1. Unit 7 Seminar

2. What kind of experience have you had with revision in the past? Think about the meaning of the word ‘revise.’ (It is not, after all, *‘recorrect.’) Given the word, what would you expect revision to include? * In fact, there’s no such commonly used word.

3. Many revision issues exist, but divide revising tasks into three basic divisions or steps and do them in order: 1. Revise for content (ideas) 2. Revise for grammar and mechanics; proofread aloud. 3. Revise for APA (if necessary)—check each citation and reference item for APA format. What word do you not see here?

4. Remember to focus on the sources you’re using. Avoid overwhelming yourself with information you don’t need right now. Writers often generate many drafts! The more you draft, the better the chance of refining what you want to say and making your support more precise and specific.

5.  Make a schedule for drafting and stick as closely to it as possible.  Do not write the entire essay in one sitting.  You can do it all if you begin now!

6.  The most common way students get “lost” in the essay is by not following the process for writing.  The topic, thesis, and outline are all parts of this process.  Drafting and receiving feedback will be important parts of the same process; all this work is connected.

7.  Ask for help when you need it! I’m eager to help, but many times I cannot help on the day a project is due because there is simply not enough time.  Also use the Kaplan Writing Center as part of your writing process from beginning to final draft.

8.  Let’s look at how one student organized her work.  On the next page, you’ll see a highlighted paragraph. The functions of each paragraph have been highlighted as:  1: Topic Sentence  2: Supporting Details  3. Closing Sentence

9. Example body paragraph (thesis key point 1): topic sentence, support, closing sentence At the outset, Internet publishing promises writers powerful representation from major book vendors. For example, many Internet publishers have deals with industry giants such as Barnes and Noble and Amazon. In exchange for shared royalties, these booksellers list, promote, and sell both self-published and so-called “virtual reads” to their customer base (Lowell, 2005). This powerful marketing tool means that a writer can self-publish while having the selling advantage of those who have waited a long time to find print-publishing acceptance. This advantage can be attractive, as seen in the over 59 percent 2004-2005 increase in self-published and electronic books (Lowell, 2005). As more booksellers agree to sign on for print-on- demand and e-book partnerships, the reading world can expect more authors to take this virtual publishing route.

10.  Spell check is a good first pass of your document, but it should not be relied on to catch every error. For example, spell check won’t catch misused words, only misspelled words.

11.  Homophones—words that sound the same but have different spellings  Homonyms—words that sound the same but which have the same spelling. However, they have different meanings.  Since the words sound alike but have different meanings, homophones won’t usually be caught by spell check.

12.  Examples of these words are:  -affect vs. effect elicit vs. illicit  -there, their, they're lead vs. led  -too, two, to may be vs. maybe  -then vs. than principal vs. principle  -loose vs. lose desert vs. dessert

13.  Most stores (except/accept) American Express.  The (affect/effect) of the storm was frightening.  Carmen is (already/all ready) in class.  Marcus is under the (allusion/illusion) that he is famous.

14.  Keep in mind that a sentence does not have to be brief to be effective; long sentences can be worthwhile, too.  In fact, an essay’s sentence length and structure should vary.  Some sentences should be brief and others should be longer.  Punctuation and the “sound” of sentences should vary.  However, every word should be necessary.

15.  Autism may be caused by injections. Specifically, the injections given to infants are suspect. Booster shots for tetanus, measles, and Diphtheria may contain thermasol. Thermasol is a preservative made with mercury (Tyson, 2004). Preservatives are added to give the drugs a longer shelf life. Some bodies are not able to process mercury. This may put those people at risk for developing autism at “a rate of more than 500%, particularly those with a familial tendency toward autism” (Jackson, 2006, p.7).

16.  It seems impossible to not see the link between injections for children and the rise of autism in our country. Because American children receive a host of preventative inoculations such as measles/mumps/rubella, diphtheria/tetanus, chicken pox, and hepatitis, many experts believe the quality and quantity of the injections are problematic in the long term. With millions of dollars of profit at risk, pharmaceutical companies are choosing to include a mercury preservative that gives these injections a longer shelf life. Thermasol, the mercury preservative in question, leaves a residue behind in the system, and in particular the nervous system (Tyson, 2004). Interrupting the way the way the brain and nerves grow puts people at risk for developing autism at “a rate of more than 500%, particularly those with a familial tendency toward autism” (Jackson, 2006, p.7).

17.  It seems impossible to not see the link between injections for children and the rise of autism in our country. Specifically, the injections given to infants are suspect. Because American children receive a host of preventative inoculations such as measles/mumps/rubella, diphtheria/tetanus, chicken pox, and hepatitis, many experts believe the quality and quantity of the injections are problematic in the long term. Thermasol is a preservative made with mercury (Tyson, 2004). Preservatives are added to give the drugs a longer shelf life. Some bodies are not able to process mercury and the nervous system suffers. Interrupting the way the way the brain and nerves grow puts people at risk for developing autism at “a rate of more than 500%, particularly those with a familial tendency toward autism” (Jackson, 2006, p.7).

18. Questions? I have one: What’s the first thing you need to begin this project?