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Chapter 1. Pg 3. Soup-can labels can be fascinating. How many of you would rather do ANYTHING (even reading soup can labels) rather than start working on a paper. Remember: You have some valuable ideas to tell your reader You want to communicate those ideas well. Selecting a subject.
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Chapter 1 Pg 3
Soup-can labels can be fascinating • How many of you would rather do ANYTHING (even reading soup can labels) rather than start working on a paper. Remember: • You have some valuable ideas to tell your reader • You want to communicate those ideas well
Selecting a subject • Start early • Find the best space for you • Select something in which you currently have a strong interest • Narrow a large topic
Pump-Primer Techniques: Jig-Saw it! • Get in groups of 3 people • You will be assigned to ONE (1) of the Pump-Primer techniques • 15 minutes to TRY THE TECHNIQUE YOURSELF using the topics on pg 18 • Explain it to the class
Pump-Primer Techniques • Listing • Free writing • Looping • The boomerang • Clustering • Cubing • Interviewing • Cross-examination • Sketching • Dramatizing the subject
Practice what you’ve learned • Practice B, pg 18 • Select two of the large subjects. With a partner, loop, list, or use another pre-write technique to create a focused topic that would be appropriate3 for an essay of 3-5 pages.
Discover your Audience • How to Identify your readers • Who is the audience? • Why are they reading it – what do they hope to gain? • What knowledge does your audience have about the subject? • What is your audience’s attitude towards your subject?
Special qualities of your audience? • They don’t like to be bored. (if you are bored writing it, they’ll be bored reading it) • They hate confusion and disorder • They WANT to think and learn • They want to see/feel what YOU see/feel • They are turned off by pretentious/phony voices.
Practice what you’ve learned: pg 22, A Analyze these ads (Choose 1, write on a separate paper) • “Diamond Right-Hand Ring” pg 220 • “Gas Heat Makes me Nervous” pg 304 • “Some arguments for Nuclear Energy…” pg 306 • “Pierce Brosnan’s Choice” pg 309 • “PETA Anti-Fur” pg 310 By asking these questions • What age group does the ad target? Appeal to males? Females? Both? Social class of the intended audience? • What concerns/interest might this audience have? • What kinds of arguments are used to persuade (logic? Emotion? Sense of right/wrong?) • What are the specific words/phrases chosen to appeal to this audience?
The Ultimate in Diet Cults – don’t eat anything at all (pg 23) • Read the article • In groups of up to 4, Choose 1, 2, or 3 (pg 24-25) • Write a brief radio advertisement • Write a letter to the city, asking for a parade permit • Write a letter to report this company to the BBB. Present to the class
Consider keeping a journal • Confront your fears, conquer the blank page! • Improve your powers of observation • Save your own brilliant ideas • Save other people’s brilliant ideas! • Be creative • Prepare for class • Record responses to class discussions • Focus on a problem
Journaling – (continued) 9. Practice audience awareness 10. Describe your own writing process 11. Write progress reports 12. Become sensitive to language 13. Write your own personalized text book.
Chapter 2 Pg 31
The Thesis • What is a working thesis • What does a “working thesis” do? • Can “Working thesis” change?
Guidelines for a good thesis (pg 33) • States the writer’s clearly defined opinion on some subject • Assert ONE main idea • Have something worthwhile to say • Limit thesis to fit the assignment • State thesis clearly, in specific terms • In first or second paragraph.
Avoiding Common Thesis Errors (37) Don’ts Do’s! • Don’t merely announce your intentions • Don’t clutter w/ expressions like “in my opinion” or “I’m going to tell you” • Don’t be unreasonable • Don’t merely state a fact • Don’t express in the form of a question • DO state an attitude • Be forceful, speak directly and w/ conviction • Avoid irresponsible charges, name calling, profanity
Practice… pg 39 • Identify whether each is adequate or not, explain the problem Inadequate – be more specific, don’t say “I think” Inadequate – Declare, don’t ask. Too broad Inadequate –just a statement, not an opinion. “Bad” is not specific enough. Inadequate – “my essay will tell you” is an announcement Adequate Inadequate – the two parts are unrelated and this is not specific enough to make sense Inadequate – unclear: is body piercing to be illegal? Or is it just unsightly? Inadequate – statement is unreasonable Adequate Inadequate – “very important” is too vague. Assert a specific idea
Essay Map • Use the handout to help you develop a topic. Choose from the list on pg 40 or pg 18. • Narrow the topic (what specific related things are you going to talk about, and what is your opinion about it) • Take those “reasons” and summarize them in the first 1-2 of paragraphs (map for your reader).