Month: November 2018

From the large packet I handed out last week, read p. 132-139. One is an essay on “Clutter” and another is on “Grammar.” After you read, choose 5 sentences from your paper and edit out the “Clutter” and clear up the grammar. In your reply to this post, post two paragraphs: both the original 5 sentences and the decluttered, re-grammarized versions. : )

You should also begin revising your papers this week.

**Remember we’re in the computer lab in the other building on Thursday.**

All specifications for the rough draft are in the rubric. Except:

(1) Bring three copies of your rough draft on Tuesday.

(2) Write a cover letter

(3) Email me a copy as well

As mentioned in class, your annotated bibliography is your main homework. In addition to the criteria on the rubric, please brainstorm theses DURING/ AFTER your readings for the bibliography. Write out three versions of your thesis and post those in response to this blog post.

For Thursday, complete two of your Annotated Bibliography entries and bring them to class *in the 7th floor computer lab in the other building*. This will be a studio/workshop/conference day. Bringing the hard copies to class will count toward your blog post homework grade.

For Tuesday,

1. Edit and expand your guiding question and post it in response to this post. If you have sub-questions related to the big one, you can list them underneath it. Just make sure that the sub-questions are relevant to the guiding question and do not chart an entirely new inquiry.
2. Find sources and work on your annotated bibliographies (due Thursday). It is a lot of work, but it pays off. Remember that your sources should include the following: at least one primary source, two secondary sources, one multi-media source, one book, and one journalistic article. Your bibliography needs at least 6 sources, but that is a bare minimum. Higher quality papers will include around 10 sources, which includes primary and secondary.

Your assignment is to choose your topic for your research paper. We will be going over the assignment this week in more detail, but in general you are being asked to research a crisis of your choosing. To help you put more thought into your decision-making process, I’d like you to email me with your topic choice and a one page write-up explaining your choice. Here are questions that you writing should answer:

1. Why are you curious about this crisis? Do you have a personal stake in it or some other motivation that makes you want to dedicate an unusual amount of time and effort towards understanding its complexities? In general, explain how you decided on this topic.
2. Why do you think it is important for our classroom community to learn more about the crisis you’ve chosen? Who are other intended audiences for your exploration of this crisis?
3. What are the multiple perspectives that you imagine as central to an analysis of this crisis?
4. Which sources have you looked at so far? Please give me at least two links to prove that you’ve done some preliminary searching about the topic that helped you arrive at your decision, and tell me how they were helpful.