CLASS TWO:  "Style, Structure and Content"

What do we mean when we talk about the "style" of writing? 

-  Style can indicate a type of writing (fiction/non-fiction), a genre (persuasive argument, personal narrative, traditional essay, poem, science fiction, case study, novel, etc.) 

-  It can also mean a point of view (first person, second person, third person).

-  It can refer to the way the author uses language (repetition of key words for effect, long sentences, use of jargon, etc.)

-  It can be about the tone the voice sets (philosophical, reflective, factual, authoritative, emotional, etc.)

  What is "structure"?

-  Structure is the way a piece of writing is constructed or designed.  The most basic structure usually has three parts:  a beginning, middle and end.  At the beginning something is introduced; in the middle ideas are presented; and there is some kind of conclusion at the end.

-  Writing might be ordered in a certain way, according to the style.  For instance, in an academic journal article, a thesis, or main statement, might be presented in the beginning paragraphs.  The thesis statement might be repeated in the conclusion.

-  "Time" may order the structure.  If the structure is chronological, the author may write about the past and move closer to the present through the piece.   Other authors may move in and out of time, choosing to start in the present, do a "flashback" to an earlier time, and then return to the present.

Content

What is the author writing about?  The content is the subject material, the topic of discussion. 

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Examples:  In the Nelson Mandela excerpt (fragment), the style is non-fiction.  (He is not making up a story about himself.)  He is writing his "autobiography" or his own life story.  (A biography of Mandela would be written by someone other than himself.)  It can also be called a "personal narrative" because it is his own "story".  He is not writing an exact factual account but choosing to write about some aspects of his life that he finds most interesting.  It is "subjective", his own telling of the story, and not "objective", purely universal facts or truth about his life.   (Scientific writing is often described as objective.)  The point of view is "first person" because he uses "I" when he writes.  He is telling the story, "When I was a boy", etc.   The tone he uses is philosophical and reflective; he is remembering the past and writing about why events are meaningful to him.  He is thinking about his life a long time after his experiences and trying to understand them.

The structure of this excerpt is chronological because he starts his story when he was a child, then talks about when he was a young man, in prison and how he feels about his life now, in the present.

The content consists of the things he did in his life; how his ideas about freedom developed over time; and what he has learned from them.  He presents certain arguments for how to get rid of oppression.

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CLASS THREE:  "THE WRITING PROCESS"

1.            BRAINSTORMING:  Finding the best ideas for the assignment.  (Outlines, point-form lists, webs, talking to peers.) 

2.            FIRST DRAFT:  Getting the ideas down on paper and exploring meaning.  (Full sentences in 2-3 paragraphs, thinking about how to develop “big idea”, where supporting ideas should go – beginning, middle and end.  Finding the key point.) 

3.            SECOND DRAFT:  Smoothing out the first draft, establishing where ideas will go, how ideas will build through the paper.  (Closer to appropriate length for assignment.)

4.            REVISION:  Looking now at your second draft, can you find the “big idea”?  Will the ideas be clear for your reader?  Are there enough specific details to make a strong paper?  Have you introduced the main idea clearly in the beginning, built small ideas that add to the main idea in the middle, and presented a satisfying conclusion?   What is your main point?  Is the meaning of the paper clear? (Create further drafts, ask others to read.) 

5.            EDITING:  (**Last step**)   Have you checked for proper grammar usage, punctuation and spelling?  (Read aloud to determine if sentences “sound” right.  Eliminate repetition, wordiness.  No “run-on” sentences.  Use a variety of sentence types.)

AREAS OF WRITING TO CONSIDER: 

1.            BIG IDEA:  Is the key point clear?  What are you trying to say?  Can you follow the “big idea” from the beginning, through the middle, to the end?  Do all the smaller ideas add to the big idea? 

2.            IMAGINE YOU ARE THE READER:   Are the ideas clear?  Have you given enough information so the reader does not get lost? 

3.            THE DETAILS:  Is the information you have given specific?  Have you shown you are an “authority” on this topic?   Do you strengthen your ideas with concrete details? 

4.            STRUCTURE:  What should be in the introduction?  How will you order the middle section?  What kind of conclusion is necessary? 

WHY USE PEER-BASED FEEDBACK? 

We learn and understand more when we read each others' work.

We are more actively engaged when asked to give feedback.

We learn editing skills and how to respond to writing.

We understand that readers bring different assumptions to texts.

Learning to give feedback develops critical thinking skills which can be applied to our own writing.

It helps students recognize other conventions of writing.

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CLASS FOUR: "LITERACY HISTORIES AND EARLY MEMORIES"

Today we read and discussed the journal article, "My Mother Never Read to Me" and did an open writing activity.  As a class, we brainstormed our collective early literacy experiences and made a list.  Then we put together a rough outline, trying to find an opening idea to get us started in the introduction, find key points to develop in the middle, and then write a conclusion that would echo the introduction and summarize the "big idea". 

(If we would continue to work on this essay, the next steps would follow: to write a first draft.  We would find out what ideas were the strongest, begin to emphasize them more and shape the article to make the ideas clearer.  In later stages of the writing, we would write more drafts, revising until the meaning and order of the ideas was decided.  Lastly we would start the editing stage, smoothing out any spelling, grammar or punctuation.)

Here is the rough outline we did together in class.  Please notice especially the transitions between paragraphs and the way one sentence logically follows the next.  See how the conclusion reflects back to the introduction.

My Literacy History

    I.  Introduction:  My literacy experiences followed a common path.  I had experiences in hearing family stories and poems, reading comic books and watching television programs.  All of these methods helped me to learn to read.

II.  Middle:  My family liked to tell me stories and sometimes they would read poems to me, then ask me to repeat them back.  I also liked to ask my parents about signs on the road and I learned to recognize some words. 

Another way I learned words was by reading comic books.  At first I looked at the pictures, but along with shows I saw on TV, I started to increase the number of words I could read. 

Fortunately, when I was young there were many TV shows for children that taught literacy skills, like ABCs and basic words.  They were fun to watch and I could talk to my parents about them, so my parents could help me even more.

III.  Conclusion:   I feel that my particular experiences gave me a variety of methods to help me learn to read.  If one way was not helpful, another way still advanced my knowledge.   This might be the best method for all children.

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CLASS FIVE:  "SPOKEN ACADEMIC LANGUAGE"

1. In-class Group presentation:                                    30 May 2007         FAL-X99

Student’s name: ……………………  Topic:……………………  Group:………………

Group presentation grade: ____________

2. Reflective Paper

Student’s name: ……………………    

Individual Grade for Reflective Paper: ______________________

3. Written portion of Group Project

Written portion of Presentation – group grade: _______________

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CLASS SIX:  PRESENTATION PREPARATION

Writing a persuasive argument: 

-        Look at two or more sides of an issue. 

-        Focus on the “controversy” or the conflict between the sides. 

-        Announce what the conflict is in the introduction.

-        The “thesis statement” or “big idea” is the position you take in the argument.

-        Use the middle section to build your argument.

-        The conclusion restates the thesis statement and may offer solutions or extensions related to the controversy or problem.

Here is an example of an introduction to a persuasive argument:

            Is there really equality in Canadian society?  Does Canada really want an educated public?  Do universities really believe in encouraging excellence and innovation in their students?  If you and the government answered ‘yes’ to any of these questions, then why do students have to pay tuition?  In this paper I will examine the goals and stumbling blocks involved in trying to get a higher education and why it is out of reach for many lower income students.   I will argue in favor of free tuition, examine the reasons universities give for charging tuition and offer some solutions to the problem.  Lastly, I will argue for the benefits of a free education.

If we break down this (very rough) draft of an introduction, we see that the opening sentences try to strongly hook the reader’s interest by posing some questions that have obvious answers.  Then these first three sentences are tied to the Big Idea – “why do students have to pay tuition?” 

The “thesis statement” is clearly announced:  “In this paper I will examine…” 

The author’s position is clearly stated:  “I will argue in favor of free tuition…” 

The opposing views will be presented:   “examine the reasons universities give for charging tuition…” 

The author’s ideas will be extended:  “solutions to the problem” and “argue for the benefits of a free education”.

In this introduction the author has promised to talk about a certain topic, “free tuition”, and has mentioned some key points.  In the middle section the author will use these key points to build an argument.  The key points in the middle will be:  equality, educated public, excellence and innovation, goals, stumbling blocks, lower income students.  The author will present opposing sides of these key points.

The conclusion will reflect back on the opening and summarize the Big Idea or thesis statement, perhaps directly appealing to the reader to agree that the benefits will far outweigh any disadvantages if universities stopped charging tuition.

In writing a persuasive argument, the author constructs a strong case to support the thesis statement.  It begins after the first three sentences – the author is saying, IF you agree with the ideas of equality, an educated public and excellence and innovation, then surely you will agree with my other ideas.  The author must build a credible argument with facts and logic so the reader will continue to agree throughout the paper.  The overall purpose is to persuade the reader to accept the thesis statement. 

There are many ways to introduce a persuasive argument; this is only one example.  Depending on what you want to argue for, or against, you can surprise your reader, shock, humor, puzzle and so on.  However, the opening must capture your reader’s interest and guide his or her attention to your topic.   While the material presented is not exactly objective, the argument will consider opposing points of view and then counter those positions.

Finally, a persuasive argument may not choose one position or suggest a solution to a problem.  It may argue that there is no solution or urge the reader to consider a synthesis of all the views on the topic.  The author will take a survey of conflicting views and either reject all of them for particular reasons, or choose the best parts of a selection of them.  In all cases, the author states his or her reasons for doing this and defends this position.

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CLASS NINE:

Punctuation:   Comma or Semi-colon (see "Mini-lessons" page)

Text analysis -- three types of writing -- Academic journals, newspapers and e-mail

How do I access academic journals through the SFU library?  

First, you must have an SFU e-mail account with a user name and password. 

Go to the library webpage (http://www.lib.sfu.ca ).    

1. To find a particular journal by name:

Under "Find", click on "Electronic Journals".

Enter "Journal X" in the box and click on "Search".

Click on "Journal X" , then "Academic Search Elite".  Find the year you want, the volume and issue.  

2.  To browse for a journal:

Click on “Electronic Journals”

Click on a letter of the alphabet to browse through journal titles.

For example:  click on “B”, then “Bul-Byz”, and you can scroll down to see all the journals that have “Business” as the first word in their titles. 

        You can scroll through the articles in each issue.  It is possible to copy articles onto your hard drive in either HTML or PDF versions.

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CLASS FIFTEEN:

Article:  "Study Says Eldest Children Have Higher IQ"  excerpt from New York Times 6/24/07

Introduction:

    I always knew I was smarter than my ______ (sibling/brother/sister{s}).  Today, in research reported in the New York Times, I have proof.  Although responses to this announcement vary greatly, I believe it is an opportunity to examine family dynamics and how we understand intelligence.  In this essay, I will discuss my opinions about I.Q. and birth order.

Middle:  (Please write a one paragraph opinion {5-8 sentences} of the article handed out today in class and discuss the material in light of your own family and birth order.  You may use the information in the article to back up your ideas but please write the ideas in your own words.)