23 Sample Invention Work Assignments

Invention Work

Invention Work are low-stakes assignments that scaffold larger writing projects. They’re intended to build the skills and blocks of writing necessary for students to be successful in their more extended writing projects. Invention work is also known as prewriting, brainstorming, or, in the framework of Writing Across the Curriculum (WAC), writing to learn opportunities. Referring to these assignments as invention work considers them within the broader rhetorical canon, taking into account that developing ideas, invention, is just one part of the process of composing.

There are five ancient canons of rhetoric:

• Invention
• Arrangement
• Memory
• Delivery
• Style

Below we’ve noted some invention work that can be adapted to different classes and writing projects.

One Pager Reading Response and Gallery Walk

Pedagogical purpose: There are many versions of “One Pager” exercises, but this one is adapted from NCTE and offers students a way of responding multimodally to a reading. Rather than simply responding in textual form and offering limitations based on word count or question prompts, this way of responding asks students to create a one-page document complete with images, phrases, and reflections, and to take into account both aesthetic and content-related concerns.

Instructions to students: The purpose of a One-pager is to help you think about the ideas in the text and relate them to your own life and learning across the curriculum. As with all one-pagers, you have freedom as to where things are placed on the page, and each One-Pager should look different than another. You might use a digital drawing app (PowerPoint actually works great for this!), or you can hand-draw your response. Arrange 3-5 of the following components on the page as you like: 1) Write the title of the text and the author’s full name, 2) Quote a phrase or line from the text and explain what you believe it means, 3) Draw images from the poem and caption the imagery that inspired each image, 4) Create a border using a key phrase, 5) Select a main idea of the text and relate it to your own life (This can be done as a word cluster or an image cluster if you wish), 6) Define 2 important words from the text in your own words, 7) Explain why a friend or family member might want to read this text, 8) Write a short poem inspired by the text, and/or 9) Use color to liven up the images.

Specific Uses: I often use this method of response a couple of times during the semester. In ENGL1010, I invite students to create One Pagers in response to their first reading assignment. For both in-person or online meeting types, you might invite students to share digital copies of their work, and then you can create a slideshow of their responses for discussion during class time or for asynchronous responses. For in-person classes, you might invite students to lay out their responses on their desks and then conduct a Gallery Walk in which students walk around the room considering the various responses and then participate in a group discussion of questions, reflections, and comments that arise based on what they’ve seen. This functions as a starting point for discussion of the text at hand.

Fish Bowl Activity:

Pedagogical Purpose: The Fishbowl discussion method is both a listening and a conversation activity. It is a way of discussing a text or idea that ensures that everyone listens carefully to each other and actively participates in the discussion. To set up a fishbowl, arrange chairs or desks around 3 chairs. Only people in the chairs inside the circle may speak during the fishbowl discussion. To start the conversation, two volunteers should sit in the chairs and begin sharing their responses and questions to the reading/issue at hand. The idea is to begin a conversation and continue it for the duration of the fishbowl discussion (20-40 minutes), with different members of the class coming in and out of the conversation. Once another member of the class has something to say in response to the conversation, they come and sit in the third chair, which is a sign to one of the other participants that they should get up and end their turn in the fishbowl. Ideally, each member of the class takes a 2-5 minute turn sitting in the fishbowl and participating in conversation about the work. Another version of this is the Dinner Party Discussion Method, in which you set up a 4-6 person “table” in the center of the fishbowl.

Instructions to Students: You will have at least one opportunity to sit “in the fishbowl” and participate in discussion. To prepare for the activity, bring careful notes and questions about the reading/idea, and be ready to engage your classmates in conversation. Rather than the instructor facilitating discussion about the reading/idea, it will be your turn to take the conversation where you want and ensure effective coverage of the work. When you have something to ask of a peer or contribute to the conversation, take a seat at one of the chairs in the center of the fishbowl. When another member of the class comes to sit in the third chair, return to the external ring of chairs and listen to the conversation.

Circle of Knowledge:

Pedagogical Purpose: The Circle of Knowledge is a timed, generative writing activity that invites peer response to initial ideas. Students begin by writing about their ideas, for instance, their initial plans for a writing project. I often give them five minutes to freewrite about their writing project plans. Then they pass their paper to their right. Their neighbor has 2 minutes to read, respond, ask questions, and make suggestions to the writer. They are encouraged to make suggestions to help flesh out the ideas their peers have shared. Keep passing to 3-5 students. When the student gets their paper back, they’re encouraged to read the comments, reflect, and then write down their now more (hopefully) finalized plans.

Instructions to Students: Take five minutes to write about your ideas for our forthcoming writing project. The idea is to be generative, so if you have multiple ideas and you’re trying to decide which one to go with, write them all down. After you have written down your ideas, pass your paper to your neighbor. They now have two minutes to respond to your ideas, help you narrow them down, and perhaps encourage you to take more chances or think about multimodal ways to accomplish the goals you’ve articulated. You’ll keep passing papers and responding to colleagues for a few turns. Be as encouraging and creative as you can! The better feedback you give to others, the better you may become at approaching writing situations yourself. Once you get your paper back, consider all of the feedback you received. Filter based on what is helpful to you. If someone makes a suggestion that leads you helpfully in a direction you hadn’t anticipated, great! If you find a suggestion to not be helpful, don’t adopt it for your final plans. After you read and reflect, write down a more finalized plan for your project.

Specific Uses: I often use the activity toward the end of the semester when students are trying to think about how they might remediate their written projects in multimodal presentational forms. This often helps students think broadly and innovatively about how they might share their work with colleagues.