1. Leopard Man
The strategies in these sections of the ERWC are designed to prepare students in advance of reading increasingly complex and sophisticated text.

2. Activity 1: Getting Ready to Read—Quickwrite
Answer the following questions individually:
Have you ever felt like an outsider in a group? What made you feel like this? How were you treated by others?
Have you ever known someone else who was treated like an outsider? How was that person different from others? How did you treat that person?

3. Continued….
After you have written for 5-10 minutes, discuss your responses in groups of three.
After your group discussion, answer the following question:
Were you surprised by the other responses in your group? Why or why not?

4. Activity 2: Introducing Key Concepts
Answer the following questions individually:
What makes someone a conformist”?
What makes someone a “non- conformist”?

5. Conformist or Non-conformist?

6. Activity 3: Surveying the Text
Explain the title in your own words.
Survey the length of the reading. Is it long or short?
What do you think this article is about?
Here is a picture of Tom Leopard (Leopard Man). What do you think about when you see him?

7. Update…

8. Activity 4: Making Predictions and Answering Questions
Answer the questions below on a separate piece of paper:
1. What do you think is the purpose of this essay?
2. Who do you think is the intended audience for this piece? How do you know?
3. Based on the title and other features of the text, what information or ideas do you think will be in this essay?
Now discuss your answers in groups or as a class.

9. Continued…
Next, read the first paragraph of the essay and the first sentence of each paragraph. Then respond to the following questions:
4. What is the main topic of the text?
5. Summarize the main ideas from what you have read so far.
6. What is the author’s opinion on the topic?
7. What do you think the writer wants the reader to do or believe? How did you come to this conclusion?
8. Next, turn the title into a question (or questions) to answer as you read the essay.

10. Activity 5: Introducing Key Vocabulary
Chart your familiarity with these key vocabulary words by filling in the last three columns below.
Then, in pairs, look up the definitions of all the words. Look at how the words are used in the sentences to help with the context. Spending time with new and unfamiliar words at this point will improve your understanding of the essay.

11. Homework Reminder IIG
Bring an article to class that provides supporting details for the following prompt:
Response Essay
Is it a good idea to change your feelings, looks, beliefs, or actions to fit in with a group? Use the example of Leopard Man as well as your own experiences and observations to support your position.

12. Homework Reminder IIA
Bring an article to class that provides supporting details for the following prompt:
Argument Essay
Logan Feys argues, “To be human is to be an individual human, with individual tastes, talents, values, and aspirations that are distinct from those of others. Living in society, we are under constant pressure to surrender our individuality to the will of the majority, the school, the workplace, the family, etc” (par. 6). Do you agree with Feys? Write a well-developed essay discussing the degree to which you agree or disagree with Feys’ argument about individuality and society. Use

13. Evaluating Articles
Articles (print and online) differ in content, purpose, and quality due to many factors. However, all articles can be evaluated using criteria like those given below, which are arranged in six categories.

14. Purpose and Audience
• What is the article's purpose? Is the purpose stated or implied? Does that matter? • Does the article try to persuade, inform, or prove something? How so? • Is the article a primary or secondary source? • Who is its intended audience? How might this influence its content? • What type of periodical published the article (scholarly, popular, trade, etc.)?
Checking purpose and audience: -- Read the purpose/mission statement for the periodical. -- Read the article submission guidelines. -- Notice the tone and terminology used in the article. -- Note the presence/absence and types of advertising and announcements. -- Examine the types of information, evidence, and examples used.    

15. Authority
Does the author have adequate qualifications/expertise? Is the work cited in other writings (especially articles in comparable fields)? Are the author's qualifications given? Where is the author employed? Who is the sponsoring agency, organization, or institution for the periodical? • What are the agency's/organization's credentials and reputation?
Checking the writer's authority: -- Use biographical dictionaries and critical essays to investigate the author. -- Search appropriate databases for works that cite the article. -- Read articles that cite/critique the article (and other works by the author). -- Find out if the author has written other articles, reports, etc. on the topic. -- Check the online home page for the periodical or its sponsoring organization.  

16. Accuracy and Reliability
Is a bibliography or reference list available so information can be verified? Does the article offer trustworthy information? Is the information protected by copyright? Who is the copyright holder? Does the article indicate editorial quality (free of errors)?
Checking accuracy and reliability: -- Examine the text for evidence of careful research. -- Check if data, statistics, and facts are documented (and current). -- Double-check information in the article with other sources. -- Read critiques and analyses in reputable sources. -- Determine if the periodical is peer-reviewed, editor-reviewed, etc Examine the quality of items listed in the bibliography, if one is present. -- Check the publisher: academic, commercial, non-profit, etc.    

17. Objectivity
Is the information biased or balanced, subjective or objective? Is the text mostly fact or opinion? Is that appropriate? •Does the text acknowledge the above? Does the writer use logical or emotional appeal?
Checking objectivity: -- Examine the writer's claims. Are they logical and reasonable? -- Examine the evidence presented. Is it adequate and credible? -- Read critical essays about and responses to the article. -- Notice the presence/absence and types of advertising.  

18. Currency
When was the article published? Does that matter? Is the information current? Should it be? Are current research findings and/or theories evident? Should they be?
Checking work's currency: -- Check dates on references, if any are given. -- Check dates given for any data presented in the text. -- Compare the information with that presented in other sources. -- Check the publishing history (date on the periodical, footnotes about previous publishing, presence in databases, etc.).    

19. Coverage
Does the article adequately cover its topic? Does the article present original ideas or rehash those of others? Are significant aspects of the topic omitted? Are omissions acknowledged and explained?
Checking coverage: -- Examine the introductory paragraphs and editor's notes about the article. -- Analyze the breadth of content. Does it meet expectations? -- Read articles that discuss or analyze the article in question. -- Compare the article with similar works. -- Look at the article's length. Is it long enough to adequately cover the topic?

20. Activity 6a: First Reading-Understanding the Essay
1. Why is Tom Leopard called “Leopard Man”?
2. What does the author think about people with tattoos and piercings? Why does he have these opinions?
3. How is Leopard Man different from other tattooed and pierced people?
4. Where does Leopard Man live?
5. According to Feys, what kind of people does society fear? Why?

21. Continued…
6. What is the “world’s most common but dangerous psychological disorder” (par. 6)? Explain Feys’ argument in this paragraph.
7. Why is Leopard Man so happy?
8. What is Feys’ final message to the reader in paragraph 11? What does he want the reader to do?

22. Quickwrite
Take 5-10 minutes to write a journal entry about your understanding of the text at this point. What is the text about? What is your opinion of the author’s main point so far? What parts confuse you? Why?
Be prepared to discuss your reactions with the class.

23. Activity 6b: First Reading—Reciprocal Teaching
• Reread your assigned paragraph. As a group, discuss the paragraph, including any parts of the paragraph that are confusing or that you don’t understand.
• List or circle important words or phrases that you feel contribute to the meaning of the paragraph.
• Make a list of vocabulary words (words you think your classmates should know/review) and any other important information the class should know.
• After you have discussed the paragraph as a group, write a one- to two-sentence summary of what the paragraph is saying.
• Present the notes from your paragraph to the class. Be prepared to answer any questions your classmates might have about your paragraph.

24. Activity 8: Rereading the Text
Reread the text, and complete the following assignment:
1. Highlight and label the following points in the essay in the left- hand margin:
•Introduction
•Issue or problem being addressed
•Author’s main arguments
•Author’s examples
•Conclusion
2. Write in the right-hand margin your reactions to what the author is saying.
3. Highlight in another color any places where you were confused.

25. Activity 9: Analyzing Stylistic Choices
The questions below about the author’s use of words and sentences will help you understand how the text works.
Words
1. What is the definition of “non-conformists” (par. 2)? What image comes to your mind when you hear this word?
2. How do the words “anti-social freak” (par. 2) make you feel? What image comes to mind when you hear those words?
3. Which words or synonyms are repeated? Why?

26. Continued..
Sentences
1. What does Feys mean when he says, “Most anti- social freaks, in their obsession with displaying their freakishness, are just as dependent on others’ opinions as approval-seeking socialites” (par. 2)? Explain what he means in this statement.
2. In paragraph 4, Feys says, “society looks down upon freakish and extraordinary individuals alike and views them with suspicion.” Who is he talking about when he says “freakish and extraordinary individuals”?

27. Activity 10: Mapping the Organizational Structure
Draw a line across the page where the introduction ends. Is it after the first paragraph, or are there several introductory paragraphs? How do you know?
Draw a line across the page where the conclusion begins. Is the last paragraph the conclusion, or are there several concluding paragraphs? How do you know?
Discuss your reasons for drawing the lines where you did. In this activity, thinking and reasoning about organizational structure is more important than agreeing on where the lines should be drawn.
Now divide the body of the text into sections by topics (what each section is about). Remember that the topic of a section may consist of more than one paragraph.
Write a short description of what each section is about.

28. Continued..
Next, answer the following questions on the sections you have identified:
How does each section make you feel? What is the writer trying to accomplish in each?
Which section is the most developed?
Which section is the least developed? What would make it more complete?
Which section is the most convincing or appealing to you? The least convincing or appealing?
On the basis of your map of the text, what do you think is the main argument?

29. Continued..
Finally, make a map of the ideas in the article by doing the following:
Draw a circle in the center of a blank page and put the text’s main idea in the circle.
Write down and circle any related ideas. As you add ideas, draw a line to show what ideas they are related to.
Figure out how the ideas are related to one another. Are they examples? Does each example help explain the main point more?

30. Activity 11b: Responding
Responding to your reading is an essential part of critical thinking. It forces you to understand the main ideas as you also learn to respond to them.
Write a personal response to the piece based on the following questions:
What do you think about the essay?
How did you feel before reading?
How did your feelings change?
Were there any areas you were confused by?
Were there any areas you were surprised by?
Why do you think you had those reactions?
What would you say to Leopard Man if you got to meet him?
After you have created a summary of the text, write two questions that can be used for a class discussion. Be sure to write your own answers to the questions.

31. Activity 12: Thinking Critically
Questions about Logic (Logos)
1. What are the major claims or assertions made in this reading? Do you agree with the author’s claim that people who try to look different are really looking for attention and approval from society? Explain your answer.
2. Do any claims appear to be weak or unsupported? Which ones? What makes you think they are unsupported?
3. What counterarguments does the author not consider?
4. Do you think the author has left something out on purpose? Explain your answer?

32. Continued.. Questions about the Writer (Ethos)
1. Is the author knowledgeable on this subject? How do you know?
2. What does the author’s language tell the reader about him?
3. Does the author seem trustworthy? Why or why not?
4. Does the author seem serious? In what ways?

33. Continued.. Questions about Emotions (Pathos)
1. How does this piece affect you emotionally? Explain your answer.
2. Do you think the author is trying to manipulate the readers’ emotions? In

34. Quickwrite
Look back at the quickwrite you completed before reading this essay. Did your opinion change? Do you still feel the same way about people who are different? Will you change the way you think or act towards people who are different from you? Why or why not?

35. Activity 13a: Using Other’s Words
One of the most important features of academic writing is the use of words and ideas from written sources to support the writer’s own points. There are essentially three strategies for incorporating words and ideas from sources, as shown below:

36. Direct Quotation
Logan Feys says, “Society looks down upon freakish and extraordinary individuals alike and views them with suspicion” (par. 4).

37. Paraphrase
In “The Sociology of Leopard Man,” Logan Feys argues that society fears people who are different because we do not understand them (par. 4).

38. Summarize
In “The Sociology of Leopard Man,” Logan Feys describes the life of Tom Leppard, a man who lives alone in the Scottish wilderness and is tattooed from head to toe with leopard spots. Feys argues that while most people who look like this crave attention from others, Leopard Man lives a quiet, happy life because he is satisfied with himself. Feys suggests that all people should take time out of their busy lives to be alone and reflect on themselves once in a while (1-2).

39. Parenthetical Citations
In-Text Documentation:
MLA style also requires in-text documentation for every direct quotation, indirect quotation, paraphrase, and summary. Many students are confused by this, believing that documentation is necessary only for direct quotations. If the author’s name is given in the text, the page number should be given in parentheses at the end of the sentence containing the material. If not, both the author’s name and the page number are required. For example, here is a paraphrase of material from the Feys article. Because the author is not named in the text, the last name goes in the parentheses:

40. Continued..
Leopard Man, who has spots tattooed all over his body, is the most tattooed man in the Guinness Book of Records, but is a “freak” in society (Feys par. 1).
An academic paper is most often a dialogue between the writer and his or her sources. If your students learn to quote, paraphrase, summarize, and document sources correctly, they will be well on their way to becoming college students.

41. MLA
Books:
Bean, John C., Virginia A. Chappell, and Alice M. Gilliam. Reading Rhetorically: A Reader for Writers. New York: Longman, Print.
Newspapers:
Here is the bibliographic information for the article quoted above in MLA format (because it was published in a newspaper, the format and the information included differ somewhat):
Rifkin, Jeremy. “A Change of Heart About Animals.” Los Angeles Times 1 Sept. 2003: B15+. Print.

42. MLA Continued..
Web sites. Students often want to incorporate material from Web sites. To document a Web site, they will need to give the name of the author (if known), the title of the site (or a description, such as “Homepage,” if no title is available), the date of publication or update (if known), the name of the organization that sponsors the site, the date of access, and the Web address (URL) in angle brackets. For example:
University Writing Center. 26 June University Writing Center, California Polytechnic State University, Pomona. Web. <
The author for the above site is unknown, so no name is given. This entry would appear in the Works Cited section alphabetized by “University.”

43. Works Cited Page
Create your works cited page

44. Activity 13b: Practice with Sources
Choose from the reading three passages you might be able to use in an essay.
First, write each passage as a correctly punctuated and cited direct quotation.
Second, paraphrase the material in your own words, citing the material correctly.
Last, respond to the idea expressed in the passage by agreeing or disagreeing with it and explaining why, again with the correct citation.

45. Activity 16: Reading the Assignment
Writing Assignment #3: Argument Essay
Logan Feys argues, “To be human is to be an individual human, with individual tastes, talents, values, and aspirations that are distinct from those of others. Living in society, we are under constant pressure to surrender our individuality to the will of the majority, the school, the workplace, the family, etc” (par. 6). Do you agree with Feys? Write a well-developed essay discussing the degree to which you agree or disagree with Feys’ argument about individuality and society. Use examples from the text and your personal experience to support your opinion.

46. Activity 16: Reading the Assignment
Writing Assignment: Response Essay
Is it a good idea to change your feelings, looks, beliefs, or actions to fit in with a group? Use the example of Leopard Man as well as your own experiences and observations to support your position.

47. Activity 17: Getting Ready to Write
The following exercises will help you move from reading to writing.
Freewrite/Brainstorm: Read the essay topic again and take a minute to think about it. When your teacher says “start,” write for 10 minutes about the topic. Don’t worry about spelling, grammar, or complete sentences at this point—just keep your pen moving on paper. If you run out of things to say, repeat some ideas you may have already written. Do not stop writing until your teacher says “stop.”
After the 10 minutes is over, read what you have written. Highlight and underline important words, phrases, or ideas that stick out to you as you read. Make a note of any words or ideas that are repeated or that start to form patterns. Ask questions and make notations in the margins to note something interesting. The idea is to start to make sense of your freewrite.

48. Activity 18: Formulating a Working Thesis
A thesis statement is the controlling idea for your essay. The following questions will help you develop a tentative thesis statement.
What is your tentative thesis? (Check your essay organizer for your topic and opinion)
What are the main ideas you will use to support your thesis statement?
What evidence have you found for your main ideas in Assignments 2 and 3 (e.g., facts, statistics, statements from authorities, personal experience, anecdotes, scenarios, and examples)?
How much background information do your readers need to understand your topic and thesis?
If readers were to disagree with your thesis in Assignments 2 and 3, what would they say? How would you address their concerns (what would you say to them)?
Now draft a possible thesis for your essay.

49. Activity 20: Organizing the Essay
Introduction
You might want to include the following in your introductory paragraph:
A “hook” to get the reader’s attention
Background information the audience may need
A thesis statement along with some indication of how the essay will be developed (“forecasting”). Note: The thesis statement states the topic of the essay and the writer’s position on that topic. You may choose to sharpen or narrow your thesis at this point.

50. Continued…
Body
Paragraphs that present support for the thesis statement, usually in topic sentences supported with evidence. (Refer to “Getting Ready to Write.”)
Paragraphs that include different points of view or address counter- arguments
Paragraphs or sentences in which you address those points of view by doing the following:
Refuting them
-Acknowledging them but showing your argument is better
-Granting them altogether but showing they are irrelevant
Evidence that you have considered the values, beliefs, and assumptions of the audience; your own values, beliefs, and assumptions; and some common ground that appeals to the various points of view

51. Continued… Conclusion
A final paragraph (or paragraphs) that includes a solid argument to support the thesis and indicates the significance of the argument—the “so what?” factor

52. Activity 21: Developing Content
Don’t forget-
Most body paragraphs consist of a topic sentence (or an implied topic sentence) and concrete details to support that topic sentence.
Body paragraphs give evidence in the form of examples, illustrations, statistics, and so forth and analyze the meaning of the evidence.
Each topic sentence is usually directly related to the thesis statement.
No set number of paragraphs makes up an essay.
The thesis dictates and focuses the content of an essay.
* Now complete YOUR essay organizer!

53. Activity 22: Revising the Draft
Peer Group
Working in groups of three or four, each student reads his or her essay aloud to other members of the group. After each essay is read, complete the Evaluation Form (Appendix F, Part I) for each essay.
Paired Work
Now work in pairs to decide how you want to revise the problems identified by your group members.
Individual Work
At this point, you are ready to revise your draft on the basis of the feedback you have received and the decisions you have made with your partner. You might also use the following revision guides for your individual work:
Have I responded to the assignment?
What is my purpose for this essay?
What should I keep? What is most effective?
What should I add? Where do I need more details, examples, and other evidence to support my point?
What could I omit? Have I used irrelevant details? Have I been repetitive?
What should I change? Are parts of my essay confusing or contradictory? Do I need to explain my ideas more fully?
Have I addressed differing points of view?
Does my conclusion show the significance of my essay?

54. Activity 24: Editing the Draft
Edit your draft on the basis of the information you have received from your instructor Use Part II of the Evaluation Form as an editing checklist. The following editing guidelines will also help you to edit your own work:
If possible, set your essay aside for 24 hours before rereading it to find errors.
If possible, read your essay aloud so you can hear errors and awkward constructions.
At this point, focus on individual words and sentences rather than on overall meaning. Take a sheet of paper and cover everything except the line you are reading. Then touch your pencil to each word as you read.
With the help of your teacher, figure out your own pattern of errors— the most serious and frequent errors you make.
Look for only one type of error at a time. Then go back and look for a second type and, if necessary, a third.

55. Activity 25: Reflecting on Writing
Reflecting on your writing is an essential part of improving on your next assignment. When you have completed your essay, answer these questions, and submit your thoughts with your final draft.
1. Draw a circle around two parts of your essay that you feel reflect good writing. Why did you choose these parts?
2. Write an X in the margin next to two parts of your essay that you feel were the weakest. Why did you have trouble in these areas?