1. Monday

2. Today’s Agenda Group – Amy Tan, Mother Tongue
Intros and Conclusion Strategies (From Bruce Ballenger’s, The Curious Researcher)
Example Essays
Writing an Intro Using Ballenger’s Strategies

3. Amy Tan, Mother Tongue Group: Answer the following questions:
Tan says that experts believe that a person’s “developing language skills are more influenced by peers”; yet she thinks that family is more influential, “especially in immigrant families.” Do you think family or peers exert more influence on a person’s language?
What is the Literacy that is the focus of her essay?
What is the major theme she is exploring?
How many event(s) does she describe? What are they?
Why does she envision her mother as the reader of her novels?

4. Example Essays
These essays can be found in Unit One on our course website.
Example Paper – Music Literacy (Band)
Example Paper – Golf Literacy

5. Organization: Intros
Anecdote. Think of a little story that nicely frames what the paper is about.
Scene. Begin by giving your readers a look at some revealing aspect of your topic.
Profile. Try a lead that introduces someone who is important to your topic
Background. Begin by providing important and possibly surprising background information on your topic.
Quotation. Sometimes, you encounter a great quote that captures the question your paper will explore or the direction it will take. (Perhaps a quote from an interview?)

6. Organization: Intros
Dialogue. Open with dialogue between people involved in your topic.
Question. Involve your audience!! Pointedly as your readers the questions your asked that launched your research or the questions your readers might raise about your topic?
Contrast. Try a lead that compares two apparently unlike things that highlight the topic, problem or dilemma the paper will explore.
Announcement. Sometimes the most appropriate beginning is one that directly mentions what the paper is about. A paper with a complex topic or focus may be well served by simply stating in the beginning the main idea you’ll explore and what plan you’ll follow.

7. Starting the Intro
Using one of Ballenger’s strategies, start writing an introduction for your paper.

8. Homework Continue to work on your draft
Bring in 2 full pages of your rough draft to class for in- class peer review on Wed. January 25.
Turn in 2 full pages of your rough drafts to Barb (hard copy) Wed. Jan. 25
Upload revised drafts to ELI Review: Sunday, Jan 29 by 11 pm. (Remember to bring your laptop to class on Mon. Jan. 30 for Eli Review in class).