41st class
 
Brad Johnson  Engl 81, 41st class
 
CRITERIA FOR FINAL PAPER
1.    This paper is due Monday.
2.    Needs to be typed, double-spaced.
3.    Use 12 point font, Times New Roman.
4.    Use 1 inch margins.
5.    Needs to be two full pages, not more. Writing more creates a tendency to ramble.
6.    Title: needs to be original, refreshing, and relevant to the topic.
7.    Title: Capitalize the first letter of important words. Example: The Importance of Writing Well. Do not put your entire title in capital letters. Do not underline. Do not use italics. Do not use bold print in your title. Do not use quotation marks. (“….”).
8.    No spaces between paragraphs. Indent: this is the same thing as creating space.
9.    When starting your paper with a quote do not use a quote that is half a page. You will get a lower grade if your quote is too long.
 
GRADING OF YOUR PAPER
1.    Look in your Writer’s Packet, p .55 – GRADING RUBRIC.
2.    You will be graded on your thesis: is it compelling, engaging, purposeful? Nothing is more important than your thesis statement.
3.    Have an outline. Make sure that your outline matches your paper. This will be looked at first before the paper is read. Include in your outline:
    A.  Title: make sure that your title is strong.
    B.  Introduction
    C.  First Sentence of each paragraph: These are the topic sentences. These need to
           be clear, and build on your thesis statement. These sentences are worth 15-20
           points.
    D. Last sentence of introductory paragraph. If you do not have this sentence,
            which is the thesis statement, you lose 20 points.
    E. Conclusion
4.    EXAMPLE OF THE OUTLINE:
    Outline:
    Introduction
    Thesis
        I. Topic sentence of paragraph 1
            A.
            B.
            C.
           II. Topic sentence of paragraph 2
            A.
            B.
            C.
         III. Topic sentence of paragraph 3
            A.
            B.
            C.
         IV. Conclusion    
5.    Draw arrows from your topic sentence to your thesis. Draw arrows from your topic sentence to your concluding sentence. These need to connect and form a unity.
6.    Use “Stretch”, p. 73 of your Writer’s Packet as a sample. It is not difficult to write a paper similar to “Stretch”.
7.    Hand in PRLs (peer response letters).
8.    Hand in your rough draft. Make sure you label this as ROUGH DRAFT so that this is not graded as your “Final”.
9.    Write FINAL on your final paper.
10.    Place all of these papers in a folder to be handed in on Monday.
 
SCHEDULE FOR NEXT WEEK
1.    Monday: This is a regular class day. Note: Your final paper is due on Monday.
2.    Tuesday: There is no class. This is a study day.
3.    Wednesday: Last class. Class meets from 10:00 A.M.- 12:00 P.M. This class might be finished at 11:00 A.M. You are welcome to stay until 12:00 P.M. if you have more questions or want more help for the grammar final.
4.    Wednesday: take final exam. You might want to take the final exam after Wednesday’s class since some grammar may be reviewed in this class.
5.    Thursday: take final exam if you have not done so. No class on Thursday.
6.    Friday: no class
 
HELPFUL POINTS
1.    Eliminate 3-5 or more errors by reading your paper out loud slowly. Then read the paper backwards all the way to the top. By doing this, you will find frags and spelling errors because you are forced to read slowly. You will hear your mistakes and will able to correct them.
2.    If Brad needs to read over your paper 2 or 3 times, this is not good. Have a clear purpose to your paper so it can be understood after being read one time. Go to a tutor for help, even to work on one sentence for an hour.
3.    Brad looks at the first topic sentence and sees if it matches the thesis.
4.    Then the second topic sentence is read and a connection to the thesis is noticed.
5.    The third sentence is then read and a connection to the thesis is noted.
6.    The introduction is then read. Your introduction should be compelling making the reader want to read the rest of your paper.
7.    Finally, the conclusion is read. Make sure that this conclusion closes your ideas and relates back to your thesis.
8.    Check to see that your paper is clear in what you are trying to say,
9.    Your paper needs to be precise and as brief as possible.
10.    Transition words are very important. Use of well-placed transitions raises your grade.
11.    Length: make sure you have all the criteria. Combine and delete – make your ideas tighter.
12.    Don’t use contractions. Example: it’s, there’s, don’t, can’t, etc. Points will be taken off for use of contractions. Use “it is:, “there is”, “do not”, “can not”, etc.
13.    Bracket the 1st two words of each sentence to identify which words you are using. Change these words if needed.
14.    Replace “to be” verbs.
15.    Put a rectangle around “and”. Eliminate the “ands”. Replace with semicolon, period.
16.     Go back to clocking for revision.
17.    Pronouns: Remember: objective pronouns go after the verb. “Us” is an objective pronoun and goes after the verb. Subjective pronouns go before the verb. “We” is the subjective pronoun and needs to go before the verb.
18.    Take out extra words in your sentences to see if these sentences make sense. Then rework the sentences.
19.    Look at the thesis sentence. Brad will read this first.
20.    You don’t need to say, “ I am going to talk about three ideas.” This takes away from your paper. State the ideas and go on to explain them.
21.    After the thesis statement is read, the question, “So What?”, needs to be answered. Go on to answer this question. Describe the effect of what you are saying. Example: “Because of poverty, ignorance, and exclusion…….” Answer, “so what?” in your paragraphs. If the answer to “so what?” is found in your paper, you have a good paper.
22.    Know the point you are developing and the information you need to develop it. Go on to illustrate your point.
23.    Does your paper have purpose: Remember that you are writing about a topic that is compelling and has purpose.
24.    Use cause and effect (c/e).
25.    List a problem. Then give a solution.
26.    Use narration. Tell a story.
27.    Answer: so what and to what end. If Brad can answer these questions, you have a good paper. What is your point, what do you want to way about it. Then go on to illustrate your point. Now the paper has purpose. You need to test your thinking. You are writing something that is compelling that has purpose.
 
NOTE:  You can see Brad on Monday or Tuesday for help with rewrites.
 
HW:
1.    Write your final paper using the guidelines listed above. This is due on Monday. In a folder, have the following:
    A. Outline
    B. PRLs
    C. Rough draft. Label this, “Rough Draft”.
    D. Final Paper. Label this, “Final”.
2.    Review for the grammar final
 
QUOTE OF THE DAY: “If you can’t change your fate, change your attitude.”
Amy Tan