a letter, or (even more absurdly) to a child through a silly little story. This task was a great way to experience all different styles and formalities; it taught an immense amount about my versatility as a writer.