Island Civilizaiton

This is the link to the slide show>>Island Civilization

This is the writing prompt. Ms. Avila will give you a hard copy on Thursday.

Assignment:  Letter to the Author

The purpose of this assignment is for you to interact -- through writing -- with the author of this presentation, acknowledging that he is a real person from a university right up the road from here -- a university that some of you may end up attending in the fall of 2018.

In your letter, you must mind your tone.  You must be respectful, and acknowledge that whether you agree with him or not, Roderick Nash is an expert in his field.  He states early in his presentation -- (in paragraph 2) -- that his purpose for writing is “to put forward for discussion a strategy for occupation of this planet that will work in the very long run and for all the natural world...If you disagree with some or all of my vision, create your own.  Particularly, if you think staying the present course is the way to go, put forward your evidence and reasoning.”

So in your letter, you should summarize and acknowledge Nash’s major points.  Then you should respond to him, taking one of these stands: support his view, challenge his ideas, or present your own thoughts on the topic.  

The audience for these letters will be your teacher, your classmates, and (an imaginary) Roderick Nash.  Your purpose as a writer is to write persuasively enough to convince Nash that you have thoughtfully engaged with his ideas and that you have the ability to present your own opinions on this topic.

As you consider the assignment described above, jot down answers to these questions.  They will help you consider how to craft your letter.

• To whom will you be directing your writing?
• Do you agree with Nash, or do you want to challenge him?
• What is your thesis or main point?
• What is your rhetorical aim? Do you intend to be combative (not recommended), logical, persuasive, or affirming?
• What kind of evidence do you need to gather? For example, will you be quoting directly? If so, you should choose quotes and be able to explain why you are choosing them.  If you are summarizing and paraphrasing, you should be clear on what passages you need to work with.
• How will your annotated text help you with this letter?  

This is an assignment designed for the end of the junior year.  It’s tough, but doable.  You should be readable, logical, concise, and persuasive; you have lots of time to finish it.  Good luck!

Turn it in

Does anyone know how to upload the questions onto turn it in from a phone if it's on google docs

Quick Citation Question

Hey guys, does anyone know if we have to source the pictures we use in the MVA?

Help with Endnotes?

Does anyone know how to format the end notes section? I have a few questions about them. Do we need footnotes in the pieces themselves with a corresponding end note? And where do we put them?As in do we do each end note after the genre it is explaining, or do they all go together in an "End Notes" section of the paper? And if they all go together, are they before or after the works cited page? I don't know the proper way to do these, and the instructions I have concerning end notes seem kind of vague, or they only describe what they are and not how to format them.

AF: TURNITIN.COM

Hi, Kids!

It's important that we create your accounts for Turnitin.com so you can submit your Rationale later this week.

This is our class ID:  13563972.

Get yourself signed up, will you please??

AF: Link to Works Cited Example

Here is my Works Cited page on dirt.

AF: MVA Evaluation -- last year's

I'm revising this for you, but mostly I'm reworking the format.  The content is good; you can rely on these bullet points.

Framing the MVA

• The writer includes a “Dear Reader” Letter to describe and introduce the work to a reader who has never read an MVA before
• The writer includes End Notes to explain how the pieces were written, and to direct readers to the appropriate citation for the creative pieces
• The writer includes a Works Cited page to fully document sources
• The Rationale, turned in separately, is fully developed and satisfying

Audience Awareness, Development of Thesis and Use of Supporting Evidence

• The writer significantly answers his/her problematical question through the use of genre(s)
• The writer narrows, defines, and clarifies the central purpose/question for this project
• The writer’s main point/thesis aims at the intended audience and is clear after reading the entire project, although it may not be explicitly stated
• The writer constructs an effective argument with credible appeals to logos, ethos and pathos
• By the end of the paper the reader sees that the writer has presented an argument

Research

• The project reflects serious, in-depth research

• The writer appropriately uses 6-8 sources
• The writer avoids plagiarism and appropriately documents and explains sources used

Genre-writing

• The writer has written competently and thoroughly in the chosen genres and voices
• The genres are appropriate for the audience and purpose of the project
• The  writer has included at least six genres

Organization/Unity

• The project is clearly and effectively organized and forms a unified whole
• The writer effectively utilizes a repetend to unify and connect the paper
• The sequence of genres makes sense and meets the needs of the reader

Surface Errors

• The paper has few editing or proofreading errors
• The writer’s usage, grammar, sentence structure, and punctuation are clear and correct or appropriate when a specific genre calls for non-standard usage