November 29, 2012

Tonight will likely be another shorter class as we do peer review for Major Essay 3.  Judging from the lack of e-mails in my inbox, I can assume one of two things: either the essays are going so well that no one needs to contact me with problems, or the essays are going so poorly that few people have been able to send anything in.

It's a process.  Regardless of what you have done, bring whatever you can tonight.  Instead of doing a formal rough draft grade for individual essays, you can earn full credit just for showing up with at least a couple of pages (it is a 7 - 10 page essay in the end).  We'll brainstorm together and see what we can do.

Visit http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/  or http://easybib.com/ for additional help formatting the Works Cited page.

Visit the WU Writing Center http://www.washburn.edu/current-students/tutoring-writing-center/index.html at the Mabee Library to have an additional set of eyes on the essay.

Good luck.  Keep on writing.

Homework

• Major Essay 3 - printed copy - Final Draft due in class Thursday, 12/6/12

November 15, 2012

Tonight will likely be a shorter than usual night class.  We are in the process of shaping and writing Major Essay 3.  Tonight we'll exchange and discuss potential topics and thesis statements.  Our goal for tonight is to leave with a topic in hand and a reminder of the research and available resources available to us.  With next week being Thanksgiving, we won't be together again for two weeks.  A rough draft of the essay will be due by the time we return to class on Nov 27.

Questions? Contact me by e-mail, text/phone call, Facebook, or Twitter.

Objectives

• Use the writing process to shape the development of the essay 
• Identify and analyze what makes an effective thesis
• Identify and analyze resources available for researching the essay

Activities

• Review the requirements for Major Essay 3
• Complete the Topic Proposal for Major Essay 3
• Share in groups and as a class for evaluation of the proposal & thesis
• Review the research resources available for the essay

Homework

• Major Essay 3 rough draft (electronic copy) due by Thursday, Nov 27
• Bring in a printed copy of Major Essay 3 for peer review

November 8, 2012

This week we will move into the last major essay of the semester: the Persuasive Research Essay.  This essay will require us to use all of the structures and the writing skills we've learned throughout the semester in order to be successful.  It will also require us to evaluate and integrate research into our writing.  Though this will be a long writing assignment, we will break up the steps and work together to ensure each of us understands what is required before moving on to the next step.

Objectives

• Use the writing process to shape the development of the essay
• Identify and analyze how authors manipulate structure to achieve their purpose
• Identify and analyze how to integrate credible research into our essays

Activities

• Minor Essay 3a due, discuss and hand in
• Discuss Zinn (861-868), Jefferson (696-699), Ehrenreich (650-654), and Swift (831-838)
• Identify and analyze each author's thesis, use of evidence, and presence 
• Integrating research discussion and practice
• Assign and discuss Major Essay 3

Homework

• Major Essay 3 - Topic Proposal