breaking down academic writing into manageable chunks
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BREAKING DOWN ACADEMIC WRITING INTO MANAGEABLE CHUNKS. By Tamara Milbourn , International English Center, University of Colorado at Boulder. Research Papers. What skills do students need to write a research paper?. Selected Skills. Selecting a topic Finding sources - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
BREAKING DOWN ACADEMIC WRITING INTO
MANAGEABLE CHUNKSBy Tamara Milbourn, International English Center,
University of Colorado at Boulder
Research Papers
What skills do students need to write
a research paper?
Selected Skills Selecting a topic Finding sources Making connections among sources Writing topic sentences Identifying solid supporting evidence Summarizing/Paraphrasing Using reporting verbs and phrases Citing in the text Writing concluding sentences Creating end-of-text references
Selected Skills Selecting a topic Finding sources Summarizing/
Paraphrasing Creating end-of-text
citations Identifying solid
supporting evidence Paraphrasing Using reporting verbs and
phrases Citing in the text Writing concluding
sentences
Making connections among sources
Writing topic sentences Identifying solid supporting
evidence Paraphrasing Using reporting verbs and
phrases Writing a concluding
sentence Citing properly
Selected Skills Selecting a topic Finding sources Summarizing/
Paraphrasing Creating end-of-text
citations
Three Summaries
Three SummariesStudents… Choose a topic Find an article Summarize and respond (critically) to the
article, including an end-of-text citation Turn it in with the original article attached When the first summary is handed back, they
find a second article and then a third article on the same topic, repeating the process
Three SummariesBenefits… Students get practice picking their own topic Introduces how to find sources Focuses on summarizing and paraphrasing Students comment in written form on the article Only one end-of-text citation per summary
The summaries are done separately, so there is time for feedback and direction from the teacher
Three chances
Selected Skills
Three Summaries
Identifying solid supporting evidence
Paraphrasing Using reporting verbs and
phrases Citing in the text Writing concluding
sentences
Making connections among sources
Writing topic sentences Identifying solid supporting
evidence Paraphrasing Using reporting verbs and
phrases Writing a concluding
sentence Citing properly
Selected Skills
Identifying solid supporting evidence
Paraphrasing Using reporting verbs and
phrases Citing in the text Writing concluding
sentences
Two Paragraphs
Two ParagraphsStudents… Read two articles on a topic Discuss the articles in class Are given a topic sentence Discuss the best support from each article Paraphrase the support Incorporate the support using reporting verbs and
phrases as well as in-text citations Write a concluding sentence Repeat process with for a second paragraph on a
different topic
Two ParagraphsBenefits… Not focused on topic sentence Can focus on incorporating sources Practice writing concluding sentences
The paragraphs are done separately, so there is time for feedback and direction from the teacher, especially on how to avoid plagiarism
Two chances
Selected Skills
Three Summaries
Two Paragraphs--
Making connections among sources
Writing topic sentences Identifying solid supporting
evidence Paraphrasing Using reporting verbs and
phrases Writing a concluding
sentence Citing properly
Selected Skills
Making connections among sources
Writing topic sentences Identifying solid supporting
evidence Paraphrasing Using reporting verbs and
phrases Writing a concluding
sentence Citing properly
Final Project
Final ProjectStudents… Select two articles from their “Three
Summaries” assignments Write a paragraph demonstrating a
relationship between the two articles
Selected Skills Selecting a topic Finding sources Making connections among sources Writing topic sentences Identifying solid supporting evidence Summarizing/Paraphrasing Using reporting verbs and phrases Citing in the text Writing concluding sentences Creating end-of-text references
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Final ProjectBenefits… Focus on connecting sources through a
topic sentence
Practicing everything else Lessens the amount of mental stress the
students have Builds to better writing because
academic writing has been broken down into manageable chunks
Suggestions: Three Summaries Make photo copies of the original
sources or note the end-of-text citations When you check the second summary, you
can compare it to the first and see if you need to talk to the student about narrowing or shifting the topic
You have them around to double-check the paraphrases in the Final Project
If they are good, you can use them for a “Two Paragraph” assignment in the future
Suggestions: Two paragraphs In your daily life, look for articles that interest you.
Then search for another one on the same topic Toxic pollutants in the home American levees Adverse effects of cumulative lead exposure in the
environment Disadvantages of English as an international language Foster care
Newspapers and magazines Most ESL reading texts TOEFL integrated materials Altruism and “The One Where Phoebe Hates PBS”
Suggestions: Final Project If students are having a hard time seeing
a connection between their two articles, recommend that they look again at their responses
If the sources are not that great, turn it into a learning opportunity (“I should have picked different sources” or narrowed the topic more)
Enjoy correcting the grammar
Research Paper Selecting a topic Finding sources Making connections among sources Writing topic sentences Identifying solid supporting evidence Summarizing/Paraphrasing Using reporting verbs and phrases Citing in the text Writing concluding sentences Creating end-of-text references
Research PaperFocus on organization
Introduction paragraph Thesis statement Body paragraphs Concluding paragraph Transitions between paragraphs
Focus on ideas Developing lengthier essays Progression of ideas and coherence
Research PaperRefine…
Selecting a topic Finding sources Making connections among sources Writing topic sentences Identifying solid supporting evidence Summarizing/Paraphrasing Using reporting verbs and phrases Citing in the text Writing concluding sentences Creating end-of-text references
BREAKING DOWN ACADEMIC WRITING INTO
MANAGEABLE CHUNKSBy Tamara Milbourn, International English Center,
University of Colorado at Boulder
Any questions or comments?
By Tamara Milbourn, International English Center, University of Colorado at Boulder
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