Unit 3 Draft Workshops

For each of the following documents:

11/18: Draft Workshop Feeder 3.1

11/28: Draft Workshop Feeder 3.2

12/2: Draft Workshop Unit 3 Project Script

12/5: Draft Workshop Unit 3 Project Audio

1. Double-check that it is shared with my correct email (written on the board)

2. Double-check that the workshop is clearly identified with your name and the date of the workshop

3. Paste a pink to the Google Doc in which the workshop appears in an email

Send this email to me. If you do not include a link to a particular assignment I will assume that it has not been completed.

Instructions for Posting Your VoiceThreads

1. Go back to voicethread.unc.edu and click on the “My Voice” tab. Click on the VoiceThread you wish to post.

2. Click the menu icon at the top left of the screen then click “edit.” Click the button at the bottom of the screen that says “Playback Options” and enter 0 as the time to wait between slides and check the button that says “Start playing when opened.” Click the “Save” button.

3. Click the button at the bottom of the screen that says “Publishing Options.” Check the box that says “Allow Anyone at UNC to View.” Click “Save.” 

4. Click the button at the bottom of the screen that says “Embed.” Copy the code in the box labeled “Embed Code” (just clicking anywhere in the box will copy the code for you). Go to blogger.com, log in, and click the button to make a new post. Click the button on the top left that says “html,” then paste in the code you copied earlier. Give your post a title and hit “Publish.”

5. Ask a groupmate or friend to open the VoiceThread on their computer by going to your blog. If your friend can’t open it for some reason then I won’t be able to either and I won’t be able to grade your assignment! Please contact me if you have any technical difficulties posting to the blog.

Final Draft Workshop!

Since many of you are at different stages of the drafting process, today you will compose all of the questions for your workshop. You can either compose new questions entirely or you can copy and paste questions from previous workshops. Please include at least 4 questions.

1. 

2. 

3. 

4. 

Link to Student Evaluation Forms

https://www.digitalmeasures.com/login/unc/student

Draft Workshop: Unit 3 Project Script

1. Does the script begin (i.e. in the first sentence) by telling the audience something they do not know? Is the author’s introduction one of the more effective or less effective introductions we talked about in class? If the script begins either with a rhetorical question or a broad declaratory statement (i.e. “Monet was one of the greatest artists of the 19th century,” “Abstract expressionists like Jackson Pollock sought to combine emotional intensity with non-figurative imagery”) work with the author to compose a more effective introduction and paste it below.

2. Does the thesis statement (as the assignment requires) make a strong and specific claim about the artwork’s relationship to a specific context? Does the thesis statement merely state that there is a relationship, or does it define that relationship specifically? If the thesis statement needs to be revised, work with the author to revise it and paste the new version here. In addition, does the thesis statement provide a road map for the rest of the essay and answer the “so what?” question? 

Compose two more questions addressing specific issues you are dealing with on this particular draft. You can copy and paste questions from previous draft workshops or compose new ones.

3. 

4.

Instructions for Assembling Your VoiceThread

1. In your browser, go to voicethread.unc.edu and log in with your ONYEN.

2. Click on the "Create" tab and then click the button that says "Upload." Upload each image that will appear in your VoiceThread.

3. Once you have your soundtrack completed in Audacity or Garageband, export your work as an mp3.

4. Open a new Audacity project (mac users: you will need to download audacity from http://audacity.sourceforge.net/), go to File > Import > Audio and open up the mp3 you just exported.

5. In order to split your audio track into separate files, you will need to insert a label at each point where the image in your VoiceThread changes. The first label should be at time 0:00. Place the cursor there (or press the home key) and go to Tracks > Add Label at Selection. Give the label a name like Section 1 (note: each label must have a UNIQUE name or the process will not work, so don’t name them all the same thing). Repeat this step for every point in your audio track where the image will change.

6. Once you are done with the labels, go to File > Export Multiple. Choose a destination folder for your mp3s and follow the prompts on screen. Audacity will split your mp3 into sections and place them in the designated folder. Note: if this is the first time you’re using Audacity you will need to download the file http://lame1.buanzo.com.ar/lame_enc.dll and, when prompted, tell Audacity where on your computer you saved the file.

7. Go back to VoiceThread and click the "Comment" button. Your first image should show up in a larger window to the right. Under the image, click the button that says "Comment," then click the up arrow that appears. Point VoiceThread to the file in which you exported the first section.

8. When you're ready to move to the next image / section, click the big arrow at the right of the VoiceThread or the thumbnail next to the arrow and repeat step 7.

9. For the sections of your VoiceThread in which you annotate the image, you will need to record the audio live. In the VoiceThread window, click "comment" and then click "record." Give the program permission to access you microphone, and it will record what you say. As you are recording you can draw on the image; you can change the color with the palette on the VoiceThread.

POSTING YOUR VOICETHREAD TO THE BLOG

1. Go back to voicethread.unc.edu and click on the “My Voice” tab. Click on the VoiceThread you wish to post.

2. Click the menu icon at the top left of the screen then click “edit.” Click the button at the bottom of the screen that says “Playback Options” and enter 0 as the time to wait between slides and check the button that says “Start playing when opened.” Click the “Save” button.

3. Click the button at the bottom of the screen that says “Publishing Options.” Check the box that says “Allow Anyone at UNC to View.” Click “Save.” 

4. Click the button at the bottom of the screen that says “Embed.” Copy the code in the box labeled “Embed Code” (just clicking anywhere in the box will copy the code for you). Go to blogger.com, log in, and click the button to make a new post. Click the button on the top left that says “html,” then paste in the code you copied earlier. Give your post a title and hit “Publish.”

5. Ask a groupmate or friend to open the VoiceThread on their computer by going to your blog. If your friend can’t open it for some reason then I won’t be able to either and I won’t be able to grade your assignment! Please contact me if you have any technical difficulties posting to the blog.

Draft Workshop: Feeder 3.2

1. In our introduction to Unit 3 we talked about the relationship between facts--or evidence--and more complex claims in the humanities. Do you think the author has done an adequate job of supporting his or her claims with objective facts about the piece(s) discussed? Point out at least two claims made about the piece(s) in the draft and explain how each of these claims is explicitly supported by reference to facts. If you think the claim could be better supported, suggest a fact about that painting that might help.

2. Does the draft adequately contextualize the piece under discussion? What kind of context (e.g. historical, aesthetic, etc.) does it provide? Does the contextual information seem more important than the discussion of the actual piece? If so, what might the author add or cut in order to put the focus back on the main piece? 

3. Is it clear how the author will use VoiceThread's visual annotation tools in order to help guide the reader through the image? Suggest ways in which the author might better use visual annotations in order to help convince the reader of his or her claims about the piece.

4. Do you think the audio track will hold the reader's attention? Has the author used music and other sound effects in order to break it up and make the information more digestible for the reader? Give any suggestions you might have for improving the audio track.

Draft Workshop Feeder 3.1

1. The assignment calls for you to explore the context of the article’s thesis statement, identifying the controversy into which the author is entering. Has the draft adequately fulfilled this requirement? Does the author give an indication of why the article is important to art historians? Could the author add any information to make this context richer?

2. The assignment also asks you to evaluate the author’s evidence. Does the draft adequately explain how the article’s author has supported his or her thesis statement? Do you feel as though you can adequately evaluate the article’s evidence with the information provided in your draft? Explain your answer.

3. Art history provides a perfect example to bring in images and other multimedia content to help aid the reader. Has the author taken advantage of this ability? Explain how the author might use additional images or multimedia content in order to make his or her argument clearer or more meaningful.

Add two of your own questions to this workshop that focus on issues on which you desire feedback. Feel free to copy and paste questions from previous draft workshops or compose your own.

4.

5. 

Model VoiceThread

http://unc.voicethread.com/?#q.b1546827.i8160362

1. Overall, how happy are you with your work for Unit 2? Note any frustrations or roadblocks that you encountered and how you overcame them. 

2. As I mentioned in class, the Mac/PC divide makes it very difficult to model the technical aspects of podcasting for the entire class. How prepared did you feel to meet the technical challenges posted by this assignment? Please make any suggestions about information that I could have given you up front that would have made the assignment easier to complete.

3. As I also noted in class, I have been disappointed so far with this class’s performance in draft workshops and other group activities. Please assess how your group is currently function, and make any suggestions you might have about how I can facilitate stronger and more productive interaction within your group.

4. Note at least two things that YOU can do in order to help improve the interaction within your group. Work hard to implement these plans in your work for Unit 3.

Francis Bacon: Three Studies for Figures at the Base of a Crucifixion

Unit 2 Project Workshop

1. As you listen to your partner's podcast for the first time, compose a DETAILED retrospective outline of the draft. Your outline should be about half a page long (single-spaced).

2. How easy was it for you to compose the outline? Were the transition moments clearly signaled to the listener? How were the signaled? Were there any transitional moments that need additional clarification? In general, does the podcast feel organized? Explain your answer.

3. How has the author handled the results section? Does it feel like a barrage of numbers, or is the information easy to digest? Do you have a sense of which bits of information are the most important and which are less important? How might the author highlight the most pertinent info in the results section more clearly?

4. Does the author adequately address the strengths and weaknesses of his or her study? Does the author reformulate the hypothesis or propose how the experiment might be conducted differently next time? Do you have a sense of what the author learned from the study and why that information is valuable to the listener?

5. Last week we talked about how the Discussion section of a research report should gradually "zoom out" from the narrow conclusions drawn from the study itself. Summarize briefly how the author accomplishes this task of "zooming out." Is it clear what the reader should take away from the study and the report? How might the author highlight this information more clearly in order to leave the reader feeling more satisfied?

Draft Workshop for Unit 2 Project Script

1. How has the author summarized the data that she or he collected in the experiment? Does this summary feel like an onslaught of numbers? Is it disorienting, or do can you process them all as the author is explaining them? How might he or she deal with this material more clearly?

2. Does the author restate clearly the original hypothesis and how the data proved or disproved that hypothesis? How could this information be better highlighted so that the listener will be sure not to miss it?

3. How does the podcast end? Is the ending effective? Why or why not?

4. How might the author interject another voice in a way that would make the podcast both clearer and more interesting?

5. What parts of the podcast do you think will be essential to highlight with music, sound effects, etc.? In other words, what are the most important transitional moments in the podcast? Does the author indicate how s/he will deal with these effectively? Suggest ways in which the use of music and sound effects might be improved.

Make sure to spend 5 minutes at the end wrapping up, giving general feedback, etc.

Getting Your Podcast on the Blog

Mac: GarageBand

At the top of your screen, click “Share” and then “Export song to disk.” 

Make sure the box next to “Compress” is checked, and change “AAC Encoder” to “mp3 Encoder.” 

Change “High Quality” to “Good Quality.” Click Export and choose a location for your file.

Windows: Audacity

Click this link for an explanation of how to install the MP3 codec: 

http://wiki.audacityteam.org/index.php?title=Lame_Installation#Windows_Instructions

This is a little more complicated! But if you run into problems you can rely on me and your group members.

Getting Your MP3 on Your Blog

1. 1. Go to www.divshare.com and sign up for an account.
2. 2. Once you’re in your dashboard click the big green button that says “upload a new file.”
3. 3. Click the “Choose File” button, locate your mp3 on your computer, and upload it to divshare (note: you’ll have to click the green “upload” button once you’ve chosen your file).
4. 4. Once your file is done uploading, click “Dashboard” at the top of the page, and your mp3 file should be listed near the bottom of the page. Click the link that says “embed” under your file name. Scroll down to the box labeled “embed code.” Copy this code and paste it into the “create post” window on your blog. Make sure you’ve clicked the tab that says “Edit html,” otherwise it won’t work.

Pre-Writing: Unit 2 Project

Within your group, form smaller groups of two or three. Begin by explaining the results of your study to your partner and showing him or her the data that you collected. From there, return to your notes on today's PowerPoint presentation and work with your partner to begin figuring out what information will go in your results section and what you will say in the discussion portion of your podcast. After doing this, you should have a rough outline of your podcast. If you get this far, begin thinking about how you will frame this information and how you will present it to your listener clearly and succinctly. As you make decisions about these aspects of your podcast, begin transforming the rough outline of your podcast into a more detailed script.

Critical Reading Activity

Up this point we've mostly looked at other students' writing, but from time to time it's helpful to remember that professionals still rely on the same fundamental writing skills that we learn about in this class. For this assignment, each group will read the assigned editorial from the New York Times:

Group 1: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/02/opinion/dowd-cain-not-able.html?_r=1&ref=opinion

Group 2: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/02/opinion/friedman-a-long-list-of-suckers.html?ref=opinion

Group 3: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/02/opinion/mr-corzines-big-bet-on-mf-global.html?ref=opinion

Group 4: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/02/opinion/how-to-prop-up-the-euro.html?ref=opinion

(Note: Registration may be required, but it only takes a minute.)

Within your groups, discuss your answers to the following questions and record your answers in a Google Doc. Each group need only create one document.

1. What is the article's thesis statement? Where does it appear? Does the thesis statement do the three things that we said all thesis statements should do? Explain your answer fully, noting in detail how the author fulfills each of these requirements. If you think s/he does not fulfill these requirements in the thesis statement, speculate as to why this is the case.

2. What kinds of appeals does the author make to his or her audience? Identify at least two specific appeals. Do you think the audience find these appeals convincing? Why or why not?

3. What kinds of research does the author employ to support his or her claim? Does this research come from popular, professional, or scholarly sources? If the author does not rely on research, how does s/he establish authorial credibility within the article?

4. Does the author employ strong paragraphing skills? Does each paragraph contain a topic sentences that expresses a single idea? Do all sentences in the paragraph explain that idea (and that idea only) fully and completely?

5. How does the author grab the reader's attention in the introduction? Can you categorize the introduction into one of the types we talked about in class?

6. Does the author employ a variety of different sentence types? Does the writing seem dynamic and powerful to you? Support your answer with specific details from the text.

At the end of the period I will ask each group to summarize their answers briefly for the rest of the class.http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/02/opinion/dowd-cain-not-able.html?_r=1&ref=opinion

Feeder 2.2 Podcast Workshop

Listen to your partner's podcast at least once without stopping, then answer the following questions in the Google Doc where that person kept his or her script.

1. Describe the author's implementation of the middle style. Is it a higher or lower take on the middle style? Does the author come off as a credible scientist? What aspects of the podcast contribute most to the author's voice? Be as specific as possible.

2. Do you zone out or become disoriented at any point in the podcast? At what point does the author lose your attention? Does s/he read too slowly or too quickly? Is the recording clear and easy to understand?

3. Describe how the author has implemented post-production techniques such as the addition of music, sound effects, etc. Do these help you to understand the content of the podcast or do they distract you from it?

4. Has the author done everything required for both the Introduction and Methods and Materials sections? Is this information clearly highlighted? Does the author do a good job of explaining the experiment without summarizing the results? Does the podcast sound too much or not enough like a proper scientific research report? What changes might the author make in order to enhance his or her credibility or come off as more approachable? 

Now, read these questions and then listen to the podcast again, thinking about how you will answer each question. If you need to listen again, rewind and listen to part of the podcast again. When you're done, answer these questions:

1. How does the author attempt to grab the reader's attention? Do you think the reader will be "hooked" within 10-15 seconds? Can the author's attention-getter be described as one of the more or less effective introductions we talked about? Explain your answer.

2. At what point does the author transition from the Introduction section to the Methods and Materials section? Describe how this transition takes place and how the author signals to the reader that s/he should be listening for a new idea. Identify any other transitions that are unclear or confusing. 

3. Is the hypothesis highlighted clearly? Can the author be absolutely sure that even a casual listener will understand the experiment's hypothesis? How does the author highlight this information? How might it be highlighted more clearly?

After you have answered all of these questions in the Google Doc, take 5 minutes to converse with your author, explaining both your answers to the questions as well as any more general or specific comments that didn't come up in your written feedback. Also, feel free to share any tips for using the recording software that the author might find helpful.

Podcasting Tutorial (sort of)

Today we will begin recording the Feeder 2.2 podcasts that you scripted last week. PC users will want to begin by downloading and installing the Audacity recording software:

http://audacity.sourceforge.net/

Mac users will have an easier time with GarageBand, which is probably already installed on your computer. If you don't have GarageBand, there is a version of Audacity available for Mac as well.

Once you have the software up and running, you may want to begin by recording your own voice and using some of the program's effects to manipulate the sound wave by cutting and pasting, overdubbing, or transforming it through effects. As we talked about during our discussion of the RadioLab podcast, these bells and whistles can be useful tools for orienting your listener, but remember that you want your listeners to pay attention to WHAT is being said, not HOW you're saying it.

As you get going, you may find yourself in need of sound effects and/or background music. As we discussed in class, you should be sure to obey the rules about intellectual property that we talked about. The following web sites provide free, legal samples that you can use in your podcast (note: some may require registration in order for you to download):

http://www.freesfx.co.uk/

http://www.soundsnap.com/

http://incompetech.com/m/c/royalty-free/

http://www.musicalley.com/

http://www.freesound.org/

Once you download these songs to your computer, you can drag them directly into GarageBand or add them into your Audacity project by going to File > Import > Audio. Once the sound is in your project you can use the program's tools to move it around and manipulate it just like you did with your voice.

We'll spend the entirety of today's class working on your podcasts, and you can rely on me and your group members for help realizing the ideas you spelled out in your scripts. In addition, during Thursday's optional class I will be available to help you troubleshoot any problems you run into. You can also search the web for general tutorials on podcasting or specific tutorials about making a particular sound or effect.

Draft Workshop Feeder 2.2 Script

1. How does the author attempt to grab the reader's attention? It will be helpful to think not just about what the author is saying--i.e. the words s/he is using them--but HOW s/he says them. Will there be music? Sound effects? Will these methods work? If we assume that a potential listener is going to give us 10 seconds of devoted attention before making up his or her mind about whether to listen, do you think this author will have grabbed the listener by that time? Why or why not?

2. When we listened to the RadioLab podcast we talked a lot about the ratio of scripted vs. unscripted content. What do you think that ratio will be in your partner's podcast? Do you think that ratio is appropriate given the tenets of the middle style? How might the author work in more unscripted content? How might the author integrate different voices, sounds, and other effects that might add dynamism to the finished product?

3. How does the author explain the experiment in the Methods and Materials section? How does the author deal with the problem of representing quantitative data orally? Do you think the listener will be able to understand precisely how the experiment works? Do you think the listener could repeated the experiment precisely him or herself? Suggest ways in which the author might make this Methods and Materials section clearer.

4. Your finished podcast will contain at least two main sections: Introduction and Methods and Materials. How does the author signals the transition between those two sections (or any others the podcast might include)? Do you think these transitions will be effective? Why or why not?

5. How has the author attempted to establish and maintain his or her scientific credibility? There is a fine line between being accessible and losing one's credibility; where does the author's voice and content reside on this line? If the author were to shoot for a slightly "higher" take on the middle style, how might the script change? Conversely, how would it change if the author were to go "lower?" 

Model Podcast

Listen to the following podcast:

http://uncquartet.blogspot.com/2010/11/charlottes-feeder-22.html

As you listen, compose a rough retrospective outline. What signals the listener that the author is beginning a new section or introducing a new idea? 

Draft Workshop: Unit 2 Data Sheets

What data you choose to collect and how you collect it is the backbone of your experiment; you won't be able to prove your hypothesis unless you collect your data in a way that is clear and consistent. Form yourselves into groups of 2 or 3, and after you have examined your partners' data sheets discuss the following questions aloud:

1. Your hypothesis should have identified a relationship between an independent and a dependent variable. How does the author measure changes in the independent variable? What about the dependent variable? Is the scale sensitive enough to measure subtle changes? Is it flexible enough to track unexpected changes?

2. We noted in class that the biggest danger to experiments of this nature is the confounding variable. What confounding variables do you anticipate might get in the way of proving the author's hypothesis? Are these variables accounted for in the data sheet? How might the author use the data sheet to keep track of these confounding variables and prove definitively that they have not shaped the relationship between the independent and dependent variables?

3. What other kinds of data might it be useful for the author to collect? Suggest at least two piece of data that the author might consider adding to his or her data sheet.

4. Is the data collected on the sheet adequately quantified? While there might be some space devoted to more open-ended, narrative responses, is the data predominantly in the form of numbers that can be quickly and easily analyzed? If not, how might the author collect the data in a way that is more quantitative and less qualitative?

If you find weaknesses in your data sheet, go ahead and revise them. At the bottom of your document (which you should have posted to Google Docs), write a short paragraph explaining what changes you made as a result of the draft workshop.

5 min: Draft Workshop Wrap-up

Talk with the person whose paper you read; this is the time to voice any concerns that were too complex to write down, or to make more general comments about where the draft is going.

Example Data Sheets

On Wednesday, October 26 you will workshop the forms that you will use to collect the data for your behavior modification experiment. In order to help generate ideas for how to format your sheet, here are a few examples from previous classes:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1wtFqAdeVDpFB6-Un6a3uZA6yGEOmhqPnOLuLf0RUnZw/edit?hl=en_US

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1LhEdfvSMNl76jckOUPyheqcLnjF1sfSzI29MyRA0AgU/edit?hl=en_US

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1z2i3A0CRM_6t74NvN9xX8PiR4150BArsjJFpl6BwfSo/edit?hl=en_US

Draft Workshop Feeder 2.1

1. The assignment asks you to take a piece of scientific research and make it meaningful to your audience. This involves a unique answer to the "so what?" question. How does the original article answer the "so what?" question? In other words, why does this research matter to psychologists? (note: you might have to ask the author or look up the original article to find out.) Now, explain why this research matters to your blog's audience… has the author explained and supported this answer adequately? Do you think your readers will really value this research in the way the author has proposed?

2. Many of your summaries for Feeder 1.2 were too long, too detailed, and too closely mimicked the structure of the original article. Does it feel like the author has fully digested the research he or she is presenting? Are the key terms explained vividly, simply, and in ways that your audience can understand clearly? Go through the draft and strike out any information that you think is too detailed for the needs of your audience.

3. Is the essay organized? Evaluate the author's paragraphing skills; does each paragraph have a clear topic sentence and stick to only one topic without wavering? Is each paragraph's idea fully developed? Identify any potential problem paragraphs and note how the author might revise them.

4. Evaluate the writer's introduction. Does s/he grab the reader's attention quickly? Does s/he transition quickly and effectively to the thesis statement? Does the author follow the pattern of one of the more or less effective introductions we talked about in class? Note any ways in which you think the introduction might be improved.

RadioLab Podcast Assignment (Homework over Fall Break)

We'll be working with the RadioLab podcast titled “Lucy.” You can hear it here:

http://blogs.wnyc.org/radiolab/2010/02/19/lucy/ 

or you can download the mp3 directly here: 

http://feeds.wnyc.org/~r/radiolab/~5/m9kyh3Sq7mk/radiolab_podcast702lucy.mp3

Read through these questions before you listen to the podcast, but answer them after you listen. As you are listening, compose a retrospective outline of the podcast. Post this outline along with your answers to the following questions in a new Google Doc titled "[your name]'s RadioLab assignment." Share this Google Doc with me.

1. What kind of “hook” do they use to draw in the listener? (Note: ignore the plea for money that precedes the podcast.)

2. Estimate what proportion of the program is based on extempore speech and what seems to be read from a script. How can you tell?

3. Note any background music or sound effects that seem to have been added in post-production. Why were these things added? How do they make the podcast clearer or more interesting?

4. Note any terms or concepts that you learned about from listening to the podcast. How were these explained? How did the authors make these complex ideas and terms easy to understand? 

Unit 2 Pre-Writing

Hopefully all of you have had time to think about what behavior you will modify for your Unit 2 Project. Begin by sharing your behavior with your group members; let them know why you're choosing to change this behavior and why you think it will be appropriate for the assignment. (Note: you may want to look over the Unit 2 assignment sequence to make sure you've chosen a behavior that will work for this study.) Once everyone has talked about his or her behavior, create chart in a new Google Doc titled "[your name]'s Unit 2 Pre-Writing." After you create the Google Doc, click on "Table" and then "Create Table" and make a table containing 3 columns and 1 row.

In column 1, spend at least two minutes listing everything you think you know about your behavior. These things don't have to be verifiable scientific fact; for instance, if you're trying to drink more water, you might write down that being properly hydrated gives you more energy, even though you'd probably want to do research to verify this fact. In listing everything you know about your behavior, you want to consider what kinds of things trigger your behavior, what happens after you do your behavior, how it makes the people around you feel, etc. There are no boundaries here… just get as much down on the page as you can.

In column 2, spend at least five minutes listing everything you are wondering about your behavior. This is the place for unanswered questions: you might question some of the things you assumed in the first column, you might wonder about previous research into your behavior, you might think about the consequences of changing your behavior… you chose to modify this particular behavior for a reason, so hopefully you are curious about many different aspects of it.

In column 3, spend at lest five minutes write down (as specifically as possible) how you will find out the answers to the questions you are curious about in column 2. Do you expect that some of your questions will be answered in previous research? How will you find this research (i.e. in popular sources, scholarly sources, etc.)? Will you be able to answer some of the questions with your own study? If so, how will you design your experiment so that it gives you a definitive answer to your question?

If you finish before the end of class you can begin research for your Feeder 2.1 assignment. If any new items for your 3 columns occur to you during your research, please return to this assignment.

Unit 1 Self-Assessment

Take a moment to look back at the earliest drafts of your Feeder 1.1 and 1.2 assignments. Think about how you have grown as a writer over the past 8 weeks. Next, answer each of the following questions with a short paragraph of 3-4 sentences.

1. Which class lessons have had the most impact on your writing? Which ones have had the least? Why?

2. Have you found the draft workshops helpful? Why or why not? Do you have any suggestions about how the peer review process can be more efficient or productive?

3. Do you feel like the in-class assignments and draft workshops helped to move your writing through the conceptual, organizational, and surface-level stages? Did you get stuck at any one of these stages during any of the assignments? If so, explain why.

4. Do you think any of the concepts or lessons covered in the course so far need additional clarification? How will this clarification help?

When you're done please email your responses to me. Please place your responses in the body of the message rather than as an attachment.

The Paramedic Method

1. Circle the prepositions (of, in, about, for, onto, into)

2. Draw a box around the "is" verb forms

3. Ask, "Where's the action?"

4. Change the "action" into a simple verb

5. Move the doer into the subject (Who's kicking whom?)

6. Eliminate any unnecessary slow wind-ups

7. Eliminate any redundancies.

Link to model draft

Another Unit 1 Project Workshop

Organizational Assessment 

1. In what order does the author present his or her supporting evidence (e.g. chronological, process order, cause-and-effect, etc.)? Is this the most appropriate order given the audience's level of understanding? Suggest at least one alternative way in which the essay might be organized. 

2. Is there a sense of balance to my essay? Do I spend too long on any single point, or do I seem to rush through important parts? Does any section feel either redundant or underdeveloped? 

3. Does each paragraph have a clear topic sentence? Does each topic sentence relate clearly back to the thesis? Does each paragraph deal with one idea and one idea only? Point out any points in the essay at which the paragraphing seems weak or confusing.

4. Does the essay have transitions that move the reader clearly from idea to the next? Does the writer make the relationship between the ideas clear with words that emphasize the essay's organization scheme (e.g. time-related words of the essay is organized chronologically, etc.)? 

5. Does each paragraph fully explain its main idea? Do any paragraphs feel thin or under-developed? Point them out. 

Assessment 

If you did not identify any major conceptual or organization issues in your answers to the above questions, let the author know that s/he can move on to Part 2. If you did identify any issues, explain as clearly and specifically as possible what you think the author needs to do in order to get this draft to the "surface-level concerns" stage. Try to format these instructions as a plan, e.g. "Your road map doesn't match the organization of the essay as a whole. Once you make those match by revising your thesis statements or re-ordering your paragraphs, you should look at paragraphs 3 and 5 because they each seem to deal with several ideas rather than one." 

Part 2 

1. All of your drafts are probably aiming for a middle style. Go through your partner's draft and highlight any words, sentences, or passages in which you think the essay deviates from a middle style (either by being too formal or too informal). If you have time, suggest ways in which the author might revise these sections in order to achieve a more appropriate tone for the assignment. 

2. Since writing in the middle style is targeted at a fairly wide audience, unfamiliar terms and concepts need to be defined. Examine the essay and point out any terms that aren't defined that probably should be. For the terms that are defined, are these definitions clear and concise? Does the reader understand everything s/he needs to in order to understand the author's point? 

3. Another aspect of the middle style is that it employs concrete nouns (rather than abstract nouns) and action verbs (rather than "to be" verbs). In general, does this essay feel concrete (that is, grounded in things you can see and touch) or abstract (that is, in the world of ideas) to you? Do you think the essay's level of abstraction is appropriate given the audience and the topic? Point out any specific passages in which you think the paper gets too abstract. If you have trouble locating these passages, try searching for "to be" verbs; they often cluster around these types of passages. 

4. Did you notice any examples of contentious terms or insensitive language in the draft? If so, point them out and suggest how the writer might replace this with more sensitive language.

Draft Workshop #2: Unit 1 Project

Trade papers with someone in your group other than the person who read your draft earlier in the class period. For your partner’s draft, write at least one substantial paragraph explaining whether you think the author’s priority, at this point in the composition process, should be conceptual concerns, organizational concerns, or surface-level concerns. Support your claim with evidence from the author’s draft, and point toward specific revisions that the author needs to make before moving on to the next level of concerns.

Draft Workshop: Unit 1 Project

1. Does the thesis statement accomplish all three things that, according to our lessons, a thesis statement should accomplish? Briefly summarize how the thesis statement makes a substantial claim about the essay's topic, lays out a roadmap for the rest of the essay and explains why the audience should care about the topic.

2. What kinds of evidence does the author cite in support of his or her claim? Is this evidence compelling? Is it enough to make you believe the claim put forth in the thesis statement? Why or why not?

3. What kinds of appeals does the author make to his or her audience (e.g. logical, emotional, ethical)? Are these appeals appropriate or convincing for the blog / essay's audience? Why or why not? Could the author effectively employ any other types of appeals?

4. Briefly describe the general tone of the essay. Does the author's tone come off as credible given the topic and the paper's audience? Has the author established a solid, reliable persona? Explain your answer.

Activity: Paragraph

Together with your group, examine each paragraph in the model draft for its relationship to the thesis, unity, coherence, and adequate development of the paragraph's main idea.

https://docs.google.com/document/edit?id=1cX0h_H4W-2YeE93VTdUAlYPT3gC1IhHtayokb49FUu8&hl=en&authkey=CKafxrUF

Create a new Google Doc in which you explain briefly how each paragraph might be improved. You can be as brief as possible, but more complex problems might require a bit more explanation. Each group need only create one document.

Activity: Reading Sources Critically

Begin by composing a retrospective outline of your article from Nature. Follow the procedures we talked about in class last week, beginning by identifying the author's thesis statement or central claim and identifying the central claim or idea in each paragraph. Put your reverse outline on Google Docs, share it with me and your group members, and in the same document complete the following tasks:

1. Describe, in a few words, the article's organizational scheme. Is there an order or a logic to the way the article unfolds? Why do you think the author chose to present the information in the order s/he did?

2. Identify at least three or four SPECIFIC places in which the author makes an appeal to his or her audience. For each appeal, note whether the author relies on ethos, pathos, or logos, and briefly explain why this appeal would be convincing for Nature's audience.

3. Note any places in which the author addresses a counter-argument to his or her thesis. Summarize both the counter-argument and how your author responds to it. Does this counter-argument prompt your author to limit his or her claim in any way? If so, how?

4. In order to write authoritatively about the subject you have chosen you will probably have to do more research on the topic. Jot down some notes about where you think this research might take you. Are there any specific references in the article that you should track down? Will you be looking for scholarly sources or popular ones? What kinds of search terms might you use? How will the research you find help to shape your argument and make it convincing?

5. Finally (and this is a tough one!) ask yourself, "what is missing from the article?" Are their any ideas, opinions, arguments, or references that seem to be missing, left out, avoided, or not addressed? Is there any aspect of the topic that the author just doesn't want to deal with, at least not in depth? Speculate as to why the author made these omissions, and how exploring these areas might be useful to you as you develop your own counter-arguments.

In-Class Assignment: Pre-writing for Unit 1 Project

Continue researching for your Unit 1 Project. In the Google Doc for your Unit 1 Project (which you will need to create if you haven't already), write 2 or 3 sentences about what types of appeals you think will be most useful for your project given your audience and topic. Using the research skills we have developed in class, work on finding sources (both scholarly and popular) that will allow you to construct those appeals in your essay. Keep a working bibliography of the sources you find in your Google Doc.

Homework:

Bring in the article you will argue against for the Unit 1 Project

In-Class Activity on Appeals

Read the following article from slate.com:

http://www.slate.com/id/2267094/pagenum/all/#p2

This article contains appeals of all three types: ethos, pathos, and logos. Work in your groups to identity at least one of each type of appeal in the article. Which of these appeals is most persuasive to you? Why do you think that is the case? In which order does the author present these appeals? Why do you think he chose that order?

Draft Workshop Feeder 1.2

Begin by composing a retrospective outline of your partner's paper, using the outline we composed of the Huckleberry Finn paper as a model. Once you have completed the outline, examine it for coherence, repetition, orderly logic and transitions, and whether it fulfills the demands of the prompt. Suggest any changes that you believe would improve the paper's sense of organization.

After you're finished, answer the following questions at the bottom of the draft:

1. Briefly describe the current draft's organizing principle. Could the information be organized in another way? Suggest a different organizing principle that would change the draft radically while still making sense, and revise the thesis statement to reflect this new organizing principle.

2. The prompt asks you to make the argument that the information summarized is relevant or interesting to your blog's audience. How does the author do this? Is the strategy effective? Suggest another way in which the author might have related the information summarized to his or her audience.

3. Describe the draft's introduction, concentrating on the first sentence. How does the author attempt to "hook" the reader? Does s/he begin by telling the reader something she doesn't know? If not, scan the body of the draft and/or the original article for an interesting fact that the author could place at the beginning of the essay.

Your Blog's Citation Conventions

Using the formal APA, MLA, and Chicago styles (refer to the relevant sections on the Library's Citation Tutorial (http://www.lib.unc.edu/instruct/citations/) for details), work with your group members to draft a rationale for how and why you will cite your sources on your blog. Compose a short, 2-3 paragraph essay that explains:

1. Why your group thinks that citing sources is important.

2. How citations will be implemented on your blog. This should take the form of a rough style guide like this one for MLA format: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/06/. You need only explain the format for the types of references you anticipate using most on your blog.

3. A short rationale for how and why you chose the citation style you agreed upon.

Post this essay to your blog by class time on Friday, September 23.

Why We Cite Tutorial

Go to the library's tutorial on citations and complete the section "Why We Cite:"

http://www.lib.unc.edu/instruct/citations/introduction/index.html

Stop reading when you reach the section on APA documentation.

PowerPoint on Introductions

https://docs.google.com/present/edit?id=0AV1JiXOw1yx0ZGN6OHp0dHpfNDlnNDVwendmdg&hl=en_US

Draft Workshop Feeder 1.2

1. We just finished talking about several different types of effective and ineffective introductions. What type of introduction does the current draft have? Is it one of the effective or ineffective introductions? Explain how you determined which category the introduction fits into.

2. How does the author answer the "so what?" question? In other words, why does the author's argument matter to his or her readers? At what point in the draft does the author establish this answer to the "so what?" question? Could it come earlier? Explain your answer.

Pre-Writing Assignment for Feeder 1.2

Arrange yourself into groups of 2 or 3 within your group. Show your partner the article you plan to write about for Feeder 1.2. Let your partner look it over and confirm that it is a scholarly source. If there is any question about the matter please call me over to help.

Next, get started on the introduction for your Feeder 1.2 assignment. As I noted in class, the introduction is where you explain to your audience why your article matters specifically to them. Draft at least two different introductions that avoid clichés and meet the other criteria for a good introduction that we talked about today in class. Add both introductions to a new Google Doc, where you will keep all of your work for Feeder 1.2.