Sample assignment · Low-stakes, in-progress writing
In classroom use, this is typically a graded assignment. Weighting, scheduling, and pass/fail or letter-grade treatment are at the adopting instructor's discretion.
About This Open Educational Resource
This assignment was developed for SOC 250: Racial and Ethnic Communities in the United States at Lehman College, CUNY, where weekly posts formed the backbone of the course's writing practice. Posts are low-stakes, high-frequency writing: they are where students develop the habit of reading sociologically and writing analytically about race and ethnicity, week after week, moving from summary toward analysis.
Adoption notes for instructors:
- The assignment is platform-agnostic. It originally ran in Brightspace discussion threads; any LMS forum, course blog, or shared document works.
- Cadence is adjustable. The original course ran one post per instructional week across a fifteen-week semester. The rhythm pairs naturally with the Keywords Exercise, which shares the same weekly cycle.
- Pass/fail evaluation is recommended to preserve the low-stakes character of the writing. The guiding principles below can be converted to a numeric rubric if your context requires it.
- The word target (approximately 200–250 words) is adjustable to your students and course level.
For self-directed learners: the same prompt works as a weekly reading journal. Write one analytical entry per unit, ending with the question you would most want to discuss with others.
Course Context
In the original course, a post was due at the end of each instructional week, responding to that week's assigned readings and media. Within The Making of Race, the assignment maps onto any unit: each module's units supply the readings and media that posts respond to, and the practice carries across the full arc of the modules.
Purpose
Weekly forum posts serve as the online equivalent of classroom discussion, and consistent participation throughout the term is crucial. These posts are designed for students to process course materials and practice active reading skills — engaging with the week's readings and media, formulating analysis rather than summary alone, and bringing a question of their own into the shared conversation.
Instructions
- Each week, compose a reflective and analytical post of approximately 200–250 words based on the week's assigned readings and media materials.
- Offer analysis rather than summary alone. For example, consider what questions you have about the arguments raised in the readings, and whether you find those arguments convincing.
- End your post with one open-ended discussion question for the class.
- Post in the course discussion forum by the weekly deadline your instructor sets.
Guiding Principles for Evaluation
| Criterion | Description |
|---|---|
| Engagement with Assigned Materials | Responds substantively to the week's readings and media, demonstrating that the materials were read and considered, with specific references rather than general statements. |
| Critical Analysis | Moves beyond summary: raises questions about the arguments, evaluates whether they are convincing, or connects them to other course materials and contemporary examples. |
| Clarity | The post is organized and readable, and its central observation or question is easy to identify. |
| Academic Integrity | The post represents the student's own reading and thinking, with any outside sources acknowledged. |
To receive a satisfactory mark, consider all four principles as you compose each post. Rather than scoring each criterion separately, your instructor reads the post as a whole — paying attention to how you engage with the week's materials and develop your own analysis. Posts are evaluated weekly on a pass/fail basis in the original design.