1. Weekly Overview
In the fourth week, we look at how to write longer pieces of writing. This includes outlining techniques, finding sources of information, and developing your first essay.
2. Excerpts from the Online Materials
The following is a sample of key materials from this week’s lesson:
Informal Outlines
In informal outlines, you organize your notes into sections that correspond to different parts of your essay. For example, you might organize your informal outline into sections that correspond to your different pieces of evidence. Labeling each part of your informal outline will be helpful in thinking about your overall organization.
Formal Outlines
Formal outlines have the same concept behind them as informal ones, but they have specific formats. Formal outlines have more details than informal outlines, and formal outlines also use certain methods of showing relationships between ideas. Formal outlines often use Roman numerals, although using Arabic numbers is perfectly acceptable.
After indicating the main sections of the essay, sub parts are indicated with capital letters. We’ll continue with the Arabic numeral example only:
If those sub parts have parts, then their level is shown with small letters (or small Arabic numerals if using a Roman numeral scheme) and a further indention:
Starting with an informal outline makes sense, but you should eventually be able to turn it into a formal outline.
Finding Sources of Information
Good academic writing incorporates information from multiple sources to support the main ideas. For example, unless you personally are an expert on water conser- vation efforts in China, you are going to need to research information about that if it is the topic you are writing about. Of course, in academic writing, research can mean different things, but primarily:
- visiting the library
- using the Internet
- talking to experts
Libraries
Libraries are important sources of information – nothing compares to browsing shelves of books or journals. If you are lucky enough to have access to a good library, be sure you visit it and make use of it. Talk to the librarians, and really learn how the library can help your research. In fact, many libraries employ research librarians, whose job it is to help you find the information you need.
The Internet
In the modern era, the Internet is quickly becoming the most popular forum for our research. Whether using a search engine, reading online documents, or asking questions in forums, we can find almost anything we are looking for.
The main problem with the Internet, of course, is that we don’t always know the validity of the information we find there. If you do Internet research, answer these questions about any source you find there:
1. Who wrote it? If you can’t find an author, find out what organization sponsors the website. If you cannot find an author or organization, you should doubt the information’s reliability. If you’ve never heard of the author or organization, look them up to learn more about them.
2. Does the author support his or her ideas? If the author states facts or statistics, does he or she say where this information came from? Does the author use reliable sources, or just rely on his or her own opinion?
3. Is the information up to date? If it is important that your information is current, does the author include a date of publication so you know how current the information is? When was it written?
For more detailed information on how to evaluate resources, see UC Berkeley Library’s page: http://guides.lib.berkeley.edu/evaluating-resources.
Talking to Experts
One source of information that is often overlooked is talking to experts. “Experts” aren’t just people who are famous professionals; if you are writing an essay about child rearing practices, speaking to young mothers might help your research. Think about your topic – is there anyone you could talk to?
If you speak to an expert, make sure you get permission to use her or his words in your research. Also, give your experts proper credit in your paper. If they wish to remain anonymous, be sure you honor that wish as well.
Software for Outlining
There are a lot of software programs on the market that can help you to create out- lines. If you use a word-processing program such as Microsoft Word, an outlining function is already built in. In Word, you can find it under the ‘View’ menu.
Sources for Writing Essays
Websites:
- “How to Write an Essay” http://www.wikihow.com/Write-an-Essay.
- “Essay Tips” https://www.fastweb.com/student-life/articles/essay-tips-7-tips-on-writing-an-effective-essay
Books:
- How to Write Essays, 2nd edition, by Don Shiach, How To Books, 2009.
- Basic Essay Writing, by Leslie Lynn Schnorenberg, Create Space Independent Publishing Platform,2013.
- Writing Essays: From Paragraph to Essay, by Dorothy Zemach and Lisa Rumisek, Macmillan Education, 2011.
3. Free writing
Write without editing yourself. Get a pen and paper, or write at your computer on the following idea (or any idea you want). This week, try for 10-15 minutes without stopping. Do not edit yourself for grammar, spelling, or any other reason. Let the thoughts just spill onto your page or screen, without thinking about whether they are right or wrong, good or bad.
Free writing topic 4. How do you feel about rewriting your work? Do you change a lot, or feel attached to what you’ve already written? How easy is it to delete things you’ve written?
4. Controlled Writing
How to Write an Essay, Workbook 1
In controlled writing, pay close attention to form and structure, editing yourself for grammar, organization, and clear ideas. This week, try to write three paragraphs on the following topic.
Controlled writing topic 4: What are the most important social issues in today’s global community?
5. Editing
The following essay has several errors in it. Identify the errors, and rewrite the essay correctly. Go to the back of this book for one possible correct way to write the essay.
Daylight saving time (DST) or summer time are the practice of advancing clocks during summer month by one hours so that evening daylights lasts an hour longer, while sacrificing normal sunrise times. Typically, regions with summer time adjusts clocks forward one hour close to the start of spring and adjusts them backward in the autumn to standard time. People use the terms “spring forward” and “fall back” when referring this.
George Hudson of New Zealand, proposed the idea of daylight saving in 1895. The German Empire and Austria, Hungary organized the first nationwide implementing, starting at April 30, 1916. Many countries have used it at varies times since then, particularly since the energy crisis of the 1970’s. The practice has both advocates and critics. Move clocks forward benefits sales, sports, and other activities that exploit sunlight after working hours, but can cause problems for outdoor entertainment and other activities tied to sunlight, such as farming. Though, some early supporters of DST wanted reducing evening use of electric lighting, today’s heating and cooling patterns differs bigly, and a research about how DST affects energy use is limited and contradictory.
DST clock shifts sometimes complicate a timekeeping, and can disrupt travel, record keeping, medical devices, heavy equipment, and sleeps patterns. Computer software often adjusts clocks automatic, but policy changes of DST dates and timings by various governments may to be confusing.
6. Vocabulary Check
Here are some words from this week that were used in this week’s course mate- rials. Check (√), highlight, or note the ones you already know. Look up the ones you don’t know. For the ones you don’t know, write them out on cards, or add them to a notebook, along with the definition, written in your own words. Indicate the part of speech. Then write an example sentence in your own words.
___ to adjust
___ an advocate
___ to benefit
___ to browse
___ to complicate
___ contradictory
___ a crisis
___ to disrupt
___ evidence
___ an outline
___ a policy
___ a scheme
Remember to share your work and comment on others’ work on the course website at http://edX.org.