Drafting Your Paper--Part 1

Drafting Your Paper--Part 1

Table of Contents:

1. Standards for Writing: Basics
• Learning from the Experts
2. Requirements for Essays
• Structure
• Voice
• Assigned Readings
• Research
• Arguing a Thesis
3. Getting Started: Organizing Ideas
• Understand the Assignment
• Brainstorm

o Graphic Organizers       

• Research

o Credible and Reliable Sources

• Outline

o Brief Ideas—limit full sentences

In our course, we will be working with a minimum standard of a basic 5-paragraph-essay, yet in 3^rd person voice, with provable content in every body paragraph, and proving logically the thesis statement contained in the introduction paragraph (as the last sentence of the introduction paragraph).  These basics will become very familiar to you as the course moves on and as you use this handout over and over.  If you have any specific questions, I welcome them in the Discussion Board forum in the Ask the Instructor thread.

Standards for Writing: Basics

As the class starts, you could be wondering, “What is she going to expect me to write?”  Well, the beginning of this document contains basics to help you get a general feel for the writing that will be acceptable in our class, and the rest of this handout will explain more elaborately the details associated with writing in a persuasive, academic-style while arguing a point.

Learning from the Experts I remember my years in college where I mistakenly believed that my professors had to allow me open-creativity while completing my assignments.  After all, I was an adult, now.  I was led to believe that after high school, I would get to begin making my own choices in life: whether positive or negative.  However, this did not happen in my college classes, nor did it occur in the ‘jobs’ that I worked to help pay for my studies.  Each professor—no matter the discipline of the course—had a specific requirement that I had to follow.  Whether it was the precise set-up of my Chemistry lab reports, the required step-by-step showing of my equation solutions in Calculus, or the seemingly restrictive structure of my essays in Studies in Medieval Literature, I was certain that I knew how to organize, sort, and present my information better than they did. Looking back, I now know that they were correct.  Each professor—whether I liked or personally related to him or her—had insights that I did not.  Each professor had experience in his/her field-of-study and knew best how to most productively succeed in it.  It only took me my first year of college-level studies to realize that the structure and organization touted by each of these professors in their given fields was the most logical and useful way of proceeding.  While I did not always agree with their personal views, one thing I could not dispute was that they all knew how to be methodical in their fields. I retell this so that you can hopefully learn more quickly than I did to respect the experience of professors.  While you may not always like their approach, beliefs, or views of the world, their experience in their fields are valuable.  Once you have learned from them—throughout your years of study—you have the option of stepping out of that ‘box’ of organized, prescribed structure and venturing out on your own.  However, while within the confines of the academic society, you will want to follow the pattern of presentation pre-set by your field.  In our case, this is writing.  There are basic standards for writing in English.  While your content may be subjectively reflected upon at times, the structure of your writing is objectively scored based on whether you have followed the pre-set conventions that best work to order ideas in a predictable and informative way.  Please review the organizational structure below and know that there is a method to my (writing) madness.  There is a reason that I want you to follow a specific order in your writing.  It is not so that I can have control over you.  I want you to follow this order so that YOU can have CONTROL over your presentation of material and CONTROL over the way you lead your reader through your argument.  I believe you will find ease and comfort in this structure once you use it effectively.  Try to respect the experience of those whom you have gone to for education and guidance.

Requirements for Essays

·         Structure

·         Voice

·         Assigned Readings

·         Research

·         Arguing a Thesis

1. STRUCTURE: At a minimum you will be writing a 5-paragraph-essay.

1. PARAGRAPH MINIMUMS FOR ESSAYS

                                          i.    This does not mean that it cannot be longer, with more body paragraphs; however, the minimum you will write for the essays in our class will be constructed in a 3-part-system: Introduction, Body, and Conclusion.

·         Introduction paragraph: with the thesis statement as the LAST sentence of that introduction paragraph.  You will learn more about introduction paragraphs below. It must be at least 3 sentences in length, but more are typical.

·         Body paragraphs: at least three that follow the hamburger method detailed in this handout, and more specifically in the Hamburger Method handout posted to the classroom.  Body paragraphs will be at least 5 sentences in length. You will learn more about body paragraphs below.

·         Conclusion paragraph: will be one paragraph which will tidy up the essay, pointing to the thesis, and at least 3 sentences in length. You will learn more about conclusion paragraphs below.

2. VOICE: You will only write in 3^rd person voice—unless your instructor specifically gives you the go-ahead for a Narrative writing in 1^st and 3^rd person voice.

1. ACADEMIC WRITING (ESSAYS)

                                          i.    You will never use 2^nd person voice in the academic writings for our course.

·         Eliminate 1^st and 2^nd person voice from your essays: you will not use I, we, you, us, etc. 

·         Learn to craft your essays using 3^rd person voice: you will use: he, she, it, they, etc.

                                         ii.    The best way to check to see if you are writing in the correct voice for your academic paper is to go into your writing, do a ‘FIND’ (see the top right of your program) and type in the BAD words that you were not to use.  If they come up, you will need to rewrite the sentence to get it out of the incorrect voice.

2. DISCUSSION BOARD POSTS AND PARTICIPATION

                                          i.    Discussion Board posts—while needing to maintain the 3-parts-system of writing with at least an introduction paragraph, one body paragraph (but more are typical, even in a Discussion Post), and a conclusion paragraph—will not be required to stay in 3^rd person voice since you will be reflecting on readings, addressing your peers, and engaging in dialogue with the class, thus allowing for 1^st, 2^nd, and 3^rd person voice.

3. OTHER DISCIPLINES

                                          i.    While the structure of your writing will remain the same throughout college, no matter what discipline you are writing within, the ‘voice’ may vary depending on instructor preference or discipline guidelines.

·         When writing in other disciplines at the college-level, be sure to ask your instructor if 1^st, 2^nd, or 3^rd person voice is the acceptable approach in that assigned writing. 

3. ASSIGNED READINGS AND QUALITY RESEARCH

1. For this class, you are required to use the assigned documents and research that you locate on your own through the library. 
2. Quality sources are to be used in the class, not Wikipedia or random blog sites with little credibility.  Be choosey about the sources you use.

4. ARGUING A THESIS

1. Finally, you will be arguing a point (or evaluating someone else’s argument) when you write. 
2. Whether you are writing a Classification or a Persuasive Argument writing, you need to assert a point and then prove that point in the writing. 
3. All writing needs to have a debatable thesis (point) and then adequately argue and prove that point. 

                                          i.    You can use the OWL of Purdue for help in crafting logical arguments at http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/659/1/

Getting Started: Organizing Ideas

• Understand the Assignment
• Brainstorm
• Graphic Organizers     
• Research
• Credible and Reliable Sources
• Outline
• Brief Ideas—limit full sentences

UNDERSTANDING THE ASSIGNMENT

1. Even if you have an instructor who has decided to try out new assignments this semester, your instructor has tried to give you the necessary information to be able to complete your work properly.
1. Instructors do not want you to fail.
2. We went into education to help people gain knowledge, and holding you back from that knowledge is never our goal.
3. The assignment directions that your instructor provided for you are essential to understanding what is expected of you to be able to demonstrate writing or content knowledge.

                                          i.    Go to this YouTube link to see the UNC Writing Center’s presentation on how to make certain that you understand the assignment given to you.

BRAINSTORM

2. Brainstorming is often a step in the Writing Process that students quickly skip over.
1. Brainstorming is essential because it:

                                          i.    Digs deep into the topic

                                         ii.    Begins the process of placing ideas on paper—so they become tangible

                                        iii.    Opens the topic discussion so that you are working through your assignment as you discuss your ideas with friends, family, and classmates

2. There are various Graphic Organizers and Brainstorming Styles you can use to begin this step. 
3. Look at our classroom blog and see if there is a Brainstorming idea you would like to use, or you could create your own.
4. Watch this brief video on how to create a mind map: click here.

RESEARCH

3. Research will often help you to become more comfortable with the topic assigned. 
1. While research comes in many forms: books, news reports, magazines, Internet pages, the library, or simply discussing the topic with those close to you—and possibly experts in the field—you need to be very careful with who or what you believe.
2. Credible Sources: Unbiased and Peer Reviewed sources by an Expert on the Topic

                                          i.    Video

3. Reliable Sources: Trusted source or publication appropriate to the time-period in discussion creates reliability

                                          i.     video

4. Even if you are not required to use research materials in your assignment, a few hours of quality reviewing of your topic at the campus library can greatly expand your view of the topic, help focus your ideas, and prepare you for all sides of the issue.

                                          i.    While I find the word ‘crap’ low class and inappropriate in academic writing, this term has become common to complete source review in learning centers of American college by performing a C.R.A.P. test: SEE HERE for a C.R.A.P. test song, SEE HERE.

                                         ii.    NOTE: You do not have to review the C.R.A.P. test information above if you consider the term they are referencing inappropriate.  However, as an appeal to the cultural youth of today, the Learning Centers did a good job grabbing students with this concept.

OUTLINE

4. Outlines are required in academic writing to help you briefly organize your ideas in a way that will best follow the DRAFTING assigned to the essay with the use of the Hamburger Method.
1. In the class blog, you will be able to see a few handouts that will assist you with your outline:

                                          i.    Outline Suggestions

                                         ii.    Outline Basics

2. Keep the content in your outline as brief and organized as possible.  You will not write full sentences—or worse, yet—full paragraphs in an outline.  Save the full sentences and paragraphs for when you get to the DRAFTING stage.  Don’t worry!  It’s coming up next! 

 Go to Drafting Your Essay—Part 2 handout

for the next steps in the Writing Process, focused on DRAFTING.