RWA Final

Final Paper: Research and Argument

This 3-5 page paper is a direct response to the in-class read and respond we did in 13^th week. This paper needs to undergo thoughtful revision and be perfected. This paper is the culmination of everything we’ve been working towards. In that regards, I need it to show me what you’ve learned and how you’re ready for the next step. I need it to demonstrate:

·           Commitment to excellence,

·           High level critical thinking and thorough logic (you’ll show this skill through excellent comments—remember, 1:3 ratio),

·           Integration of evidence (x3),

·           Explanation and analysis of evidence,

·           Easy to follow paragraph structure (one paragraph actually needs PEEL annotation),

·           Mature and clear writing.

Due Dates: 

·        Matrix and Annotated Bibliography due 11.30

·        1:1 Conference between 12.04 – 12.06 (Bring outline to  this meeting)

·        Rough Draft due 12.07

·        Final Draft Due 12.15 at 5pm on Turnitin.com

Other Important End-of-Term Due Dates:

·        Bluebook Portfolio Due & In-Class Presentation 12.12

(A signed strengths/weaknesses chart, 3 revised entries, and an exit letter)

·        Reading Lab Completion Due 12.15

One of the most important components of this paper is research!

Sources:  Students must research and cite from at least two sources outside of the one previously provided.

• ·             At least one source must be from an ECC library database.
• ·             At least one source must be media-- think podcast or documentary or interview or music or an image.
•     I would love for you to enhance your use of research by interviewing friends and family and mentors and loved ones and pulling from your own experience. We’ve officially broken up with the word “you” but not the word “I.” (Note: -5% for every “you”)

Note:  Students must document sources in MLA format, cite them in the body of the paper, and formulate a works cited page (which does not count towards the minimum page count). No works cited page required. Let’s save that for 1A.

Checklist:

Do you have 3 sources?

Did you quote directly at least 3 times?

Does each paragraph have two pieces of evidence?

Do you have three body paragraphs?

Is your thesis mentioned throughout the essay and referenced in each topic and conclusion sentence?

Did you fully introduce each source? 

Podcast Suggestions:

Affirmative Action Podcast

Affirmative Action Podcast #2

Immigration Ban Podcast-- scroll down for the play button

Immigrants and Integration: A Podcast

Racism and Rights Podcast

Political Ideology Test

Opinions and Ideologies:

For each statement below, assess your reaction. Really engage though, and question your immediate instincts. If, ultimately, you don’t care or you are too torn, give yourself a zero. On the other hand, if you strongly agree with the statement, give yourself a plus 2. Only kind of agree, give yourself a plus 1. Do the reverse if you oppose. Sometimes, depending on the question, these points will be given north/south and other times, east/west.

Whichever one you feel the most strongly about, please take a few moments and draft out your ideas in the form of a free write.

1.    I will stand by my country no matter what. (Agree, move up. Disagree, down.)

2.    You get what you get and you don’t make a fit. (Agree, move right. Disagree, left.)

3.    The less rules to follow, the happier you are. (Agree, move down. Disagree, up.)

4.    All’s fair in war. (Agree, move up. Disagree, down.)

5.    My ethical code is black and white. (Agree, move right. Disagree, down.)

6.    I oppose socialized medicine. (Agree, move down and right. Disagree, move up and left)

7.    Businesses should only care about making money. (Agree, move right and down. Disagree, left and up.)

8.    All authority should be questioned. (Agree, move down. Disagree, up.)

9.    An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth. (Agree, move right. Disagree, left.)

10.  All Americans should stand for the pledge and the anthem. (Agree, up and right. Disagree, down and left.)

11.  Schools should spend more time focusing on math and science and less time on art, music, and socializing. (Agree, right. Disagree, left.)

12.  Some criminals just can’t be fixed. (Agree, right. Disagree, left.)

13.  No matter what, there must always be bosses and janitors. (Agree, up. Disagree, down.)

14.  People of color are not given a fair opportunity for success. (Agree, left. Disagree, right.)

15.  Rape and sexual assault is the result of systemic cultural power paradigms more than individual acts. (Agree, left and up. Disagree, right and down.)

16.  Schools are taught and ran by liberals who want to indoctrinate children and secularize them. (Agree, right and down. Disagree, left and up.)

17.  Gun control is necessary, now more than ever. (Agree, up and left. Disagree, right and down.)

18.  Your fate in this country is controlled by how much money you make much more than by your gender, sexual preference, or race/ethnicity. (Agree, right. Disagree, left.)

Plot yourself as you go along:

 

In-Class Essay

You have two hours (and then lots of time at home) to craft a well-structured, thesis centered essay that:

• ·         Blends quotations (3) artistically and accurately, using MLA formatting rules (page numbers!!),
•   Illustrates how concrete detail can be used to support commentary,
•  Analyzes direct references in a nuanced and meaningful way,
•  Exercises composition strategies like RACER and/or PEEL,
•  Showcases effective structuring techniques that shows itself in paragraph construction, transitions, and conclusions.

 Due: 11/10 by 5pm on Turnitin.com

Prompts:

1.       1. How does Gabi’s self-image change throughout the book? And how do others affect the way she sees herself? Include several examples from the text that support your analysis of her growth and development while you chart and question where she starts and where she ends. Does she finally become the confident woman she dreamt of being? Or does she fall short? Think about all the catalysts that push her to that place.

2.       

2.Choose two themes from the book (such as white washing, sex positivity, embracing the self, and/or the value of communication, etc.) and explain how the two rely on one another. How does the author craft a story that weaves these two themes together? Does she pair them? Foil them against each other? Many novelists enjoy making two different novel elements interdependent to better illustrate their relationship; is that happening here? How so? Explain.

3.       

3. Many stereotypes are referenced throughout the novel. Ones about women, ones about sex, and ones about Latinos come immediately to mind, but issues about the stereotyping of homosexuals, sexually active teenagers, and drug addicts are also present throughout. How are these cultural issues treated throughout the novel? Which ones are primarily focused on? And for what purpose? What’s the big picture message?

4.      

4. Consider Gabi’s relationship with her mother. What does the relationship and its many highs and lows reveal about each character individually? And what does it say about parenting relationships in general? Why does Quintero make it such an important facet of the novel? What is she hoping to illustrate and convey to young females, her intended audience?

11/02 Lab Day Instructions

Hola bluebirds! Today will be busy!

While you are waiting to be called up by a tutor or me to discuss the paragraphs you drafted two weeks ago in the lab, I need you to work on the following tasks:

1) Practice RACER

• Rephrase the prompt as a declarative thesis, 
• Answer the question, 
• Cite evidence, 
• Explain that evidence (at least three different ways),
• (Repeat C & E as much as you need to),
• Restate your thesis.

To practice, address one of the following three prompts:

1. Do you feel like Gabi makes wise or unwise choices when it comes to romance? Explain.
2. How has poetry changed for Gabi throughout the year and how has she changed in return?
3. What stereotypical thinking about women does the book showcase and how do you feel about it? Reference to specific moments in the novel. Feel free to use "I." 

To receive full credit (this will be scored as a pop quiz), you will need to answer these questions, illustrate a mastery of "RACER" and:

• Blend a quotation and properly add its MLA formatted page citation (use the handout),
• Use signal phrases to indicate a quotation is coming like "For example," or "For instance, in the novel,"
• Tap into your awesome analytical brain power, and follow up that citation with creative, meaningful commentary. A great way to phrase that is to use signals like "In other words, ..." "This section of the text is meaningful because..." "Quientero chooses to write this passage as a way of expressing..."

If you finish early, go ahead and: 

(1) Begin your found poem (It's due on Tuesday after all),

(2) Continue to read Gabi, A Girl in Pieces. 

10/05: Lab Day

Autoethnography ("Testimnio") Outline and Prewriting

Complete on 10.05.2017 in Lab and have a tutor check it. You’ll want to follow this loosely and creatively while you draft, but work specifically on the sentences left open below and run them by the tutor to ensure they work.

I. Introduction Paragraph

       A. Hook (an anecdote, a quotation, or a surprising fact are all available options),

       _____________________________________________________________________________________________

       B. Introduce your own definition of culture,

       ______________________________________________________________________________________________

       ______________________________________________________________________________________________

       C. Introduce which culture you occupy and intend to explore,

       D. Thesis statement: Who am I? Sample: I was born into a family of eager, smart people who chose familial obligation over personal growth, and I was the first to break the cycle and go to college; being a first generation student has affected me in every regard, from how I see myself to how others see me. It's something I'm proud of. It's who I am.
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________
______________________________________________________________________________________________________

II. Body Paragraph I

·         Ideas for body paragraphs: The history of your culture group, Your history with your culture group, the strengths of being in your group, the disadvantages, how others feel about it, how you feel about it, etc.

       A. Point Sentence: (1) Name this paragraph’s objective, (2) link paragraph to larger picture        argument, _________________________________________________________________________________

       ____________________________________________________________________________________________. 

       B. Evidence (personal example, research, interview, literature, or a song; use “for example,” “for instance,” “In the words of,” “______ suggests ________ when explaining _________”)

       C. Explain x 3 (Try introductory phrases like “In other words,” “Which is to say,” “This reminds     me of,” “This is important because”)

       D. Repeat “B” & “C” as many times as needed before Link Sentence (conclude paragraph and       transition to the next body paragraph):

**Repeat Section II as many times as you need to fully develop an idea.

5.) Conclusion

       a. Return to hook,

       b. Review the components of your essay,

       c. Answer thesis statement

Afterwards, if there is time, begin the following creative assignment: Where I Am From

Revision Chart

REVISION SHEET: Students make errors while they write; it’s normal and totally acceptable, but allowing those mistakes to occur without reflection and repair is a missed opportunity to learn, and that’s exactly where this sheet comes in. Next Tuesday, Essay #1 needs to be revised, and in order to earn full credit, you need to have fully completed the chart below and attached it to your essay. 

As you re-visit your essay and read through its accompanying notes and comments, attempt to better understand your mistakes and attempt to recognize how you can improve and where you may need more practice, time, or attention.

Name Your Error	Why is this an error?	How Often Do You Make This Mistake? Rarely?	How did you repair it in your revised draft?
Example: My sentences are awkward. other examples: run-ons, fragments, a misplaced thesis, poor paragraph structure, choppiness, spelling, typos, uncreative diction.	Writing with flow increases readability. It also helps with   clarity. Plus, I need to think more about my reader; readers don’t want to read through awkward paragraphs.	I make it very often. In particular, I wrote many odd sentences in my second body paragraph when trying to explain something I found complicated. I must’ve gotten distracted. I also did it on my last paper.	Many of my sentences just didn’t flow. With those, I added transitions. With a few of them, I cut the extra words. On a few others, I changed the sentence structure completely. I highlighted all the ones I changed.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.

Essay 1

Essay 1: In-Class: Read & Respond

Due Dates & Details:

This first in-class essay, on 09/14, is worth 5% of your overall grade; as the journey with this paper wages on, it will ultimately be perfected with time and grow to be worth 15%, meaning it's a very significant paper and should be approached as such. Shortly after taking the in-class exam, you will receive my comments and a grade and then be given time to peer review and edit your draft with the help of the tutors.

A writer's workshop will be hosted on 09/21; to participate, you must bring one hard copy of your completed, revised draft and have completed our revision chart (Don't worry! Details about this to follow).

Five days later, your final draft is due (09/26); this draft will again be commented on and graded and it will make up the remaining 10% of the assignment. On this draft, you will need to write and label at least: 

• 1 compound sentence that properly uses a semi-colon,
• 1 complex sentence properly using an AAWWUBBIS,
• 1 compound-complex sentence, 
• 1 appositive (example: Having a fixed mindset, an understanding that potential is set from birth and immutable, makes achieving success in college even harder than it already is.) 

Here is your prompt:

In a multi-paragraph (at least 4) thesis-centered essay, identify both what helped and hurt Kashawn Campbell (from “South LA Student Finds a Different World at Cal”) while he was a student at UC Berkeley. Draw upon at least one outside reading from our class to strengthen your argument (if you feel confident using direct quotations and blending them into your work, go ahead; otherwise, please paraphrase and summarize any evidence taken from our outside readings). Feel free to enhance your writing with personal experience, and use "I" as much as you'd like. Bear in mind, however, that "I" statements like "I  think this essay was about..." are different than "I can relate because..."

Tips for Success:

• Make sure to use an attention getter in your introduction paragraph,
• Definitions are not acceptable-- this technique reminds me of high school writing, but rhetorical questions, anecdotes, and quotations (as long as they're properly blended) are great strategies for "hooking" your reader,
• Example: YouTube sensation "Kid President" inspires millions to adopt a growth mindset when he says, "If at first you don't succeed, you're normal." This twist on the age old adage would've been valuable to LA native, UC Berekeley student, Kashawn Campbell. 
• Follow your attention-getter with a 4-5 sentence summary of the article in which you introduce the article both fully and formally, recognizing its title, its author, and its format,
• Finish your introductory paragraph on a thesis statement that previews your body paragraphs,
• Essentially, all thesis statements go as follows: __________ is about ________, and I agree/disagree because _________, ________, and __________. (Here, you can use as many blanks as you will write paragraphs)
• Example: Streeter's article from the LA Times proves what qualities are critical to a student's success; without a growth mindset, the luck of being born into proper circumstance, and a certain feeling of insecurity, it is difficult to succeed in highly competitive, academic arenas. 
• Each body paragraph should illustrate the P-E-E-L method and must be directly and clearly linked to the thesis statement with well written, direct topic sentences,
• Attempt to vary your syntactical structures; use the reference sheet I gave you for guidance,
• Challenge yourself to use diction that is exciting and specific and evocative, but do not try to sound like someone who isn't you. I like you and that's how I want you to sound. 

ANOTHER Sample Thesis: (I know, I know... Theses are challenging)

When Kashawn Campbell began studying at UC Berkeley, he was at a disadvantage because he had what Carol Dweck calls “a fixed mindset” and academic insecurity; ultimately, he overcomes this obstacle by seeking support from his friends, teachers, and a mental health professional.

**Primary Goals of the Assignment**

1.     To read and understand a college-level text and explain what we learned in our writing,

2.     To create a thesis-driven, multi-paragraph essay,

3.     To use evidence to support a single but complex thought,

4.     To practice the writing process,

5.     To revise an essay using comments from peers, tutors, and an instructor,

6.     To write something you’re proud of! J

Grading:

25% of the grade will be derived from mechanics.

·       Is it readable? Is it easy to understand? Do you use the correct vocabulary? Are you using proper grammar? Did you edit and proofread?

25% of the grade will be concerned with comprehension.

·       Did you understand what you read? Did you pull appropriate support from the article(s)? Did you seem to grasp the larger picture issues discussed? Did you understand the prompt?

25% of the grade will assess structure and organization.

·       Do your topic sentences link to your thesis? Do your transition inside paragraphs and in between paragraphs? Do your paragraphs illustrate coherence and unity (see TPR if you do not remember what these words mean.)

25% of the grade will evaluate critical thinking and creativity.

·       Are you generating unique thoughts or parroting what we discussed in class? Do you take your thinking to the next level? Are you probing the text with interested in depth questions? Are you developing enough commentary to best complement your evidence?