Sophomore Composition &Conversation Spring, 2008 Course Orientation

Conversation Activities Presentations In class, we will practice conversation on a wide range of current issues in different forms, with a partner, within a group or as a whole class. Several scheduled presentations as following will be graded by both me and the audience. Article Review Presentation Select an essay from The Short Prose to carefully analyze it and prepare a 10 minutes analytical talk followed by 10 minutes of discussion. The presentations should include a highlight of vocabulary and expression, an analysis of writing style and questions to guide the discussion. Post the questions on the blog prior to your presentation.

Museum Guide Presentation As a pair, you would need to choose one work from the collection to give a 3-minute talk as our guide. College Survival Presentation No more than 10 minutes. In a group of three, you would design a skit by choosing a scenario. Ex: How to eat when you’re broke. How to write a last-minute essay. How to survive a boring class.

Research Report Paper Requirements Length: The research report paper should be 6-8 pages ( ). Attach an outline and the work cited list to every draft. Sources: –At least SIX sources, all in English. –Chinese sources are counted outside of the six sources and should be agreed by the instructor. –More than two kinds of references (Print & Online) –You can still consult Wikipedia as a starting point but considering authority and credibility, these sources shall not be listed.

One-page Evaluation –After exchanging the 3rd draft, you would need to write a one-page critique on your partner’s paper. –Prepare a 3-minute talk on the author’s presentation day. –Need to revise your final draft according to the comments you receive and attach it with your final draft.

Criteria for Evaluation 2001 Spring Evaluation Instructions eports/criteria.htmlhttp:// eports/criteria.html 1999 Evaluation Criteria ort99.html#criteriahttp:// ort99.html#criteria 1998 Report Schedule & Evaluation Instructions

Some Important Dates You can not change your topic after the 1 st draft, due on 3/25. Talk to me as soon as you realize you need extra help. Do not wait until the last minute. Since we have a very tight schedule, you would suffer serious consequence, failing the course, if you hand in late papers. 3rd Draft Due Date: A complete 3rd draft is due on April 29, Please bring three copies, one for me and the other two for your evaluators. On 5/6 & 5/9, we would have the presentation in class. This is part of your conversation grade, not a practice for your presentation in another class.

On Report Presentation On 4/29, the presentation schedule will be announced, and you will know which class you are going and who your evaluator is. 10 minutes presentation, 2-3 minutes evaluation and 2-3 minutes Q&A. Formal dress code. Prepare PPT or other forms of visual aids.

Choosing your topic Be original and creative in choosing a topic that you would like to devote your time and effort in the following four months. Conducting a research project is like involving in a relationship. You might start with a broad topic belong to a particular area, and narrow it down and revise it through the process of researching, reading and writing. After you hand in your first draft, you can not change the topic. Start writing as early as possible: Writing does help to clarify your thoughts and make sense out of the reading.

Locating Sources There are two major challenges in locating relevant sources. First of all, you need to be able to find the relevant sources to read in order to gain enough understanding of your topic. Secondly, you need to evaluate the credibility of your sources. –You could consult Wikipedia as a starting point but please note that it is NOT permitted as a valid source. –Except for reliable host websites, like news service, commercial sites, “.com” are not permitted, either. Keep reading during the process of writing. Don’t stop looking for sources after you hand in your 1st draft thinking that you have enough sources. The whole research process of reading and writing is recursive.

Keep a Two-Way Journal You are encouraged to keep a weekly journal to record sources you find and your reflection on reading. A 5-minute free writing per week would help you a lot in collecting thoughts. Need to attach one page of research journal to each draft you hand in. Bring your two-way journal to conference.

Final Research Portfolio Don’t throw away any piece of writing and the articles you read. Include all three drafts and peer editing comments. Write a time line of your progress and a one-page reflection along with your final 4 th draft.