An Organizational Approach Welcome to Effective Writing 1- CM 107  Feel free to chat and get acquainted until the music stops near the top of the hour. Once the seminar starts, please keep all comments relevant to the class topic.

Are there any questions from Units 1-5? What are the three main aims in writing? How are they used in our daily lives? What is a thesis statement? What are the three main types of paragraphs? Where can I find good information on APA style and other help with writing?

Kaplan University Writing CenterWednesday, November 18, College-level writing versus “academic writing” College-level writing deals with the level of thinking, reading, and writing expected of a college student Academic writing is research-driven What is the Difference?

Kaplan University Writing CenterWednesday, November 18, The Connection Writing is undeniably and intricately connected to – Reading – Thinking Therefore, college-level writing must demonstrates not only skill with language, but engagement with reading and critical thinking skills

Kaplan University Writing CenterWednesday, November 18, College-level Writing Is… The ability to wrestle with, discuss, and evaluate abstract ideas in clear discourse – Respond to readings that introduce abstract ideas – Engage the issues of a collection of readings that are centered around a theme – Reading level should require extended engagement and concentration (Sullivan, 2006)

Kaplan University Writing CenterWednesday, November 18, College-level Writing Is… The writing itself should demonstrate: – Willingness to evaluate ideas carefully – Analysis of complex ideas – Ability to organize and structure material – Appropriate integration of research sources (primary and secondary) – Proper use of writing conventions Grammar Punctuation Spelling (Sullivan, 2006)

Kaplan University Writing CenterWednesday, November 18, What to Focus On Writing knowledge – Purpose – Audience – Situation – Conventions – Appropriate voice, tone, formality – Genre (Knodt, 2006)

Kaplan University Writing CenterWednesday, November 18, What to Focus On Thinking skills – Use reading and writing for inquiry, learning, thinking, and communicating – Know how to find, evaluate, analyze, and integrate appropriate research sources – Formulate your own ideas and integrate them with the research (Knodt, 2006)

Kaplan University Writing CenterWednesday, November 18, What to Focus On Process – Understand that it takes several drafts to reach a final product – and implement this process – Develop several strategies for invention – Understand the collaborative nature of writing and thinking – Learn to critique – Balance critique with taking responsibility for your own writing – Use a variety of technologies (Knodt, 2006)

 Within the academic and job contexts, will readers accept every point a writer makes without proof/support?  Will an audience automatically understand every point a writer makes?  What else is needed?  What is meant by ‘illustration’?  What are ‘modes’? How does a writer use them effectively?

Description Description creates a mental picture for a reader. To do this, writers may focus on the five senses—what ideas and things look, sound, feel, smell, and taste like. Descriptive writing shows instead of tells.

Compare and Contrast Compare and contrast refers to the examination of similarities (compare) and differences (contrast). We make comparisons constantly when we decide what type of car to buy, where to have dinner, or what college to attend.

Compare and Contrast Organization Compare and contrast essays can be organized in two ways: Point by point—Here, the writer would go between two subjects and compare and contrast them according to key points or characteristics. If you compare and contrast displaced homelessness versus chronic homelessness, you might focus on their definitions, reasons, and solutions. Subject by subject—Here, the writer focuses on the key points and characteristics of a single subject. For instance, if you compare and contrast private versus socialized medicine, you’ll have to choose which ways they are alike or differ. You might choose to write about the similarities in coverage, and the contrasts in cost.

Make Effective Choices Whatever strategy you choose, you must have a basis of comparison. Ideas and things that have nothing in common aren’t a good choice. Remember, you don’t want to make a list of similarities and differences. You want to have a point for the comparison.

Compare and Contrast in a Thesis Statement Examples of compare and contrast thesis statements: Indonesia and the United States have vastly different legal systems. This example is too general. While the U.S. legal system is built around the idea of presumed innocence, the Indonesian system assumes the accused is guilty. This example gives specific criteria which allows the reader to know what key points will be compared and contrasted.

Definition Definition is explaining exactly what an idea or concept means. Definition provides a structure for making ideas, people, or things more understandable. Didn’t we use this mode in the Unit 3 Project?

Definition in a Thesis Statement For example, if you were writing a paper about world religions, you might choose to write about different sects of Judaism like the orthodox, reform, and conservative movements within that religion. Example: Judaism has diverse interpretations, most notably the divisions of orthodox, reform, and conservative practices.

Cause and Effect Cause and effect examines the relationships between what happens (the effect) and why it happens (the cause).

Cause and Effect One cause may have several effects. For instance, if you decide to move into the country from the city, you may have the benefit of cleaner air, safer neighborhoods, and cheaper prices. Or, several causes can contribute to a single effect. For example, we make choices based on several criteria: The captain of the Titanic ignored fog warnings, iceberg warnings, and even the announcement that the ship was going to sink because he bought into the idea that the ship was unsinkable. Consider causal chains (also known as “the Domino effect”)

Cause and Effect in a Thesis Statement To incorporate this into a thesis statement, identify the topic, make an assertion about the topic, and decide if you want to focus on causes, effects, or both. Example: Because of their mainly vegetarian diet, Malaysia has healthier adults, less childhood obesity, and a booming farm economy.

Process Analysis:  Explains how something is done:  How does the flu virus spread so rapidly each year?  How does the revolution in Egypt affect gas prices in the United States?  Explains how to do something:  The Kaplan University Writing Center has resources to show how to properly document sources using APA style.  The entertainment stand comes with directions that explain how to assemble it quickly.

The writer sorts and organizes information for an audience to help them better understand the topic.  Classroom success derives from full engagement of the student, instructor, advisor, and curriculum designer.  New homeowners should be aware that maintenance issues can be divided into four main areas: structure, electric, plumbing, and landscaping.

Problem Solution Problem solution writing begins by identifying and examining a problem. After analyzing the problem, you then discuss possible solutions and their viability. For instance, if you wanted to focus on the problem of teenage pregnancy, you would look at how others have tried to solve this problem. The availability of contraception, mandatory sex education courses, and the inclusion of abstinence as a form of birth control would be possible solutions.

Problem Solution For an essay, you could choose to examine: a single solution and discuss how it works and why it works, or detail three proposed solutions and discuss and analyze their viability. How would a writer decide which approach to use?

Problem Solution in a Thesis Statement Example 1: Solving teenage pregnancy by teaching abstinence has failed because it is not practical for most children. Teens without strong role models, those with low self-esteem and those who do not participate in after school activities are getting pregnant in record numbers. Example 2: Teenage pregnancy is a complicated problem that can be helped through increased availability of contraception like condoms, oral birth control, and IUDs.

The Unit 6 Project:

Kaplan University Writing CenterWednesday, November 18, Knodt, E. A. (2006). What is college writing for? In What is College-Level Writing, Patrick Sullivan and Howard Tinberg, Eds. Urbana, IL: NCTE Sullivan, P. (2006). An essential question: What is “college-level” writing? In What is College-Level Writing, Patrick Sullivan and Howard Tinberg, Eds. Urbana, IL: NCTE References

Thank you for a great seminar! Have a wonderful week! Mike