Effective Reading and Writing Study Sessions

1. 9/30 • Reflections: • Reading critically • Annotating • Analyzing the text • Writing clearly and intelligently • “The Ethnobiologist’s Dilemma” • Thesis drafting • BA4 • Some writing basics

2. Study Sessions Tuesday and Thursday 7 to 9 pm Room ENGL 352

3. New Policy I will now be giving participation points for coming to office hours. I’ll give up to three.

4. Reflections • Reading critically: • What did I learn from the text that is new to me? • What did the text prompt me to consider that I had not thought about before? • What stuck with me after I finished reading? • Do I agree with what the text says? Why? Why not? • What information can you gather about the place of publication? What can you then infer?

5. Reflections • Annotating • What do you find confusing or unclear? What can you do to clear up this confusion? • What key terms and ideas do you see? What sticks in your mind? • What sources does the text allude to, refer to, or cite? • What to you agree and disagree with? Why?

6. Reflections • Analyzing the text • What are the main points? Are they stated implicitly or explicitly? • What do you agree and disagree with? Why? • What kind of evidence does the text use? Is it sufficient to back up the text? • Do you see viewpoints other than the author’s? Are they treated fairly or unfairly? Do they sufficiently prove them wrong? • How trustworthy are the sources the author uses? • Table 6.1 in the textbook, page 118.

7. Reflections • Writing clearly and sounding intelligent: • St Martin’s Handbook: • Section 5: Word Choice • Section 6: Sentence Grammar • Section 7: Sentence Clarity • Section 8: Sentence Style • Section 9: Punctuation • Section 10: Mechanics

8. “The Ethnobiologist’s Dilemma” • Audience? Why? • Purpose? Why? • Some rhetorical choices?

9. Audience and Purpose • In “The Ethnobiologist’s Dilemma,” Jared Diamond writes this article for readers of Natural History who have a particular interest in ethnobiology, however the audience is not exclusive to just professional scientists because in the article Diamond discusses in great detail what he did while in New Guinea. Jared Diamond’s purpose was to emphasize the need that the average person must have prior knowledge of a subject in order to learn from an expert. Diamond wants his audience to realize that before learning from a professional they must gain knowledge over the subject.

10. Explanation of Audience and Purpose • In “The Ethnobiologist’s Dilemma,” Jared Diamond writes this article for readers of Natural History who have a particular interest in ethnobiology, however the audience is not exclusive to just professional scientists because in the article Diamond discusses in great detail what he did while in New Guinea. I’m not sure I follow your reasoning here. You’re right that the audience is readers of Natural History, but could other people be interested in this? Would all people reading this text be interested?

11. Explanation of Audience and Purpose • Jared Diamond’s purpose was to emphasize the need that the average person must have prior knowledge of a subject in order to learn from an expert. Diamond wants his audience to realize that before learning from a professional they must gain knowledge over the subject. Very good. He says that one must have some knowledge of an expert’s field and perspective in order to gain knowledge from the expert.

12. Thesis • In “The Ethnobiologist’s Dilemma,” Jared Diamond uses analogies, metaphors, and illustration in order for his readers to understand that they must have prior knowledge of a subject in order to learn from a professional.

13. Explanation of Thesis • In “The Ethnobiologist’s Dilemma,” Jared Diamond uses analogies, metaphors, and illustration in order for his readers to understand Try: in order to persuade his readers that they must have prior knowledge of a subject in order to learn from a professional. • Readers isn’t specified here. Is this ok?

14. Audience and Purpose • Jared Diamond’s purpose behind his article is to show the many problems that confront ethnobiologists in their field of study. He also highlights how these problems parallel challenges faced in everyday life. Another point Diamond makes in his paper is that sometimes individuals need to educate themselves prior to asking a superior for assistance. Diamond’s intended audience is comprised of those who work in the field of ethnobiology and those who are also interested in sciences as a whole.

15. Explanation of Audience and Purpose • Jared Diamond’s purpose behind his article You could be more concise here and take out “behind his article.”is to show the many problems that confront ethnobiologists in their field of study.

16. Explanation of Audience and Purpose • He also highlights how these problems parallel challenges faced in everyday life. Another point Diamond makes in his paper is that sometimes individuals need to educate themselves prior to asking a superior for assistance. This is a more accurate statement of purpose than what you have in the first sentence. When dealing with rhetorical analyses, you want to examine the ways in which the author argues for a point of view or a version of reality; ultimately, their devices and usage of language will be part of a larger strategy to persuade the audience of that idea or reality. This is not as neutral as “informing” or “showing”: it is informing and showing in order to persuade.

17. Explanation of Audience and Purpose • Diamond’s intended audience is comprised Try either “comprises” or “composed of.” of those who work in the field of ethnobiology and those who are also interested in sciences as a whole. Good work on audience.

18. Thesis • In “The Ethnobiologist’s Dilemma”, Jared Diamond uses evidence from sources and personal anecdotes to persuade those interested in the field of ethnobiology and sciences as a whole to stress the importance of putting forth the required effort needed to comprehend what you’re studying before consulting an expert.

19. Explanation of Thesis • In “The Ethnobiologist’s Dilemma”, Place commas within to quotation, after Dilemma. Jared Diamond uses evidence from sources and personal anecdotes to persuade those interested in the field of ethnobiology and sciences as a whole to stress the importance of putting forth the required effort needed to comprehend what you’re studying before consulting an expert.

20. Explanation of Thesis • In “The Ethnobiologist’s Dilemma”, Jared Diamond uses evidence from sources and personal anecdotes to persuade those interested in the field of ethnobiology and sciences as a whole to stress the importance of putting forth the required effort needed to comprehend what you’re Avoid second person, especially in your thesis. Always avoid contractions. studying before consulting an expert.

21. Explanation of Thesis • In “The Ethnobiologist’s Dilemma”, Jared Diamond uses evidence from sources and personal anecdotes to persuade those interested in the field of ethnobiology and sciences as a whole to stress the importance of putting forth the required effort needed to comprehend what you’re studying before consulting an expert. This is good but far too wordy; also, you only included two devices. To simplify your prose, you might try writing “persuades the audience of the need to…”

22. Audience and Purpose • In “The Ethnobiologist’s Dilemma”, Jared Diamond’s intended audience is young scientists or ethnobiologists like him, as well as anyone trying to learn more about a certain culture. The purpose of this essay is to explain and point out the mistakes made by him and other ethnobiologists in New Guinea. Diamond also tries to give readers some insight on how one should approach people from different cultures when trying to learn more about them. Diamond wants the reader to put more effort when trying to learn about different cultures and and foreign environments.

23. Explanation of Audience and Purpose • In “The Ethnobiologist’s Dilemma”, Make sure to put the comma inside the quotation, after Dilemma. Jared Diamond’s intended audience is young scientists or ethnobiologists like him, as well as anyone trying to learn more about a certain culture.

24. Explanation of Audience and Purpose • In “The Ethnobiologist’s Dilemma”, Jared Diamond’s intended audience is young scientists or ethnobiologists like him, as well as anyone trying to learn more about a certain culture. For an accurate understanding of the audience, you need to look at where the essay was published. The readers of Natural History magazine either work in scientific fields or are educated laypeople (non-scientists) with an interest in topics related to natural history. Culture is only one aspect of Diamond’s argument.

25. Explanation of Audience and Purpose • The purpose of this essay is to explain and point out the mistakes made by him and other ethnobiologists in New Guinea. This is too narrow. Think about why Diamond includes the example about his mechanic. He and his mechanic share the same culture but still have difficulty communicating, because the mechanic is an expert and Diamond is not.

26. Explanation of Audience and Purpose • Diamond also tries to give readers some insight on how one should approach people from different cultures when trying to learn more about them. Diamond wants the reader to put more effort when trying to learn about different cultures and and foreign environments. You’re placing too much emphasis on the cultural aspect of Diamond’s essay. He gives other examples of communication difficulties between people who share the same culture. The common thread is the difficulty of communication between experts and non-experts.

27. Thesis • Diamond argues that knowledge about a foreign environment and a new culture must be gained by being respectful and spending the necessary time with its people, as well as to use methods that are known to the environment as well as the people.

28. Explanation of Thesis • Diamond argues that knowledge about a foreign environment and a new culture must be gained by being respectful and spending the necessary time with its people, as well as to use methods that are known to the environment as well as the people. Your use of “as well as” is a bit repetitive. You haven’t listed any rhetorical choices and your description of the essay’s purpose is not accurate.

29. Your turn • Spend a few minutes drafting a thesis for the text you tend to work with. Don’t be afraid to ask questions.

30. BA4 • Due Friday by midnight! • Using three texts specified by your classroom instructor, or three of the four texts listed below (Rosenberg, Birkerts, Budiansky, or Jaschik; do this!), you will: • 1) Identify the audience and purpose of each text and explain what those are in about 75-100 words; • 2) Create a thesis statement for a rhetorical analysis for each text.

31. We’ll be looking for: • Your thesis to clearly present the paper as a rhetorical analysis • Focus • Your thesis to identify the author and title of the text and offer reasonable interpretation of the central purpose • Your thesis to present a clear claim about how you will analyze the text. (specific strategies) • Overall tone, style, and word choice of your response.

32. Some writing basics: • Your paper should flow and connect: • Introduction includes thesis, which all points made in the rest of the paper should refer back to. • Transition to first paragraph, which should then transition to the second, which then transitions to the third. • Paragraph: • Topic sentence: never begin with a quote. • Evidence should be followed by explanation. • Never end with a quote. You always want the last word to be yours.

33. For next class: • St. Martin’s: • 3f and 3g, “Planning” and “Drafting” • Textbook: • Chapter 10, pages 197-205 (More on a paper and paragraph’s overall cohesion) • Bring three quotes from the text you will be writing your rhetorical analysis over to class. They must be support to the rhetorical choices you plan to analyze.