In this first writing project, you must turn in three things. All three are described in more detail below.
a memo
a business letter
an email, sent to me at Sample.gmail.com
1.Writing the Memo
Read Exercise 1 on pg. 165 of our textbook, The Essentials of Technical Communication, and write the memo as directed. Additionally, you must use the Pew Research Center report on “Women in STEM” (Links https://www.pewresearch.org/social-trends/2018/01/09/women-in-stem-see-more-gender-disparities-at-work-especially-those-in-computer-jobs-majority-male-workplaces/.) to support the argument you make in this memo. What you use from this report, and how much, is up to you. Remember that your purpose is to be respectful but persuasive.
How I’ll grade the memo: Your memo should be formatted and organized correctly, according to the textbook guidelines and our class discussions (e.g., it should be single-spaced, with block paragraphs, and have TO, FROM, and other necessary fields at the top, etc.), and should be to and from the correct people. It should use a direct, clear writing style and be free from errors in punctuation, grammar, and usage.
I’ll also grade your memo on how well it handles the difficult situation laid out in the textbook. What is the correct tone to take in such a situation? What information do you want to make sure to communicate to your reader? How do you start the memo? When/where do you make your main point? What’s the best way to use the Pew report?
See the grading rubric below for how this breaks down into points.
2.Writing the Letter
Read Exercise 2 on pp. 165-66 of our textbook and write the letter as directed, with one change: do not write the internal memo to Activ8 Sports employees, only write the “letter of apology to the high school coach.”
How I’ll grade the letter: Your letter should be formatted and organized correctly, according to the guidelines in the textbook and our class discussions (e.g., necessary addresses at the top, single-spaced with block paragraphs, salutation & signature, etc.) and be to and from the correct people. It should use a direct, clear writing style and be free from errors in punctuation, grammar, and usage.
As with the memo, I’ll also grade your letter on how well it handles a difficult situation. How do you apologize to the coach in a way likely to keep her business, but that isn’t patronizing and doesn’t give away too much?
3.Writing the Email
Once you’ve turned in your memo and letter, send me a transmittal email that tells me what you’ve uploaded to Canvas and when you did so. Also briefly tell me what you found most challenging about this assignment. This will be a brief email – no more than two short paragraphs. It should use a professional tone and be formatted correctly. Send it to me.