Writing Tutorial #1Sue Beckwith

LWTA, Department of Anthropology

Goals

1. Introduce the assignment – logistics and content

2. Challenges for 1st year students

3. Writing tutorial and writing workshop

4. Resources available

Scaffolding Assignments•Learning process to promote deep level of learning•Provides various levels of support to promote learning•Effective when skills or concepts are first being introduced•Writing as a process – 3 phase assignment

Essay Assignment AssignmentPhase

Due Date Evaluation

Proposal Nov. 24 10%

Essay - Advanced Draft

Feb. 9 0% ***

Essay - Revision

March 9 18%

*** Must be accepted in order to get the Essay - Revision marked

Administrative Details

• Submit assignment at ANT 100 Learning Portal - Turnitin

• Student instructions on ANT 100 Website

http://anthropology.utoronto.ca/ant100/submit.html

Administrative Details Cont’d.• Late assignments• Extension Requests• Need documentation• Late penalties (max. 7 days)• 3% off per day including

weekendshttp://anthropology.utoronto.ca/ant100/extensions.html

Plagiarism

•Critical Information !!!

•No quotes allowed•No paraphrasing – No disguised copying•All should be in own words with the idea referenced

http://anthropology.utoronto.ca/ant100/plagiarize.html

Essay Proposal

• TAs discuss plagiarism in writing tutorial• TA analyzes Turnitin results to see if any suspicious paper was

flagged due to bibliographic references, common phrases, etc.• If plagiarism is suspected, then the TA emails the course co-

ordinator• TA MUST not discuss the plagiarism issue with the student, but if

asked may say only that the has proposal has been sent to the coordinator and that the coordinator will contact the student

• Course co-ordinator then proceeds with the plagiarism policies of the University

• TA does not have any further communication with the student regarding the Essay Proposal

• TA does not mark the paper

Why Cite?•Respect academic community’s rules and practices•Future source consultation•Demonstrates author’s credibility•Shows diversity of sources consulted•Separates the amateurs from the professionals

Documenting Your Source•AAA style•http://anthropology.utoronto.ca/ant100/documenting.html#refereed

Evolutionary Anthropology

Evolution of bipedalismFood carrying or energetics?

ArchaeologyWhy did modern humans replace Neanderthals?

Important differences in behavior between the two species?

40,800 ya El Castillo, Spain

Linguistics and Semiotics

Unconscious rules for using emoticons?How does their use relate to spoken and written English?

Social Cultural

Warfare - Part of our nature as a species or developed in certain cultural contexts?

Napoleon Chagnon with the Yanomamö

Unpacking the Topics

1. What do you think are the key elements of a good answer for your group’s topic? Consider content, organization, and style, etc.

2. What essential skills will your students

need to develop a good answer?

Essay Proposal Assignment•See Handout for instructions•AAA citation style•Summary of main arguments•Thesis statement•Position – take a stand•Focus•Scope

Proposal Assignment Cont’d•Evidence •A fact that supports an argument•Events, personal and reported experiences, statistics, measurements•An author making a point is NOT usually evidence

Proposal Assignment Cont’d•Comparing articles•How authors present their arguments •Quality and use of evidence to support arguments•Compare authors' reasoning and conceptual approaches•Max. length - 600 words

Unpacking the Assignment•Imagine you are a first-year student new to university and unfamiliar with university-level assignments that involve research and writing.•Identify some of the possible difficulties your students might have with the writing and research phase of the assignment.•Develop a list of suggestions, strategies, resources, and tools for helping your students.

WritingTutorials, Workshops, Office Meetings

Writing Tutorial: Goals•To invite students into the anthropological conversation through the writing assignment

•To introduce and unpack the topics and the proposal phase of the writing assignment

Writing Tutorial: Activities• Administrative Details •Unpack the topics•Unpack the proposal assignment• Resources

• LSW or Discussion: What concerns do you still have about

the essay proposal assignment?

Writing Workshops

•Opportunities for one-on-one conferences•Larger group discussions•Peer response

One-on-one ConferencesOffice Meetings and Writing Workshops

Do’s •Hard copy of assignment•Sit side by side•Make sure student has pen and paper•Keep short• Identify pattern of errors•Be realistic

Don’ts•Dominate•Edit• Intimidate•Patronize

One-on-One Conferences•Ask students to write questions in advance

•Ask the student what specific questions they have

•Use open-ended questions to encourage student responsibility

One-on-One Conferences• Focus the paper

•Organization of the paper

• Be more specific in the paper

•Use evidence to support the claim

• Activity – Role play scenarios

Benefits of Peer Response•Students know the requirements of the assignment so are more helpful•Students know the challenges •Through reading one another’s drafts, students can learn more about how to fulfill the assignment

Peer Response

•Guide students to use critical reading skills•Useful suggestions for improvement (future oriented)•Identify problem areas, clear, concise recommendations•Suggestions in the form of questions•Be respectful, but be honest

Writing Resources

•ANT 100 Website•Writing Workshops – drop-in•TA office meetings•St. George Campus Writing Centres

http://anthropology.utoronto.ca/ant100/writingskills.html

•Library Guide for ANT 100 http://guides.library.utoronto.ca/ANT100?hs=a

TA - To Do List (Before 1st writing tutorial)

• Read all the readings

• Read all material relating to the essay assignment on ANT 100 Website

• Email your students• Read the four topics• Read about the essay on the ANT 100 website• Office appointments

Ticket out the Door

•Write one question or concern that you still have regarding the essay proposal assignment and/or the writing tutorials