MODULE 4 - WRITING PROCESS

Chad received the following prompt in his English Literature class: "Using the epic poems and novel we read in class and using support from the text itself, write a 1000 word essay analyzing how the character's origins shape the character and the character's relationships, and how the origins contribute to the meaning as a whole." What keywords in the assignment prompt will BEST help him determine what type of assignment this is? --- "1000 word essay" and "analyze" "how the origins contribute to the meaning as a whole" "epic poem" and "origins" "use support from the text itself"

"1000 word essay" and "analyze"

You are interviewing a professional writer about the drafting process, and ask her how many drafts she writes for every book she publishes. What is she most likely to say? --- "I always plan on exactly three drafts, and by then, everything is always ready to go." "I'm a one-and-done writer! There's never a need for me to re-draft and revise." "I used to write multiple drafts, but as I've gained experience, I've found that the number of my drafts per project is decreasing." "Because drafting and revising is an ongoing and important process, this is a hard question to answer, but I'm in that stage for a while."

"Because drafting and revising is an ongoing and important process, this is a hard question to answer, but I'm in that stage for a while."

Evidence Process

- personal experience - outside research - quote - paraphrase - summarize

Organize Process

- thesis - development - body - introduction - conclusion

Topic Process

-Assignment criteria -Brainstorm -Personal Interest -Selection -Refinement

Prewrite Process

-Free writing -Listing -Clustering -Questions -Dialoguing

Does the following sentence belong in the body of a strong academic essay? Why or why not? "Another reason tenure should be eliminated is because it protects inadequate teachers, thereby reducing the overall quality of education." --- Yes, this sounds like a good topic sentence because it has a provable claim. No, because this sentence does not provide any research to prove its claim. Yes, this sentence presents a piece of evidence to support the author's claim. No, this sentence clearly belongs in the conclusion because it's wrapping up the topic.

????

Many instructors ask students to paraphrase and summarize sources used in an essay more often than quoting sources. Why? --- Using direct quotes instead of your own words damages your credibility as an author. A lot of direct quotes can confuse the reader, and paraphrasing and summarizing lets the author's own voice guide the discussion. Quotes require that you ascribe the words to the original author, while paraphrases and summaries do not, thereby making the author of the essay look more like an expert. Paraphrases and summaries better help the student meet minimum essay length requirements.

A lot of direct quotes can confuse the reader, and paraphrasing and summarizing lets the author's own voice guide the discussion

Many instructors ask students to paraphrase and summarize sources used in an essay more often than quoting sources. Why? --- Quotes require that you ascribe the words to the original author, while paraphrases and summaries do not, thereby making the author of the essay look more like an expert. A lot of direct quotes can confuse the reader, and paraphrasing and summarizing lets the author's own voice guide the discussion. Using direct quotes instead of your own words damages your credibility as an author. Paraphrases and summaries better help the student meet minimum essay length requirements.

A lot of direct quotes can confuse the reader, and paraphrasing and summarizing lets the author's own voice guide the discussion.

For her latest writing assignment, Stella's instructor is requiring three scholarly sources. What should Stella look for to determine if the source is appropriate for this assignment or not? --- The top article listed on her Google search Anything that is on Wikipedia because it has been vetted by the general public An article from a well-known website that went viral An author with credentials that is considered an expert in the field

An author with credentials that is considered an expert in the field

Your classmate Lily is struggling with writing her introduction. Which of the following should you advise her to include? --- An overview of the problem or issue her paper discusses. The personal background of her paper's main expert that she will quote later. Her best and most convincing piece of evidence. A chart or graph that supports her main idea.

An overview of the problem or issue her paper discusses.

Your classmate Lily is struggling with writing her introduction. Which of the following should you advise her to include? --- The personal background of her paper's main expert that she will quote later. Her best and most convincing piece of evidence. An overview of the problem or issue her paper discusses. A chart or graph that supports her main idea.

An overview of the problem or issue her paper discusses.

Which of these working thesis statements do you evaluate to be stronger, and why? A - Because bacteria and viruses infest the human mouth, we should all stop kissing. This paper discusses the main portals of exit and entry for these infections in the kissing process, the mouth, and a few of the infections themselves, some of which are potentially life-threatening. B - Although we are able to control the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) to some extent with drug treatments, the only hope to stop the spread of HIV and to end the worldwide epidemic is through the development of a preventative vaccine. --- B, because HIV is an important topic to address. A, because this thesis discusses an important issue and we, the audience, know what this paper is going to be about. A, because this thesis has popular appeal; it discusses a practice that is wide-spread. B, because it answers a question that is narrow and can be proven with academic research.

B, because it answers a question that is narrow and can be proven with academic research.

Which of these working thesis statements do you evaluate to be stronger, and why? A - The American character has weakened because it lacks the qualities that George Washington believed were essential to the stability and success of the United States of America. Three of the qualities are morality, unity, and patriotism. B - While the Merlin of the popular Arthurian legends is certainly fictional, historical records suggest that he was based on a composite of three real men: King Aelfred of Britain, his advisor Ethelfred, and a mysterious traveler of the time whose name is unknown. --- A, because it lists three specific qualities to explore. A, because the claim is strong and clear. B, because its claim is narrow and provable by research. B, because A is more than one sentence long.

B, because its claim is narrow and provable by research.

Why does prewriting have no set structure or organization? --- Because it helps you generate ideas and overcome writer's block Because it will not be graded Because it is the part of the writing process that comes last Because it is something that you just do in your own head

Because it helps you generate ideas and overcome writer's block

Which essay structure would be most effective for the following essay prompt: "The amount of screen time that young children engage in is becoming an increasingly important issue for parents and educators, especially regarding its effect on the attention span of children. Write an essay exploring how interaction with screens effects the attention span of children under the age of 10. --- Comparative Essay Cause and Effect Essay Argumentative Essay Narrative Essay

Cause and Effect Essay

Spencer has been assigned a paper differentiating between communism as it was applied in the Soviet Union and China. What type of essay structure would be MOST appropriate for this assignment? --- Cause and Effect Essay Comparative Essay Argumentative Essay Narrative Essay

Comparative Essay

Spencer has been assigned a paper differentiating between communism as it was applied in the Soviet Union and China. What type of essay structure would be MOST appropriate for this assignment? --- Cause and Effect Essay Narrative Essay Argumentative Essay Comparative Essay

Comparative Essay

Which essay structure would be most effective for the following essay prompt: "Compare and contrast DaVInci and Rembrandt's use of light in two specific paintings of your choice." --- Comparative Essay Argumentative Essay Mixed Structure Essay Cause and Effect Essay

Comparative Essay

After brainstorming, Tomas feels completely stuck on actually producing his first draft. What is the BEST technique he could use to get his first draft on paper? --- Discussing his topic choice with his professor Deciding on a template for his essay structure that he can fill in with the ideas he has Writing all of his citations out correctly so he doesn't have to worry about it later Using a mind map to organize his ideas and see the relationships between them

Deciding on a template for his essay structure that he can fill in with the ideas he has

Adam received a writing assignment to write a persuasive essay about something that is important to him. Staring at a blank paper in front of him, his mind is full of possible subjects, but he can't decide which one he could write a fully-formed essay about. What would be the MOST helpful next step in his process? --- Doing a timed freewrite asking the questions, "What irritates me?" and "What do I care about?" Wait for the right idea to come to him. Just pick the first thing that comes to his head and write his paper on that. Read articles online.

Doing a timed freewrite asking the questions, "What irritates me?" and "What do I care about?"

After you've created an outline with your main ideas, what could you do next to help you get closer to writing your first draft? --- Fill in the outline with supporting ideas, subtopics, and evidence Type up the handwritten outline so it's easier to read Turn in the outline to your professor so they can tell you if you're on the right track or not Write or draw the main ideas in a different form like a bubble map or flow chart

Fill in the outline with supporting ideas, subtopics, and evidence

After doing all of your prewriting, brainstorming, and research, you find that you don't feel very motivated to write your first draft. What exercise would be MOST helpful in getting you started in writing your first draft? --- Think about your essay as long as it takes for the right idea to strike you. Get yourself to write something terrible and messy. It's important to just start writing! Wait until you feel like writing. It's not something you should force. Continue to read over your research. Eventually the right idea will strike.

Get yourself to write something terrible and messy. It's important to just start writing!

After doing all of your prewriting, brainstorming, and research, you find that you don't feel very motivated to write your first draft. What exercise would be MOST helpful in getting you started in writing your first draft? --- Wait until you feel like writing. It's not something you should force. Get yourself to write something terrible and messy. It's important to just start writing! Think about your essay as long as it takes for the right idea to strike you. Continue to read over your research. Eventually the right idea will strike.

Get yourself to write something terrible and messy. It's important to just start writing!

Ella received an essay assignment from her American Studies professor. The prompt question is long and detailed. She is unsure exactly what is being asked and doesn't know how to proceed with choosing a topic. What resource will be the MOST helpful to her at this stage of the assignment? --- Another student The campus writing center Her instructor Google

Her instructor

Ella received an essay assignment from her American Studies professor. The prompt question is long and detailed. She is unsure exactly what is being asked and doesn't know how to proceed with choosing a topic. What resource will be the MOST helpful to her at this stage of the assignment? --- Google Her instructor Another student The campus writing center

Her instructor

Your classmate Xuan isn't sure how to write an effective conclusion. What should you tell her? --- Include a re-statement of your essay's main idea in the conclusion. The conclusion is where you put your main argument's counter-points. The conclusion is where you should put summaries of surveys that support your argument. Add a surprising piece of new evidence to make your conclusion strong.

Include a re-statement of your essay's main idea in the conclusion

Silas has to write a paper about the life cycle of penguins for his Wildlife Studies class. Which questions could he ask himself to help him effectively narrow his topic? --- Is it necessary to study the life cycle of a penguin? How many papers have been written about the life cycle of penguins? Why are we studying the life cycles of penguins? Is there a specific region or species of penguin I can focus on?

Is there a specific region or species of penguin I can focus on

Why is it important to add your own explanation of the source material (quotes and/or paraphrased evidence) that you use in your paper? --- The source material is too short. It can clarify the purpose for the evidence. The reader is often not intelligent. You should not explain the source material.

It can clarify the purpose for the evidence.

Manuel is working to better understand the writing process. Which of the following should he remember? --- He should not worry about brainstorming, since it takes too much time. Editing is not an important part of the writing process. His first draft will always be his best draft because it's the most honest. It's best to start the first draft as soon as possible after getting the assignment.

It's best to start the first draft as soon as possible after getting the assignment.

For a creative writing course, Malery was asked to write a narrative about a formative memory from her childhood. She decided to start by freewriting for ten minutes. After her freewrite, she has about two pages of text. What would be the next best step to help her choose a specific memory to write about? --- Give her freewrite to a fellow classmate for a peer review. Scan the freewrite for the topic that would most impress her teacher. Look for memories that catch her interest or that she has the strongest feelings about. Start to form her freewrite into a rough draft.

Look for memories that catch her interest or that she has the strongest feelings about.

Kathy received a research essay assignment about life during the Civil War. Her teacher did not assign a specific topic, so Kathy has to determine which aspect of life during the Civil War will be the focus of her essay. Which plan, outlined below, is the BEST way to help her appropriately narrow her topic? --- Look up the Civil War in encyclopedias, note how topic has been broken down, and research some of these sub-topics List three topics she's interested in and make a pros/cons list Look up the topic in a popular source, survey your peers informally about topic, and ask for help from the Writing Center Review personal experience with the assignment, read textbooks and articles assigned for the class, and brainstorm a list

Look up the Civil War in encyclopedias, note how topic has been broken down, and research some of these sub-topics

Kathy received a research essay assignment about life during the Civil War. Her teacher did not assign a specific topic, so Kathy has to determine which aspect of life during the Civil War will be the focus of her essay. Which plan, outlined below, is the BEST way to help her appropriately narrow her topic? --- Look up the Civil War in encyclopedias, note how topic has been broken down, and research some of these sub-topics Review personal experience with the assignment, read textbooks and articles assigned for the class, and brainstorm a list List three topics she's interested in and make a pros/cons list Look up the topic in a popular source, survey your peers informally about topic, and ask for help from the Writing Center

Look up the Civil War in encyclopedias, note how topic has been broken down, and research some of these sub-topics

Your friend Nancy says, "My essay is not yet at the final draft stage, but I don't know what to do." Which of these activities can help her use her drafting time most effectively? --- Counting the number of pages she has and checking her margins Checking that her Works Cited is formatted correctly Looking for evidence and evaluating her overall argument Making sure that her title page and headers are formatted correctly

Looking for evidence and evaluating her overall argument

Shantel is having a hard time getting started on her Sociology essay. She sees in the syllabus that she's supposed to write an essay about a social problem but she's still struggling to get started. What advice would you give Shantel as the best first step? --- Search Google for other essays on the same topic. Ask a fellow classmate what they plan to write about and use their idea. Re-read the prompt carefully and consider the purpose and objective of the paper. Set up an appointment at your campus writing center so they can show you how to get started.

Re-read the prompt carefully and consider the purpose and objective of the paper.

Imagine you received an assignment to write an essay about televised presidential debates for your American Politics class. After receiving the assignment, what would your next course of action be to help you narrow the topic before you begin writing your paper? --- Brainstorm as long is as it takes to come up with an original idea about the effectiveness of presidential debates. Write an email to the professor asking what she thinks about the effectiveness of presidential debates. Read as many transcripts as possible of past presidential debates. Read scholarly articles about presidential debates, make note of the different questions and opinions about debates addressed in the articles, and pick one question or opinion to focus on in your continuing research.

Read scholarly articles about presidential debates, make note of the different questions and opinions about debates addressed in the articles, and pick one question or opinion to focus on in your continuing research.

Molly is unsure where to start researching after receiving an essay assignment in her British Literature class. Her professor did not include research and source requirements in the essay prompt. Which option would be the BEST next step in her research process? --- She should only use the books covered in class as sources. She should talk to her professor to clarify what type of sources and research the professor expects. She should go to the librarian on campus for help. She should start searching her topic on Wikipedia and Google because it provides good general information about a topic.

She should talk to her professor to clarify what type of sources and research the professor expects.

Julie is struggling to complete her first full draft. She started writing out her first body paragraph, and can't get the wording right. What is the best way for her to move her writing process along? --- She should try writing a different paragraph in her essay. She shouldn't move on until she's got it just right. She has to face it eventually. She should erase the body paragraph. Starting from scratch always helps. She should do more research--her ideas obviously aren't solid enough.

She should try writing a different paragraph in her essay.

Norah considers herself a visual learner and does not prefer to fill pages and pages with text. Which prewriting strategy would be the MOST helpful for her? --- Sketching Questioning Freewriting Journaling

Sketching

You have just begun the drafting process and you are struggling to come up with an effective introduction. What should you do to use your drafting time more effectively? --- Take your essay to the writing lab to have a tutor help you with sentence structure. Free-write to discover a list of topics you could write about. Go back and re-read your research and sources. Start with one the sections in the body of your essay.

Start with one the sections in the body of your essay.

Which of the following is the most effective thesis statement? --- The problem of homeless youth can best be solved by private charities. There are real advantages and disadvantages to being homeschooled. Many toy companies create advertisements to appeal to young children. Should schools require physical education classes?

The problem of homeless youth can best be solved by private charities.

Which of the following is true about the different essay structures, such as analytical, argumentative, and cause and effect? --- These structure types differ in where the pieces of evidence are placed. These structure types all share similar qualities of academic writing, but they differ according to the purpose of the essay. These structure types differ in how long the body paragraphs are and in whether or not you can use an informal tone like "I" and "you." These structure types differ in where the thesis statement is placed. Sometimes it comes in the introduction, and sometimes it comes halfway through the paper.

These structure types all share similar qualities of academic writing, but they differ according to the purpose of the essay.

Evaluate the following thesis statement: "Computers in classrooms increase the technological literacy of students and provide invaluable teaching resources to help teachers." What feedback would you give the author to strengthen this thesis? --- There is not enough research presented to support the thesis. This thesis it not long enough. The topic is unclear. This is a good topic, but it lacks a specific claim. It is not an arguable statement.

This is a good topic, but it lacks a specific claim. It is not an arguable statement.

Which topic might the author of this journal choose to write about and why do you think so? --- Topic: Carpool pick up locations on the freeway. Why: Because it is an exciting topic. Topic: Traffic in the Washington D.C. are. Why: Because it would be easy to research. Topic: The affect of a gas co-op on consumers. Why: Because the author seems to have the most opinions about this particular solution. Topic: Public transportation. Why: Because that is the most popular solution.

Topic: The affect of a gas co-op on consumers. Why: Because the author seems to have the most opinions about this particular solution.

Which of the following strategies can most effectively help you narrow a topic? --- Try to focus on a specific time period relevant to the topic. Try to narrow your sources. Try to focus on finding sources other than Wikipedia. Try to focus on using advanced vocabulary.

Try to focus on a specific time period relevant to the topic.

After you've brainstormed ideas about your chosen topic, what is a good next step you could take to produce a first draft? --- Write an e-mail to your professor to assure that your topic choice is appropriate for the assignment Continue to brainstorm until you're sure you have enough information to write a solid first draft Use an essay template or outline to organize and write out the ideas and research you've compiled Focus on formatting all of your citations correctly

Use an essay template or outline to organize and write out the ideas and research you've compiled

You are doing some background research on the topic of maternal vs. paternal leave. Which of the following questions should you ask to make the best use of your pre-research time? --- What significant recurring terms do I see as I scan documents on this topic? How can I brainstorm a list of ideas to write about? Which articles are the longest? What information do I need to include in my in-text citations?

What significant recurring terms do I see as I scan documents on this topic?

Jenny feels confident about her topic choice and has worked through several outlines. She knows how she wants to structure her essay, but feels insecure about her ability to write a good essay. She's stuck. What could you advise her to do to move along in the writing process? --- Write a fast draft of your essay. Get all of your ideas and research that you currently have on to paper, even if you have to leave blank areas or have ideas not fully fleshed out. Talk to other students in the class to learn about what helps them move along in their writing process. Go back to the drawing board. Brainstorm until you have a topic that you know will be easy to write about. Start with the introduction and don't move on until you feel like it's close to final draft form.

Write a fast draft of your essay. Get all of your ideas and research that you currently have on to paper, even if you have to leave blank areas or have ideas not fully fleshed out.

Andrew just completed an outline with one-word headings for each of his body paragraphs. What is the best next step he could take to get his outline closer to a first draft? --- Type his handwritten outline up so it's easier to read. He should not spend any more time outlining; that was enough of an outline and adding more won't help. He needs to write a draft now! Write subtopic ideas and quotes or passages he might use under each of his body paragraph headings. Ask a fellow classmate to review his outline to see if it makes sense.

Write subtopic ideas and quotes or passages he might use under each of his body paragraph headings

Andrew just completed an outline with one-word headings for each of his body paragraphs. What is the best next step he could take to get his outline closer to a first draft? --- Type his handwritten outline up so it's easier to read. Write subtopic ideas and quotes or passages he might use under each of his body paragraph headings. He should not spend any more time outlining; that was enough of an outline and adding more won't help. He needs to write a draft now! Ask a fellow classmate to review his outline to see if it makes sense.

Write subtopic ideas and quotes or passages he might use under each of his body paragraph headings.

Your classmate is frustrated with the professor's requirements to turn in at least two drafts before the final one is due. He thinks it is a complete waste of time. What would you say to help him understand the importance of writing drafts? --- The essay will actually get longer with each draft, so it's important to write multiple drafts to meet the length requirements of an essay. Writing multiple drafts helps to ease the pressure of producing something great the first time. It's actually easier to write multiple drafts than just one. We just have to do what the assignment requires to get a good grade. That's the game you play in college. By writing multiple drafts, you can assure that you're using reliable sources and not letting too much of your own voice creep into the paper.

Writing multiple drafts helps to ease the pressure of producing something great the first time. It's actually easier to write multiple drafts than just one.

Does the following sentence belong in the body of a strong academic essay? Why or why not? "Furthermore, tenure does not always protect good teachers: a Teacher of the Year in Texas was laid off in 2009 due to budget cuts (Hampton 46)." --- No, this sentence is cited incorrectly and damages the author's credibility. Yes, this is a good piece of evidence with an effective introduction that shows what the evidence is helping to prove. No, this sentence provides a statement of fact that does not help to prove any claim. No, this sentence supports a claim that is not provable with academic research.

Yes, this is a good piece of evidence with an effective introduction that shows what the evidence is helping to prove.

What's the most effective advice for a student who has written the following passage? Not everyone thinks that school vouchers are a good idea. "These vouchers are the worst idea to ever come through this state. They will ruin the democratic process" (Smith 33). "Vouchers mean that school districts can no longer predict the flow of money and resources and that affects kids directly" (Garcias 199). --- You need to provide context for your quotes so we know why you're including them. You may want to consider paraphrasing these sources, because paraphrases are easier to read. The information in these passages is not provable, so you should not include them. This passage is effective because you quoted people who clearly have strong opinions.

You need to provide context for your quotes so we know why you're including them.

Analyze the following paragraph. Considering the MEAL paragraph plan, what feedback would you give the author? In my opinion, there are many ways to gain knowledge. One of the most measured ways is through education. "Knowledge can refer to a theoretical or practical understanding of a subject." (Wikipedia) The thirst for knowledge must come from within, we must expand on our capabilities to seek it. --- There is no topic sentence. A longer quote would be more effective. You should provide an analysis after the quote to link it to your main idea. You should end the paragraph with a quote.

You should provide an analysis after the quote to link it to your main idea.

Which source is the best choice when you are determining what type of research or sources are required for a specific assignment? --- Scholarly peer-reviewed articles Google Scholar Your assignment prompt or instructor The periodical section at the library

Your assignment prompt or instructor

You are writing about safety regulations in hockey leagues, and you happen to have a lot of experience on the topic. How can you best draw on this experience to use in your research paper? --- You should never use personal experience in a research paper. Your personal experience should be sprinkled throughout the paper, to give the readers a break from the more academic parts. Personal experience can and should be used as major support for the claims you make, since it is a valid form of evidence. Your experience can frame your paper--short personal stories are good attention-grabbers in introductions, for example--but they shouldn't be the bulk of your proof.

Your experience can frame your paper--short personal stories are good attention-grabbers in introductions, for example--but they shouldn't be the bulk of your proof.

Your paper is on the topic of death and dying in Shakespeare's plays, and you have seen most of his tragedies in London theatres. How can you best draw on this experience to use in your research paper? --- Your personal experience has no place in research papers, ever, because it is not valid. Mix your personal experience in with the academic research in the body of the paper. Your experience can frame your paper--short personal stories are good attention-grabbers in introductions, for example--but they shouldn't be the bulk of your proof. Since you have seen the plays live, your experience is as valid as any expert's. You can use this experience instead of doing research.

Your experience can frame your paper--short personal stories are good attention-grabbers in introductions, for example--but they shouldn't be the bulk of your proof.

For a paper on the Civil War, your professor has requested that you use two primary sources. Which of the following could you use as a primary source? --- A recorded conversation with your grandfather who is considered a Civil War expert A movie that focuses on historical accuracy in its portrayal of the Civil War letters from soldiers who fought in the Civil War A peer-reviewed article discussing daily life for soldiers.

letters from soldiers who fought in the Civil War

Darnell is writing a paper about climate change for his biology course and starts by freewriting for ten minutes. When he stops, he has a full page of notes and thoughts about climate change research and tidbits of things he's read about and heard related to the Great Barrier Reef, the loss of animal habitats, the decline in bee populations, ocean waste, vegan diets, pollution, fracking, and more. What should his next steps be? --- look over his list and find the things that sound more interesting or that he has strong feelings about. turn his free write into the rough draft for his paper. ask a classmate or peer to review his freewrite to tell him which topic will be most interesting to write about in his paper. look over his list and find the topics that sound most scientific and therefore more likely to impress his audience.

look over his list and find the things that sound more interesting or that he has strong feelings about.

Gavin created a cluster map, or "bubble cloud," about his topic. He also wrote a list of questions about it. Gavin is --- prewriting. reading critically. editing. proofreading.

prewriting

Cate made lists about her topic, drew a cluster map, and texted a friend to engage in a dialoging activity that was related to her topic. These are all examples of --- rough draft writing strategies. proofreading strategies. editing strategies. prewriting strategies.

prewriting strategies.

sufficiency

refers the amount of detail — is there enough detail to support the topic?

Relatedness

refers to the quality of the details and their relevance to the topic.

Support and Elaboration

specific details and information writers use to develop their topic.

two key concepts in support and elaboration

sufficiency relatedness