Tuesday, April 17, Day 26
Peer Review day.
Please make sure you use a clean version of your essay (without any comments) for peer review. (I named this in your folders PREssay.)
Remember your conference time! If you miss, you can't reschedule and yes, your conference is a part of your grade. Before your conference time, feel free to edit anything in your essay. We'll discuss those changes when we meet.
How to give presentations
Thursday, April 12, Day 25
Today we'll have practice giving oral presentations.
1. Presentation overview
Example 1
Example 2
2. Presentation preparation
2. Practice presentations (start: 7:15)
You'll work with a partner (5 groups of two, 1 group of three) and create a short presentation about one aspect of your home country. These presentations should be less than 5 minutes. Your peers and I will give you feedback afterward.
Today we'll have practice giving oral presentations.
1. Presentation overview
Example 1
Example 2
2. Presentation preparation
2. Practice presentations (start: 7:15)
You'll work with a partner (5 groups of two, 1 group of three) and create a short presentation about one aspect of your home country. These presentations should be less than 5 minutes. Your peers and I will give you feedback afterward.
Essay Analysis & Workshop
Tuesday, April 10, Day 24
Today is good practice reviewing what it takes to write a good argument. We'll look at three substantial essays from last semester's ESL 500 class and critique them in groups.
Refresher:
What are the types of supporting details?
Please write up for each essay and discuss with your group:
1) What are the essay's strengths? Weaknesses?
2) How does the writer establish her argument (through strong thesis, topic sentences, types of supporting details, counter argument refutation, conclusion, and/or tone)? Choose a few of these and explain.
Essay 1: How does the writer introduce then refute each counter argument? Why does she change her focus in the final body paragraph (before conclusion)?
Essay 2: The final three paragraphs in this essay take on a different focus. Do you think this benefits the essay or hurts it?
Essay 3: How does this writer close each body paragraph and how does this benefit each paragraph? Does she bring her topic to a general, educated audience or is some of her language too technical (consider the conclusion especially)? Do you feel the graph is helpful to the writer's argument?
3) Decide whether the essay is ultimately successful. Are you convinced? Do you side with the writer after reading her argument?
Name your document 3EssayAnalysis and save to your Dropbox folder.
Workshop:
Compare what you've seen in these essays to your own essay-in-progress. You'll have the rest of the time in class to work. I will come around and check on your progress.
Presentations Sign-up
These are 5-10 minutes presentations, after which will be a brief time for questions. If you are one of the last presenters and there is not enough time for you to present, you'll roll over to an available slot on the next presentation day. If you miss your presentation slot, you will not be allowed to make it up unless you have a tremendously good reason. :) The third presentation day is for extras only--I don't expect we'll have any to do that day.
Today is good practice reviewing what it takes to write a good argument. We'll look at three substantial essays from last semester's ESL 500 class and critique them in groups.
Refresher:
What are the types of supporting details?
Please write up for each essay and discuss with your group:
1) What are the essay's strengths? Weaknesses?
2) How does the writer establish her argument (through strong thesis, topic sentences, types of supporting details, counter argument refutation, conclusion, and/or tone)? Choose a few of these and explain.
Essay 1: How does the writer introduce then refute each counter argument? Why does she change her focus in the final body paragraph (before conclusion)?
Essay 2: The final three paragraphs in this essay take on a different focus. Do you think this benefits the essay or hurts it?
Essay 3: How does this writer close each body paragraph and how does this benefit each paragraph? Does she bring her topic to a general, educated audience or is some of her language too technical (consider the conclusion especially)? Do you feel the graph is helpful to the writer's argument?
3) Decide whether the essay is ultimately successful. Are you convinced? Do you side with the writer after reading her argument?
Name your document 3EssayAnalysis and save to your Dropbox folder.
Workshop:
Compare what you've seen in these essays to your own essay-in-progress. You'll have the rest of the time in class to work. I will come around and check on your progress.
Presentations Sign-up
These are 5-10 minutes presentations, after which will be a brief time for questions. If you are one of the last presenters and there is not enough time for you to present, you'll roll over to an available slot on the next presentation day. If you miss your presentation slot, you will not be allowed to make it up unless you have a tremendously good reason. :) The third presentation day is for extras only--I don't expect we'll have any to do that day.
Plagiarism part 2 and Tone
Thursday, April 4, Day 23
Plagiarism part 2: Final review of plagiarism rules.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6glagcLVP-E
1. "Investigating plagiarism"
Tone: How do we develop tone? Tone is a key element in persuasive/argumentative essays. If you're using tone effectively, you will be more trustworthy and persuasive to readers.
1. Read Argument essay is not nasty
-What are the key differences in a persuasive essay and an argumentative essay?
-Is an argumentative essay emotional? In what way? Is it factual? How?
-What is the difference between being able to argue and being argumentative? Which are we using in our essay?
-Based on this essay, what are some words to describe the tone an argumentative essay should have?
2. Identifying tone
poetry: Walt Whitman, e.e. cummings
sample introductions
-Highlight portions of the text that reveal tone. This tone will be more complex than simply positive or negative.
-Identify the structure of each introduction. Where is the hook? The thesis? Is there background information? How does the writer present information?
-What works or does not work in this introduction?
-Note if the writers use informal language.
Please sign up for a slot for conferences:
Conferences Sign Up Sheet
These are ~15 minutes of one-on-one time with me to talk about your final paper and anything else relevant to you and the class. I'll have times open both Wednesday 4/18 and Thursday 4/19. Sign up as soon as possible in case there is a conflict and you're able to switch slots with someone to accommodate them.
Plagiarism part 2: Final review of plagiarism rules.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6glagcLVP-E
1. "Investigating plagiarism"
Tone: How do we develop tone? Tone is a key element in persuasive/argumentative essays. If you're using tone effectively, you will be more trustworthy and persuasive to readers.
1. Read Argument essay is not nasty
-What are the key differences in a persuasive essay and an argumentative essay?
-Is an argumentative essay emotional? In what way? Is it factual? How?
-What is the difference between being able to argue and being argumentative? Which are we using in our essay?
-Based on this essay, what are some words to describe the tone an argumentative essay should have?
2. Identifying tone
poetry: Walt Whitman, e.e. cummings
sample introductions
-Highlight portions of the text that reveal tone. This tone will be more complex than simply positive or negative.
-Identify the structure of each introduction. Where is the hook? The thesis? Is there background information? How does the writer present information?
-What works or does not work in this introduction?
-Note if the writers use informal language.
Please sign up for a slot for conferences:
Conferences Sign Up Sheet
These are ~15 minutes of one-on-one time with me to talk about your final paper and anything else relevant to you and the class. I'll have times open both Wednesday 4/18 and Thursday 4/19. Sign up as soon as possible in case there is a conflict and you're able to switch slots with someone to accommodate them.
Formal Language
Tuesday, April 2, Day 22
Today's focus is formal language. You'll also have a chance to share your outlines with a partner for some feedback, and we'll look at an essay to critique according to what we've learned so far about effective argumentative writing (including formal language).
(debate comments & oral presentations)
for fun, a little clip on vague language: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_P_hKcZgQhY
1. Share outlines
2. Formal language warm-up: http://www.monash.edu.au/lls/llonline/writing/general/academic/3.1.xml
3. Formal language ppt
4. Formal language exercises
5. Essay critique (introductions, complete essay)
Today's focus is formal language. You'll also have a chance to share your outlines with a partner for some feedback, and we'll look at an essay to critique according to what we've learned so far about effective argumentative writing (including formal language).
(debate comments & oral presentations)
for fun, a little clip on vague language: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_P_hKcZgQhY
1. Share outlines
2. Formal language warm-up: http://www.monash.edu.au/lls/llonline/writing/general/academic/3.1.xml
3. Formal language ppt
4. Formal language exercises
5. Essay critique (introductions, complete essay)
Debate Day!
Thursday, March 29, Day 21
Today is our debate on drinking age- Should the US lower the drinking age from 21?
1. Reminders
Summary revisions due 4/1 by midnight.
(Bare bones) outlines for argumentative
2. Debate Rules
3. Debate!
Pro team: Mohammad, King, Jienan, Dianelys
Con team: Faraz, Bojana, Xueman, Fei
Jury: Sergio, Qionglei, Claire, Ming, Lei
4. Debate Reflection
What do you need so far for the argumentative?
thesis
topic sentences
one counter argument (con) that you will address
5 sources
DEFINITELY have your thesis, topic sentences, and several sources and create an outline with this information by Tuesday (4/3). I have been super lenient about this, but this time we'll do work with what you have in class, so it's a serious deadline! You don't need the entire outline done, but the more the better.
Today is our debate on drinking age- Should the US lower the drinking age from 21?
1. Reminders
Summary revisions due 4/1 by midnight.
(Bare bones) outlines for argumentative
2. Debate Rules
3. Debate!
Pro team: Mohammad, King, Jienan, Dianelys
Con team: Faraz, Bojana, Xueman, Fei
Jury: Sergio, Qionglei, Claire, Ming, Lei
4. Debate Reflection
What do you need so far for the argumentative?
thesis
topic sentences
one counter argument (con) that you will address
5 sources
DEFINITELY have your thesis, topic sentences, and several sources and create an outline with this information by Tuesday (4/3). I have been super lenient about this, but this time we'll do work with what you have in class, so it's a serious deadline! You don't need the entire outline done, but the more the better.
Argumentative Part III
Tuesday, March 27, Day 19
Welcome back after Spring Break!
Today we'll do some hands-on work with argumentative essays. We'll look over short sample essays in light of what we discuss about refutation strategies and the two patterns typical to argumentative writing. We'll end by deciding on a debate topic for our class on Thursday.
1. Quick Review & Refutation Strategies
Discuss with a partner your topic and argument. Ask them whether they can think of a reasonable counter argument for your claim. Flesh our your ideas. Is it a narrow enough thesis? Is it truly debatable?
2. Two Patterns
3. Sample Essays (1 or 2 depending on time)
4. Debate Decision
Quick notes about final summaries: Did you turn in your synthesis chart? Did you include a references list? Did you properly cite everything you quoted? What about paraphrases?
Resubmit these by Sunday 4/1 at midnight.
Once we reach a decision on what to debate, I will assign you to a team via email. Once you know your side, pro or con, do some light research on the topic so you can prepare some arguments to use in class. The more prepared team will probably win!
Don't forget about our second reflective essay! (due tonight 3/27 by midnight)
Welcome back after Spring Break!
Today we'll do some hands-on work with argumentative essays. We'll look over short sample essays in light of what we discuss about refutation strategies and the two patterns typical to argumentative writing. We'll end by deciding on a debate topic for our class on Thursday.
1. Quick Review & Refutation Strategies
Discuss with a partner your topic and argument. Ask them whether they can think of a reasonable counter argument for your claim. Flesh our your ideas. Is it a narrow enough thesis? Is it truly debatable?
2. Two Patterns
3. Sample Essays (1 or 2 depending on time)
4. Debate Decision
Quick notes about final summaries: Did you turn in your synthesis chart? Did you include a references list? Did you properly cite everything you quoted? What about paraphrases?
Resubmit these by Sunday 4/1 at midnight.
Once we reach a decision on what to debate, I will assign you to a team via email. Once you know your side, pro or con, do some light research on the topic so you can prepare some arguments to use in class. The more prepared team will probably win!
Don't forget about our second reflective essay! (due tonight 3/27 by midnight)
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