STEP 1: Pretend that you have just witnessed a fight in front of the school, and the principal is asking you to explain what you saw so she can determine who is responsible. The counselor calls you into his office and asks you to write down what you saw for the school records. Using the Text Editor, write a short explanation of what you “witnessed,” and remember, this will be read by the principal, the counselor, and possibly the parents of the students involved, so use formal language that would be appropriate for this audience. The principal and counselor have asked you to be as specific as you can about details as well as to communicate the event clearly.
STEP 2: Once you arrive home from school, you decide to write an email to your best friend explaining what happened, who was fighting, why they were fighting, and what you saw. Be sure to write it just as you would in real life—feel free to use slang, familiarities, etc. Use the same document you created using the Text Editor for Step 1 to write your “email."
STEP 3: Now look at both the writing you produced for the school and the email to your friend. In what ways are they different? Are they different in form and structure? How is the language used in the school document different than in the email and why? How does this relate to understanding audience while delivering speeches? Use the same document created using the Text Editor to document your thoughts.
