Best Wishes

Best wishes to everyone during this holiday season and in the new year. I enjoyed teaching and getting to know you all during the semester and hope that the skills learned and the writing done in class will be a help as you continue on in college.
Also, your course grade for English 120 should be accessible online now. Let me know if have any questions about your final grade.
Sue

Reminder for Revisions Deadline: Monday, December 15

Hello all,
If you're planning to revise a paper for a higher grade, keep in mind that the deadline for getting a paper to me is Monday, December 15. You can either leave your revision in my mailbox at the English Department office in Carman 302 or email it to me at sbarker711@gmail.com. You can revise one paper of your choice from the semester. Since the Research Paper is worth 30% of your grade, revising it (if your grade merits it) will potentially have the bigest impact on your final grade.
Sue

CPE Paper Assignment

CPE stands for CUNY Proficiency Exam. Every CUNY student must pass the two parts (called Task One and Task Two) of the CPE exam in order to graduate from a CUNY college. For this paper, you’ll be doing some writing that will be similar to what will be required in Task One of the CPE exam. This will involve reading two selections and writing an essay talking about these two writings, as well as bringing your own thoughts into the discussion. For the actual CPE you would not be given the second reading until the time of the test, and you would do all of your writing at the test site.
The specific requirements for the writing as described in the original CPE booklet are below. Following the directions here as to the specific focus your paper should take is extremely important in writing a passing essay for the CPE.

“With the reading selections by Howard Gardner and Lewis Thomas in mind, write an essay in which you discuss error and learning. In your essay summarize Howard Gardner's criticism of the schools. Draw a relationship between Gardner 's ideas and what you have just read about the value and utility of error. In light of the reading selections, describe your own experience or observations of learning, either in school or out. Discuss the degree to which your experience does or does not reflect the ideas of Gardner or Thomas or both. You may address these points in any order, but be careful to respond to all parts of the assignment and to connect your thoughts into a single, clearly-organized essay. Make specific references to the readings to support your ideas.”

Due date: December 5th Length: 2 and ½ to 3 pages doublespaced

Format: Your paper should follow MLA format, although your documentation style can be more informal. That is, while you should mention your authors by name when you are quoting or paraphrasing them, you do not need to use formal in-text citations or have a Works Cited list for your paper. You also do not need a title for this paper, although you can give it one if you wish.

Preparation: View the relevant parts of the Lehman CPE Tutorial at:

http://www.lehman.edu/provost/enrollmentmgmt/issp/cpe.html

You will need to login with your Lehman email user ID and password. Please view the entire Task One information, as well as the Writing Tips and Study Tips sections for Task One.
The CPE Reference Sheets will also be necessary to review before and while writing this paper.

Many of the writing elements for this paper are precisely the same ones that have been emphasized in the writing of the first three papers for English 120. Even so, the types of readings used for the paper and the relative lack of class time preparation for it may make it somewhat difficult to write. Be sure to allow enough time to do a careful job that follows the CPE guidelines. How comfortable you ultimately feel in writing this paper will help you to gage how much more preparation you’ll need for doing well when you take the “real” CPE.
The CPE Paper counts for 10% of your grade

Self-Editing Sheet for Research Paper

Hello all,
Below are some methods to use and things to look for as you edit the final draft of your Research Paper. We’ll also do a little self-editing in class on Friday morning, but it will be brief and will not be a substitute for doing careful proofreading and editing on your own.

Self Editing for Research Paper

--Is your title an engaging one? Would the title spur a reader's interest? Would you feel interested in checking out a paper with a similar title? If your answer to these questions is not an unqualified "yes," then brainstorm a few new titles until you have developed a more effective one.

--Is your introduction an effective one? Does it preview your main points? Does it use one of the methods discussed in class to add interest to your writing? Is every sentence clearly written? Is your thesis clearly communicated? If your answer to these questions is not an unqualified "yes," then revise your introduction accordingly.

--Is your conclusion an effective one? Does it review your main points? Does it use one of the methods discussed in class to add interest to your writing? Is every sentence clearly written? Is the final position of your argument clearly communicated? If your answer to these questions is not an unqualified "yes," then revise your introduction accordingly.

--Read your paper out loud looking for clarity, word form and other issues. Have a friend, relative or significant other read your paper and alert you to any clarity, argument or other issues.

--Check all of your in-text citations to make sure they are listed by author and page number, for example (Smith 34) or by the first few title words when an author is not available, for example (Energy Althernatives 11). If no page number is available, then omit it.

--Do the authors or title words in your in-text citations all match the first word or words of one of your Works Cited entries? If not, change your in-text citations so that they do.


The basic MLA formatting has been great for your drafts, but you'll still want to do a quick check including:

--Doublespacing throughout
--All 12 point New Times Roman font used
--Page header includes last name and page number in New Times Roman 12 point font
--No boldface font used in title or other places
--No words in all capitals used in title or other places (unless you’re using an acronym) --Name, class, date etc. information listed correctly (use paper due date for date)

Your Work Cited page should have a more careful check including:

--It is titled Works Cited?
-- Are hanging indentations used for all entries?
--Are your Works Cited entries alphabetized?
--Are all citations complete, including volume, issue and page numbers for articles as necessary?
--Have you included retrieval dates for all web pages and library database articles?
--Are you using the database name from the library database list to identify your database rather than the producer name, such as EbscoHost?

Other Things to Check:
--Are all direct quotations in quotation marks?
--Are all quotations led into with signal phrases so that they are not dropped quotes?
--Have you spelled out all numbers that can be written in one or two words?
--Have you used it's only when you mean to use the contraction of it and is?
--Do all possessive forms except for its include an apostrophe?
--Look for common misspellings with homophones such as to/too/two and their/there/they’re.
See pages 299-300 of A Writer’s Reference for additional examples. Look up any words in your paper that you’re unsure that you’re using correctly.

Reminder: Class Will Meet in Computer Classroom on Friday, November 14

Hello to all,
This Friday, go directly to Carman 124 (one of the computer classrooms by the computer lab) at 9 am for class. We'll be there for the whole class period doing various types of revising that will involve both your research paper and your Works Cited list. Be sure to have a copy of your paper and works cited available to you on Friday morning so that you can work with them online.
Sue

Reminder: Have Access to Your Paper Draft and Works Cited List on Friday

Hello all,
On this Friday, the 14th, we'll be meeting in Carman 124, one of the computer classrooms by the computer lab in Carman. Part of your time on Friday will be spent doing revisions of various types to your research paper and works cited drafts. Be sure to have a Word copy of both these items available to you on Friday morning on a flash drive, some other storage device or by emailing it to yourself. A Works Cited list that should include all your sources will be due at the end of class on Friday.
In the meantime, continue revising on your own.
Sue

Obama's "Closing Argument" Speech

I couldn't help but be struck by the fact that Barak Obama called his speech on Monday his "closing argument." We'll look at some excerpts of the speech during this week's class to see what methods Obama uses to try to craft an effective argument for his audience and how they might (or might not) apply to your own arguments in your research papers. If you want to read the speech beforehand, one place it's posted at is:

http://thepage.time.com/full-remarks-from-obama-in-closing-argument-speech/

It can also be viewed on YouTube at:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1X3eE18dfmE

Research Paper Assignment Schedule

Below is a copy of the schedule handed out last week in class.

For your research paper, you’ll choose an issue of national scope that interests you and research it through a variety of sources, including researching what each major presidential candidate’s stand on the issue is. You’ll then come to a final stand on the issue yourself and argue the merits of your own position. Your opinions on the issue will (of course) have no bearing on your grade: how well you argue your position will.

Audience and tone: Your audience should be assumed to be open-minded on your issue and likely to respond best to well-reasoned and well-supported arguments based on logic. So even if you feel strongly about your issue, your tone should be even-handed in dealing with all sides of the argument. Avoid too much use of the word “I” (once or twice for emphasis in your introduction or conclusion would be appropriate) as well as informal language, contractions (spell them out) and exclamation points.

Paper Assignment Schedule

Keep in mind that there will be a quiz toward the end of class based on skills learned during the instruction session.

October 17 Your tentative thesis for your paper should be in place

October 24 A draft full sentence outline for your paper will be due. Your outline points should be written in full sentences. Failure to turn in a draft outline will result in a half grade deduction from your research paper grade.

October 31 A revised full sentence outline for your paper will be due. Your outline points should be written in full sentences. Failure to turn in a revised outline will result in a half grade deduction from your research paper grade.

November 7 A rough draft of your paper will be due. Failure to bring a complete rough draft to class for peer reviewing will result in a half grade deduction from your research paper grade.

November 14 A revised “Works Cited” list will be due. Failure to turn in a revised “Works Cited” list (it should have at least six sources, at least three of which should be periodical articles or books) will result in a half grade deduction from your research paper grade.

November 21 Your final draft will be due

Reminder: Class Tomorrow Will be in Carman 124

Class tomorrow will be in Carman 124 at 9 am. They'll be an editing quiz and then we'll do some research and outlining for your research paper.
Sue

Sample Tentative Thesis Statements

Class,
Below are a couple of appropriately focused tentative thesis statement for the research paper. Given the length of your papers you won't want to take on too broad of a topic. Choosing one particular aspect of one major area (eduation, the economy, the Iraq War, women's issues etc.) is what will work best. The statements below both follow the form of having two supporting points and one counterargument expressed in them. Your tentative thesis statement does not have to be exactly in this form, but you should be thinking in terms of finding multiple supporting points and counterarguments as you research and prepare to start writing your paper:

1) The government bailout of the mortgage crisis should include payments to individual homeowners since this would help families stay in their homes and help stabilize the economy, even though some feel that this would benefit people who borrowed irresponsibly.

or

2) Although money would have to be taken from other programs, the government should increase the funding of college education through grants to students in order to equalize educational achievement and allow students to have a wider choice of colleges to attend.

Reminder: Tentative Thesis for Research Paper Due Wednesday October 15

Since part of class this Friday will be spent doing research for your paper, you’re being asked to let me know in advance what your tentative thesis will be, as you did for your second paper. As you’re formulating your tentative thesis be sure to keep in mind the information from the previous class handout (pasted below) and from A Writer's Reference (pages 10-11) on constructing effective thesis statements.
Your tentative thesis should be emailed to me at sbarker711@gmail.com by midnight on Wednesday October 15th.

For your research paper, your tentative thesis will reflect your argument on a topic of national scope. Keep in mind the length of this paper and make sure that your focus is not too broad. Since you’re being asked to address what the two major presidential candidates’ views are on your topic, you may want to check for information on their views before constructing your thesis. One way to do this is to check under the “Issues” tabs at their respective web sites:

http://www.johnmccain.com/palin.htm

or

http://www.barackobama.com/index.php

Your tentative thesis however does not need to address these other views right away. It can simply be a clear statement of what position you think (at this point) you will be arguing about your issue.

A thesis statement:
--tells the reader how you will interpret the significance of the subject matter under discussion.--is a road map for the paper; in other words, it tells the reader what to expect from the rest of the paper.--is an interpretation of a question or subject, not the subject itself. The subject, or topic, of an essay might be the Iraqi War or racial profiling, a thesis must then offer a particular point of view you will argue on the War or profiling--makes a claim that others might dispute.--is often a single sentence somewhere in your first paragraph that presents your argument to the reader. The rest of the paper, the body of the essay, gathers and organizes evidence that will persuade the reader of the logic of your interpretation.


How do I get a thesis?
A thesis is the result of a thinking process. Formulating a thesis is not the first thing you do after reading an essay assignment. Before you develop an argument on any topic, you have to collect and organize evidence, look for possible relationships between facts (such as surprising contrasts or similarities), and think about the significance of these relationships. Once you do this thinking, you will probably have a "working thesis," a basic or main idea, an argument that you think you can support with evidence but that may need adjustment along the way.How do I know if my thesis is strong?A strong thesis takes a position that others might challenge or oppose. If your thesis simply states facts that no one would, or even could, disagree with, it's possible that you are simply providing a summary, rather than making an argument. A strong thesis is specific rather than general. Thesis statements that are too vague often do not have a strong argument. If your thesis contains words like "good" or "successful," see if you could be more specific: why is something "good"; what specifically makes something "successful"? A strong thesis will provide structure for your paper. A good thesis not only signals to the reader what your main point is, but how you are going to develop that main point. This can be signaled directly: "American fearfulness expresses itself in three curious ways: A, B, and C." This tells your reader you have three main points, and that they are going to be discussed in your paper in this order. However, this kind of thesis statement may be too formulaic or too constricting for all papers. You could instead say, "Americans are fearful, and this fearfulness manifests itself in the form of violence." The reader knows that you will then show examples of American fearfulness, and will tell how that fearfulness turns into violence.A strong thesis passes the "So what?" test?If a reader's first response is, "So what?" then you need to clarify, to forge a relationship, or to connect to a larger issue.

Example
Too general: The nuclear family is a thing of the past.
Better: (1) The increasing divorce rate is doubtless the most important catalyst of the demise of the nuclear family or (2) The dissolution of the nuclear family means that we must rethink our conventional ideas and expectations concerning how children should be brought up.
You might want to try the thesis generators at

http://www.ozline.com/electraguide/thesis.html
or
http://corptrain.phoenix.edu/thesis_generator/thesis_generator.html

to help you develop your thesis. You will probably still have to edit and rewrite your thesis after using the generator, but it can be a help in getting a start in the right direction. See also the information on pages 10-11 in A Writer's Reference

Research Paper Assignment Description

Class,
Below is pasted the Research Paper Assignment for easy reference and to provide you with a place to get an additional copy if that is necessary. Keep in mind that with this paper you'll be focusing mainly on your own argument about the issue you choose. In other words, it will not be primarily about what position either Barak Obama or John McCain takes but rather about your own position. The Obama and McCain information will be part of your greater research project (along with articles, books and other sources) that supplements your own thinking.
Sue


Research Paper: Arguing Your Position on a National Issue

As you all know, 2008 is a presidential election year. For your research paper, you’ll choose an issue of national scope that interests you and research it through a variety of sources, including researching what each major presidential candidate’s stand on the issue is. You’ll then come to a final stand on the issue yourself and argue the merits of your own position. Your opinions on the issue will (of course) have no bearing on your grade: how well you argue your position will.

Audience: Your audience should be assumed to be open-minded on your issue and likely to respond best to well-reasoned and well-supported arguments based on logic. So even if you feel strongly about your issue, your tone should be even-handed in dealing with all sides of the argument.

Paper Assignment Schedule

October 10 Come to class with a topical area and if possible a tentative thesis picked out to explore. We’ll be meeting in the library computer classroom at 9 am for instruction in doing library research for this paper. Look over the Lehman Library website during the next week (before this instruction session) and gain some familiarity with the library catalog. Also pick out a couple general databases such as Academic Search Premier, Lexis-Nexis or Readers’ Guide Full Text to become at least somewhat familiar with. Some familiarity with these resources will help you get the most possible out of the session. Also be sure to review the readings assigned on researching arguments and evaluating sources:
From Dialogues: Pages 264-280
From A Writer’s Reference: Pages 318-341
Keep in mind that there will be a quiz toward the end of class based on skills learned during the instruction session.

October 17 Your tentative thesis for your paper will be due

October 24 A draft outline for your paper will be due

November 7 A rough draft of your paper will be due

November 21 Your final draft will be due

There will be more explanation of these assignments as they come up. There will also be various other paper-related assignments the class will be doing.

Formal Paper Requirements

--Six to eight pages long (not including your Works Cited page)
--At least six sources, at least three of which should be periodical articles or books
--MLA format used throughout

The preparation for and writing of your Research Paper will be a major part
of this course and is worth 30% of your grade.

Reminder: Class on Friday Oct. 10 will Meet in Library Computer Classroom

The subject line above says it all. This is a reminder that class on Friday Oct. 10 will Meet in the library Computer Classroom at 9 am instead of in Carman 310. The Computer Classroom is located in the basement of the library near the computer lab.
See you there,
Sue

Self Editing for Second Paper

Class,
Below are some methods to use and things to look for as you edit your final draft of your second paper. We’ll also do some self-editing in class on Friday morning.

Self Editing for Second Paper


Read your paper line for line backwards looking for typos and errors in spelling, punctuation and other areas.

Read your paper out loud looking for clarity, word form and other issues.

Have a friend, relative or significant other read your paper and alert you to any clarity, argument or other issues.

Look over your MLA format including:

--Doublespacing throughout
--All 12 point New Times Roman font used
--No boldface font used in title or other places
--No words in all capitals used in title or other places (unless
you’re using an acronym)
--Name, class, date etc. information listed correctly (use paper due date for
date)
--Works Cited page included
--Hanging indentations used for entries on Works Cited page
--Works Cited page entries alphabetized

Check that your title is an interesting one and revise it if necessary

Look for common misspellings with homophones such as to/too/two and
their/there/they’re. See pages 299-300 of A Writer’s Reference for additional examples.

Look up any words in your paper that you’re unsure that you’re using correctly.

Revise for parallelism (pages 93-94 in A Writer’s Reference) and for sentence
fragments (page 204-209 in A Writer’s Reference) as we did in class for Paper One.

Blog Holiday This Week--No Posting Required for Week Five

Since your second paper is due next Friday, I've decided to make this week a blog holiday. In other words, there is no requirement to post this week so that you can concentrate on getting your final draft into its best possible shape.
Please do continue to check this Announcements Blog. I'll be posting a self-editing sheet here later in the week and there will be other posts as well.
Have a good week,
Sue

Writing Help Available at the Academic Support Center for Excellence (ACE)

Hello Everyone,
I want to remind you all of the services available at the Academic Support Center for Excellence (ACE) which is located in room 205 in the Old Gym. They offer both workshops and tutoring for a number of humanities-related subjects, including writing. If you want to get help with the second paper, with grammar or ESL issues, or with some other aspect of writing you can either go to the Center as a walk-in or make an appointment to see a tutor at a time convenient for you. Below are links to their website and to their appointment request form. The form should be returned to their office after being filled up:

http://www.lehman.edu/provost/enrollmentmgmt/issp/ace.html#whatwedo

http://www.lehman.edu/provost/enrollmentmgmt/issp/pdf/aceregistration.pdf


Sue

Reminder: Thesis Staement for Second Paper due by Monday

Hello all,
Just a reminder that you should all be getting your tentative thesis statements for your second paper to me by midnight on Monday. They should be emailed to sbarker711@gmail.com
Be sure to keep in mind the informaion from the class handout (pasted below) and from A Writer's Reference on pages 10-11 about constructing effective thesis statements.

A thesis statement:
--tells the reader how you will interpret the significance of the subject matter under discussion.
--is a road map for the paper; in other words, it tells the reader what to expect from the rest of the paper.
--is an interpretation of a question or subject, not the subject itself. The subject, or topic, of an essay might be the Iraqi War or racial profiling, a thesis must then offer a particular point of view you will argue on the War or profiling
--makes a claim that others might dispute.
--is usually a single sentence somewhere in your first paragraph that presents your argument to the reader. The rest of the paper, the body of the essay, gathers and organizes evidence that will persuade the reader of the logic of your interpretation.

How do I get a thesis?
A thesis is the result of a thinking process. Formulating a thesis is not the first thing you do after reading an essay assignment. Before you develop an argument on any topic, you have to collect and organize evidence, look for possible relationships between facts (such as surprising contrasts or similarities), and think about the significance of these relationships. Once you do this thinking, you will probably have a "working thesis," a basic or main idea, an argument that you think you can support with evidence but that may need adjustment along the way.

How do I know if my thesis is strong?
A strong thesis takes a position that others might challenge or oppose.If your thesis simply states facts that no one would, or even could, disagree with, it's possible that you are simply providing a summary, rather than making an argument. A strong thesis is specific rather than general. Thesis statements that are too vague often do not have a strong argument. If your thesis contains words like "good" or "successful," see if you could be more specific: why is something "good"; what specifically makes something "successful"? A strong thesis will provide structure for your paper. A good thesis not only signals to the reader what your main point is, but how you are going to develop that main point. This can be signaled directly: "American fearfulness expresses itself in three curious ways: A, B, and C." This tells your reader you have three main points, and that they are going to be discussed in your paper in this order. However, this kind of thesis statement may be too formulaic or too constricting for all papers. You could instead say, "Americans are fearful, and this fearfulness manifests itself in the form of violence." The reader knows that you will then show examples of American fearfulness, and will tell how that fearfulness turns into violence.

A strong thesis passes the "So what?" test?
If a reader's first response is, "So what?" then you need to clarify, to forge a relationship, or to connect to a larger issue.

ExampleToo general: The nuclear family is a thing of the past. Better: (1) The increasing divorce rate is doubtless the most important catalyst of the demise of the nuclear family or (2) The dissolution of the nuclear family means that we must rethink our conventional ideas and expectations concerning how children should be brought up.

You might want to try the thesis generators at

http://www.ozline.com/electraguide/thesis.html or

http://corptrain.phoenix.edu/thesis_generator/thesis_generator.html

to help you develop your thesis. You will probably still have to edit and rewrite your thesis after using the generator, but it can be a help in getting a start in the right direction.See also the information on pages 10-11 in A Writer's Reference

.

Thesis Generator Web Sites

Thesis generator websites can be a good way to get started in developing a thesis. Here are links to two representative sites if you're interested. You're not required to use the generator--feel free to develop your thesis through other methods if you'd rather:

http://www.ozline.com/electraguide/thesis.html

lhttp://corptrain.phoenix.edu/thesis_generator/thesis_generator.html

You will probably still have to edit and rewrite your thesis after using the generator, since it is a computer program that won't be able to judge if the wording it comes up with is entirely correct. Keep in mind also that this is simply one form a thesis can take. There are many others that you might choose to use instead.

This Week's Toulmin Assignment and Your Second Paper

This Week's Toulmin Assignment and Your Second Paper

Class,
For this Friday, you've been asked to fill out a worksheet that creates a sort of outline for the essay you're going to respond to in your second paper, using the Toulmin method and terms. Since you may have found the in-class work we did on Toulmin analysis a little confusing, I want to clarify what you should be looking for with this assignment.

1. The first thing is to determine what exactly the author is arguing in favor of. This is what Toulmin calls the "claim," although it's more commonly known as the thesis. This may be summarized in a single sentence somewhere in the essay but it's more likely you'll have to paraphrase it by taking parts from several sentences. Your paraphrase may end up being several sentences long, or one sentence may be enough to communicate it effectively.

2. After figuing out what the thesis of the article is, look for the main points of the argument that the author is making. In the Toulmin analysis, these are called "grounds." List at least three main points of argument under A, B, and C on the assignment sheet and answer the questions about each.

3. Think about the evidence for each point of argument and make a judgement on whether it's convincing or not. Is it based on something more than the author's opinion? Are they backing the claim up with other research? These questions can help you to see where the author's argument has its strong or weak points.

4. (Not part of the handout) Think about the above in relation to your own paper, which will be arguing a different viewpoint. What is the different approach you will take to this issue? How will you argue your case? What will your thesis, main points of argument and evidence be? Your article from Dialogues will give you an example of a specific opposing view. Some of your paper will be devoted to acknowledging opposing views such as this one and rebutting them, although the paper will mainly be your own argument for your point of view.

Answering the above questions will be the crucial thing to get out of this assignment, so don't worry too much if the specific concepts of the Toulmin analysis seem confusing. If you have any questions or comments about this assignment, feel free to post them in reply here.

Sue

Quiz Reminder: First Quiz is Friday September 19th

Hello to all,
Just a reminder that there will be a quiz Friday morning. It will be the first thing scheduled when class starts at 9 am. The Quiz Study Sheet handed out in class last week is your best guide for how to study for the quiz. The information from that sheet is also pasted below. If you have any specific questions about the quiz, you can ask them in a comment added to this post, or contact me in one of the ways listed on the syllabus.


Quiz Study Sheet

Our first quiz will be at the start of class next week, so it will be particularly important to be to class on time next Friday. The quiz will cover some of the main points and principles from the readings assigned for the first weeks and will also have a few exercises on the points of grammar covered today in class.

Readings
Dialogues readings covered on the quiz include:

Pages 3-16, 61-82 and 122-144

A Writer’s Reference readings covered on the quiz include:

Pages 10-23, 57-76 and 358-378

Points to concentrate on include:

--Thesis statements, including recognizing the thesis sentence in a piece of writing
--Summarizing and paraphrasing
--Constructing reasonable Arguments on pages 67-73



Grammar
Grammar material covered on the quiz includes the handouts on Sentence Fragments and Parallelism and the following pages in A Writer’s Reference:

Pages 93-96 on Parallelism

Pages 205-209 on Sentence Fragments

Announcing the New Announcement Blog

This new blog will serve as a place to post announcements, updates, reminders and other information for English 120. Please try to check it a couple times a week, especially as class time approaches.
The posts here will be enabled for class members to make comments on, so feel free to add a comment if you'd wish. You won't be required to post any writing here though.
Sue