Standard 4, Writing

Standard 4, Writing: Processes and Features

Students discuss ideas for writing with other writers. They write coherent and focused essays that show a well-defined point of view and tightly reasoned argument. Students progress through the stages of the writing process (prewriting, writing, editing, and revising).

Organization and Focus

10.4.1
Discuss ideas for writing with classmates, teachers, and other writers and develop drafts alone and collaboratively.

10.4.2
Establish a coherent thesis that conveys a clear perspective on the subject and maintain a consistent tone and focus throughout the piece of writing.

10.4.3
Use precise language, action verbs, sensory details, appropriate modifiers, and the active (I will always remember my first trip to the city) rather than the passive voice (My first trip to the city will always be remembered).

10.4.13
Establish coherence within and among paragraphs through effective transitions, parallel structures, and similar writing techniques.

Research Process and Technology

10.4.4
Use clear research questions and suitable research methods, including texts, electronic resources, and personal interviews, to compile and present evidence from primary and secondary print or Internet sources.

10.4.5
Develop main ideas within the body of the composition through supporting evidence, such as scenarios, commonly held beliefs, hypotheses, and definitions.

10.4.6
Synthesize information from multiple sources. Identify complexities and inconsistencies in the information and the different perspectives found in each medium, including almanacs, microfiche, news sources, in-depth field studies, speeches, journals, technical documents, and Internet sources.

10.4.7
Integrate quotations and citations into a written text while maintaining the flow of ideas.

10.4.8
Use appropriate conventions for documentation in text, notes, and bibliographies following the formats in different style manuals.

10.4.9
Use a computer to design and publish documents by using advanced publishing software and graphic programs.

Evaluation and Revision

10.4.10
Review, evaluate, revise, edit, and proofread writing using an editing checklist.

10.4.11
Apply criteria developed by self and others to evaluate the mechanics and content of writing.

10.4.12
Provide constructive criticism to other writers with suggestions for improving organization, tone, style, clarity, and focus; edit and revise in response to peer reviews of own work.

Guidelines for Reader Response (To Kill a Mockingbird)

Below you'll find suggestions for your written response to To Kill a Mockingbird. As this is a formal piece of writing, please refer to the criteria (included below), provided on the class website, and given to you the first day of class. Although I will not require this piece to be typed, I highly suggest it. Criteria for hand-written papers remains that it must be legible, above all else, and double-spaced with writing on every other line (no writing on the backs of pages, either). Criteria for typed also remains that it must be double-spaced, Times New Roman font, size 12-point only. Both hand-written and typed papers require a work(s) cited page. No title page is necessary; include an MLA heading at the top, left corner of the first page. Correct format constitutes part of your percentage and grade for this assignment.

For your assignment, respond to the following prompt:

What is the purpose of education?

You should thoroughly develop a 500-1000 word, 5-paragraph essay seeking to answer this conundrum.

First paragraph should briefly introduce your topic, starting with an exciting and interesting attention getter. Consider starting with a quote (not necessarily from To Kill a Mockingbird) as long as it is appropriate for your topic. Consider your audience. Your introduction should end with your three part thesis, formatted similarly: The purpose of education remains to ___, ___, and ___ .

Your body paragraphs should follow the lead you established with your thesis, following the same order as your three subtopics.

Your conclusion should review the main points you made in your essay. Rephrase your thesis and include it in your conclusion.

Requirements:

Do not include any first or second person in this essay, unless it appears in a direct quote (and try to avoid those as well). An essay with an author statement ("In this essay, I will tell you..." "In the following paragraph, you will read about..." "I believe..." "I feel..." "I think...") will result in an immediate drop in a letter grade for the paper.

Spelling and grammar always count. Use formal, standard English. This is a formal essay, not a note, text message, or IM to a friend.

Include your word count after the last sentence in your final paragraph. Be honest.
Scout makes several references to education and her opinion of the formal system in the first part of the novel. Refer to To Kill a Mockingbird, either paraphrasing an event or directly quoting it (no longer than 2 sentences quoted, please) and include an in-text citation (Last Name page number). You are required to make mention of TKM in at least one of your body paragraphs. You may do more, if desired. Also consider using other sources, either read in this class or those you've read on your own, to help defend your answer to the prompt.

Include a Work(s) Cited page at the end of your paper. If it will fit on the bottom of your essay, you do not need to include it on a separate page. Do not include the work(s) cited in the word count.

In-class work time will depend on you. We will work on this Monday and your work ethic will determine the amount of time you receive tomorrow. We will not begin reading TKM again until next week, but I would still recommend bringing the book. We may do vocabulary from the book if working on a 500-1000 word essay is not enough to fill up a class period.

Rough draft due: Friday, April 20, 2007. Value: 150 points.
Final copy due: TBA.

Daily Agenda 10/20

Today, we accomplished...

• finished meeting with groups to discuss topics / outlines / rough drafts
• worked individually on rough drafts
• remember, rough drafts should be double spaced and include a title page, the essay, and a works cited page

Format of Formal Writings

Use a Heading/Title Page
For formal writings, you’ll need to include a title for your paper (something academically serious and appropriate for your subject matter) and the MLA heading on a separate title page. The title page should be double-spaced and use the same font and size as the rest of the paper.

General
For formal writing, unless otherwise noted, you’ll need to type your paper. It should use Times New Roman font, 12 point size ONLY. You should double-space the ENTIRE paper, including the title page and works cited page, if required. Since most papers require multiple drafts, I will not grade first drafts (or subsequent drafts) not following these simple criteria. If you do not know how to do these things on the computer, learn soon. Your first paper will be due in a couple weeks.

Spelling and Grammar
Simple spelling errors are critical in a formal essay. Simple fix: proofread your paper. In fact, I suggest you read your paper ALOUD to yourself and/or anyone who will listen. I guarantee you will find most of your errors this way. My job is not to re-teach you the English language; make sure your paper is fluent.

Word Count
After typing your paper, highlight the paragraphs ONLY (not the title page or works cited page) and go to Tools and Word Count. After the last word of your last paragraph, tab once, and include the number of words. Most of your formal writings will have a requirement for words. Word total makes up a percent of your total grade for a paper.

For example, let’s pretend you must write a 300 word essay on a topic of your choice. The essay is worth 100 points, but word count makes up 20 points. You only wrote 214 words.

214/300 = 71% -- You met the required word amount by 71%.

.71 X 20 points = 14 points -- 71% of 20 points is 14. You earned 14/20 points for word count.

Binders, Combs, and Happy Folders
As we get to know each other more, you’ll learn that I really enjoy happy, colorful décor. Folders and smilies and butterflies and sunshines are all wonderful things. But not for “formal writing.” Save your money. I just want one simple staple in the left-hand corner. If you have any drafts I’d like them stapled under the final copies. That’s it. Plastic sleeves, clips, fancy folders – they’re all unnecessary. Really. I appreciate the gesture, but it won’t affect your grade.

Works Cited
There is a difference between a works cited page and a bibliography. Look at the section MLA section to learn more about this. In the meantime, know that if the assignment requires a works cited page, you only include the sources you actually CITED in your paper. P.S. Cited means “quoted” or paraphrased.

Intro to MLA style

According to Dictionary.com, “it is the style recommended by the Modern Language Association for preparing scholarly manuscripts and student research papers. It concerns itself with the mechanics of writing, such as punctuation, quotation, and documentation of sources. MLA style has been widely used by schools, academic departments, and instructors for nearly half a century.”

Other scholarly forms of documentation and referencing exist for writing, such as APA, Chicago, or Turabian, but we will not use these other forms. In English class, you will use the MLA style of documentation in all four years of high school.

In-Text Notation
Hopefully, after reading the entry on plagiarism, you understand a little more about in-text notation. In MLA style, in-text notation includes the author’s last name and page number (if given) for EACH sentence. The only exception would be if two cited sentences appear in your paper, one after the next, the citation is needed ONLY for the second sentence.

Example: “This is the first sentence. This is the second sentence” (Feller 25).

OR “This is the first sentence. This is the second sentence” (Feller).

However, if the two sentences originally came from different sources, they both need citations.

Example: “This is the first sentence” (Feller 25). “This is the second sentence” (Miller 21).

OR “This is the first sentence” (Feller 25). “This is the second sentence” (Miller).

Notice that the citation appears INSIDE the sentence, hence the name “in-text” notation. The period which ends the sentence goes AFTER the citation.

Bibliographies and Works Cited Pages
A bibliography and a works cited page do not include the same information, with one small difference. A bibliography includes ALL references you found, looked at, or read during your research. This does not necessarily mean you used them all to write your paper. A works cited page ONLY includes books you cite within your paper. ALL works cited in your paper MUST have an entry in the works cited page at the end of your paper; ALL works cited entries MUST be cited SOMEWHERE in your paper. You will only complete works cited pages for this class, not bibliographies.

The works cited page should begin a new page after the paper. The format for a works cited page includes writing the words Works Cited, both capitalized, centered, on the first line of the page. The works cited page is double-spaced; nothing has extra spaces. Alphabetize entries by the authors’ last names, or the first word in the entry if no author is given.

You will receive more information about this as it becomes necessary. For extra help, view the Purdue Online Writing Lab’s section on MLA.