Home Teaching Guides Teaching E238 20th-Century Fiction Collaborative Essays, Exams, and Quizzes

Collaborative Essays, Exams, and Quizzes

Collaborative work is beneficial for reducing student stress while encouraging cooperation and peer communication skills. There are many variations of other assignments (see sections I to VI) you can use in a collaborative format. Here is a quiz/forum assignment that gives students the option of completing it with a partner. It consists of analyzing a character and her/his role in a text (100 Years of Solitude in this case). The questions are direct but would still require peer discussion if students chose that option.

Reading Quiz: 100 Years of Solitude

Please come to the front and choose the name of one major character from 100 Years of Solitude. You will then have until the start of class on Tuesday (Dec 4) to post a thorough analysis of that character to the 100 Years of Solitude Writing Center discussion forum.

Your character analysis should cover the following:

• an overview of the character’s major life events (up to p. 239)

• a description of any habits, quirks, or personality traits

• identification of any wives/husbands/lovers/love interests (describe their relationship)

• identification of any children (describe their relationship)

• identification of parents (describe their relationship)

• identification of any close friendships with other characters (describe their relationship)

• circumstances of death (if applicable)

• circumstances of resurrection (if applicable)

• identification of any patterns or themes connected to that character

• key scenes and plot points connected to that character (up to p. 239)

In addition, you must include:

• one revealing quote spoken by or about that character

• your thoughts and feelings about what is interesting about the character (a few words of subjective analysis)

The activity will serve as the Solitude quiz, and will be worth 30 points. It will be graded on thoroughness (everything that happens to that character through p. 239), and accuracy.

The title of your Writing Studio posting should be your character’s name. You will find the place to post by entering the “Forums” section of our Studio page, and then clicking “100 Years of Solitude Reading Quiz.”

You also have the option of working with a partner. If you work with a partner, make sure that the text of your Studio posting contains both of your names.