Assessment Activity

1. From class discussions, I have gathered that a genre is defined by its context, its intended audience, and the structure. Genres are partially defined by the context of the work which involves how the context is written. For example, a research essay is written more formally and with more facts than say a romantic love letter. Also, who the intended audience is for a specific work makes up the genre that it belongs to. For example, a research paper or argumentative paper is usually intended for a scholarly audience so the genre will be written more formally and more grammatically correct. However, a creative writing work such as a poem or a satirical story may be written for a less serious audience so the genre may include more room for grammatically incorrect work. All of these add to how a genre is structured. A formal work of genre like an analysis or research genre may be structured more traditional with an introduction, body paragraph, and a conclusion while poems may be structured with five lines with long breaks and no clear indications of when the genre begins or ends. I learned in class that each genre is usually cited differently but most are cited unless the genre allows for work based solely on the writer’s own mind and creativity.

2. One of the genres we did a paper for in class was for an ethnographic essay, particularly current subcultures. My paper was on the subculture known as “exercise bulimics”. The genre of ethnography requires the research of a subculture that ultimately defines a subculture. For the paper, I had to include formal language for the paper but particularly, language that the subculture used or to help depict the subculture. For example, I wrote about the labels they use for each other and when I used descriptive words, I used them to describe the subculture (“stick thin, overly obsessive”). For this genre, the language’s ultimate goal is to paint a picture of the subculture for the audience. For the ethnography essay, I included some form of analysis because I had to go in-depth on their lifestyle such as what they wear, how they wear it, how they communicate, etc. The overall tone of this genre would be more informative but also a little argumentative since you are taking a stand on your definition and including counter-definitions. Ethnography essays generally follow the structure of a traditional essay. However, some may be altered if say, an interview is included because the writer has to find where in the body paragraph (if there) to put it. Also, some in-text citations would be necessary.

3. One of the projects that we did in class that I felt I had a good handle on was the argumentative paper. My topic called for “Boycott Made in China Products”. This project obviously addressed the genre of argumentative/research. The content for the argument paper was shaped to support my argument and show how my argument was well made. The content had to include a lot of evidence. There was not that many limitations but there were things that had to be included to shape this type of genre. The essay had to include content that would show another point of view besides your argument and content to back up how your argument would be better than that point of view. The research was centralized on why people should boycott China. Because of this, I did not include research I found on China’s pop culture, etc because it did not relate to the argument.

4.

Two genres we explored in class were analysis and argumentative genres. Both genres include research and background as part of its content. However, the content for an analysis is more informational rather than for the argumentative paper. The thesis for the argumentative paper shows this, "

It is a universal responsibility to stand up for those being treated unjustly. Americans should boycott products made from China to advocate human rights, good health for the Chinese people as well as Americans, and to help America gain an economic advantage over the Chinese.".

It is meant to be persuasive so the language and the content are bound to promoting this. Although the analysis paper makes a stance on the topic it is more of an informative in-depth stand rather than persuasive. Both aspects that we talked about in class for these two genres are including counterarguments. For example, for my analysis paper I had to include why some people might not like Dane Cook's vulgar humor and for my argumentative paper I had to persuade the counterargument why we should care about the problem in China. Most of the time, the audience for an argumentative and and an analysis paper may be the same. The audience may be the professor. However, for an analysis the audience might be a broad spectrum of the population in need of a review of a topic such as a movie. Arguments and analysis as a genre for writing are hard to manipulate over time if the writer makes their stance or point clear in the primary paper.

5. If I had to produce one of the following texts then I would have to choose the style of a love letter or a letter of affection. The technology that could be used for this style would ironically have to make it look antique. Romantic things are usually reminiscent of the Medieval times and Knights where chivalry originated from. If one could, one should use a type of paper that looks like a scroll or a daintier, lighter type of paper. Also, the writer could choose a font that looks like it was written in cursive form; this style of font would make the love letter look more personal rather than typed up or look as a copy. In order to make the love letter look even more sincere and genuine, the person writing it may choose to write it by hand and not use that many tools to write it. The fewer tools used, the purer the text appears. All of these choices would make the love letter seem more from the heart rather than systematically produced on a computer. A love letter has to look more sincere than other types of texts because it is going to one person usually and is a private, personal matter that the intended audience wants to feel is genuine and one-of-a-kind.

6. Different resources could be used to find out about the current U.S. economical crisis. First of, this topic could be seen in certain genres such as an informational/research essay, an analysis or an argumentative essay. An argument essay could argue the severity of the crisis while an analysis could analyze the cause of the economical crisis along with analyzing the effect or possible solutions out there for the crisis. To start the research for this paper, a student could start by physically looking at newspaper archives from recent newspapers, especially ones that focus on the economy such as Wall Street Journal. A lot of magazines can be found in the library too that focus on the economy and business. A student can look through some of these magazines to find articles about the economy. Digitally, plenty of databases focus on solely politics or the economy. The database, CQ Researcher has articles that focus on politics or current events so you could start your research there. You can find these databases or business journals through WMU’s library website. If you want to go more in-depth with your research by interviewing someone then you can start by interviewing business experts or those in your school that are economics major. One person you could interview, for example, is a professor that teaches an economics class since he specializes in the subject. At this point, you should gather all the research you can and then weave out what you need. First off, you should always keep information about the other side of the argument if you are picking a side of the topic for counterarguments. The most creditable sources should be kept as evidence for the research. Only some information should be kept for the background. However, research that is statistical might be best to keep since it has to do with economics and numbers.

7. Credible sources: CQ Researcher, Wall Street Journal, scholarly journals that focus on business or politics, popular magazines such as U.S. News just to gather up a summary of the problem or to gather popular opinion of the topic, newspapers

Not credible sources: someone’s blog that is not scholarly, popular magazines with no focus on business such as US Weekly, articles found on databases such as Google or AskJeeves.

8. The project for the argumentative/research paper included in-text citations and a formal works cited page. Argumentative genre papers are usually written formally and sounds credible and more knowledgeable if it includes correct in-text citations and a works cited page to back up the argument and the research.

9. Formal in-text citations are necessary for the credibility of any paper. In-text citations make your audience feel as if your research has been well thought out and if you are doing an argumentative genre paper, the citations will help your argument if say, scholars feel the same way.

10. I feel that the grammar problem I’ve tackled best would be what to do with independent and dependent clauses and when to put a comma for these two. I remember it through something a peer or maybe the teacher said, “I.D.”. When independent clauses come before dependent clauses then a comma is used, hence an “I.D.”. “I.D.” identifies when to place a comma in the sentence.

11. For the ethnography genre essay I wrote, I made some good grammatical choices and some bad ones. First off, some of my in-text citations were bad so that might have taken away from my credibility or at least it might have made my audience feel that I was not that advanced of a writer. However, my transitions and correct use of semi-colons and commas were very good for the essay and I feel it helped the essay flow better. For example, the transitional sentence "Beside communication, their attire or way of dress can give them away to those not in the subculture.". The comma is in the proper place for the transition causing the break to come at the right time and not disrupting the flow all together.

article for analysis paper

http://find.galegroup.com.libproxy.library.wmich.edu/ips/retrieve.do?contentSet=IAC-Documents&resultListType=RESULT_LIST&qrySerId=Locale%28en%2C%2C%29%3AFQE%3D%28ke%2CNone%2C11%29Brett+Favre%3AAnd%3AFQE%3D%28ke%2CNone%2C7%29Packers%24&sgHitCountType=None&inPS=true&sort=DateDescend&searchType=AdvancedSearchForm&tabID=T003&prodId=IPS&searchId=R10&currentPosition=3&userGroupName=lom_wmichu&docId=A176155784&docType=IAC&contentSet=IAC-Documents

This article picks a thesis, a point he wants to get across which is that there is more fans for Brett Favre than other quarterbacks. This is not necesarily my thesis, mine will be that he is the greatest quarterback of our modern time. This paper provides sections on why the fans love him and how they show it. He then analyzes why all of these evidence shows that this love fans have for him is the best in the NFL community. This is a good analysis because although it's short it shows me his evidence, interviews, his background information on why the fans love brett and then ultimately he ties it all up to his analysis of why this matters and why the actions of these fans prove that their passion for him is unbeatable in other communities of other NFL teams.

source: TIME magazine article
database searched: InfoTrac

twilight zone activity

The Women Zone

There is a fifth dimension beyond that which is known to man. It is a dimension as confusing as calculus and as puzzling as philosophy. It is the missing step between women and love, between men and sex, and it lies between the pit of people's relationships and the pinnacle of reproduction. This is the dimension of miscommunications. It is an area which we call...The Women Zone.

project proposal

For this paper, I will be analyzing the effect of cochlear implants for the Deaf Community. Cochlear implants are devices that can be placed on the head attached to a mic for Deaf children and sometimes, even for adults. The supporting points I would like to focus on are the cost of cochlear implants, the effectiveness of the device, and the people in this community's feelings about them. With these supporting points, I can conclude on if they are beneficial or harmful to the Deaf Community. I would need to provide background on what cochlear implants do and how they work for my paper and it should be presented formally. For this, I will need to add facts or research from scholarly articles about cochlear implants and possibly interviews from people of the Deaf Community on how they feel about them.

reaction to Hillary Clinton speech

"I want to be judged on my own merits. I don't want to be advantaged or disadvantaged. I'm very proud of my husband's administration. I think that there were a lot of good things that happened and those good things really changed people's lives....And, you know, it did take a Clinton to clean after the first Bush, and I think it might take another one to clean up after the second Bush."

My reaction:
Questions:
1. What is your initial response to this?
I think it is too cocky and not very thought out.
2. Why do you react the way you do? Is it an intellectual reaction or an emotional reaction?
It's an emotional reaction since I support Obama.
3. How does this text work? What are its components? How is it organized?
It is modeled as a response. It's components are her counterarguments to the question.
4. What does the author/creator want the audience to believe, feel, or do?
The author wants the audience to believe in them and trust in them through comparing herself to her husband and his work.
5. What would you say its thesis is?
I can save the country like my husband did during his Presidency.
6. What genre does it fit into? Or does if defy genre labeling? In what ways?
?
7. How do you know what you know about this object?
I watched the democratic debate when it was first said.

My friend, Melanie's reaction:
1. What is your initial response to this?
it's a valid point but not very credible.
2. Why do you react the way you do? Is it an intellectual reaction or an emotional reaction?
a logical and intellectual reaction since I am not bias on the candidates. She has a good point but it is not based on anything but what her husband has done, not her.
3. How does this text work? What are its components? How is it organized?
It's a response. It's organized by counterarguments.
4. What does the author/creator want the audience to believe, feel, or do?
they want the audience to feel that she will be as good as Bill if voted for.
5. What would you say its thesis is?
My presidency will be successful like Bill's was.
6. What genre does it fit into? Or does if defy genre labeling? In what ways?
it defies it?
7. How do you know what you know about this object?
from the news

parallelism worksheet

Parallelism

Rewrite the following sentences so they are in parallel form.

1. The chapter starts on page 129; page 144 is where it ends.

The chapter starts on page 129 and ends on page 144.

2. Betty is pretty, kind, and has charm.

Betty is pretty, kind, and charming.

3. If you go to the drugstore, please remember to pick up Nick’s prescription, buy some toothpaste, and to look for a birthday card.

??

4. I spent an hour with Ms. King reviewing my job performance, assessing my goals, and my future with the company was also discussed.

I spent an hour with Ms. King reviewing my job performance, assessing my goals, and discussing my future with the company.

5. The dog’s size, how friendly he was, and temperament made him a good choice for our family.

The dog was a good choice for our family because he was friendly and had a good temperament.

6. Janice was the most admired person in the family, also the most independent person and the most ambitious.

Janice was the most admired, the most independent, and the most ambitious in the family.

7. Leo’s day is so long that he gets up at 5:00 a.m., leaves for work at 5:30 a.m., eating dinner at 10 p.m., and goes to bed at 1:00 a.m.

Leo's day is so long that he gets up at 5 am, leaves for work at 5:30 am, eats dinner at 10 pm, and goes to bed at 1 am. (?)

active vs passive worksheet

Active Voice vs. Passive Voice

Rewrite the following sentences to give them an active voice.

1. The check was given to the waitress by Steve.

The waitress gave Steve the check.

2. It was recommended that the policy be changed.

Someone recommended to change the policy.

3. A study of the problem was made by Jenny.

Jenny studied the problems.

4. The tower was hit by a bolt of lightning.

Lightning hit the tower with a bolt.

5. The fly ball was caught by Jose.

Jose caught the fly ball.

6. It was overheard that some people will leave the company.

Some people might leave the company.

7. The donation is to be given by Mr. Smith.

Mr. Smith is supposed to give a donation.

8. The gold was discovered by a rancher in Wyoming.

A rancher in Wyoming discovered gold.

9. The check was written for an amount of one million dollars.

Someone wrote the check for one million dollars.

10. Several donations are going to be made by the family.

The family will make several donations.