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CM 220: College Composition IIUnit 9 Seminar PRESENTING

YOUR BIG IDEA

TO THE WORLD

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Agenda•L

earning Activities• Reading• Invention Lab• Seminar• Final project

•Revising & Editing

•Review

•Wrap-up

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Unit 9 Seminar

LEARNING ACTIVITIES

Unit 9 Reading

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•The Kaplan Guide to Successful Writing, ch. 17

•Review the website for Food, Inc.

•Review a selected chapter related to a common writing error in William Strunk, Jr.’s Elements of Style, available at Bartleby.com.

Unit 9 Invention Lab

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• Describe a common editing concern you have (passive voice, apostrophes, commas, fragments) and how the chapter you selected from Bartleby.com helped clarify any questions you had.  

• Discuss any other challenges you face as you revise and edit your portfolio this week and prepare the multi-modal component of your final project.

• Respond to two classmates. • Note resources that might help your classmate address

the challenges mentioned in the post and mention any questions you still have about your classmate’s big idea.

Components of the Final Project Portfolio

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1. Revision of draft (Unit 6 Project)

2. Revision of letter to editor (Unit 5 Invention Lab)

3. Revision of tech presentation (Unit 7 Invention Lab)

4. Responses to reflection questions

Guidelines for Revision of Essay

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• Essay must be a SUBSTANTIAL revision of the draft you wrote in unit 6. Simply adding a few sentences is not sufficient.

• Arguments should be defended -- remember that the goal in persuasion is to convince your audience of the value of your position, to get them to take some action in response to your Big Idea.

• Consider and respond to counter arguments.• Aim for strong, clear, readable sentences. Less is more

here. Just carry your message as clearly and concisely as you possibly can.

Guidelines for Letter to Editor

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•You will revise the letter to the editor (or formal message to another audience) you wrote for the Unit 5 Invention Lab.

•Take into account questions raised by your instructor and classmates as you revise the message. How can you make it more compelling for your audience?

Guidelines for Multi-Modal/Tech Presentation

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•The audience for this presentation of your ideas is WIDER than the audience of your actual paper.

•How will this affect the presentation of information?

•Remember to take into account the suggestions you received in unit 7.

•Have at least 5 specific facts/ideas supported with evidence.

•Be sure to cite sources. You can have those listed on your main References page.

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Reflection Piece

• In addition, you need to write a Reflection Piece about your experience this term. • Responses to all reflection questions need to be thoughtful and provide specific examples from your work throughout the course. • Your Reflection needs to be:• Written in complete sentences• In well-developed, coherent and logically organized paragraphs• In a style appropriate to the assignment• Sentences need to be engaging to read as well as clear, concise, and precise.

Reflection Questions

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• What did you learn about yourself as a writer? As a thinker?

• What did you learn about the process of writing?• What skills did you develop that might help you

in the future?• What did you take from the larger conversation

with others?• How did your feedback from peers and your

instructor affect the revision of your blueprint, letter to the editor, and presentation?

Reminders

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• The 5-7 length is just for the essay; this does not include the title and references page, letter to editor, presentation, or reflection questions.

• The letter to the editor should be approximately ½ to 1 page

• Responses to the reflection questions should be approximately ½ to 1 page

• Put all components in one Word document unless you need to post a separate file for the presentation (such as a Power Point). If you have an external link, include that in the Word document. See the sample posted in the unit 9 folder of Doc Sharing.

• Review the grading rubric and assignment instructions carefully!

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Unit 9 Seminar

REVISING & EDITING

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Seven Steps (The Kaplan Guide to Successful Writing, pp. 196-204)

1. Choose verbs carefully--they convey the action in your paper and should be vivid and compelling.

Highlight being verbs (am, is, are, was, be, etc.). Try to eliminate as many as possible since they are considered "weak" verbs.

Highlight "to have" verbs (has, have, had). Again, try to remove those.

Try to choose active, vigorous verbs whenever possible.

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Seven Steps

1. Choose verbs carefully.2. Take out unnecessary prepositions. 3. Make sure sentence lengths vary. You don't want

too many very long or very short sentences.4. Make sure all pronouns (it, they, everyone, etc.)

have a clear reference.5. Try to limit the use of pronouns who, which, and

that. 6. Limit the use of "qualifier" words like really,

every, very, major. 7. Take out cliches (children are our future, etc.)

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Personal Notes•W

atch the contractions – don’t, isn’t, there’s, hasn’t, etc.•A

void sentences that start with “with” and “by”

These make sentences clunky and awkward. Rephrase to get to the point more quickly.

•Double-check your APA format• Title page

• Paper format

• Citations

• Reference page

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EditingTry out this quiz for eliminating wordiness:

http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/grammar/quizzes/nova/nova8.htm

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Unit 9 Seminar

ACTIVITY

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What about YOUR presentation? •W

hat is your plan? •W

hat is your purpose? •W

hat format will you use to convey information?•H

ow will FORMAT affect the way you present your information? •H

ow will your audience affect the way you present your information?

Share your plans for the final project. Offer your classmates advice.

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Unit 9 Seminar

REVIEW &WRAP-UP

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Review• Reading• Seminar• Invention Lab

• Describe a common editing concern

• Discuss any other challenges

• Respond to two classmates.

• Final project1. Revision of draft (Unit 6

Project)

2. Revision of letter to editor (Unit 5 Invention Lab)

3. Revision of tech presentation (Unit 7 Invention Lab)

4. Responses to reflection questions

Editing• Verbs• Pronouns• Contractions• Prepositions• APA

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Questions?

•Let’s open the seminar up to any questions you may have about the final project requirements.

•Remember that there is NO seminar in unit 10, but we will have a final chance to share projects and discuss the Big Ideas you have all proposed this term!

•jst.john@kaplan.edu