Welcome to KU121 Unit 5 Seminar Intro to Writing Skills and Strategies Instructor – Lisa Teitler Credit for this ppt : Carrie Jantz and Teresa Kelly

Seminar Agenda 1.Welcome 2.Writing Process 3.Introductions 4.WSS Project 5.End Punctuation 6.Commas 7.Unit 5 Assignments 8.Questions

Sculpture and the Writing Process

Steps in the Writing Process 1. Prewriting – Getting ideas flowing 2. Drafting – Creating a rough draft 3. Revising – Tweaking content 4. Editing – Tweaking mechanics and formatting Each of these steps corresponds with a step in the process a sculptor uses when he works.

Step 2: Sculptor Chips away After choosing his stone the sculptor begins to chip away at it. Before long, the rough image of a person appears. It isn't perfect but it does become recognizable! This step of sculpting is like drafting – the stage when we put ideas in essay form. Our essay is rough, but recognizable!

If you get stuck at this stage … 1. Review your outline and notes 2. Think about your plan for organization 3. Discuss or free write about related topics 4. Explain the project to someone else

WSS Project Last week, defined the shape of your project by creating an outline This week, you will begin the drafting stage You will do this by drafting your introduction You will use more formal writing than you did in previous weeks More details to come … Intro Body Conclusion

Introductions Entice the reader Orient the reader Some effective techniques for openings include: Including anecdotes (short, to the point, stories) that illustrate your point Stating a position directly or addressing the reader directly Using a specific incident to make a general statement about society Intro Body Conclusion

Intro or Conclusion? I am running. That’s the first thing I remember. Running, I carry something, my arm curled around it, hugging it to my chest. Bread, of course. Someone is chasing me. “Stop! Thief!” I run. People. Shoulders. Shoes. “Stop! Thief!” Spinelli, J. (2003). Milkweed. NY: Random House. Intro Body Conclusion

Intro or Conclusion? Wilbur never forgot Charlotte. Although he loved her children and grandchildren dearly, none of them ever quite took her place in his heart. She was in a class by herself. It is not often that someone comes along who is a true friend and a good writer. Charlotte was both. White, E. (1952). Charlotte’s web. NY: Scholastic. Intro Body Conclusion

Intro or Conclusion? The girl has scarcely looked at me. She’s been drawing and writing furiously all during class. When the bell rings, she hurries up to me with more than twenty sheets of paper. She’s Indian – Hidatsa, maybe, or Sioux – and the other children let her pass as if she were invisible. Norris, K. (1993). Dakota: A spiritual geography. NY: Houghton Mifflin. Intro Body Conclusion

Intro or Conclusion? “So many poems,” I say, smiling at the girl. “You must love to write.” She shifts from foot to foot and weaves her hands in the air. “I don’t have paper at home,” she says, “so I keep them in my head. That’s where they live until I write them down.” Norris, K. (1993). Dakota: A spiritual geography. NY: Houghton Mifflin. Intro Body Conclusion

WSS Project Project Description: Imagine that it is five years in the future. You have completed your educational program at Kaplan University and have been offered your dream job! The company or organization you will be working for wants to issue a biographical essay about you to announce that you are joining them and in what capacity. In order to do so, they need a minimum 500-word background essay from you.

WSS Project More Details: 1. One introductory paragraph that identifies who you are, where you live, the company or organization that has hired you and your new job title. 2. One body paragraph that gives appropriate personal details about you and your life—your age, family, hobbies, etc. (NOTE: this is a professional biography so you need to limit personal details to only what is appropriate in the professional environment). 3. One body paragraph that talks about your education. You should include high school or your GED, any previous college experience and your Kaplan program. 4. One paragraph that details professional experiences, including past job experiences, honors and awards and other related professional details. 5. One concluding paragraph that reinforces where you will be working, your job title and what you will be doing.

Introduction Format One paragraph – 5-7 sentences (about 100 words) Start with a lead/attention getter (like a quote, anecdote, teaser) Have 3-5 transition sentences that build to the thesis Your thesis from Unit 4 is the last sentence of your introduction.

Sample Intro - Quote According to veteran medical ethicist and author Jean Watson, "Caring is the essence of nursing." (Lead/attention getter) Richmond Hill Medical Center believes that a caring nursing staff is vital. RHMC strives to hire and train dedicated professionals with proven records of patient care. The Medical Center prides itself on its award winning staff. (transition sentences) RHMC proudly announces that Martha Cooper, a 2010 graduate of Kaplan University, will bring her exemplary background, education, and personal experience to her new position as Director of Nursing. (Thesis)

Sample Intro - Question What makes a good nurse? Answers to the questions vary but the ideas of caring and dedication are always at the forefront. (Lead/attention getter) Richmond Hill Medical Center believes that a caring nursing staff is vital. RHMC strives to hire and train dedicated professionals with proven records of patient care. The Medical Center prides itself on its award winning staff. (transition sentences) RHMC proudly announces that Martha Cooper, a 2010 graduate of Kaplan University, will bring her exemplary background, education, and personal experience to her new position as Director of Nursing. (Thesis)

Sample Intro - Anecdote When Martha Cooper was fifteen, she was injured in a serious automobile accident. A passing nurse helped save her life and inspired Martha’s lifelong desire to be a caring healthcare profession. (Lead/attention getter) Richmond Hill Medical Center believes that a caring nursing staff is vital. RHMC strives to hire and train dedicated professionals with proven records of patient care. The Medical Center prides itself on its award winning staff. (transition sentences) RHMC proudly announces that Martha Cooper, a 2010 graduate of Kaplan University, will bring her exemplary background, education, and personal experience to her new position as Director of Nursing. (Thesis)

Sample Intro - Statistics One of the growth industries of the 21st Century is health care. Increased patient needs will drive a growth in the number of positions for caring nurses like Martha Cooper. (Lead/attention getter) Richmond Hill Medical Center believes that a caring nursing staff is vital. RHMC strives to hire and train dedicated professionals with proven records of patient care. The Medical Center prides itself on its award winning staff. (transition sentences) RHMC proudly announces that Martha Cooper, a 2010 graduate of Kaplan University, will bring her exemplary background, education, and personal experience to her new position as Director of Nursing. (Thesis)

What makes the sample intro a solid intro?

End Punctuation Period – At the end of a sentence unless the sentence is a question or exclamation. Question mark – At the end of a direct question Exclamation point – At the end of a sentence that produces particular emphasis, excitement, or urgency. How does the use of punctuation change the meanings of these words? I won’t take this sitting down Are you mad Whoops Sentence examples modified from: Gordon, K. (1993). The new well tempered sentence: A punctuation handbook for the innocent, the eager, and the doomed. NY: Houghton Mifflin.

Commas “A comma is a delicate kink in time, a pause within a sentence, a chance to catch your breath. A curvaceous acrobat, it capers over the page. A comma keeps apart two words, or bits of thought, that would confuse if they touched. “ ~ Karen Elizabeth Gordon Gordon, K. (1993). The new well tempered sentence: A punctuation handbook for the innocent, the eager, and the doomed. NY: Houghton Mifflin.

Commas She strutted, she sizzled, and she slunk. before a coordinating conjunction that joins two independent clauses to separate three or more items in a series Either I’ve been missing something, or nothing has been going on. to separate a dependent clause from an independent clause In your pockets, you are fumbling with the keys. to separate introductory words from the rest of the sentence She gave the world a hurt, sorrowful look. to separate adjectives that are not joined by a coordinating conjunction and that equally modify the same noun or pronoun Raymond, who usually wears overalls, showed up in a green kimono. to separate parenthetical expressions from the clauses they modify Sentence examples modified from: Gordon, K. (1993). The new well tempered sentence: A punctuation handbook for the innocent, the eager, and the doomed. NY: Houghton Mifflin. Comma usage information from: McWhorter, K. (2010). Pathways writing scenarios: Sentences and paragraphs. NY: Pearson.

Unit 5 To Do Reading Discussion Seminar MWL Exercises Quiz

Questions? Remember, you can also: me at Post a question to Course Questions Chat over AIM: lfteitler Make an appointment or chat using Meebo I’ll see you in Discussion and in Seminar. Have a great week!!!!!

Thanks for coming! Works Cited Gordon, K. (1993). The new well tempered sentence: A punctuation handbook for the innocent, the eager, and the doomed. NY: Houghton Mifflin. McWhorter, K. (2010). Pathways writing scenarios: Sentences and paragraphs. NY: Pearson. Norris, K. (1993). Dakota: A spiritual geography. NY: Houghton Mifflin. Spinelli, J. (2003). Milkweed. NY: Random House. Truss, L. (2003). Eats. Shoots, and Leaves. NY: Penguin Group. White, E. (1952). Charlotte’s web. NY: Scholastic.