Notes from Essay 5 for Everyone

Potential lectures/activities for coming classes: 

-- Direct Quotations: They must be proportionate. They must be relevant. They must be well-worded the way they are, because otherwise, they would be a summation (NOTE: A written guide to paraphrasing techniques is provided on the blog)

-- Web site credibility

-- Formatting long quotations in Hacker -- look it up!

-- Logic and Argumentation, Going from Premise to Conclusion

-- Understanding Appeal Types to Strengthen Argumentation

-- Pronoun Errors Rampant!

And Finally...The Top 25...Good Luck

1. Has the writer typed 5 - 7 pages? If not, how can the writer add length without adding fluff? If the writer exceeded the page length, how can the writer cut parts without losing detail or impact?

2. Has the writer formatted his or her essay correctly: Times New Roman, 12-point font; double-spacing, one-inch margins, APA-style?

3. Has the writer chosen an interesting, original, and relevant title? If not, offer an alternate title.

4. Does the writer write an effective, divisive attention-grabbing introduction that provides necessary background information and establishes the controversy surrounding the issue? Does he/she accomplish this through the use of personal anecdote? Is the introduction adequate in length (no more than 1 page)?

Rhetoric and Composition LAST CLASS PREP

Because I want to maximize our time focusing on strengthening your papers, I will be CANCELING the WRITTEN TEST originally scheduled for Wednesday. Instead, be ready to ask your final paper questions.

The Research Proposal, Annotated Bibliography & Family Conferences -- Due Monday

Conference Assignment: Please have the following information ready for submission during our conferences.

Research Proposal:  DUE Monday at Family Meetings (at appointed time)

Research Proposal: The research proposal is a very important first step that serves as a guide for your entire paper.  It has several necessary components. Research Proposal should be typed and handed to me at conference.

For this element, the student will hand in a working bibliography, working thesis and working outline. 

1. Annotated bibliography: Should provide me with insight on the sources you plan to use. Where does information exist? What types of sources have been prevalent?
















Besides the graphic above. Here are some other examples of an Annotated Bibliography.

Rhetoric & Composition, Class #24, Wednesday, April 24, 2013: Research Paper

Final Essay #6: 

Your final essay will call for the creation of a persuasive argument based on the supplemental reading material for the course. 

Option One: Aaron Swartz. You read a couple of articles about the felled internet genius. Now decide if the conspiracy theorists are right. At the heart of this issue is the notion that prosecutors had too much leverage to use against Swartz, and that their aggressive tactics and proposed penalties pushed the young crusader to an early grave. 

Research Lecture #1 Class Resources

THE DATABASE is KEY!

The science of boolean searching is laid out nicely in the the presentation from Colorado State University found here.

And then there's this little fun family challenge.

Rhetoric & Composition, Class #23, Monday, April 29, 2013: GUIDE TO THE END

As we slide into home base for the semester, here is a general outline for the remaining classes (please know that a lot more information will be forthcoming on these assignments, so stay tuned...do not bombard me with pre-emptive questions):

TODAY: Essay #6 DUE

Family Activity: Evaluating Document Quality

Research Lecture #1

Tonight's Assignments:


READ: Hacker section on research, Research Help Readings A, #1 & #2 (on the blog from different
sources)

WATCH/WRITE: 
1. Watch the video linked below and write a reaction as Journal #7. Do you agree or disagree with the filmmakers' argument about the identity of today's young woman? Support your answers with specific examples.


Miss Representation 8 min. Trailer 8/23/11 from Miss Representation on Vimeo.


****Please do not forget to fill out the course evaluation. Link is posted. You will need your Z number. 

WEDNESDAY, APRIL 24th: Research Questions from Twitter & Research Lecture #2

MONDAY, APRIL 29th: Research Proposals and Annotated Bibliographies due

Family Meetings!

WEDNESDAY, MAY 1st: LAST CLASS MEETING! Journals & Final Papers due (if submitted in hard copy with envelope or e-mail for graded analysis)

Condensed Written Final (Active Reading and Annotation Notes)

Research Questions from Twitter & Research Lecture #3

DIGITAL COPIES OF FINAL & JOURNALS (these will NOT receive a written grade analysis, but if there is a problem, you can always e-mail me to discuss or even meet over Summer or in the Fall) DUE by 11:59 pm on Monday, May 6th.

VERY IMPORTANT! Please be sure to complete!

Please be sure to complete the Stockton-sanctioned IDEA evaluation for this course any time before May 6th. Here is the link. Thank you. The course info is below:

Costal, Joseph
RHETORIC AND COMPOSITION
GEN 1120 004
MW 1535
Survey Dates: 04/22/2013 - 05/06/2013

Research Help Reading #2: Paraphrasing/Summarizing (from the Writing Center)

Write a Draft of the Paper--and Acknowledge Sources Correctly.  As you start to write your first draft of your paper, be mindful of the proper ways to use and acknowledge sources.  Here at Stockton, the Office of the Provost puts out a brochure entitled, “Academic Honesty at Stockton.”  The information contained in the brochure is intended to alert students to the seriousness of plagiarism, and most important, help them steer clear of the charge in the first place.  Students can easily avoid suspicion if they are rigorous and pay attention to the correct methods of documentation.  All borrowed information (facts, ideas, direct quotations, paraphrases, and summaries) needs to be clearly documented.  The traditional system of footnotes or endnotes has given way to a more efficient method of in-test citations, which identify the source in parentheses within the text and refer the reader to a Works Cited or References page at the end of the paper.  The two most common systems currently in use are from the Modern Language Association (MLA), which is used in English and the humanities, and the American Psychological Association (APA), which is often preferred by social scientists.  Scholars in other disciplines, especially the sciences, often use style manuals specific to their individual disciplines.  If your professor has not stipulated which style she prefers, ask her, and make sure you follow the guidelines carefully.

Research Help Reading #1: Writing for Different Types of Audiences

READ: Consider some words of wisdom by reading the following excerpt (coutesy of The Writing Process by Steven D. Krause, with edits and modifications by yours truly)

Whenever you are trying to develop a clearer understanding of your writing, think about the kinds of audiences who may disagree with you. Think about the opposites and alternatives to your working thesis because these are what a hostile audience might think.