Lesson #1 for success in life

1. Lesson #1 for success in life Find out what you’re expected to do, then do it better than expected. In other words: READ THE ASSIGNMENT

2. Revising Your Paper • Intro: • STRONG thesis statement • Some context for understanding the thesis statement • A preview of the structure of the paper

3. THESIS: Nuclear power has the greatest potential of any energy source to arrest and perhaps reverse climate change.

4. THESIS: Nuclear power has the greatest potential of any energy source to arrest and perhaps reverse climate change. CONTEXT: Nuclear power is the only energy source that can provide uninterrupted energy with minimal carbon emissions. Despite public fears, nuclear power has proven to be safe and relatively inexpensive.

5. THESIS: Nuclear power has the greatest potential of any energy source to arrest and perhaps reverse climate change. CONTEXT: Nuclear power is the only energy source that can provide uninterrupted energy with minimal carbon emissions. Despite public fears, nuclear power has proven to be safe and relatively inexpensive. PREVIEW: Nuclear power is attractive in three respects: economically, environmentally, and geopolitically. Electricity generated by nuclear power plants compares in cost to that generated by coal-fired plants. Even with the Chernobyl disaster, nuclear power is responsible for far less environmental damage than coal-fired or petroleum-fired power plants. Geopolitically, nuclear power is very attractive; the U.S. controls the great majority of the world's uranium ores. However some challenges remain, including the two most critical issues: long-term disposal of nuclear waste, and security of nuclear materials.

6. Organizing Your Paper • Make an outline • Level I: words that become section headings • Level II: the Big Ideas in full sentences • These Big Ideas become your topic sentences • Level III: sentences that make up the paragraphs

7. Writing is like painting your house… You can’t make up for a lack of preparation with more paint (or words).

8. Paragraphs 101 • One idea per paragraph • Starts with topic sentence • Topic sentence should sell the paragraph • Then supporting details • Ends with transition • Page-long paragraphs are TOO LONG • Poor paragraphs are a symptom of poor planning

9. Using Quotes • DON’T! • Only use quotes if you need those exact words. • You almost never do. • Instead synthesize the information from several sources.

10. Citations • Embedded in text (Kusnick, 2008). • (Author, year) • If no personal author, then use agency or organization as author • Reference list is alphabetical by author • Avoid “According to…”

11. Use citations when… • You state factual information • You state someone else’s opinion • Anywhere the ideas in the text are not your own • Too many are WAY better than too few

12. It’s plagiarism when… • You use someone else’s words without quoting them • Even if you change a few words • Even if you just lift a phrase here and there • Yes, it’s stealing, both ethically AND legally

13. It’s also plagiarism when… • You use information or opinions with citing the author • Even if you saw it in more than one source • Even if you think it’s common knowledge • Anything without a citation is assumed to be your thinking

14. Tone and voice • Everyone needs to master different ways of speaking & communicating in different settings • These are called registers. • You need to master a formal register • not conversational, nothing cute • impersonal, does not directly address the reader • no slang, cliches or metaphors

15. Producing powerful text • Power, not drama • Simple clean sentences • Eliminate adverbs and adjectives • Avoid unnecessary qualifiers: seems, may be, etc. • Provide a framework for the reader to view the details through

16. Banned words and phrases • People, scientists, nobody, everybody • Really, mainly, basically, extreme • the fact that, it is believed • Most sentences starting with “It is…” • First and second person pronouns: I, you, we

17. Misc. stuff • Active voice, not passive voice • Passive: It is frequently observed that… • Active: uses verbs other than “to be” • You almost never should use the word “being” • Don’t start sentence with “and”, “or”, or “but” (in formal writing). • Spell numbers under ten, or numbers that start a sentence. • Be miserly with your words - don’t waste words on bland generalities. Make every word count.