Models and criteria for sequencing writing assignments
Models for sequences of writing assignments: 
(N.B.: many of these sequence models overlap or are very similar. Several models may be used in crafting a sequence)
1.	Genres of discourse
. This is a traditional organization followed by many college anthologies. The progression commonly runs: personal essay à informational essayà expository pieceà comparison and contrast à persuasive essay à analysis
2.	Aims of discourse
. This sequence begins with fairly simple, unilateral goals to more complex social goals: express à inform à explain à analyze à debate à persuade
3.	Types of sources
. Beginning with personal experience, this sequence asks writers to use increasingly more sophisticated sources: personal experience à single source à popular journalistic writing à using two sources à interviews, field data à synthesis of multiple sources à scholarly articles/books
4.	Expanding audience
. This sequence assumes that changing the nature of the stipulated audience will govern the complexity of the writing assignments: writing for self à writing for classmates à writing for college peers à writing for general public à writing for scholarly discipline
5.	Intellectual independence
. According to this model, students are initially given very restricted assignments, then are gradually asked to assume more critical independence: theme, purpose, audience, sources stipulated à purpose, audience, sources stipulated à purpose, audience stipulated à purpose only stipulated (students choose sources, type of audience, and topic)
6.	Cognitive complexity
. This model looks very similar to models 1, 2 & 5; the tenet is that assignments should pose increasingly more difficult intellectual tasks: summary à comparison & contrast à synthesis à analysis à argument à persuasion
7.	Thematic ordering. 
Some topic-based courses may lend themselves to themes which build on each other and are increasingly complex, e.g.: family units à local community à national identities à global online communities
SAMPLE SEQUENCE USING MODELS 1, 2, 6 (special thanks to Wes Chapman)
Paper 1: personal position on a text; letter to editor of Argus	Paper 2: compare two authors and take a position of your own for classmates	Paper 3: report on local issue (e.g., housing) for local community	Paper 4: persuasive paper (e.g., an advocacy web site)	Paper 5: short research paper analyzing popular phenomenon	
Sources: personal experience, 1 reading	Sources: two readings	Sources: 3-4; some assigned; various kinds of sources	Sources: 5-6; none assigned; various kinds, some stipulated.	Sources: 8-10; none assigned; various kinds, some stipulated	
Goals: expression; critical reading; summary; quoting; thesis sentence; claims & support 	Goals: critical reading; claims & support; thesis; analyzing tenets & arguments; analyzing evidence	Goals: analyzing evidence; summary; quoting; synthesizing main ideas from multiple sources	Goals: summary; quoting; citing sources; creating effective claims with evidence; shaping a logical chain; using powerful language	Goals: analysis; summary; using sources to back claims; crafting a cohesive argument	
Prep work: class discussion with focus questions; summarizing (glossing); freewriting & invention; in-class conferences on thesis statements	Prep work: discussion of texts; role-playing; double-entry glossing or group records; online chat; analyzing syllogisms and assumptions	Prep work: how to organize information; evaluating sources; integrating & citing sources; small group discussion; library tutorial	Prep work: whole- and small-group discussion of persuasive readings; resistant reader role; conferences; collaboration? 	Prep work: more evaluation of sources; conferences; one-on-one buddy system; small group review