Sample Paragraph 1
William’s use of word choice creates strong characters that the reader admires which add to the emotional appeal of her story. The first time she refers to the women in her family that have suffered from breast cancer, she calls them “a Clan of One-Breasted Women” (752). The title she gives this group of people suggests an image of warriors. She depicts these women not as victims, but strong fighters. Williams clearly admires these women through her description of her mother’s battle with breast cancer. Her description is a description of royalty. Her mother is dressed like a queen in a purple velvet robe and holds herself with grace, elegance, and dignity despite her mastectomy. Her wounds from the surgery are hidden (753). She never describes her mother or the other women from a place of weakness or pain. They are warriors and fighters eliciting admiration and from those around them. People so full of grace and dignity deserve justice and a voice. In this way, Williams causes us to feel emotion for these strong women through her eyes.
Sample Paragraph 2
Chabon also uses word choice as a technique. Word choice is another way to strike emotion or create a description. When he says, “though the wilderness available to me had shrunk to a mere green scrap of its former enormousness” this is filled with word choice. “Shrunk to a mere green scrap of its former enormousness” hits the audience hard, and makes so much sense. Chabon did a great job with word choice in getting that point across.
Paragraph activity:
1. Form small groups. Read and discuss the example paragraphs. Underline the topic sentence and concluding sentence. Number the pieces of general support. Circle the second-level support and specific details. Identify transitional phrases and words. (you may do this on a word document and share it)
2. For each paragraph draw a model, structure, or image that represents the structure of the example paragraphs, including the topic sentence, levels of support, transition, and concluding sentence. If necessary, consider providing a "key" or other labels that explain how the model "works." (you may do this in a computer program or by hand and turn it into me on paper, or add it to the word document)
3. Share and discuss your paragraph model with the other groups. Hand it into me.
Group Planning Activity:
Your Task: Post to your group forum on Blackboard a written statement that should include:
1) Declare your topic and how it qualifies as a local, place-based issue. State whether you will write an argument of fact or a proposal.
2) Include a list of steps you need to take in order to accomplish this assignment as well as a goal date when you will have these steps accomplished timeline for accomplishing these steps.
3) State your preference for presentation day (April 10th or 12th). You won’t necessarily get your preference.
4) Division of Labor: What tasks do you need to do together? How can you evenly divide the work? Pay special attention to how you might make a research paper that is cohesive and consistent in tone and organization with all group members. Write a paragraph explaining your plan for fairly dividing work.
Remember, your issue needs to be researchable, and small enough for you to handle in the research paper. You may choose a larger issue (for example: a scarcity of affordable fresh produce in the US) if it is connected to a local issue (for example: no fruits and vegetables for struggling families where you live).
Sharing Information: you will want to exchange contact information. Remember that you can communicate using Google docs to share information and files. Some groups in the past have even planned their projects via Facebook.
Share this information with me in a word document by Friday 3/23.
Homework:
Work on Assignment 4
By Tuesday 3/27
Read Rick Bass: From The Ninemile Wolves American Earth p.760-769
Read Aldo Leopold: From A Sand County Almanac “Thinking Like a Mountain” American Earth p. 274-276
By Thursday 3/29
Read The Everyday Writer p. 168-192 by 3/29
