Antonio Byrd

English 100Spring 2016

Ransom Note Activity
Task
You and your partner in crime have just
fought off Santas elves and successfully
captured Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer.
(Of course, you can choose some other
fictional character to capture).
Now you must write a ransom note to Santa
with a list of your demands. Working as a
team, construct those note, but remember
we live in the 21st century where digital
technology has impacted writing greatly.
In your groups, decide the genre and method of delivery. Will you write and
send a regular paper ransom note? Send your demands as a tweet? An
Instagram photo? A Facebook post? Snapchat? Your writing genres options
are near limitless.
After youve composed your note, be prepared to discuss with the class why
you choose your genre, what the process of composing the ransom note was,
and how you would deliver this note.
Purpose
This weird assignment asks you to explore the rhetorical situation, or the
conditions under which you create a particular writing genreessay, music
review, short story, novel, political speech, etc. Usually the rhetorical
situation comes in many forms, but for our purposes it consists of exigence,
author, message, genre, audience.
Tips

As you compose your ransom note, think about your audience and
what they value. For example, what does Santa Claus value? Write to
your audiences values.
Even when youre finished, youre not really finished. So when you
finish writing that note, go back through it. Think of ways you might
shape it so the message is stronger.
Have fun with the ransom notepush yourself creatively.