lesson 11: a powerful product
We have been spending considerable time (the whole unit, in fact!) on learning how to analyze, identify, and write an academic argument.
Last lesson, we spent an hour (or more!) writing our body paragraphs and conclusion on our chosen topic:
Do you think college athletes should be paid to play?
OR:
Do you think people shouldn't be allowed to read certain books?
What you wrote for lesson 10 was the rough draft.
In this lesson, you'll work with your rough draft to revise and edit it into a final draft.
Last lesson, we spent an hour (or more!) writing our body paragraphs and conclusion on our chosen topic:
Do you think college athletes should be paid to play?
OR:
Do you think people shouldn't be allowed to read certain books?
What you wrote for lesson 10 was the rough draft.
In this lesson, you'll work with your rough draft to revise and edit it into a final draft.
Revision
To revise a paper means to check to make sure that it makes sense. We aren't concerned too much with proper spelling, grammar or punctuation so much here. What we pay the most attention to is the format--or overall structure--of the argument.
Slide 3 of the lesson gives you a short video to watch to help you identify the 6 traits of effective writing.
I can offer the following advice to revising this particular essay:
Do I have an introduction?
Do I have three body paragraphs with researched support?
Do I have a conclusion paragraph?
Is my essay no less than 25 sentences, 5 sentences per paragraph?
If I read it out loud to someone, where do they get lost?
If your answers to those questions aren't yes and nowhere, then you have to spend some time revising your essay.
NOTE: In case no one ever told you, sometimes revising means completely re-writing sections of your essay. Sometimes when you revise, you spend just as much time and brain power as you did when you originally wrote it. In other words, now that you've created it...remodel it. Do surgery on it. Cut out sentences that mean nothing. Add sentences that mean something, that are kind to your readers (don't let them get lost!), and that are interesting to read. Re-write to make your ideas more clear and your arguments more convincing.
NOTE: In case no one ever told you, everybody has to revise (even the pros). If you aren't revising, I promise you aren't producing your best work.
There is a revision checklist on slide 3. I suggest following it.
Slide 3 of the lesson gives you a short video to watch to help you identify the 6 traits of effective writing.
I can offer the following advice to revising this particular essay:
Do I have an introduction?
Do I have three body paragraphs with researched support?
Do I have a conclusion paragraph?
Is my essay no less than 25 sentences, 5 sentences per paragraph?
If I read it out loud to someone, where do they get lost?
If your answers to those questions aren't yes and nowhere, then you have to spend some time revising your essay.
NOTE: In case no one ever told you, sometimes revising means completely re-writing sections of your essay. Sometimes when you revise, you spend just as much time and brain power as you did when you originally wrote it. In other words, now that you've created it...remodel it. Do surgery on it. Cut out sentences that mean nothing. Add sentences that mean something, that are kind to your readers (don't let them get lost!), and that are interesting to read. Re-write to make your ideas more clear and your arguments more convincing.
NOTE: In case no one ever told you, everybody has to revise (even the pros). If you aren't revising, I promise you aren't producing your best work.
There is a revision checklist on slide 3. I suggest following it.
Editing
Now that you have revised your essay, take a deep breath. That was some work, wasn't it?
Hang in there!
You are almost ready to turn in the final draft, but there is one more thing that needs to be done--the finishing touches!
It is now time to edit your essay--and here is where we look with a critical eye for grammar, spelling and punctuation, as well as correct MLA in-text citations. Oh wow!! MLA citations, remember those? WAAAAYYYY back in lesson 6, MLA in-text citations were introduced, and then we practiced them in the paragraph we wrote in lesson 7.
Slide 3 provides an editing checklist for you to follow. Please spend time editing your essay now--all 25 sentences of it!
View this one-minute video for a brush up on how to do MLA citations in your body paragraphs:
Hang in there!
You are almost ready to turn in the final draft, but there is one more thing that needs to be done--the finishing touches!
It is now time to edit your essay--and here is where we look with a critical eye for grammar, spelling and punctuation, as well as correct MLA in-text citations. Oh wow!! MLA citations, remember those? WAAAAYYYY back in lesson 6, MLA in-text citations were introduced, and then we practiced them in the paragraph we wrote in lesson 7.
Slide 3 provides an editing checklist for you to follow. Please spend time editing your essay now--all 25 sentences of it!
View this one-minute video for a brush up on how to do MLA citations in your body paragraphs:
assessment: portfolio
For this lesson, you'll turn in your final draft of your academic argument essay.
The lesson provides a worksheet to copy and paste your essay on to.
Please make sure that you have 5 identifiable paragraphs (indent where a new paragraph starts), otherwise I may think you just have one really long intro paragraph!
Full points are earned on this assignment by editing and revising the essay that you turned in for lesson 10, that it consists of an introduction with a claim, three body paragraphs with researched support, a conclusion and that is no less than 25 grammatically correct sentences. You'll also need to complete the reflection questions at the end of the worksheet in order to earn full points for this assignment.
Unit 2 is almost done!!
You've competed all the hard stuff!
This course should be a breeze from here on out!
We work with this academic argument one more time (in the next lesson).
See you there!
The lesson provides a worksheet to copy and paste your essay on to.
Please make sure that you have 5 identifiable paragraphs (indent where a new paragraph starts), otherwise I may think you just have one really long intro paragraph!
Full points are earned on this assignment by editing and revising the essay that you turned in for lesson 10, that it consists of an introduction with a claim, three body paragraphs with researched support, a conclusion and that is no less than 25 grammatically correct sentences. You'll also need to complete the reflection questions at the end of the worksheet in order to earn full points for this assignment.
Unit 2 is almost done!!
You've competed all the hard stuff!
This course should be a breeze from here on out!
We work with this academic argument one more time (in the next lesson).
See you there!
Alternative Assessment+ Extra Credit
The alternative assessment option here is to turn in:
1) Your rough draft
2) Your revised and edited final draft
3) Works Cited page
Please make sure that everything is in proper MLA format on a Word doc.
Proper MLA format means (at a minimum):
Double-spaced
12 point Times New Roman font
Name, Instructor's Name, Course and Date appear in the upper right hand corner
Works Cited is in alphabetical order
Works Cited entries have a hanging indent.
Extra credit of up to 100 portfolio points may be earned for this option.
Please view the following sample MLA formatted essay.
1) Your rough draft
2) Your revised and edited final draft
3) Works Cited page
Please make sure that everything is in proper MLA format on a Word doc.
Proper MLA format means (at a minimum):
Double-spaced
12 point Times New Roman font
Name, Instructor's Name, Course and Date appear in the upper right hand corner
Works Cited is in alphabetical order
Works Cited entries have a hanging indent.
Extra credit of up to 100 portfolio points may be earned for this option.
Please view the following sample MLA formatted essay.
example_paper.doc | |
File Size: | 79 kb |
File Type: | doc |
If you do not turn in all three items (rough draft, final draft and works cited) the assignment will be given a zero, with a note that you still have a chance to earn full points by turning in the completed assessment for the lesson, not the alternative (and no extra credit).
See you in lesson 12!!
See you in lesson 12!!