Welcome!

1. Welcome! EWRT1A Composition and Reading

2. Agenda • Extra Credit Available • Workshop Rough Draft • Introductions and Thesis Statements • Homework

3. Extra Credit • You can receive 20 points extra credit for attending the May 1st march in San Jose. • To receive credit you should check in with me during the march (we should stay together) and you should write one page describing your experience.

4. Extra Credit • If you are interested in doing the extra credit please see me after class today so I can tell you where we should meet.

5. Rough Drafts • Exchange Rough Drafts. • Today we are workshopping for ideas, development, and organization. • Tomorrow we will workshop for language use.

6. Rough Drafts • Ideas and Development • The draft should be tightly focused on the story of a specific experience. • There should be sufficient background narration early in the draft to situate the reader with respect to the story. Background includes description of the setting, characters, and situation. Background might also include repeated actions (in contrast to particular actions). • In the first or second paragraph the story should begin. The story should consist primarily of a sequence of particular actions happening at a single time and place. You might also need to provide more background, but the background should be tied to particular actions. • Organization • Paragraphs should be organized in terms of time, setting, and character. When there is a break in time, setting, or character there should also be a paragraph break. • Language Use • For grammar and mechanics you should only indicate errors if they prevent you from understanding what your partner is trying to say. You should ask your partner what he or she means to say. If your partner cannot understand a sentence make a note so that you can revise the sentence.

7. Rough Drafts • Ideas and Development • Make sure that you understand what is going on in the story. Ask some questions about the story. • Make sure that important parts of the story are highlighted and developed to a sufficient length. • Make sure that all parts of the essay develop the overall story. Are any parts unnecessary? • Organization • Check the pacing of the story. Are the parts of the story evenly developed? Should there be additional paragraph breaks? • Language Use • For grammar and mechanics you should only indicate errors if they prevent you from understanding what your partner is trying to say. You should ask your partner what he or she means to say. If your partner cannot understand a sentence make a note so that you can revise the sentence.

8. Introductions • Your introduction should orient your reader. In a sense, you are giving an orientation with your introduction. Imagine your reader is visiting some aspect of your life. Keep in mind the diversity of your potential readers. • Do not be gimmicky or heavy-handed with your attempt to get your readers’ attention. The tone of your introduction should not be very different from the tone of your essay. • Your introduction should not simply summarize the essay. The introduction should be slightly broader than the body of the essay. Be careful not to make the introduction too broad. • Your introduction should introduce your essay and your essay only.

9. Thesis Statements • Your thesis statement is your interpretation of your experience. Your thesis is something that you have been able to develop with some reflection after the actual events. It might not appear until the concluding paragraph of your essay, but you should make sure that your essay leads to your thesis statement. • For this essay, your thesis statement consists of the solution to the problem or the correction for the error. The solution or correction might be something that has not been developed yet. The problem or error should also be clearly stated at some point in your essay.

10. Introductions andThesis Statements • Workshop • On a sheet of paper, write a general idea about your introduction and your current thesis statement. Make sure that your thesis statement is appropriate for your essay. • Exchange this sheet with someone you have not yet worked with. Based on the general idea for your introduction, see if your reader can guess where the essay will go. Based on your conversation you should get an idea about what to include in your introduction.

11. Homework • Write your introduction and conclusion.