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
Saturday, September 27, 2008
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
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
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
Sunday, September 21, 2008
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
.
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
.
Friday, September 19, 2008
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.
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.
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
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
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
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
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
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