CM 107: College Composition I

Adjunct Professor Aubrey Freeman

Unit 9: Wrapping Up

Goals for the Class1.APA format for manuscripts and

citations.2.Formal writing– the level of formality

needs to fit the situation. Of the three, which is the least formal and which is the most formal between the letter to the editor, the presentation, and the essay?

3.Assembling a logical argument– do the credible sources support the claims for the ‘big idea’?

2

Common Mistakes . . . APA Errors:

APA errors are easily avoided with a little care. Like spelling and grammar, correct APA format is an essential part of your essay. Adhering to a specific format is a hallmark of good writing and editing.

If you have questions about APA, check out the Writing Center’s help sheet at http://www.kaplan.edu/MyDesk2/Studentcenter/success/writing/pdfs/research/An_Introduction_To_APA.pdf

Common Mistakes . . . Some people do not believe that global

warming is a legitimate problem. They feel that it is an agenda being pushed by liberals. They cite shaky scientific evidence as a reason not to buy into the global warming craze. I think it’s interesting that a small group of scientists say that climate change is just part of living on Earth like when the Ice Age froze nearly every corner of the planet. If we overreact, we may be working toward an unstoppable phenomenon anyway.

What’s missing here? How could we fix it?

Common MistakesReporting broad ideas with no specific research.

How could these 3 quotes help?

“The sun has been a bit absent in 2009. Temperatures are about what we would expect for this time of year, and perhaps even cooler than normal given the early snows and mild summer. If this deep solar minimum continues,” Li Soon,2009 .

“Global-warming priests, while sermonizing about the need to spend trillions on new energy sources, almost never have a kind word for nuclear power - casting doubt on their motives. If the goal were really to reduce our carbon output (and not to recast our way of life), clean, efficient, affordable nuclear power would be the obvious choice,” Mona Charon, 2009.

“In contrast with human-created DDT, CO2, a ‘greenhouse gas’ has been part of the earth's atmosphere as long as the earth has existed. About 450 million years ago, the earth's atmospheric CO2 level was about 2,000 percent higher than it is today, at the same time the earth's atmosphere was about the same temperature as today,” Michael Arnold Glueck, M.D., and Robert J. Cihak, M.D., 2006.

Incorporating ResearchStudent Writing Research

Some people do not believe that global warming is a legitimate problem. They feel that it is an agenda being pushed by liberals. They cite shaky scientific evidence as a reason not to buy into the global warming craze. I think it’s interesting that a small group of scientists say that climate change is just part of living on Earth like when the Ice Age froze nearly every corner of the planet. If we overreact, we may be working toward an unstoppable phenomenon anyway.

The sun has been a bit absent in 2009. Temperatures are about what we would expect for this time of year, and perhaps even cooler than normal given the early snows and mild summer. If this deep solar minimum continues,” Li Soon,2009 .

“Global-warming priests, while sermonizing about the need to spend trillions on new energy sources, almost never have a kind word for nuclear power - casting doubt on their motives. If the goal were really to reduce our carbon output (and not to recast our way of life), clean, efficient, affordable nuclear power would be the obvious choice,” Mona Charon, 2009.

“In contrast with human-created DDT, CO2, a ‘greenhouse gas’ has been part of the earth's atmosphere as long as the earth has existed. About 450 million years ago, the earth's atmospheric CO2 level was about 2,000 percent higher than it is today, at the same time the earth's atmosphere was about the same temperature as today,” Michael Arnold Glueck, M.D., and Robert J. Cihak, M.D., 2006.

Reconsider First Person WritingEssay writing falls into the category of

formal writing. Formal writing typically does not use “I,

me, my, mine.” It can undermine authority.

Source MaterialOnline sources versus Print resources Depending on a single source What has worked? What hasn’t?

StructureTopic sentences carry the thesis through

the essayRestatement of thesis at the beginning of

the conclusionOrganizational strategies to consider:

oBroad to specific oCause and effect oProcess analysis oClassificationoProblem-solution

StyleIntroductions and conclusions are an ideal

way to incorporate your sense of style into your essay

The goal is to be engaging and informative Conclusions work like an upside-down

introduction; think of a funnel and then reversing that funnel

Common Mistakes . . . Omitting one or more parts of the essay:

1. Make a checklist2. Check that adequate time is spent discussing the thesis3. Proofread

Week 9 Tasks…Reading: Campbell as a life coach. Read about his

considerable effects on others. Discussion Board: As you reflect on your own journey, think about

what you have come to realize about yourself. Sometimes we spend more time thinking about our negative qualities than our positive ones. For instance, stubbornness is typically defined as a hindrance. However, could it also be seen as an asset? After all, isn’t part of being stubborn also being able to make decisions?

On the other hand, identifying our weaknesses is part of self-improvement. For instance, your sense of care and caution may be a hurdle. In terms of writing, too much caution may cause you to doubt yourself before you begin. All of your qualities as a human being feed into how you approach the writing process—identifying what you’ve come to realize about yourself is part of understanding who you are as a writer.

Week 9 Tasks…With this in mind, choose one or two things you have

come to know about yourself. Imagine how they relate to the writing process. How has what you’ve come to know made you a better writer?

Respond to two other students.Final Project:Write as if you are the life coach helping someone with

a specific problem. Include the following:IntroductionWhat is the goal?DefinitionLong term effectsConclusion

Week 9 Tasks…Remember that this is a writing class! It is the writing

that counts. What were the three goals for the class?Read about all of the requirements on the class page.

The requirements include:Please format your paper according to APA with a title

page, double-spacing, running headers, in-text citations, and a references page.

For this project you will need a minimum of three sources of which two sources can be from the web and a third source needs to be from a journal or book from the Kaplan library. You will need in-text citations for these sources and corresponding references page citation also.

Spell CheckWin eye right, sum thymes there are inn

correct words. Eye really on spell check too fined the rung words. Sum thymes spell check does not work. Sum thymes it misses words that are not write and the grade for the paper suffers. Eye must carefully proofread four when the errors are mist.

15

16

Wherever you go, whatever career you are in, whatever your responsibilities are, writing will be a tool that must be used. Writing creates permanent documentation of a person’s ability to effectively communicate. Something written the first week on the job can affect a performance review years later.

17

To be an effective communicator, determine the following:

•Who is the audience? •What is the best method to deliver

the message? •What level of formality is required

in the writing? •Organize the argument logically.

18

If it is an email to a friend, a text to a child, a report for the boss, or an application for a new position, proofread carefully and take the time to communicate more effectively.

19

Thank you for attending the seminar. Thanks for doing your best in the

class. Have a great week!

Q & A We’ll use the rest of the period for

questions and answers.