Nassau Community College Dear Freedom Writer Paper

FINAL PAPER(Worth 40% of your Grade)
Read Select Stories from Dear Freedom Writer and Connect to what
you have learned in this class!
OVERVIEW
This course has focused on the Communication Process – What makes it work, what causes it to break down and how
we can fix it. You have successfully identified concepts & theories that you have learned in the film Freedom Writers.
Therefore, you have practice in how to identify what you have learned in a particular context. So, let’s do some more
of that… with a little twist.
The movie Freedom Writers was based on the book The Freedom Writers Diary, which was authored by the students in
Mrs. Gruwell’s class (as portrayed in the movie). This launched a movement that remains incredibly relevant and
impactful today – a movement of which NCC (and I!) wanted to be a part and to which I desired to expose my
students.
In Dear Freedom Writer, the next generation of Freedom Writers shares its struggles with abuse, racism,
discrimination, poverty, mental health, imposed borders, LGBTQIA+ identity, and police violence. Each story is
answered with a letter of advice from an original Freedom Writer. With empathy and honesty, they address these
young people not with the platitudes of a politician or a celebrity, but with the pragmatic advice of people who have
dealt with these same issues and come out on the other side. And guess what? A NCC Alum is a published author
with the pages of Dear Freedom Writer!
THAT’S GREAT – BUT, WHAT DO I HAVE TO DO TO GET THAT 40% OF MY GRADE?
Take some time to thumb through the book and see which topics, stories and themes resonate with you. Start by
looking at the table of contents and noting if anything jumps out at you. If it does, turn to the letters and read them.
As the description notes, the book is comprised of a set of letters to an original Freedom Writer and back to this new
generation of Freedom Writers. You will also have a discussion post that will lead you to review these letters, as well.
ASSIGNMENT/CONTENT OF PAPER
•
Pick two (2) sets of letters from the book (one set includes the letter to the original Freedom Writer and one
back to the New Freedom Writer)
• Accurately identify 1-2 concepts/theories learned in the lectures (Be sure to cite the lectures!) that you recognize
in the letters.
• Demonstrate a thorough understanding of the concepts/theories identified, providing thoughtful responses to
this research to back up all claims in a thorough manner.
▪ In other words – Explain and define the concepts/theories you have identified using your research (citations!).
• Demonstrate a thorough understanding of the concepts/theories identified by using accurate examples of how
these concepts/theories are displayed in the letter(s). Explanations need to show a great amount of critical
thought.
▪ In other words – Support your claim that the story is displaying the concepts/theories you have identified.
▪ . Utilize ALL OF THE FOLLOWING: Textbook, Lectures AND 2 or more sources from the NCC Library Databases.
▪ Properly CITE ALL OF THESE SOURCES USING MLA Format to accurately back-up ALL claims. Include properly
structured parenthetical citations and a works cited/bibliography page.
MORE IMPORTANT REQUIREMENTS
✓ ONLY SOURCES FROM THE NCC LIBRARY DATABASES. NO INTERNET SOURCES PLEASE
✓ Check and double-check! Use the writing center, the Library’s LibGuide on “Basic Research Strategies,” review
your information literacy assignment and your MLA Guide to review proper citation.
http://www.ncc.edu/programsandcourses/academic_departments/english/writingcenter/
http://ncc.libguides.com/br
✓ 3 ½ – 4 1/2 pages in length (not counting the bibliography), using 11-12 pt font. Please – No more or no less than
this.
✓ Double-spaced
✓ Submitted using the Final Paper Submission link on Blackboard in .PDF, .DOC, or .DOCX format (NO .pages files).
How should I approach this paper?
Browse through the lectures/lessons from the course to refresh your memory. While you’re reading the letters, have a
notebook in front of you. As you are reading, thoughts will pop up that cause you to think about lessons. Jjot down a
bit about the letter and what lesson, concept, or theory came to mind when you read it. When you’re done
reading/recalling your thoughts/observations, go back to your lectures and think more critically about these
connections and make your notes more complete.
Other important items to keep in mind!
•
Please be sure to give a brief summary of the letter(s) to which you are referring (Please don’t write more than
a paragraph)
• Although this paper uses real-life examples from the book, at all times you should use scholarly writing and
language throughout the paper. Be sure to use the formal names of concepts/theories used in the
lecture/textbook.
(i.e.: DO NOT say: “They were poor listeners in that reading. So, I feel that they should have listened better.”
Another no-no would be, “He was so mean to her. So, I think that she should have left”.)
o A good example would be (In this example, I’m using pretend names/a pretend letter. And, this is just a partial
explanation of a theory): In the letter, “Listening,” John is not displaying effective listening. According to InterAct’s chapter, Listening Effectively, listening is, “the process of receiving, constructing meaning from, and
responding to spoken and/or nonverbal messages” (Verderber and Verderber 196). From the basic definition to
the Active Listening Process outlined in this chapter, John fails on all accounts. In the letter, Janet notes that he is
watching television while Janet is speaking to him about a serious topic. Therefore, he must be displaying poor eye
contact and is truly not physically and mentally ready to attend (204). She notes that he interrupts her several
times, clearly not making the shift from speaker to listener a complete one, leaving no basis for understanding the
message being sent.