Tonight 11/06/09

Tonight we reviewed and discussed the following topics:

• Effective introductions and conclusions
• Elements of racial profiling essays to prepare for small and large group discussion
• Review of persuasice techniques to consider as first drafts are written for next week.

Homework:

• Complete first three to four page draft of Project 3.
• Racial profiling response paper as a "response" to reading AND class discussion.

Introduction and Conclusion highlights:

Introductions and Conclusions—
• Intros address the overall purpose or intention of the essay.
• Conclusions define the achievement of the essay.
• They provide a frame for the paper by
– defining the scope and focus of your paper,
– situating your main point in a larger context,
– helping your reader understand the value of your argument.
Introduction
• Sets the tone AND Identifies and limits your subject.
• Orients your reader be explaining specific context and rationale for your argument.
• Presents the thesis or central claim of your subject.
• Engages the reader’s attention and persuades her to keep reading.
Strategies to consider
• Moving from the specific to the general: use and anecdote, quotation, fact or textual detail. Provide a wider view then move to the specific.
• Pose a significant question or problem that serve to focus your inquiry.
• Challenge a commonplace interpretation.
• Be prepared to re-write your introduction at any point during the writing process.
• State your purpose early.
• Don’t worry that you’ll have nothing left to say in the body. Your reader needs a clear statement otherwise there may be confusion about your focus.
The No No’s of Introductions
• Avoid formulaic introductions—the paper will become to general:
– The history-of-the-world: “From the dawn of time…” This kind of opening gives readers the impression that you have not mastered your material sufficiently to say something substantive and specific about it.
– The dictionary definition: “According to Webster’s…” Like any general formula, this one evades the specific demands of your subject. If the definition of terms is important to your argument – take care to make distinctions and present definitions that are specific to your materials.
Conclusion
• The goal is to make your reader feel that the argument has fully achieved the goals you have set in the introduction.
• Your reader should feel convinced by your argument and satisfied that all has come full circle.
• It is a good idea to write the final versions of the introduction and conclusion each with the other in mind.
Strategies
• Even in the conclusion you should strive to produce in your reader a sense of discovery and prospect.
– Indicate how your main point fits into a larger context.
– Explain the implications of your interpretation.
You might incorporate key words and phrases from your introduction, presenting them now in a way to reveal their greater depth, nuance, or implication.