The Picture Assignment

• Draw a picture of "communication."

• Beware: this assignment isn't as simple as it looks! If you're like most students, you'll find yourself wanting to draw a picture of two people talking to each other, or a picture of someone talking on the telephone or writing a letter. That's not communication, though. That's people communicating -- and that's not what the assignment asks for. The assignment asks you to draw communication itself. In other words, what does communication look like?

• Your picture should be drawn by you yourself. Artistic merit isn't the issue here, so don't worry if you're not an artist. What I'm looking for is evidence of thoughtfulness. (Submitting multiple pictures would constitute additional evidence that you thought about the assignment. So would an extra page explaining your thought process.) Creativity would be a nice bonus, but is no more a requirement than is artistic merit. Feel free to use color, but remember that pencil is not acceptable. This isn't the nametag assignment, so it's okay to include language as a part of your picture. However, don't use any of these four words: "communication," "communicating," "communicate," or "communicator." A page number and the name you indicated on the first day of class that you'd like to be called should appear on the back of the page. No other heading is necessary. If you're using paper from a spiral-bound notebook, please rip or cut off the little snowflakes at the left-hand edge of the page before you come to class on the day the assignment is due, rather than wasting class time to do so.

• If someone who doesn't know what the assignment is looks at your picture and thinks, "That's a picture of communication!," you will earn full credit. If the person I show your picture to thinks anything other than that, then I will grade your assignment, based on evidence that you thought about it. No picture, or a picture drawn in pencil, or a picture showing no evidence of thought, will earn no credit.

Return to SPCH 100 Homework.

Return to Teaching.

Return to Home