Academic Writing
WEEK 3 CLASS 1
Think and Write
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Please take 5-10 minutes to respond to the following
questions. This will be collected.
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What is the scariest thing that has ever
happened to you? Where were you?
Who were you with? What happened?
How did you react?
Class Website Was Not Working
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Nobody could do the homework, since I could not upload the PowerPoint
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It is uploaded now, so you will be able to do the HW tonight
Often Confused Words Review
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Often Confused Words PowerPoint
Writing An Essay: Introduction
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=clPtbFT23Bs
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Why is the introduction so important?
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Shows the reader you are in control of your topic
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Help reader decide if you are credible (can be trusted)
What are the three parts to the introduction?
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Grab attention (‘the hook’)
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Narrow Subject
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Thesis statement
What are some methods for grabbing the readers attention?
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Surprising statistic
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Direct question
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Strong quote
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Historical setting
Introduction: The Hook
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rnq17dyxyu4
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The hook is the ‘set up’ for your essay
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Examples of hooks
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Funnel/upside down pyramid
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Fact or statistic
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Anecdote (a short, funny story about a real event or person) or personal experience
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Rhetorical question (question you ask without expecting an answer)
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Bold statement
Practice With Hooks
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Which is a better hook? Why?
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What is equality?
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Are today’s young men and women more skeptical of authority than their
parents were, and more likely to rebel against conformity?
Practice With Hooks
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Which is a better hook? Why?
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According to the 2015 BLS American Time Use Survey by Nielson, the
average American watches five hours of TV per day.
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Americans watch around five hours of TV a day.
Practice With Hooks
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Which is a better hook? Why?
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I think courage is when you are brave and face a hard time.
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The Webster dictionary defines bravery as having courage when facing
an obstacle.
Practice With Hooks
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Which is a better hook? Why?
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“Education is what remains after one has forgotten everything he learned
in school.” Albert Einstein said this.
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Albert Einstein once said, “Education is what remains after one has
forgotten everything he learned in school.’
Practice With Hooks
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Which is a better hook? Why?
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BANG! SCREECH! CRASH! There were the only sounds I could make out as
my brother fell to the ground from his bike.
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One day I watched my brother fall from his bike.
Practice With Paragraphs: Focus Statement
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Focus statement is the topic or subject of your essay written as a complete sentence
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Focus statement is a broad, general view of topic
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Focus statement should be a commonly held belief or fact NOT AN OPINION
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Examples:
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Many schools are finding ways to provide healthy school lunch selections to students.
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Enrolling children onto team sports has many benefits, including exercise and learning to
socialize.
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Smoking is a cancer causing, addictive habit.
Because they are commonly held beliefs you do not always need to cite a reference
BUT if you can find a reference you appear more credible
Sample Introduction Paragraph
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[Attention-Getter] After the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on New York's World
Trade Towers and the Pentagon, the debate about racial profiling in airports
increased. Many people believed that profiling was the best way to identify possible
terrorists, but many others worried about violations of personal rights. While some
airports began to select passengers based only on their Middle Eastern origins, others
started random searches instead. [Begin setting-up the thesis] Neither of these
techniques seems likely to eliminate terrorism. Now many experts in the government
and in airport security are recommending the use of a national ID card or Safe
Traveler Card. [Thesis] If every US citizen had such a card, airlines could screen for
terrorists more effectively than they do now and avoid procedures that single out
individuals solely on the basis of race.
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Source: http://www.mesacc.edu/~paoih30491/intropgph.html
Let’s Take A 5 Minute Break
Homework
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Study academic vocabulary words
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Study vocabulary set 1 words
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Study parts of speech
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Review ‘Often Confused Words’ PowerPoint
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Write story using 6 vocabulary words (: synopsis, indulge, avid,
abide, allude, and redundant) Assignment is on next slide.
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Complete ‘Practice With Sentence Fragments’, ‘Practice With Run
On Sentences’, and ‘Run On Sentences With Too Many
Conjunctions’ on a piece of paper that you will hand in next class
(next 3 slides)
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Write down 3 topics that you would enjoy writing about
Homework: Vocabulary Review
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Write a story with the following vocabulary words: synopsis, indulge, avid,
abide, allude, and redundant
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Underline the vocabulary words so they are easy to find
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Example: Joe sat at the table reading the synopsis of the movie, while
indulging in some double chocolate chip ice cream. He was an avid Brad
Pitt fan, and was debating going to see his new movie. The review
alluded to a surprise ending that seemed interesting. Joe didn’t like
movies that were too redundant; that told you over and over what the
theme was. He checked his watch-6:30 PM. Joe had a rule that he never
went to a movie past six o’clock, because they were more expensive. To
abide by this, Brad Pitt would have to wait until next week.
HW: Practice With Sentence Fragments
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Look at the following sentences and sentence fragments
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Decide which are incomplete and rewrite the paragraph with complete
sentences
Sarah ran to the car. She was in a big hurry. All of a sudden. Sarah stared at
the car. She couldn’t believe her eyes. Three of the tires. Were completely
flat. Sarah had no idea what caused the flats. Up the driveway toward the
house. An open box of nails.
HW: Practice With Run On Sentences
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1. I was late to school the teacher didn’t notice.
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2. I went to live in California the weather is nice there.
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3. My dad ate all the ice cream I can’t have any for dessert.
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4. Doctors are very important they help sick people.
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Correct the run on sentences using conjunctions.
HW: Run On Sentence With Too Many
Conjunctions
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I like ice cream because it tastes really good and it makes me
happy and I eat it after school with my brother.
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The best vacation I went on was to Florida because I visited my
family and went to the Harry Potter theme park in Orlando so I
could drink Butter Beer!
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Correct the above run on sentences