I Will Survive

Survive

For our last formal blogging assignment of this year, you will explain how to survive. That's right students, we must become cockroaches, and explain how to survive anything. Just like our ancient insect friend, we will show for our readers how to outlive and outlast anything. Let me explain.

This assignment is adapted from Kelly Gallagher's book Write Like This. It is called "How to Survive_____________." You pick the topic (it should be something you know quite a bit about). You will introduce the topic, break it out into 5 or more steps, and then write an in-depth explanation of each step. You're going to need to go into extreme detail, and show off your writing style while you're at it. Have some fun, be serious, sarcastic, funny, or a combination of any of those.

Here are the exact directions:

1. introduce the topic
2. at least 5 steps of how to survive
3. a detailed explanation of each step
4. conclusion/wrap-up

Check out this example from Gallagher's book. He took it from the magazine Popular Mechanics. It's called "How to Survive a Riot in a Strange City." Here are the steps:

1. Stay indoors and to the radio or TV
2. Determine the best route to the airport or embassy
3. Exit away from guns or mobs
4. Leave as a group
5. Do not run
6. Drive on back streets.

If this was your topic, you would write a detailed explanation of how to complete each step.

Remember, you need:

1. introduce the topic
2. at least 5 steps of how to survive
3. a detailed explanation of each step
4. conclusion/wrap-up

Sample Topics:
Have no fear; I will post a completed example very soon. For now here is a list of past topics:

• ·         A riot in a strange city
• ·         Disneyland
• ·         Junior High
• ·         College
• ·         A road trip
• ·         Mr./Mrs. ______________ ’s class
• ·         A concert
• ·         A mosh pit
• ·         Having 4 siblings
• ·         Being an only child
• ·         Teaching junior high
• ·         Freshman year of high school
• ·         A zombie apocalypse
• ·         Downtown LA
• ·         Algebra
• ·         Sharing a house with a newborn baby

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