Writing Assignments Challenge Students in a Physical-Geology Course

Abstract

Students in a large physical-geology class at the College of William and Mary are being helped to learn about both geology and writing through two writing assignments. For the first assignment, the students write two descriptions of the same rock. One is written for students in the course and the instructor, the other for people with no background in geology. The assignment develops the students' observational skills, demonstrates the value of a geologic vocabulary and encourages students to critically analyze their writing. For the second assignment, they write one of the following: a letter to an elected official on solid waste management, an editorial on a water supply problem, a textbook essay on mid-oceanic ridges or oil deposits, or a career profile of a geologist. For this assignment the students read assigned articles or, for the profile, interview a geologist. Students revise their papers for each assignment after they are reviewed by classmates and by the instructor. In the peer-review process, ...