8.2 Paragraphs

1. 8.2 Paragraphs Formatting and tips

2. 1par·a·graph noun \ˈper-ə-ˌgraf, ˈpa-rə-\ Definition of PARAGRAPH 1 a: a subdivision of a written composition that consists of one or more sentences, deals with one point or gives the words of one speaker, and begins on a new usually indented line b: a short composition or note that is complete in one paragraph What is a paragraph? “Paragraph.” The Free Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary. Encyclopedia Britannica, 2011. Web. 4 Oct. 2011.

3. Topic Sentence- this is like a mini-thesis for your paragraph • Concrete Detail 1- this is a quote or paraphrase, a direct reference to specific evidence. • It should not be a stand-alone quote, you are not writing an OER. Introduce your quote (The author felt that “pigs simply should not be allowed to fly.” Furthermore, “it goes against all the laws of physics and biology.” “Can you imagine the damage to our billboards,” he asks the audience.) • Commentary 1A- this is your discussion of the quote, connecting it to your topic sentence. • Commentary 1B- continued discussion • Concrete Detail 2 • Commentary 2A • Commentary 2B • Transition to next paragraph- this should close your discussion of this particular topic. It may also introduce the topic of the next paragraph. Basic Format

4. Due to the rising popularity of designer pets, some geneticists have begun to speculate on the possibility of more eccentric options in the field of companion animals. Dynamic Genetics, the leader in the designer pet market feels that “some of our clients have more discerning tastes, and the introduction or reintroduction of various species could have both mainstream and scientific value.” Their argument is that bringing back species such as the dodo-bird could create new avenues in scientific research. DG has also speculated that the personalization of pets might create more responsible pet owners, a claim many feel is dubious at best. “Why should we think that someone who can’t take care of a dog can take care of something the world hasn’t seen in hundreds or millions of years?” asks Anna Objektor, a representative of PETA. She and others like her feel that pet-engineering only increases the risk that animals will be abandoned. These animals may, after all, be subject to an environment their species is not biologically equipped to handle. Despite the initial novelty of using genetic engineering to create designer pets, the irresponsible use of genetic research will have lasting repercussions for both pet owners and scientists in various fields. This is a properly formatted 8.2 paragraph The first line is indented ½ inch. Each sentence follows the next, with one-two spaces between the period and the beginning of the next sentence. The information is presented as a single coherent discussion of an idea. It follows 8.2 format: The first sentence introduces the topic: designer pets. The second sentence offers a quote (or concrete detail) from an article on the topic. The next two sentences discuss the quote as a cohesive part of the argument made by the topic sentence. The fifth sentence offers a second quote (in this case an opposing opinion, though that contrast may not work in your paragraph). The sixth and seventh sentences discuss the quote, again as a cohesive part of the discussion. The eighth sentence wraps it all up, and gives the reader an idea of what the next paragraph will be about.

5. Due to the rise in popularity of designer pets, some geneticists have begun to speculate on the possibility of more eccentric options in the field of companion animals. Dynamic Genetics, the leader in the designer pet market feels that “some of our clients have more discerning tastes, and the introduction or reintroduction of various species could have both mainstream and scientific value.” Their argument is that bringing back species such as the dodo-bird could create new avenues in scientific research. DG has also speculated that the personalization of pets might create more responsible pet owners, a claim many feel is dubious at best. Why should we think that someone who can’t take care of a dog can take care of something the world hasn’t seen in hundreds or millions of years?” asks Anna Objektor, a representative of PETA. She and others like her feel that pet-engineering only increases the risk that animals will be abandoned. These animals may, after all, be subject to an environment their species is not biologically equipped to handle. Despite the initial novelty of using genetic engineering to create designer pets, the irresponsible use of genetic research will have lasting repercussions for both pet owners and scientists in various fields. This is NOT a properly formatted paragraph. There is no indentation on the first line. Each sentence is a separate line, like bullets on a PowerPoint presentation. It does follow the same order of presentation, and gives the same information, but it is not a paragraph because each line is presented separately, as separate ideas, rather than as one complete discussion.

6. Choose one of the following quotes and in an 8.2 paragraph, defend or challenge the speaker’s idea, using your readings, research, one personal experience, or current events as a source of concrete detail. Write the quote at the top of your paper. • Men become civilized, not in proportion to their willingness to believe, but in their readiness to doubt. • H. L. Mencken • Education’s purpose is to replace an empty mind with an open one. • Malcolm S. Forbes • The means by which we live have outdistanced the ends for which we live. Our scientific power has outrun our spiritual power. We have guided missiles and misguided men. • Martin Luther King, Jr. • But if thought is to become the possession of many, not the privilege of the few, we must have done with fear. It is fear that holds men back — fear lest their cherished beliefs should prove delusions, fear lest the institutions by which they live should prove harmful, fear lest they themselves should prove less worthy of respect than they have supposed themselves to be. • Bertrand Russell Practice Makes Permanent!