1. Welcome to the Unit 7 Seminar for KU 121! Topic: Completing Your Rough Draft Professor: Ann Meek, PhD.

2. In KU 121, we will focus on one writing project for the term—a professional autobiography. This project will be due in Unit 9. Each week, in each unit, we are working toward that goal. This week, in Unit 7, we will finish writing our rough draft.

3. Project Description Imagine that you have completed your program at Kaplan University and have been offered your dream job! The company or organization you will be working for wants to issue a press release announcing that you are joining them and in what capacity. In order to do so, they need a minimum 500-word autobiographical statement from you. Imagine that you have completed your program at Kaplan University and have been offered your dream job! The company or organization you will be working for wants to issue a press release announcing that you are joining them and in what capacity. In order to do so, they need a minimum 500-word autobiographical statement from you.

4. Project Timeline Unit 3: Identify your dream job in discussion and complete and post your Pre-Writing to the discussion. Unit 3: Identify your dream job in discussion and complete and post your Pre-Writing to the discussion. Unit 4: Write and post your outline to the discussion Unit 4: Write and post your outline to the discussion Unit 5: Write and post your autobiography introduction to the discussion Unit 5: Write and post your autobiography introduction to the discussion Unit 6: Write and post your 3 autobiography body paragraphs to the dropbox Unit 6: Write and post your 3 autobiography body paragraphs to the dropbox Unit 7: Submit your completed Rough Draft to the dropbox and send a copy to the Writing Center Unit 7: Submit your completed Rough Draft to the dropbox and send a copy to the Writing Center Unit 8: Submit Writing Center feedback report to the dropbox Unit 8: Submit Writing Center feedback report to the dropbox Unit 9: Complete and post Final version of your autobiography to the dropbox Unit 9: Complete and post Final version of your autobiography to the dropbox

5. Five Paragraph Essay I. Introduction – this is your identification (location, company, job title, etc.) Thesis sentence is the last sentence of paragraph one. II. Body paragraph 1: Personal details (professional level) – age, family, hobbies and interests. Remember – do not include any overly personal or inappropriate details. III. Body paragraph 2: Educational background – include program at Kaplan (pretend you already have received your degree) IV. Body paragraph 3: Professional experiences and background – any related work you have done or achievements and awards V. Concluding paragraph – the final paragraph in the essay, wrapping up your overall topic.

6. Key Concepts for Unit 7 Compiling – bringing all elements of your draft together. Compiling – bringing all elements of your draft together. Concluding paragraph- the final paragraph in the essay. Its job is to briefly remind reader of the key points and then end with some broad, general ideas. Concluding paragraph- the final paragraph in the essay. Its job is to briefly remind reader of the key points and then end with some broad, general ideas. Concise – shortest, most direct way to say something. Concise – shortest, most direct way to say something. Drafting - The determining stage of the writing process where you organize ideas from brainstorming, sorting out the best ones to use in your writing. Drafting - The determining stage of the writing process where you organize ideas from brainstorming, sorting out the best ones to use in your writing. Expanding – looking for additional facts or examples to expand the focus of your essay. Expanding – looking for additional facts or examples to expand the focus of your essay.

7. Key Concepts for Unit 7 Reworded Thesis – method of starting a conclusion with a statement that echoes the ideas of your thesis in different words. Reworded Thesis – method of starting a conclusion with a statement that echoes the ideas of your thesis in different words. Stretching - weakening your writing by adding needless words; not a good practice Stretching - weakening your writing by adding needless words; not a good practice The writing process - The step-by-step process anyone can follow in order to complete a writing assignment, whether it's for a class or a workplace project; it is a circular process so you can return to previous steps. The writing process - The step-by-step process anyone can follow in order to complete a writing assignment, whether it's for a class or a workplace project; it is a circular process so you can return to previous steps. Wordiness – over use of needless words in writing. Wordiness – over use of needless words in writing.

8. At this point, we have completed our first four paragraphs – the introduction and the three body paragraphs (personal, academic, and professional background). Here are some examples of these paragraphs…

9. Sample Introductory Paragraph I It is a pleasure to introduce our new four year old kindergarten teacher at Gotham City Elementary School – Jane Doe. The children at Gotham City Elementary are excited that one of their favorite library assistants is now a teacher! After over ten years of teaching children to love books and reading, Jane will now be able to share her skills with a class of her own. Jane Doe is a dedicated early childhood educator at Gotham City Elementary School who has a personal, educational, and professional background which has uniquely qualified her to excel in this field.

10. Body Paragraph 1 Example: Personal Background A 44 year old mother of three, Jane is an active single mom who enjoys traveling, cooking, and singing in the community choir. As a mother of school age children, she is particularly aware of the importance of good communication between parents and teachers. Jane’s travels have taken her to Europe, Asia, and all over North America. She is excited about the possibility of exposing the children in her class to new cultures and foods based on her extensive travels. She also hopes that parents, staff, and children will come and enjoy the many performances of the community choir throughout the year.

11. Body Paragraph 2 Example: Academic Background Jane graduated in 1983 from Gotham City High School, where she was involved with the Glee Club and played the clarinet in the band. As her three children became more independent, she decided to continue her education at Kaplan University. Jane chose to pursue an online degree so that she could more easily continue to work and raise her children while working on her college degree. She has recently graduated from Kaplan with a degree in early childhood education.

12. Body Paragraph 3 Example: Professional Background After completing high school, Jane worked at her family’s hardware store, but in 1996, our school had the great fortune of hiring Jane as a library assistant at Gotham City Elementary. Jane has been heavily involved in our Accelerated Reading program, keeping track of students’ reading records, points, and the rewards system.

13. Now that you have an introduction and body drafted for your autobiography, it is time to draft your conclusion and compile the three parts into one document for submission to your instructor and the Writing Center.

14. The concluding paragraph of the essay functions as the balance to the introduction. Whereas the introduction funnels attention into the essay, the conclusion should let the reader know he or she is nearing the end of the discussion. Don’t introduce new information in the conclusion, and don’t start with “in conclusion.” Make the ending as strong and tight as the beginning. Avoid weak conclusions like “Well, that’s all I know.”

15. Ways to End an Essay Summarize your main ideas Summarize your main ideas Comment on importance of your topic Comment on importance of your topic Ask and answer a thought provoking question Ask and answer a thought provoking question Use a strong quotation and comment on it Use a strong quotation and comment on it Predict the future Predict the future Make a call to action Make a call to action

16. Now it’s time to write a conclusion for Jane’s autobiography. Looking back to our outline, this is what we had: V. Conclusion: Jane looks forward to working with children and parents to create the best kindergarten experience for all the children in her class. Let’s develop this into a full paragraph…

17. Sample Conclusion Paragraph Jane looks forward to working with children and parents to create the best kindergarten experience for all the children in her class. She plans to bring her enthusiasm and years of experience to the classroom and she will be a valuable addition to our staff. According to Jane – “there’s nothing more important than the future of our children”. This is the kind of attitude that makes for success in the classroom. Jane invites you all to come by her classroom, share ideas, have a cup of coffee, and check out her colorful, exciting decorations! Jane looks forward to working with children and parents to create the best kindergarten experience for all the children in her class. She plans to bring her enthusiasm and years of experience to the classroom and she will be a valuable addition to our staff. According to Jane – “there’s nothing more important than the future of our children”. This is the kind of attitude that makes for success in the classroom. Jane invites you all to come by her classroom, share ideas, have a cup of coffee, and check out her colorful, exciting decorations!

18. Let’s look at our second autobiography example…

19. Sample Introductory Paragraph II The employees of General Hospital would like to welcome John Smith as our new surgical technician. John’s enthusiasm for his new medical career is contagious! After many years in the construction field, John has met the qualifications to work as a surgical technician and is looking forward to the exciting job of assisting our surgeons in the operating room. According to John – “this is the most important step of my working career, and one that I have hoped for throughout my adult life.” John Smith’s personal, professional, and academic background have prepared him to be a top-notch surgical technician at General Hospital, and he is excited to begin his new career!

20. Body Paragraph 1 Example II: Personal Background John is a devoted sportsman who enjoys weekend hunting and fishing trips with his wife, Sue. He and Sue own a cabin at Camp Gotham, and most weekends, you will find them there enjoying the great outdoors. John and Sue are the parents of one adult child, and have two grandchildren. John is also an organizer for the local “Toys for Kids” program, and spends his holidays delivering toys to charity organizations throughout the city.

21. Body Paragraph 2 Example II: Academic Background John graduated from Gotham City High School in 1979, where he was a member of the football team for all four years. Through the vocational education program, John became interested in carpentry and completed the carpentry program at Gotham City Community College in 1982. In 2005, he returned to college to earn his bachelor’s degree in the medical field from Kaplan University. John completed his degree online, and he feels that he benefited greatly from the flexibility of the online degree program.

22. Body Paragraph 3 Example II: Professional Background After completing the carpentry program at Gotham City Community College, John worked for many years as an independent carpenter. John worked on many well known buildings at Gotham City, including the public library and the courthouse. However, John always had an interest in the medical field, and after a serious back injury, he decided to take the steps to qualify to work as a surgical technician at General Hospital.

23. Now it’s time to write a conclusion for John’s autobiography. Looking back to our outline, this is what we had: V. Conclusion: Let’s develop this into a full paragraph… Now it’s time to write a conclusion for John’s autobiography. Looking back to our outline, this is what we had: V. Conclusion: It has been a lifelong goal of John’s to work in the medical field, and he is looking forward to working with the patients and staff of General Hospital. Let’s develop this into a full paragraph…

24. Sample Conclusion Paragraph II John will bring his personal, academic, and professional background to his new role as a surgical technician. He plans to serve with diligence and dedication, and challenges all staff to give 100% to the patients in their care, as he intends to do throughout his career here. It has been a lifelong goal of John’s to work in the medical field, and he is looking forward to working with the patients and staff of General Hospital. John will bring his personal, academic, and professional background to his new role as a surgical technician. He plans to serve with diligence and dedication, and challenges all staff to give 100% to the patients in their care, as he intends to do throughout his career here.

25. Unit 7 Project In Unit 7, you will be required to submit your rough draft to the dropbox and to the Writing Center for review. You can find the Writing Center in your student homepage under “My Studies”. Click on “Writing and Math Center”, then “Writing Center”, then “Paper Review Service”, and follow the instructions you find there. You will also find a document explaining how to use the Writing Center in our course site under Doc Sharing. It is titled “Accessing and Using the WC”.

26. Common Writing Errors Tonight’s Topics: Run-On Sentences and Sentence Fragments

27. Run-On Sentences One of the most common errors is called a run-on sentence, in which two or more complete thoughts are joined together without the use of proper punctuation. Here is an example: “Jane is very dedicated to creating the most positive kindergarten experience possible for the children in her class she has worked for many years to achieve the goal of becoming a kindergarten teacher.”

28. Four Ways to Correct a Run-On Sentence Make two sentences out of it. Make two sentences out of it. Use a semicolon. Use a semicolon. Use a comma with a connecting word. Use a comma with a connecting word. Change an independent clause to a subordinate clause and use a comma. Change an independent clause to a subordinate clause and use a comma. Here is an example of each way…

29. Make Two Sentences Incorrect: “Jane is very dedicated to creating the most positive kindergarten experience possible for the children in her class she has worked for many years to achieve the goal of becoming a kindergarten teacher.” Correct: “Jane is very dedicated to creating the most positive kindergarten experience possible for the children in her class. She has worked for many years to achieve the goal of becoming a kindergarten teacher.”

30. Use a Semi-Colon Incorrect: “Jane is very dedicated to creating the most positive kindergarten experience possible for the children in her class she has worked for many years to achieve the goal of becoming a kindergarten teacher.” Correct: “Jane is very dedicated to creating the most positive kindergarten experience possible for the children in her class; she has worked for many years to achieve the goal of becoming a kindergarten teacher.”

31. Use a Comma with a Connecting Word Incorrect: “Jane is very dedicated to creating the most positive kindergarten experience possible for the children in her class she has worked for many years to achieve the goal of becoming a kindergarten teacher.” Correct: “Jane is very dedicated to creating the most positive kindergarten experience possible for the children in her class, and she has worked for many years to achieve the goal of becoming a kindergarten teacher.”

32. Make One Part a Subordinate Clause Incorrect: “Jane is very dedicated to creating the most positive kindergarten experience possible for the children in her class she has worked for many years to achieve the goal of becoming a kindergarten teacher.” Correct: “Since Jane is very dedicated to creating the most positive kindergarten experience possible for the children in her class, she has worked for many years to achieve the goal of becoming a kindergarten teacher.”

33. Is This a Run-on Sentence? Jane is looking forward to teaching kindergarten after working for several years in the school library because she has developed many learning activities that she wants to share with the children. Jane is looking forward to teaching kindergarten after working for several years in the school library because she has developed many learning activities that she wants to share with the children.

34. Is This a Run-on Sentence? John is planning to work twelve hour shifts so that he can work a four day week because that is the schedule that his wife works she works at a textile plant in the neighboring town of Springfield. John is planning to work twelve hour shifts so that he can work a four day week because that is the schedule that his wife works she works at a textile plant in the neighboring town of Springfield.

35. Sentence Fragments Another very common error is the sentence fragment. A complete sentence must have at least one noun, at least one verb, and must form a complete thought. A sentence fragment is an incomplete thought, such as this example: “Community college for carpentry, not surgical technology.”

36. Sentence Fragments Usually sentence fragments will occur because the missing information is in another sentence, like this: “John had attended college before. Community college for carpentry, not surgical technology.” The first sentence is complete, but the second sentence is a fragment.

37. Correcting Sentence Fragments We can correct sentence fragments by adding any missing information to make the sentence complete, like this… “John had attended college before. He attended community college for carpentry, not surgical technology.” or like this… “John had attended college before; he attended community college for carpentry, not surgical technology.”

38. Complete or Fragment? Which sentence below is a fragment? 1. Jane’s favorite T.V. shows are CSI and Ghost Whisperer. 2. She also like to watch cable news and usually watches CNN. 3. When she’s not watching MSNBC. 4. Actually, she likes them all.

39. Complete or Fragment? Which sentence below is a fragment? 1. John feels that there are many benefits to having a college education. 2. He encourages anyone who is interested to pursue online education. 3. Flexibility, convenience, and working at home. 4. What could be better?

40. Thank you for coming! Any last questions? Have a great week, everyone!