Meeting 2: Tosspon’s

English 105Building

FoundationsReview: Diagnostic, Prewrites

Thesis Statements – Chpt 2Narrative – Chpt 12

Your Diagnostic Essays• Check your email. Open the attachment. • Review my comments by clicking on

“Review” and then clicking “Next” or “Accept” on the menu bar.

• For each # error (not ALL errors), correct using the Grammar Log, Syllabus pg 7, + green handbook

– In this example, the error is #5 • This is worth 10 points per paper. No errors means you automatically get the 10 points.

Grammar Log

#6

In the beginning the dog wasn’t sure what he wanted to do.

In the beginning, the dog wasn’t sure what he wanted to do.

Correct the error

Find how toCorrect your Errors by using the syllabus (pg 9) and the green handbook.

Common ErrorsWe will be adding one of these “cracks in

our foundation” to our lesson each week. • Fragments• Run Ons• Hook/Introductions• Wordiness• Semicolons• ESL? Verb Tense Shifts?

See pages 337-358 (green)

Include: Each type of error you tend to makeHow to Correct that type of errorSample sentences w/ the corrections

CREATE YOUR OWN GRAMMAR GUIDE

REVIEW CHPT 1Awesome. PreWrites, etc

When You Write

Select a subject

Find the best space for you

Select something in which you currently have a strong interest

Narrow a large topic

Start early

Discover your Audience• Identify your readers

Who is the audience?

Why are they reading it – what do they hope to gain?

What knowledge does your audience have about the subject?

What is your audience’s attitude towards your subject?

Special qualities of your audience?

1. They don’t like to be bored. (if you are bored writing it, they’ll be bored reading it)

2. They hate confusion and disorder3. They WANT to think and learn4. They want to see/feel what YOU

see/feel5. They are turned off by

pretentious/phony voices.

Chapter 2

Pg 31

The Thesis• A thesis MUST tell the reader what they’re

going to be reading. • All of your main points must fall under it!• It is your topic + your point about it.

JigSaw: group work• Each group assigned a section• Read the section• Explain your section to the class

class, as group explains, read along, highlight, or take notes. – We will be playing a game w/ this info

Good thesis- States opinion (pg 33)- Asserts 1 idea (pg 33-34)- Has something to say (pg 34-35)- Is limited to fit (pg 35-36)- Clearly/specifically stated (36)- 1st or 2nd paragraph (36-37)

Avoid Common Errors- Don’t just announce topic- Don’t clutter with “I think”- Don’t just state a fact- Don’t ask it as a question

Game! Pin the Thesis• Groups each will get a set of

thesis statements. Record the #’s you have!

• Decide which are “adequate” and which are “inadequate”– Use tape to put statements onto the

corresponding location. – Be prepared to justify your

choice to the class. • On 1 page per group, rewrite the

inadequate thesis statements.

Guidelines for a good thesis (pg 33)

• States the writer’s clearly defined opinion on some subject

• Assert ONE main idea• Have something worthwhile to say• Limit thesis to fit the assignment• State thesis clearly, in specific

terms• In first or second paragraph.

Thesis Statement Answers• Identify whether each is adequate or not,

explain the problem1. Adequate2. Inadequate3. Inadequate4. Inadequate5. Adequate6. Adequate7. Inadequate8. Inadequate9. Adequate10.Inadequate11.Adequate12.Inadequate13.Adequate

14.Inadequate 15.Inadequate16.Inadequate17.Inadequate18.Adequate19.Inadequate20.Inadequate21.Inadequate22.Adequate23.Inadequate

24.Inadequate25.Inadequate26.Adequate27.Inadequate28.Inadequate29.Inadequate30.Inadequate31.Adequate32.Inadequate33.Inadequate

Chapter 12

Narrative:Telling a story

Narrative Comparison• Choose a partner.

You and your partnerwill each choose 1 narrative pg 679-688(yes both must reada different story.)

• Answer the questions on the handout (front and back)

• Come up with a definition of “Narrative”

Narrative (Chpt 12 pg 343)• A narrative is a story with characters and

there is a definite plot line. A narrative normally has a beginning, a middle and an end.

Telling a story- can be fact or fiction.

Writing the Narrative Essay

• Know your purpose• Make your main point clear• Follow a logical time sequence• Use sensory details to

hold interest• Create authentic characters• Use dialogue realistically

(pg 344-345, Green handbook pg 100)

• Choose your subject carefully• Limit your scope • Don’t let your story lag with insignificant detail

Problems to avoid

• Look at a painted scene • List as many specific details as you can

– Describe the setting and character’s appearance– What unusual noises, colors, smells– What does facial

expression show?– What might each

person SAY– What mood/tone

do the colors create?– Ask yourself MORE

questions

Practice (336 old book OR 346 new book)

Narrative essay assignment• Tell a story. • Can base it on your painting OR one of the

topics on pg 347-348, OR propose a topic to me– Note, if you’re using the tornado painting,

PLEASE do research (even watch Twister!) rather than making assumptions about how people would talk, how scared people would be, etc.

• Essay worth 100 points

• Rough Draft (2 printed copies) due next week• Final draft due the following week

• May get in groups of 4, each person may use 1 item from this list: notes/book/syllabus/handouts

Categories:• Syllabus, Chpt 1, Chpt 2,

Pre-Writing Strategies, Classmates

Homework• Narrative Essay 1st Draft

DUE @ beginning of NEXT MEETING (50 points)• Final draft due in 2 weeks emailed to

ttosspon@gmail.com• Name file: Lastname_Narrative.docx

– Please note: Do NOT type .doc or .docx, those are file types to choose when you “save as”

• Read: “What is Poverty” Handout• Vocabulary 1 –(10 points each):

Select 10 words from the essay/article. Turn this in on a separate paper titled “Vocab #__”. Write each vocabulary word, the definition (look it up!), and a sentence using the word correctly.