ABSTRACT
Imagine that your state has passed a mandate that every student in your thirdperiod class must play in a varsity basketball game. Tests come and go, but attitudes about writing can be lifelong. Generally speaking, however, people do not work hard on tasks they hate doing. Many of our students come to us with a strong distaste for writing, yet we unrealistically expect them to immediately roll up their sleeves and get into the writing flow of our classrooms. The student who fools the most classmates is recognized at the end of the activity. Students are then asked to choose one of their truths and tell the story in writing. This assignment, developed with my colleague John Powers, requires each student to write a number of autobiographical sketches. Students are then required to bring their photos to class on the first day of their sophomore year.
