Read chapter six in your textbook (201-235).

Here is the writing assignment from your textbook:

Sociologists and anthropologists often give detailed descriptions of cultural institutions or activities, just as Sizer does in "What High School Is." Choose some other institution to describe in detail. You might write about a public institution, such as a courtroom or library, or you might write about a private institution, such as a fraternity or a grocery store. The key to a good description is careful observation. Go to the institution and take specific notes about what you see. Sizer chooses to describe high school from the point of view of one student, and he organizes his description chronologically, following through one student's day. When you write your description, you should also choose a point of view. Through whose eyes are you observing this institution? You must also decide how you are going to organize your observations. After describing the institution, list some conclusions that you have come to about the institution's purpose in the society (Troiano and Scott 231-232).

Here are my added directions for this assignment:

Write your essay from the third person point of view. This means that you will write as if you were a fly on the wall and were able to see everything that is going on in the scene before you. But you do not put yourself in the picture. You will use the third person pronouns: he, she, it, and they. Make sure your essay has the three basic parts: introduction, body, conclusion. The introduction should make it clear to the reader what you have done in preparation for the essay and what your purpose is. The introduction should name and characterize the institution you have observed so that every reader will know what you are writing about. Your main idea should be stated at the end of your introduction. The introduction should have an interest catcher, something to attract the reader's attention (see pages 172-174).

The body of your paper should present the findings of your observations in an organized way. The example in your textbook by Sizer uses a chronological organization. You may adopt this approach as well. It would be appropriate if, for example, you were describing a work shift at a manufacturing plant or other business. However, you might also organize your paper by focusing on the jobs of particular workers, or by what takes place in different parts of a plant or in the offices of a company. Your main points should be presented in paragraphs with topic sentences (see pages 164-167) Each paragraph should be developed with specific detail. Reread Sizer's essay and note of the abundance of detail he presents. Notice, for example, that when Sizer says that the juniors are seated in the auditorium, he tells us exactly how they act:

They "alternately slouch in their upholstered, hinged seats, talking to one another, or sit forward, leaning on the chair backs in front of them, watching the band" (210).

The next sentence focuses in on a single student, giving even greater detail: "A boy near Mark shouts noisily at the microphone-fondling singer, 'Bite it . . . ohhh,' and the area around Mark explodes in vulgar male laughter, but quickly subsides" (210).

To observe means to tell how things look, sound, feel, smell, and taste as well as what happens. So be specific and use concrete language that appeals to the five senses.

Your essay should have a conclusion that presents what you learned. It should restate your main idea and make any additional observations or point out the importance of what you have discovered.

The completed essay must be at least 500 words. There is no limit on length, but all essays should be concise, informative, and correct. Longer essays that multiply errors simply provide more justification for a poor grade. Microsoft Word will tell you how many words there are in a document.

Include a works cited entry for your textbook and any essays that you use from it. See your textbook or follow the link from my web site for help with MLA documentation style.