1. Titles and Transitions
Lesson #12

2. Writing Tip of the Day – Periods
“There’s not much to be said about the period except that most writers don’t reach it soon enough.” – William Zinsser

3. Freewriting Activity
Write the introduction to your genre analysis (or genre translation if you haven’t started it already).
Use the principles that we discussed yesterday.
When you’re done, have a partner peer review it.

4. Other Tips for Conclusions
Try not to end your paper abruptly.
Provide a fluid and logical transition from the body of your work to the end.
Reference something from your introduction to bring your paper back full circle.
Maintain your readers’ interest by ending with the same tone and energy you began with.

5. Transitions
Words or phrases that connect or show relationships between ideas in a piece of writing
Helps readers follow your train of thought more easily
Enhances the clarity of your ideas

6. Transitions belong between:
Sections (dividing the major ideas or topics of the writing)
Paragraphs (dividing the minor ideas of the writing)
Sentences (showing the relationships between them)
Parts of sentences (indicating how phrases connect)
Transitions should refer to the previous idea while moving the reader to the next idea, showing a relationship between the two

7. “Old to New” Principle
Studies show that early humans, Homo erectus, used primitive stone tools. The hand axe was made of fine-grained flint and used to chop wood along with a variety of other tasks.

8. Studies show that early humans, Homo erectus, used primitive stone tools. One of these tools, the hand axe, was made of fine-grained flint and used to chop wood along with a variety of other tasks.

9. From Paragraph to Paragraph
Follow the outline (or roadmap) provided in your thesis
At the end of each paragraph, have something in the concluding sentence allude to the topic sentence of the next paragraph (or vice versa). Remember the old to new principle.

10. Titles
Key to introducing readers to a text and attracting their attention
Lets readers know what the overall topic is
Sets the tone for the entire paper and lets readers know what to expect

11. Possible Sources for a Title
A pertinent phrase from the paper
An adaptable quote from another source
A key phrase or idea from the thesis
A relevant question addressed in the paper

12. Different Options
Use words or phrases that have double or clever meanings
Love Stinks: Pheromones and Their Influence on Infatuation
Take a common phrase and put a spin on it
When Good Writers Go Bad
Use words that surprise or encourage curiosity
Marxist America

13. Group Activity
In groups of three or four, create a clever, snappy title for one of the following scenarios:
A movie about a zombie apocalypse involving animals
A steamy romance novel between a waitress and a cowboy
An academic study about sodium and pretzels
A newspaper article about pancakes
A video game about time-traveling warriors

14. Other Tips Be aware of your audience.
Make the title fit the paper’s content, tone, and audience.
Revise the title as you revise your paper (or wait until the very end).
When in doubt, go for a short, simple, straightforward title.

15. Research
What are some of the best strategies for conducting scholarly research?
How do you evaluate your sources?
How would you then use those sources in your paper?

16. Tips for Class Presentation
Don’t go over 4 minutes or under 3. Time yourself beforehand.
If you use PowerPoint slides, don’t crowd the slides with too much text.
Make eye contact with your audience.
Use a notecard if necessary, but read directly from it the whole time (same goes for PowerPoint slides).
Maintain good posture.
If you make a mistake, don’t worry about it. Don’t draw too much attention by correcting it. Just move on.