1. English 51 Wednesday, January 30, 2013 Melissa Gunby

2. Freewrite!  If you could invite four people (living or dead) to a dinner party, whom would you invite? Name your guests and write a little about the topics you would discuss or questions you would ask.  When finished, please turn this in with any homework you have completed.

3. Paragraph Structure

4. Paragraphs

5. Hey, what’s a paragraph anyway?  A paragraph is a group of sentences (usually between 6 and 10 though there is no rule) that focuses on a central idea.  The role of the paragraph is to cluster information around a central idea (topic sentence) that supports the essay’s main point.

6. Topic Sentences  Every paragraph must have a topic sentence.  A topic sentence contains a topic (what the paragraph is about)  It also contains a controlling idea (what the writer thinks about the topic)  The topic sentence should be like a one-sentence summary that tells the reader what to expect in the coming paragraph.

7. All living creatures manage some form of communication. The dance patterns of bees in their hive help to point the way to distant flower fields or announce successful foraging. Male stickleback fish regularly swim upside-down to indicate outrage in a courtship contest. Male deer and lemurs mark territorial ownership by rubbing their own body secretions on boundary stones or trees. Everyone has seen a frightened dog put his tail between his legs and run in panic. We, too, use gestures, expression, postures, and movement to give our words point. -Olivia Vlahos, Human Beginnings

8. Practice Students at another college wrote these topic sentences. Which ones are strong? Which ones are weak? Why? How would you revise the weaker ones to make them strong?  I would hate to have the age of drinking be legalized at 18.  If the age limit for drinking would be lowered to 18 years old I believe that it would be a problem due to the fact that at 18 years old most of the teens aren’t responsible enough to handle alcohol.  Lowering the drinking age could cause teens to have many problems.  The only acceptable answer for being allowed to drink under the age of 21 is enlistment into the armed forces.  I am against lowering the national drinking age to 18.  The drinking age should not be lowered to 18 even though at 18 you are considered an adult.

9. Paragraph Unity  Sentences that don’t support the topic sentence destroy paragraph unity. This means the paragraph will not be well focused, and won’t help the reader understand your point.  As a solution, try omitting what doesn’t belong and use it in another paragraph.

10.  As the result of tax cuts, the educations facilities of Lincoln High School have reached an all-time low. Some of the books date back to 1990 and have long since shed their covers. The few computers in working order must share one printer. The lack of lab equipment makes it necessary for four or five students to work at one table, with most watching rather than performing experiments. Also, the chemistry instructor left to have a baby at the beginning of the semester and most of the students don’t like the substitute. As for the furniture, many of the upright chairs have become recliners, and the desk legs are so unbalanced that they play seesaw on the floor.

11. Group Exercise  Writer's Reference on the web Writer's Reference on the web

12. Develop the main idea/give adequate support  There is no hard and fast rule when it comes to paragraph length. Paragraphs need to be long enough to get the job done, which means convincing the audience that you’ve supported your point.

13. Ending the Paragraph  Just like all paragraphs need a topic sentence to introduce the topic and provide the reader with an idea of what’s coming, they also need a conclusion or summary statement to bring the paragraph to a close.  This statement should connect back to the topic sentence without restating it exactly.

14. Basic Model of a Paragraph Topic SentencePrimary Support Secondary Support (explain) Secondary Support (example) Secondary Support (long term effect/result) Primary Support Secondary Support (explain) Secondary Support (example) Secondary Support (long term effect/result) Primary Support Secondary Support (explain) Secondary Support (example) Secondary Support (long term effect/result) Conclusion/Summary

15. Make Paragraphs Coherent  Link ideas  Repeat key words  Use parallel structures  Maintain consistency  Provide transitions

16.  Topic Sentence: the main idea around which the paragraph will be built  Primary Support: Primary supports are like the foundation of a house: we use them to set up the details or secondary supports to build the paragraph.  Secondary Supports: secondary supports are the details or framework of an essay. These are the way we support the topic sentence and primary supports and give the readers the detail they need.

17.  Class Practice: Let’s say we all agree with the statement “The drinking age should not be lowered to 18.”  What are three Primary (big) supports we could use to support a topic sentence that agrees with that statement?

18.  Now let’s fill in some details. Spend a few minutes in groups discussing these three and let’s see if we can put something together  Primary 1:  Primary 2:  Primary 3:

19. Paragraph Outline An outline for this paragraph would look something like this, only longer, because we have three primary supports (and this slide just isn’t big enough). Topic Sentence: Primary Support: Secondary Support a (explain): SSb(example): SSc(effect/result/analysis):

20. Activity!  On Monday, when we discussed brainstorming, I asked you all to work with the subject “should the day after the superbowl be a national holiday?”  Using your brainstorming and notes from Monday, I want you to write a paragraph.  Remember to include a topic sentence and clear supporting points.  You will be turning this in

21. Group Projects

22.  I want to give you time to work on your group assignments for the chapters in Ender’s Game. Please get with your groups and spend some time looking over the assignment, brainstorming, and whatever other planning you need to do to be prepared.  If you’re going to do something that needs photo copies, please get them to me the class before your presentation (if you present on Wednesday, please give me the materials on Monday).  Please ask me if you’re not sure where to start with this assignment.

23. Writing Assignment Page 29

24. Writing a Report  For your first writing assignment, I’m asking you to complete the activity on page 29:  Write a report indicating which of the following two essays you think newly married couples attending the marriage guidance class should read. Your report should consist of three parts  1. an introduction about the general problem of male/female communication  2. summaries of each of the two essays  3. a concluding recommendation about which one you think should be required reading.  The recommendation section should compare the strengths and weaknesses of the two essays to show why you recommend one over the other.

25.  You should have written the summaries for homework and turned them in today. If you’re going to need them to complete the idea draft of the report, see me, and I’ll give them back after I record that you’ve turned them in already.

26. The Idea Draft  The first, or idea draft, is not the one in which you try to get everything perfect. It should be just the opposite. This is where you focus on trying to get the ideas down in the best order as possible, to make your message as clear as possible.  In other words, focus on what you want to say, not how you want to say it  Style, grammar, spelling, etc can all come later.  It’s okay if it looks horrible  Focus on getting the ideas down and in the order you want them

27. Due on Monday  Your idea draft for this report  You should probably have four paragraphs:  Introduction of the problem  Summary essay 1  Summary essay 2  Conclusion with recommendation  Please type this if at all possible  Whether typed or hand-written PLEASE double space (skip lines if hand-writing)