These activities and assignments were submitted by Ventura College English faculty. New activities will be added periodically, and submissions are always welcome.
Ice-Breakers and Community Building Exercises:
- People Bingo
- First Day Icebreaker
- Good Things I've Read
- I Found this Cool Poem -- everybody participates
Connecting Students to Resources on Campus:
- Two Strategies for Student Retention
- Three Quick and Easy Strategies for Student Success
- Webquest on Campus Resources
- Scavenger Hunt: Get to Know Your Syllabus and Textbook
Growth Mindset:
- Brainology and Mindset - Complete two week unit for any composition course
- Brainology Discussion Questions
Working with Grammar and Sentence Structure:
- A Common Errors "Must Know" List
- Copying Models of Good Writing
- Seven Basic Comma Rules: Apply and Illustrate
- Grammar Game
- Creating Mneumonics to Learn Words often Confused
Teaching MLA Documentation:
Pre-Writing, Writing, and Post-Writing Assignments:
- Two Essay Assignments, one Reader's Response Journal, and a Group Presentation
- Vocational I-Search Assignment
- Preparing for a Final Timed Essay
- Introduction to Comparison and Contrast
- Roosters: An introduction to Metaphor
- Metagognition in Evaluating the Essay Process
- Using Notecards to Draft a Thesis Statement
- Making Comments Less "Marginal"
- Speed Dating Explained
- Speed Dating Qs on the Value of a College Education
- Speed Dating Qs on the Liberal Arts Education Model
- Speed Dating Qs on "This is Water"
- First Poetry Lesson and "We Real Cool" Speed Dating Questions
Strategies for Improving Reading:
Study Skills and Student Engagement Strategies:
These strategies were developed by Paradise Valley Community College to align with the research-based conference of the Community College Survey of Student Engagement (CCSSE). Long, but contains excellent ideas.