Objectives

• know how to identify strengths and weaknesses in an article's claim, support, clarity, organization, and readability; 
• be more attuned to style, voice, and concision; 
• be familiar with effective proofreading strategies;
• know how to give a presentation and use it to improve a draft;
• know the meanings of relevant terms.

Assignments

Oct. 22: Post outline of analytical article
Oct. 29: Post first draft of analytical article
Nov. 5: Read Style, Lessons 1-5; post second draft of analytical article
Nov. 12: Read Style, Lessons 6-10; post third draft of analytical article
Nov. 19: Post proof draft of analytical article
Nov. 30: Crystal Craven's presentation; Karen Dial's presentation
Dec. 3: Shakima Ellis's presentation; Rennie Harrington's presentation
Dec. 7: Post final draft of portfolio (noon)

Updated October 19, 2001
© Mark Canada, 2001
mark.canada@uncp.edu

Introduction

We will meet in our regular classroom (Dial 147) each day, sometimes moving into the computer classroom (Dial 149) to work on outlines and drafts.  Please bring your research notebook, including the most recent draft of your article on diskette and on hard copy.

Practice

1. Outline Workshop: Trade outlines with a partner and review his or her outline. Write out answers to the following questions:
1. Has the writer adequately covered the subject?  Jot down any questions you still have about this subject.
2. Has the writer organized facts in a logical way? Do any of the major points overlap?  Explain.
3. Has the writer paraphrased, quoted, summarized, and cited source material effectively?  Explain.
2. Working Claims: Using your research as a guide, write three "working claims" for your analytical article. Choose one of these working claims and revise it until it is substantive, contestable, precise, and clear.
3. Draft Workshop on Content: Trade drafts with a partner.  Evaluate your partner's draft, paying special attention to the items below.
1. Is the claim substantive, contestable, clear, and precise? If necessary, suggest changes.
2. What material will the writer use to support this claim? Evaluate the relevance and amount of this support.
3. Evaluate the credibility of this support. What are the credentials of the authors whom the writer quotes or paraphrases? Has the writer referred to surveys or experiments with adequate and representative samples?
4. Draft Workshop on Clarity: Trade drafts with a partner. Evaluate your partner's draft, paying special attention to the items below.
1. Has the writer divided this support in a logical way? Do any of the major points overlap?
2. Is each paragraph unified?  If necessary, suggest a relevant, clear, and precise topic sentence.
3. Is each paragraph organized?  Label the levels of generality.  If necessary, suggest changes in the order of sentences or the use of transitions.
4. Using what you have learned from reading the relevant sections of Style: Ten Lessons in Clarity and Grace, evaluate the clarity of the sentences in the article.  If necessary, suggest improvements.
5. Draft Workshop on Style: Trade drafts with a partner. Evaluate your partner's draft, paying special attention to the items below.
1. How engaging in the article's introduction?  If necessary, suggest techniques for making it more engaging.
2. Using what you have learned from reading the relevant sections of Style: Ten Lessons in Clarity and Grace, evaluate the style of the sentences in the article.  If necessary, suggest improvements.
3. How satisfying is the article's conclusion?  If necessary, suggest improvements.
6. Proofreading Workshop: Trade drafts with a partner. Evaluate your partner's draft, paying special attention to the items below.
1. Grammar
2. Punctuation
3. Spelling
4. Mechanics
5. Format

Conclusion