Class Work
1. Peer editing activity of the technology paper - Claims, reasons, and evidence...
2. Strategies for Writing a Conclision - take notes:
Strategies for Writing a Conclusion: Conclusions are often the most difficult part
of an essay to write, and many writers feel that they have nothing left to say
after having written the paper. A writer needs to keep in mind that the
conclusion is often what a reader remembers best. Your conclusion should be the
best part of your paper.
A conclusion should
- stress the importance of the thesis statement,
- give the essay a sense of completeness, and
- leave a final impression on the reader.
Suggestions
- Answer the question "So What?"
Show
your readers why this paper was important. Show them that your paper was
meaningful and useful.
- Synthesize, don't summarize
- Don't simply repeat things that were in your paper.
They have read it. Show them how the points you made and the support and
examples you used were not random, but fit together.
- Redirect your readers
- Give your reader something to think about, perhaps a
way to use your paper in the "real" world. If your introduction
went from general to specific, make your conclusion go from specific to
general. Think globally.
- Create a new meaning
- You don't have to give new information to create a new
meaning. By demonstrating how your ideas work together, you can create a
new picture. Often the sum of the paper is worth more than its parts.
Strategies
- Echoing the introduction: Echoing your introduction can be a good strategy if it
is meant to bring the reader full-circle. If you begin by describing a
scenario, you can end with the same scenario as proof that your essay was
helpful in creating a new understanding.
Example
Introduction
From the parking lot,
I could see the towers of the castle of the Magic Kingdom standing stately
against the blue sky. To the right, the tall peak of The Matterhorn rose even
higher. From the left, I could hear the jungle sounds of Adventureland. As I
entered the gate, Main Street stretched before me with its quaint shops evoking
an old-fashioned small town so charming it could never have existed. I was
entranced. Disneyland may have been built for children, but it brings out the
child in adults.
Conclusion
I thought I would
spend a few hours at Disneyland, but here I was at 1:00 A.M., closing time,
leaving the front gates with the now dark towers of the Magic Kingdom behind
me. I could see tired children, toddling along and struggling to keep their
eyes open as best they could. Others slept in their parents' arms as we waited
for the parking lot tram that would take us to our cars. My forty-year-old feet
ached, and I felt a bit sad to think that in a couple of days I would be
leaving California, my vacation over, to go back to my desk. But then I smiled
to think that for at least a day I felt ten years old again.
- Challenging the reader: By issuing a challenge to your readers, you are
helping them to redirect the information in the paper, and they may apply
it to their own lives.
Example
Though
serving on a jury is not only a civic responsibility but also an interesting
experience, many people still view jury duty as a chore that interrupts their
jobs and the routine of their daily lives. However, juries are part of
America's attempt to be a free and just society. Thus, jury duty challenges us
to be interested and responsible citizens.
- Looking to the future: Looking to the future can emphasize the importance of
your paper or redirect the readers' thought process. It may help them apply
the new information to their lives or see things more globally.
Example
Without
well-qualified teachers, schools are little more than buildings and equipment.
If higher-paying careers continue to attract the best and the brightest
students, there will not only be a shortage of teachers, but the teachers
available may not have the best qualifications. Our youth will suffer. And when
youth suffers, the future suffers.
- Posing questions:
Posing questions, either to your readers or in general, may help your
readers gain a new perspective on the topic, which they may not have held
before reading your conclusion. It may also bring your main ideas together
to create a new meaning.
Example
Campaign
advertisements should help us understand the candidate's qualifications and
positions on the issues. Instead, most tell us what a boob or knave the
opposing candidate is, or they present general images of the candidate as a
family person or God-fearing American. Do such advertisements contribute to
creating an informed electorate or a people who choose political leaders the
same way they choose soft drinks and soap?
Techniques
and examples are adapted from Basic Writing: A First Course, by Peter
Carino, Harper Collins, 1991.
New Topic: You have 10 minutes to walk around the campus and take pictures of walls, fences, or barriers. (Camera phones are OK. Sketches are just fine. Real cameras also work! ) Return to class to report.
Share what you found.
A trip to New England...Do good fences make good neighbors? Robert Frost: Mending Wall
A.
Homework: Write your conclusion. Post in MyCompLab along with your introduction. (20 pts.)
Note: The complete essay is due one week from today.
B. Homework: Locate a work of art that features a wall or barrier. Answer the questions below and post in MyCompLab. (35 pts.) Include the URL, if there is one, of the art. Be ready to share with a group on Thursday.
Looking at Art
- What
is the title of the work? How does the title help you to understand the
message? What is the message?
- What
is the most obvious image in the work. To where is your eye drawn?
- Look
at the colors. Are they symbolic? Would the message be different if the
colors were different? Explain.
- Study
the shading and shadowing. How do these elements impact the overall
message?
- Who
is the artist? When was the work created? Is the artist's message about a
specific event in history? What was going on in the world when the work
was created? Is the art universal - speaks to people of all times and in
all places, or is it limited to the audience for whom it was created.
- How
does the work relate to us in 21st century America?
- How
does the work relate to the literature studied?
