BREAKING DOWN ACADEMIC WRITING INTO

MANAGEABLE CHUNKSBy Tamara Milbourn, International English Center,

University of Colorado at Boulder

Research Papers

What skills do students need to write

a research paper?

Selected Skills Selecting a topic Finding sources Making connections among sources Writing topic sentences Identifying solid supporting evidence Summarizing/Paraphrasing Using reporting verbs and phrases Citing in the text Writing concluding sentences Creating end-of-text references

Selected Skills Selecting a topic Finding sources Summarizing/

Paraphrasing Creating end-of-text

citations Identifying solid

supporting evidence Paraphrasing Using reporting verbs and

phrases Citing in the text Writing concluding

sentences

Making connections among sources

Writing topic sentences Identifying solid supporting

evidence Paraphrasing Using reporting verbs and

phrases Writing a concluding

sentence Citing properly

Selected Skills Selecting a topic Finding sources Summarizing/

Paraphrasing Creating end-of-text

citations

Three Summaries

Three SummariesStudents… Choose a topic Find an article Summarize and respond (critically) to the

article, including an end-of-text citation Turn it in with the original article attached When the first summary is handed back, they

find a second article and then a third article on the same topic, repeating the process

Three SummariesBenefits… Students get practice picking their own topic Introduces how to find sources Focuses on summarizing and paraphrasing Students comment in written form on the article Only one end-of-text citation per summary

The summaries are done separately, so there is time for feedback and direction from the teacher

Three chances

Selected Skills

Three Summaries

Identifying solid supporting evidence

Paraphrasing Using reporting verbs and

phrases Citing in the text Writing concluding

sentences

Making connections among sources

Writing topic sentences Identifying solid supporting

evidence Paraphrasing Using reporting verbs and

phrases Writing a concluding

sentence Citing properly

Selected Skills

Identifying solid supporting evidence

Paraphrasing Using reporting verbs and

phrases Citing in the text Writing concluding

sentences

Two Paragraphs

Two ParagraphsStudents… Read two articles on a topic Discuss the articles in class Are given a topic sentence Discuss the best support from each article Paraphrase the support Incorporate the support using reporting verbs and

phrases as well as in-text citations Write a concluding sentence Repeat process with for a second paragraph on a

different topic

Two ParagraphsBenefits… Not focused on topic sentence Can focus on incorporating sources Practice writing concluding sentences

The paragraphs are done separately, so there is time for feedback and direction from the teacher, especially on how to avoid plagiarism

Two chances

Selected Skills

Three Summaries

Two Paragraphs--

Making connections among sources

Writing topic sentences Identifying solid supporting

evidence Paraphrasing Using reporting verbs and

phrases Writing a concluding

sentence Citing properly

Selected Skills

Making connections among sources

Writing topic sentences Identifying solid supporting

evidence Paraphrasing Using reporting verbs and

phrases Writing a concluding

sentence Citing properly

Final Project

Final ProjectStudents… Select two articles from their “Three

Summaries” assignments Write a paragraph demonstrating a

relationship between the two articles

Selected Skills Selecting a topic Finding sources Making connections among sources Writing topic sentences Identifying solid supporting evidence Summarizing/Paraphrasing Using reporting verbs and phrases Citing in the text Writing concluding sentences Creating end-of-text references

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Final ProjectBenefits… Focus on connecting sources through a

topic sentence

Practicing everything else Lessens the amount of mental stress the

students have Builds to better writing because

academic writing has been broken down into manageable chunks

Suggestions: Three Summaries Make photo copies of the original

sources or note the end-of-text citations When you check the second summary, you

can compare it to the first and see if you need to talk to the student about narrowing or shifting the topic

You have them around to double-check the paraphrases in the Final Project

If they are good, you can use them for a “Two Paragraph” assignment in the future

Suggestions: Two paragraphs In your daily life, look for articles that interest you.

Then search for another one on the same topic Toxic pollutants in the home American levees Adverse effects of cumulative lead exposure in the

environment Disadvantages of English as an international language Foster care

Newspapers and magazines Most ESL reading texts TOEFL integrated materials Altruism and “The One Where Phoebe Hates PBS”

Suggestions: Final Project If students are having a hard time seeing

a connection between their two articles, recommend that they look again at their responses

If the sources are not that great, turn it into a learning opportunity (“I should have picked different sources” or narrowed the topic more)

Enjoy correcting the grammar

Research Paper Selecting a topic Finding sources Making connections among sources Writing topic sentences Identifying solid supporting evidence Summarizing/Paraphrasing Using reporting verbs and phrases Citing in the text Writing concluding sentences Creating end-of-text references

Research PaperFocus on organization

Introduction paragraph Thesis statement Body paragraphs Concluding paragraph Transitions between paragraphs

Focus on ideas Developing lengthier essays Progression of ideas and coherence

Research PaperRefine…

Selecting a topic Finding sources Making connections among sources Writing topic sentences Identifying solid supporting evidence Summarizing/Paraphrasing Using reporting verbs and phrases Citing in the text Writing concluding sentences Creating end-of-text references

BREAKING DOWN ACADEMIC WRITING INTO

MANAGEABLE CHUNKSBy Tamara Milbourn, International English Center,

University of Colorado at Boulder

Any questions or comments?

By Tamara Milbourn, International English Center, University of Colorado at Boulder

http://cotesol.pbwiki.com/