1. Instructor: Chris Danelski, Ph.D.
CM107 Unit 5 Seminar: Review of Unit 5: Using online sources & Overview of Unit 6: The first draft
Instructor: Chris Danelski, Ph.D.

2. In previous units, you learned about researching, citing and avoiding plagiarism. You also selected a topic for your upcoming FINAL PROJECT due in unit 9. Have you faced any more WRITING TEMPTATIONS since then? Do you have any questions from units 1-5?
REVIEW UNITS 1-5

3. Keep in mind that all of Unit 5 must be turned in by midnight tonight because instructors must turn in all grades for conditionally enrolled students by Thursday. So I will grading everything for this class, tomorrow, Wednesday, May 23.
Thanks for your help in this matter!
Unit 5 Review

4. Unit 5 Assignments: Reading
The Kaplan Guide for Successful Writing, Chapter 13 “Outlining” in Section 3 of the pdf files located in the doc sharing tab of this course.
For help with citing electronic sources including web sites, review the following Writing Center workshop recording: 
 her=false&fcsContent=true&pbMode=normal
For valuable strategies on how to avoid plagiarism, review the following Writing Center workshop recording: 
 her=false&fcsContent=true&pbMode=normal
For more information on reliability and internet sources, review the following Writing Center Podcast: 
 _Internet_Only_Sources.pdfID: CM RScenario
Unit 5 Assignments: Reading

5. UNIT 5 ASSIGNMENTS: DISCUSSION BOARD
Part I: Post your brainstorming ideas about your Final Project topic and then discuss why these possible topics interest you and how you might ultimately choose one of these topics and write about this subject to help someone struggling with this issue. How will the choice of this particular audience affect how you write your essay?
PART II: Having chosen a possible topic from your list above, locate ONE reliable internet source that might help you gain valuable knowledge on this subject you can share with your audience for the Final Project. Explain why you chose this source, why you think it is reliable and how the source might help you as you write your essay on this topic. Provide a reference page citation and an in text citation for the source. Discuss at least one strategy you will use for avoiding plagiarism when you use sources like this one in your writing.
UNIT 5 ASSIGNMENTS: DISCUSSION BOARD

6. UNIT 5 ASSIGNMENTS: Tonight’s seminar
Review of Unit 5 assignments.
Overview of Unit 6 – especially the Unit 6 Project, the first draft of the final project essay/
UNIT 5 ASSIGNMENTS: Tonight’s seminar

7. UNIT 5 ASSIGNMENTS: Learning Journal & Learning Activities
Learning Journal: What have you learned about the research process and what else do you need to know about that process? Why do you think sources are both valuable and dangerous?
Learning Activity: Grammar activities about proper subject and verb usage.
UNIT 5 ASSIGNMENTS: Learning Journal & Learning Activities

8. Even though the final project is not due until the end of unit 9, beginning the writing process now will help you avoid the frustration that occurs when you wait until the last minute. Take the topic idea you have chosen for your final project essay and do the following:
Begin with an APA formatted title page.  
Then, for Part I of this assignment, write a SENTENCE OUTLINE that establishes a thesis and organizational plan for the essay you will write. The more detailed your outline is, the more valuable it will be.
For Part 2 of this assignment, take that outline and flesh out the ideas by writing a draft of the essay itself. The draft itself should be around words. It does not have to include a formal essay introduction or conclusion, but it should have a clear thesis and should be organized into clear, generally well-developed paragraphs. You should incorporate and use at least 2 reliable sources and cite those sources both within the body paragraphs where you use the source information and in the References page at the end of the draft.
For help with the Research Process and your Unit 6 project, be sure to review the following video created by your KU Library staff:
UNIT 6 PROJECT

9. Before you begin to outline your ideas, consider working through the PREWRITING strategies you have learned about. Consider listing. Consider free writing.
Then, establish a thesis that indicates the main point you are making in the essay.
Without a thesis, creating an outline may very well be impossible.
SHARE your topic and possible thesis statement
BEFORE YOU OUTLINE

10. Some say “I don’t like to outline. It LIMITS me
Some say “I don’t like to outline. It LIMITS me.” That actually is the value of an outline. Do you find yourself losing focus when you write? Do you sometimes include information not relevant to the topic? An outline will help avoid this.
What else can an outline help you to do?
HOW do you create an outline?
Practice taking your THESIS and dividing it into its logical parts. Post what you come up with.
OUTLINE

11. Your very FIRST draft may very well be scattered, unfocused, and full of errors. That is ok for the first draft. The draft you submit for your unit 6 project should, however, be a more polished draft so you can receive helpful feedback. Consider pre-drafting before, you then will revise that into a more readable draft you submit as your Unit 6 project.
What are the benefits of a draft?
How do YOU draft?
What is your PLAN for your unit 6 project?
Remember to review the PROJECT RUBRIC
DRAFTING

12. FIELD TRIP Review the SAMPLE UNIT 6 PROJECT in your course.
What is the writer’s purpose?
Who is the author writing to?
What would you say about the outline and draft? How might the outline and draft help the author to move forward in the writing process?
How does reviewing the sample help you to clarify the expectations for the assignment?
FIELD TRIP

13. Unit 6 Assignments: Reading and Viewing
Course Overview: Link to pdf “Writing Types & Tools” and link to video “Kaplan Online Library Research Tutorial”
Reading: Two readings on how to overcome writer’s block, readings on creating outlines from The Kaplan Guide to Successful Writing and a Writing Center ppt presentation on outlining and a second Writing Center ppt presentation of writing a strong first draft! All are useful. Check them out!
Unit 6 Assignments: Reading and Viewing

14. Discussion Board: Generate ideas for your Unit 6 Project by creating a fun and original dialogue between two people and respond to two postings by fellow classmates.
Unit 6 Project: Write a word draft using at least 2 reliable sources with APA formatting and citations.
Unit 6 Assignments:

15. Learning Journal: Think about what effective writing is to you
Learning Journal: Think about what effective writing is to you. Define it in your own words and pick one piece of writing you remember that you think demonstrates effective writing. It should be nonfiction rather than a poem, short story or novel. Who wrote it, what is it about, and why do you think this piece of writing is effective?
Learning Activities: Continue grammar review with a focus on pronoun use, making sure that when you write, you choose the appropriate form of the pronoun (I or me, for example), along with making sure that the pronouns you use are correct.
Unit 6 Assignments:

16. Looking ahead to Unit 7 Assignments: Overview & Reading
See Unit 7 Overview for pdf link on editing and revising.
Review information on establishing a thesis, pages in The KU Guide to Effective Writing, located in your course Doc Sharing tab
For information on writing strong paragraphs, read pages in The KU Guide to Effective Writing, located in your course Doc Sharing tab.
For more information on audience and purpose, listen to the Writing Center podcast on this topic at
For more information on writing strong paragraphs, review the following Writing Center information: h_Workshop.pdf
For information on strategies for paragraph development, review the following Writing Center workshop recording: fcsContent=true&pbMode=normal
For help with paragraph unity and coherence, including how to organize and link ideas in a paragraph, review the following Writing Center recording: csContent=true&pbMode=normal
To learn how to create an APA formatted title page and how to format your paper itself, review this 5 minute video:

17. Looking ahead to Unit 7 Assignments: Discussion Board
For this Discussion, post the draft of your Final Project essay you submitted to the Unit 6 Dropbox here. (Do not attach the project file. Simply cut and paste the draft part.) Along with your draft, help your classmates to see what you need help with by writing a short paragraph explaining to them what you see as the strengths and weaknesses of your draft and telling them what you already plan to work on to make the draft stronger. This will give your classmates help with offering the most valuable constructive advice possible.
Then select two classmates’ drafts to respond to. Remember to spread the wealth. Do not review a classmate’s draft if that classmate already has received two peer reviews. This will guarantee that everyone gets helpful advice.

18. Looking ahead to Unit 7 Assignments:
Seminar: Review of Unit 6 Assignments & Overview of Unit 7.
Learning Journal: This week, you are in effect helping to mentor your classmates by offering them advice on improving their drafts. Has anyone ever served as a mentor to you or have you yourself served as a mentor to someone else? Describe a specific situation where you were either a mentor or someone being mentored, focusing on how this experience was helpful to both you and the other person or people involved.
Learning Activities: Solving problems with sentence structure.

19. Thanks for attending live seminar!
Remember most of the work is due Tuesday at 11:59 pm. Option 2 for the seminar is due Friday at 11:59 pm.
You can reach me via or chat with me before or after class via AIM: CDanelski2 or
Time management is the key to success!