Good afternoon, this is just a quick reminder to complete your reading selections from Chapter 11 for this week. For the past 3 weeks, we have been close-reading various text selections to help you warm up for literary analysis. Close reading is precisely what the term implies: reading the text closely, line by line, paragraph by paragraph, breaking down the main points and ideas, writing strategies used by authors (especially in persuasive writing), and drawing personal connections to what we read. The last part is an extremely important part of reading comprehension, and it confirms that good literature - whether fiction or non-fiction - is relevant to all of us as we find ways to personally relate to the authors words. We learned how to summarize the main point of the reading selection without including unnecessary details (Amy Chuas article was a good hands-on in-class exercise in summary writing). We have reviewed quoting, paraphrasing, and the proper way to use in-text citations according to the MLA guidelines. We have also introduced the structure of a synthesis essay, which you utilized in Essay 1 as well as your midterm. Please remember to use all these skills as you prepare for your final examination, particularly given the fact that you are allowed to use your notes. Summer courses are challenging on many different levels - there is simply so little time to not only introduce, but also absorb and process the information. This is an unfortunate compromise we make in return for the accelerated session credits. That is why, if you are in any way confused about the material or what is expected of you in terms of the research paper and the final, I encourage you to reach out to me so I can address your questions. We only have 3 days of actual instruction left. On Monday, we will review sample research papers written by my former students, as some of you requested. Hopefully, this will be of help to you as you proofread and edit your own research papers. We will also close-read and discuss reading selections from Chapter 11. I would also like to at some point review the basics of grammar with you, as well as common stylistic errors I have noticed in your essays so far. You should all be done with your Works Cited lists, but if you choose to change any of your sources, you can ALWAYS modify the list itself as well. If you are uncertain about a source, e-mail me. Have a good, productive weekend! Professor Jekal.
Posted on: Sat, 02 Aug 2014 17:23:28 +0000