TODAY’S GOALS Introduce unit 3 grammar & editing concepts: closed form prose techniques and thesis development Practice editing closed form prose Evaluate theses from our WTE draft 1

CLASS NOTIFICATIONS Class cancelled on Friday 11/6 for conferences Major Essay 3: WTE deadline changed to Wednesday 11/11 Original deadline was 11/9

CLASS DISCUSSION- CLOSED FORM PROSE What is closed form prose? What are the main ways that closed form prose differs from open form prose? What are the expectations in writing style and content for closed form prose? What are some example genres you will have to utilize in your future major/career that are considered closed form prose?

CLASS DISCUSSION- CLOSED FORM PROSE General closed form prose: Thesis Topic Sentences for each paragraph Forecasting and fulfillment Clear Transitions Engaging Introduction Textual evidence (type varies by genre) Closed form prose structure has 3 general sections: Introduction Engaging hook Thesis forecasting Body One or more paragraphs for each element forecasted Provide main evidence to support thesis Can sometimes address counterarguments or contradictory material Conclusion Restate thesis Leave readers with new questions or future research ideas Do not state counterarguments

CLASS DISCUSSION- THESIS DEVELOPMENT What is a thesis? Where does a thesis normally occur? What should you include in a thesis? How would you describe the writing style and content of a thesis?

CLASS DISCUSSION- THESIS DEVELOPMENT Important thesis strategies: Short/concise (Usually one sentence. No more than 2 clauses) Main idea of the essay (your overall evaluation) Strongly stated Active voice Should be able to stand alone and be understood Avoid vague pronouns; be specific Should occur near the beginning of the essay, most commonly in the last few sentences of the first paragraph Should be strongly stated and easy to identify It is ok to have first person in the thesis for this essay (although not usually in closed form prose) Avoid tensionless statements and counterarguments, like “this podcast has good and bad points.” Take a stance!

CLASS DISCUSSION- EXAMPLE THESIS EVALUATIONS “While I agree with Holt’s stance on preserving the Natural History Museum, I disagree with Holt’s reasoning and argument for why we should emphasis the nation’s education on foreign language.” “I do not agree with Smith’s techniques in this podcast. The podcast shows bias, poor information, weak rhetoric, and Smith openly being close minded while he writes this podcast.” “In reality multilingualism and the influx of Spanish speaking immigrants strengthens the nation more than actually hindering society like Franklin Raff claims in “American ‘Multilingualism’: a national tragedy” “For someone to say that the Sorean Amphitheater is of minor historical importance, they must not be looking at the positive effects, like the Author of “Sorean Amphitheater: an Eyesore or a Landmark” who has poor rhetoric and no concrete facts to back up his accusations.”

GROUP ACTIVITY- THESIS DEVELOPMENT In your unit 3 groups Share your WTE drafts and answer the following questions 1.Write down each students’ thesis here 2.Does the thesis meet the criteria we discussed? If not, where does it fail? 3.For each student, write a revised thesis based on our discussions and your group’s feedback

GROUP ACTIVITY- WTE DRAFT EVALUATIONS Pair up with one (or two) students from your unit 3 groups Review each student’s essay and answer the following question 1.Does the essay’s introduction grab the readers’ interest and present the topic in an interesting way? What kind of strategy does it use to do this? 2.Does the student evaluate the podcast as an overall success or failure? 3.What elements does the essay forecast for the body paragraphs? 4.Does the essay’s first body paragraph align with the forecasting? 5.What kind of evidence does the body paragraph(s) present to support the evaluation of its criteria? (quotes, paraphrase, summary, etc)

HOMEWORK WTE – Draft 2 Due Thursday 11/4 750 words, MLA format, printed and brought to class Should include your introduction, thesis, forecasting, your body paragraphs, and conclusion Sign up for Conference 4 Sign up sheet on class website today at noon Required for attendance and participation Bring a printed copy of your WTE essay to the conference