Suggesting a travel plan to a friend

I. Task Your friend in Japan e-mailed you: I want to go on a trip during the spring break in March. Would you recommend somewhere interesting? So, (1) pick a place (city, state, and/or country) and describe it and (2) give your friend the one-day sightseeing plan that you think is ideal in your e-mail reply. II. Steps 1. 2. 3. 4. Brainstorm ideas. Organize your ideas and prepare an outline. Write the first draft using the outline. Write the final draft.

III. Rules 1. Write by hand. DO NOT type. 2. You will be expected to demonstrate that you can apply what you have learned so far in writing coherent and straightforward passages. If you can't express your ideas using the sentence structures you have learned, then try simplifying the sentences. 3. Try to use complex sentences as well as various verbs, adjectives, adverbs, and conjunctions (e.g., , ). IV. Tips (1) To describe the destination of your choice, think about: the climate, transportation (i.e., how to get there), famous places/attractions, accommodations, activities that your friend can do, etc. (2) When suggesting a one-day sightseeing plan, make sure to sequence the activities from the morning to the evening. However, simply listing places to go (e.g., X Y ) is NOT enough. Describe the activities to do in each place. (3) Include the reasons for your suggestions and/or useful tips if possible. (4) You may want to use the following patterns: V- V- Adj. Adj. V- V- V. Grading Criteria (1) Content: Does the content of your essay match the topic? Have you provided enough details? Is the content creative? (2) Organization: Have you done a good job of organizing your paragraphs? Do you express your ideas clearly and coherently? (3) Language Use: Have you made any grammar mistakes (particles, tense, forms, etc.)? Have you used vocabulary that best expresses intended meaning? (4) Self-Challenge: Have you used an appropriate mix of the vocabulary and sentence patterns that you have learned so far? Have you used complex sentences when appropriate? (5) Mechanics: Have you spelled words correctly? Have you punctuated sentences correctly (and )? 145

Sakubun Contest
(present) (prize) 1. Topic: The most memorable moment in my life *** Give your own title in Japanese. 2. Length: 400-800 characters 3. Rules ! Sakubun must be written by the contestant. ! Contestant must not receive any assistance in writing the sakubun from another student or anybody who speaks Japanese. 4. Criteria for Preliminary Contest & Final Evaluation ! Fluency (Did you read your speech in a natural manner? Did your speech sound NOT stilted or unnatural?) ! Pronunciation (Is your pronunciation clear? Will listeners understand you without difficulty?) ! Content (Does the content of your essay match the topic? Have you provided enough details? Is the content creative?) ! Organization (Have you done a good job of organizing your paragraphs? Do you express your ideas clearly and coherently?) ! Language Use (Have you made any grammar mistakes (particles, tense, forms, etc.)? Have you used vocabulary that best expresses the intended meaning?) ! Self-Challenge (Have you used an appropriate mix of the vocabulary and sentence patterns that you have learned so far? Have you used complex sentences when appropriate?)

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