Welcome to KU121 Unit 4 Seminar Intro to Writing Skills and Strategies

1. Welcome to KU121 Unit 4 Seminar Intro to Writing Skills and Strategies Instructor – Rachelle Phillips You are in the right place :).

2. Seminar Agenda • Welcome • Shape Matters! • WSS Project • Thesis • Outline • Parts of Speech • Writing Rascals • Unit 4 Assignments • Questions

3. Course Map Unit 1 Unit 2 Units 3-8 Unit 9 Unit 10 Review sentence develop-ment and learn about the Writing Center Explore writing process steps and create bio essay. Review basic grammar. Discuss how to evaluate and apply feedback to polish work Reflect on course concepts. Plan for future writing success. Get to know WSS, the sylla-bus, each other, and the writing process

5. Shape Matters!

6. Shape Matters! • In writing, shape is called “structure” • Structure helps us to present ideas clearly and logically • Structure helps our readers to understand our main point and our supporting details • The structure of an essay has been compared to a hamburger Intro Body Conclusion

7. WSS Project • Last week, you began to generate ideas for your project (prewriting) • This week, you will define the shape, or structure, of your project (more prewriting) • You will do this by creating an outline for your essay • As a part of this process you will also write your thesis statement • … More details about the project are on the next two slides

8. WSS Project Project Description: Imagine that it is five years in the future. You have completed your educational program at Kaplan University and have been offered your dream job! The company or organization you will be working for wants to issue a biographical essay about you to announce that you are joining them and in what capacity. In order to do so, they need a minimum 500-word background essay from you.

9. WSS Project More Details: 1. One introductory paragraph that identifies who you are, where you live, the company or organization that has hired you and your new job title. 2. One body paragraph that gives appropriate personal details about you and your life—your age, family, hobbies, etc. (NOTE: this is a professional biography so you need to limit personal details to only what is appropriate in the professional environment). 3. One body paragraphthat talks about your education. You should include high school or your GED, any previous college experience and your Kaplan program. 4. One paragraph that details professional experiences, including past job experiences, honors and awards and other related professional details. 5. One concluding paragraph that reinforces where you will be working, your job title and what you will be doing.

10. Once you understand what you need to do, then what?

11. Last week, you began to generate ideas. This week you will give these ideas shape (also called structure).

12. Thesis Statement • Sums up your main point, • Narrows/defines your topic • Communicates a little bit about your attitude/position about the topic • Communicates something about the structure of your essay • Your thesis is like a deflated balloon that you will “blow up” as you write your essay. It provides the basic “stuff” and shape of the essay.

13. Thesis Statement What is the thesis statement? New to our company is Carrie Jantz, who will be working in our acrobatics department. Carrie is an accomplished trapeze artist. For the past three decades, her life has been shaped by trapeze. She began to learn trapeze as a child, then attended the Cirque du Soleil Flying Institute. Also, Carrie has earned various awards and performed many gravity defying aerial feats.

14. Outline • Is a plan or “map” of your essay • Is where you determine the bulk of your content • Helps you to … • stay on topic • include the info you want to include • present your info in a way that makes sense • Is like a partially inflated balloon – when you complete your outline your essay begins to take shape. You will inflate the “balloon” fully when you draft your essay.

15. Your Outline (Unit 4 Project) • Use the format below for your outline, fill it in with your own sentences, and underline your thesis sentence. Every section should have at least one complete sentence about the content you will include in that paragraph: •  Introductory paragraph (general to specific ideas)-- The intro will include your thesis sentence • II.   Body paragraph 1 • III.   Body paragraph 2 • IV.   Body paragraph 3 • V. Concluding paragraph (specific to general ideas)

16. Your Outline (Unit 4 Project) • I. Introductory paragraph -- The intro will include your thesis sentence • 1. One introductory paragraph that identifies who you are, where you live, the • company or organization that has hired you and your new job title. • II.   Body paragraph 1 • 2. One body paragraph that gives appropriate personal details about you and your life—your age, family, hobbies, etc. (NOTE: this is a professional biography so you need to limit personal details to only what is appropriate in the professional environment). • III.  Body paragraph 2 • 3. One body paragraph that talks about your education. You should include high school or your GED, any previous college experience and your Kaplan program. • IV.  Body paragraph 3 • 4. One paragraph that details professional experiences, including past job experiences, honors and awards and other related professional details. • Concluding paragraph (specific to general ideas) • 5. One concluding paragraph that reinforces where you will be working, your job • title and what you will be doing.

17. Sample Outline I. Introduction New to our company is Carrie Jantz, who will be working in our acrobatic department. Carrie is an accomplished trapeze artist. For the past three decades, her life has been shaped by trapeze. She began to learn trapeze as a child, then attended the Cirque du Soleil Flying Institute. Also, Carrie has earned various awards and performed many gravity defying aerial feats. II. Body Para 1 – Personal Details For the past three decades, her life has been shaped by trapeze. - Trapeze is her love, both privately and professionally - Family and friends are trapeze artists - Home includes trapeze swings - Hobbies center around trapeze III. Body Para 2 – Education She began to learn trapeze as a child, then attended the Cirque du Soleil Flying Institute. - Trapeze lessons as a child - Cirque du Soleil Flying Institute IV. Body Para 3 – Professional Experiences Carrie has earned various awards and performed many gravity defying aerial feats. - World Cup - Olympics - One handed super flip - Triple hurricane twist V. Conclusion Carrie’s passion, expertise, and skill will be a great asset to our company.

18. What makes the sample outline a solid outline?

19. Parts of Speech - Adjectives • Adjective = a word that describes, identifies, qualifies, or limits a noun or pronoun • Which one? • What kind? • How many? • Find the adjectives: • The molasses in the gingerbread is overwhelming. • Here are the dreaded dahlias. • Where are the blue highways? • He missed an urgent appointment. • Sentence examples modified from: Gordon, K. (1993). The deluxe transitive vampire: The ultimate handbook of grammar for the innocent, the eager, and the doomed. NY: Pantheon.

20. Parts of Speech - Adverbs • Adverb = a word that describes, identifies, qualifies, or limits the meaning of a verb • How? • When? • Where? • How often? • Fill in the blanks: • Cheryl moved __________ because of her stiff neck. • I arrived ___________. • He telephoned ___________. • Sentence examples modified from: McWhorter, K. (2010). Pathways writing scenarios: Sentences and paragraphs. NY: Pearson.

21. Writing Rascals What is a Writing Rascal? • An issue with language that prevents clear communication • Can include grammar, spelling, punctuation, or sentence structure • Can be found and fixed with review and editing (like Whack-a-Mole!)

22. Writing Rascal #1 The train is slowly.

23. Writing Rascal #2 Which 2 are correct? • I am well. • I am good. • I am doing well. • I am doing good.

24. Writing Rascal #3 The man was incredible tall.

25. Writing Rascal #4 We need to leave quick if we are going to make it to the movie on time.

26. Unit 4 To Do • Reading • Discussion (20) • Seminar (5) • MWL Exercises (20) • Quiz (5) • Project (50)

27. What other questions do you have?

28. Rachelle Phillips AIM:ProfPhillips73 Rphillips@Kaplan.edu Thanks for coming! Works Cited Gordon, K. (1993). The deluxe transitive vampire: The ultimate handbook of grammar for the innocent, the eager, and the doomed. NY: Pantheon. McWhorter, K. (2010). Pathways writing scenarios: Sentences and paragraphs. NY: Pearson.