There will be a comprehensive quiz covering your readings from your St. Martin's Handbook (e-book) for this semester. Please refer to the course reading list on Raider Writer for these specific readings.
(Worth 100 points)
For Class on 5/1:
You will expand and revise your argument, draft 2.1. This is a revision of your entire draft.
Your revisions may include any or all of the following:
Strengthening, narrowing, or expanding your claim
Adding additional data to support your claim
Strengthening your explanation of the theoretical framework of your argument.
Using more precise language to help persuade your reader of your argument’s validity.
Bring two copies to class. (Worth 100 points)
For Class on 4/24:
To complete this assignment, you will expand and revise the conclusion and one substantial body paragraph of your argument, draft 2.1. Also, if you need additional sources, you may use the TTU library and its databases to locate 1 – 4 others, as needed.
Your revisions may include any or all of the following:
Strengthening, narrowing, or expanding your claim
Adding additional data to support your claim
Strengthening your explanation of the theoretical framework of your argument.
Using more precise language to help persuade your reader of your argument’s validity.
Make sure you include your original conclusion and paragraph for comparison with your revisions.
Bring two copies to class. (Worth 100 points)
For Class on 4/17:
To complete this assignment, you will expand and revise the introduction and one substantial body paragraph of your argument, draft 1.1. Also, if you need additional sources, you may use the TTU library and its databases to locate 1 – 4 others, as needed.
Your revisions may include any or all of the following:
Strengthening, narrowing, or expanding your claim
Adding additional data to support your claim
Strengthening your explanation of the theoretical framework of your argument.
Using more precise language to help persuade your reader of your argument’s validity.
Make sure you include your original introduction and paragraph for comparison with your revisions.
Bring two copies to class. (Worth 100 points)
For Class on 4/10:
You will turn in a DETAILED outline of your researched argument. The argument should have an identifiable thesis, lines of argument, logical support, ethical and emotional appeals (if applicable), and consideration of alternative views. Do NOT turn this in to Raider Writer.
Your outline should include:
1.) Introduction- Review "Introductory Paragraphs" reading in your e-book. You may use the search bar to find helpful tips on writing introductions and thesis statements.
2.)Topic Sentences for each paragraph and at least SIX sources outlined and where they will go in your body paragraphs.
3.) Conclusion- Review "Concluding Paragraphs" reading in your e-book.
Note that you will be writing a full introduction and conclusion. Only your body paragraphs will be outlined. Your introduction and conclusion paragraphs should be a minimum of 100 words each. Each of the outlined sources should be approximately 100 words each as well. (Worth 100 points.)
For Class on 4/3:
We are moving from literature reviews, to argumentative essays in this week. For this participation assignment, create a working thesis for your researched argument. A working thesis is an early draft of a potential thesis you may use in your final draft. Working thesis statements SHOULD change as you revise your argument. For more on thesis writing, review your e-book readings over "thesis statements." (Type thesis statements in search bar.) Remember, this thesis is for a researched argument, not a literature review. Do NOT turn this in to Raider Writer.
Bring two copies to class. Worth 30 points.
For Class on 3/27:
This assignment enables you to revisit your literature review and apply suggestions from your instructors and peers to produce a polished final draft. Do NOT turn this in to Raider Writer.
Description: To complete this assignment, you will expand and revise the first draft of your literature review, draft 1.1. Remember, your literature review must do more than just summarize the information. A literature review discusses previously published information about a particular topic or issue in order to accomplish the following:
- show readers what has been written about a topic, so that they can understand a particular development of ideas concerning that topic
- explain to readers why certain ideas or theories concerning a topic are being challenged or re-examined by researchers
- help readers understand more about why a topic is being examined by a researcher in a particular way
Minimum word count: 1500 words Format: MLA style for internal citations and works cited.
Response to grader commentary:
You must also write a 300-400 word response discussing how you addressed your grader's comments in your revision of this draft. Point out the specific changes you made in your revisions. To receive full credit for this assignment, attach your response to the front of your literature review.
(Worth 50 points)
For Class on 3/20:
After you have written several drafts of an essay, one of the final steps of revision prior to a last proofreading is to look closely at the sentence structure and language you have used to argue on behalf of your claim. This assignment enables you to practice these revisions on a single paragraph before working through the rest of your argument in the same way. Do NOT turn this in to Raider Writer.
Description: To complete this assignment, use the guidelines in Chapter 10 of First-Year Writing and Chapters 40-43 of The St. Martin's Handbook to revise one substantial body paragraph (i.e. between 6–8 sentences in length) from your 1.1 draft. Please be sure to choose a paragraph from the most recently revised version of your 1.1 draft for this assignment. Consider matters of organization, language, word choice, and grammar and mechanics as you revise. You will need to make significant revisions to your original paragraph. Include both the original and the revised paragraphs. You will also need to include 1) a statement of your thesis, so that your instructor knows the context in which these paragraphs were written, and 2) a paragraph evaluating the revisions you have made and their impact on the audience, purpose, and meaning of your draft as a whole. After completing your revisions, be sure to integrate your new paragraph into your working 1.2 draft.
Bring TWO copies to class. Worth 40 points.
For Class on 3/6:
You will be evaluating and revising a paragraph from your draft 1.1. Do NOT turn this in to Raider Writer.
Description: To complete this assignment, choose one substantial passage from your 1.1 draft that cites sources.
First, in paragraph form, evaluate how well these sources are integrated into your text. For example, do the sources as currently used help strengthen your synthesis? What role do they play? Do they help show a specific viewpoint? Have you synthesized it with other viewpoints? Have you used too many sources, or used a few sources excessively? (See chapter 13f of The St. Martin's Handbook for an example of excessive source use)
Next, discuss how you might integrate these sources in a manner that is more effective to your readers. For example, your readers should understand the purpose of the source material. That is, does the source help define, explain, inform, or highlight an idea? If so, consider using phrases such as “The author defines . . .” or “This article reveals…” A more complete list of these signal phrases is available in the green box at the bottom of section 13b in your handbook.
Finally, revise the passage based on your evaluations of the originals and discuss how these changes enhance the quality of your source integration. Be sure to label the original and the revised passage as original or revised.
Bring TWO copies to class. (Worth 40 points)
For Class on 2/28:
You will use the sample student draft I emailed you on adoption to practice peer critique. Do NOT turn this in to Raider Writer.
Description: After you have read the draft provided, please respond to each of the following prompts as specifically as possible, using detailed examples and selected passages from the draft you have read to illustrate your points and validate claims about that draft. The minimum length of the critique (excluding questions should you choose a Q&A format) is 300-500 words.
1. What is the author’s thesis statement, which helps to guide the reader for the purpose of the literature review? Is the purpose of the review clear from reading the first paragraph? In other words, can you tell if the review shows what research has been done on a given topic? Or has the author chosen to compose the literature review to explain to readers why certain ideas or theories concerning a topic are being challenged or re-examined by researchers? If the author does not give a clear purpose, what does the purpose seem to be?
2. How has the author chosen to organize the research that he or she is reviewing? How well does this structure work? Does the author synthesize the research, showing how various researchers fit together, rather than just summarizing sources? Is there another way to organize the information?
3. Examine the use of the source material. Discuss whether the sources are relevant and reliable, as well as whether they are used appropriately and effectively integrated. Explain to the writer how selecting or integrating sources in a different way might improve the review, providing examples of revised versions of introducing, integrating, and commenting on source materials.
For Class on 2/21:
You will turn in a draft of your literature review. Do NOT turn this in to Raider Writer.
Description: Now that you have developed an understanding of how literature reviews are put together and function, you will write a literature review of your own on the topic of your choice. Remember, your literature review must do more than just summarize the information. A literature review discusses previously published information about a particular topic or issue in order to accomplish one or more of the following tasks:
- show readers what has been written about a topic, so that they can understand a particular development of ideas concerning that topic
- explain to readers why certain ideas or theories concerning a topic are being challenged or reexamined by researchers.
- help readers understand more about why a topic is being examined by a researcher in a particular way
Minimum word count: 1200 words
Format: MLA style for internal citations and works cited
Bring TWO printed copies to class.
(Worth 100 points)
For Class on 2/14:
You will turn in a DETAILED outline of your literature review. Do NOT turn this in to Raider Writer.
Your outline should include:
1.) Introduction- Review "Introductory Paragraphs" reading in your e-book. You may use the search bar to find helpful tips on writing introductions and thesis statements.
2.) At least FIVE sources outlined and where they will go in your body paragraphs- Including the author, work referenced, the author's main argument or thesis, and why it is important to the theme or themes your have defined in your thesis statement.
3.) Conclusion- Review "Concluding Paragraphs" reading in your e-book.
Note that you will be writing a full introduction and conclusion. Only your body paragraphs will be outlined. Your introduction and conclusion paragraphs should be approximately 100 words each. Each of the outlined sources should be approximately 100 words each as well. (Worth 60 points.)
For Class on 2/7:
You are to bring an annotated bibliography of your sources (hard copy) to class. Do NOT turn this in to Raider Writer. Please use the following instructions as your guidelines:
Purpose: You will need to locate and evaluate the sources you plan to use in your literature review draft 1.1; this assignment will help you become more proficient at doing so.
Description: To complete this assignment, prepare an annotated bibliography. Each entry in an annotated bibliography consists of two elements: an initial citation in MLA format (see Ch. 16 of your e-handbook) and a 75 word evaluation of each source, in which you will evaluate the relevance, accuracy and quality of the source. The focus of your annotations should be on evaluating the quality of the sources, but your evaluation may also include a brief summary of key points of each source’s content. Your bibliography should contain a minimum of four annotated entries. Your sources should be scholarly or other reputable or credible articles located through the TTU library databases.
NOTE: Write a 75 word description of your topic. Make sure to include a THESIS STATEMENT. Doing so and placing it at the top of the page before your bibliography entries will help your instructors give you more specific feedback on your sources. (Worth 60 points)
Also, I will be e-mailing you three reviews. You need to read them and bring print (hard) copies with you to class. We will be working with these in class. Make sure you contact me if you do not receive these via e-mail.
For Class on 1/31:
You have two Participation Assignments due. Read the following carefully. All Participation Assignments are due in class as a hard copy only. No electronic submissions.
1.)Read the literature review (on disability studies) that I have emailed to you and identify the "parts" of the literature review. Write a 300 word essay describing how the literature review was composed (not only the content). Use these instructions to guide your essay:
Your task for this assignment is to analyze a literature review (the one I have emailed you) in preparation for writing your Brief Assignment 2. Your analysis should focus on the structure of the review and how that structure demonstrates the author’s purpose for writing it.Your analysis should consider the author’s purpose for conducting the review, the way the author has grouped the research on similar topics, and the kinds of information which the author provides about the sources and their authors. In addition, your analysis should consider the rhetorical effect of the author’s decisions. You should cite examples from the literature review to illustrate your points.
Worth 40 points.
Bring a printed copy of the literature review with you to class, as well as TWO copies of your essay. DO NOT TURN THIS ESSAY IN ON RAIDER WRITER!!! It is due in class as a hard copy.
2.) Bring in THREE sources (MLA citations- a bibliography) that discuss your possible topic for your literature review. Your topic should be in your major/minor field of study. Make sure to indicate what database you found these sources on. You need to have searched on at least TWO different databases. To help choose a topic, consider the questions posed in your e-book section 2C. Turn in a hard copy to me in class. Do NOT turn this assignment in to Raider Writer! Worth 30 points.
