For this paper, you should first find a person to observe and focus on how he or she interacts with his or her environment. You may not pick a person who you know, and you are not allowed to interact with this person, though accidental interaction is acceptable. Also, you are not allowed to follow the person because the idea is to simply observe the person and not to stalk the person.
Taking notes is critical because this paper will be written in the test center, and you will be allowed to use your notes to write the paper. Please turn in your notes with your paper, as the paper will lose 10 points if the notes are missing. The paper length should be 500 to 800 words, and you will have two hours to write it.
Tips:
– Don’t pick the first person you see; find someone who is interacting with others
– Do not wait until the last minute to do this assignment – carry around a pen and notecards for a few days
– If you’re worried that you’ll look like a stalker, then maybe try bringing a friend or texting your notes to yourself (those are student suggestions)
– Your observations should be specific and they should be related to action instead of appearance alone
– You should also add some commentary in your paper, but not a lot, and the focus of the commentary should be based on the specific observations of the subject
– Keep your paper in the past tense
– Don’t forget to proofread