Short Article: An Informative Paper
English 1301
Synopsis of Task
This paper (750-1000 words) is about teaching your audience. You will write a short article about “something most people do not know about – a new discovery or trend, or a bit of insider’s knowledge of a subject. Your article might focus on a place, a process, a person, a phenomenon, or a theory or discovery.” The paper will be built around your own knowledge and the research you conduct. Your paper will draw heavily for support from your sources; “imagine that your article puts a magnifying glass on a little-known piece of the world. The view you offer should be tightly focused and intensely detailed.” Your paper should draw upon at least three sources for supporting evidence.
Sources and Types of Specificity
One of the problems experienced by many writers in all situations is what to use as subject matter. The subject matter (or “specificity”) will differ from writing task to writing task, but the bulk of material for this paper will be (a) quoted/paraphrased materials taken from at least three sources; (b) explanations (“teaching”) of your collected information; (c) your own knowledge about your chosen topic.
Other Aspects of the Genre
Since this is an academic paper, it has a number of characteristics that we will discuss in class. It isn’t a personal essay, which means that I am not looking for your own life story regarding your experience; however, it is your own philosophy/theory/interpretation that you will discuss in third person. (It is not a requirement to have personal experience with your chosen topic.) Additionally, you have the option to include visuals, and we will discuss in class how to document graphics if you choose to include them.
Audience
You are writing for a college level audience. Your audience may or may not have general knowledge of your chosen topic; therefore, you will have to accommodate their lack of knowledge in your paper.
Evaluation Criteria
I will evaluate your paper on these areas:
1. Development:
- Does the paper consistently focus on the explanation/teaching of the chosen topic and make a coherent, logical, defensible set of claims?
- Does it offer a convincing explanation/teaching of the chosen topic?
- Does it anticipate well enough the needs of the reader who isn’t familiar with the topic?
2. Organization:
- Utilize a title that previews the paper’s contents?
- Follow an organizational pattern by using clear, direct topic sentences?
- Have paragraph divisions that make reading logical and easy?
- Does it utilize transitional devices?
3. Style:
- Maintain a consistent point of view (no you)?
- Maintain sentences that are free of excess words and excess sentence stops?
4. Mechanics:
- Problems in spelling?
- Problems in sentence construction?
- Problems in usage?
- Problems in punctuation?
You will upload your paper to turnitin.com through WC’s canvas and provide a hard copy of your paper (final copy, rough draft, and peer review).
A reminder, I will be available before and after school to visit with you about your draft for the paper. If you need me to stay after 4:00 p.m., you will need to make an appointment with me.
Tentative Schedule
Wednesday, October 11 Chapter to annotate, assignment sheet, and example
Thursday, October 12 Discuss assignment sheet and notes
Friday, October 13 Draft
Monday, October 16 Draft
Tuesday, October 17 Draft
Wednesday, October 18 Draft
Thursday, October 19 Draft – 450 word rough draft due
Friday, October 20 Draft
Monday, October 23 Draft
Tuesday, October 24 Draft
Wednesday, October 25 Draft/revise – 750-1000 word rough draft due
Thursday, October 26 Peer Review (college day)
Friday, October 27 Revise
Monday, October 30 Short Article due: post paper online and turn in a final copy, rough
draft, and peer review (unless we decide as a class to switch to online)