Here is the place to note common assignments at Highline that come into the library, "stumpers" and any other information relevant to sharing information on reference questions. Please date your entry, and if it's class- or instructor-related, mark that as well.

First Amendment Assignment

Students were asked to copy down the first (ratified) amendment from the Bill of Rights. The instructor is looking for students to critically think about small differences in text, in punctuation, in capitalization. All copies are marked as zeros by the instructor unless they copy word for word with punctuation the original copy, which is available on the east wall of the fourth floor (near the current location of the New Readers' Room). Copies online and copies from the print version of the US Constitution are not the copy she wants students to transcribe.

From the instructor:

One of the main purposes of this assignment is to get students to realize that different sources have a slightly different rendition of the First Amendment. Some leave out one of the “of”s, some do not capitalize government, and most have a ; where the original had a comma. Though the facsimile is difficult to read, it does have the comma, the capital G for government, and the original number of ‘of’s. One of the other purposes of this assignment is to get students to communicate with each other; another purpose requires them to consider the importance of phrasing, capitalization, and punctuation.

I have them do this and go through the frustration of it, because I find such a small assignment results in a good deal of end results that serve them in this class.