TODAY’S GOALS
• Peer review the next draft of our WTE essays
• Introduce the serial position effect
• Discuss strategies for conclusions
CLASS DISCUSSIONEVALUATIVE WRITING CONCEPTS
• What are the three stages of evaluation?
• What are the three types of criteria?
• What elements must we include in our WTE theses?
• Aside from the thesis, what are the most important elements/sentences of
closed form prose writing?
SERIAL POSITION EFFECT
• Serial Position Effect:
• the tendency of a person to recall the first and last items in a series best, and the
middle items worst
• This effect was studied by German philosopher and psychologist Hermann
Ebbinghaus
• What implications does this hold for us in our writing?
CONCLUSION STRATEGIES
• Simple summary
• Frame/circle technique
• Panning to horizon technique
• The proposal or call to arms
• The concluding story technique
CONCLUSION STRATEGIES
• The Simple Summary
• If you choose this common type of conclusion, be sure to synthesize, rather
than merely summarizing. Avoid a dull restatement of your major points.
Don't monotonously restate your major ideas; instead, show your readers
how the points you raised fit together and why your ideas matter. Also, try to
avoid the phrase, “and in conclusion.” This can insult the reader's
intelligence: After all, if you've organized your paper well, it will be obvious
that you have begun your concluding remarks.
• The Frame or Circle Technique
• Here, a writer circles back to the beginning, returning to the metaphor,
image, anecdote, quotation, or example he or she used in the introductory
paragraph. Echoing the introduction gives essays a nice sense of unity and
completion.
CONCLUSION STRATEGIES
• The Panning to the Horizon Technique
• This technique moves the reader from the specifics of a paper or essay to a
larger, perhaps even universal, point. It redirects the readers, giving them
something meaty to chew over. You can demonstrate the importance and
broad significance of your topic by using an appropriate analogy, tying the
topic to a larger philosophic or political issue, posing a challenging question,
or encouraging the reader to look to the future.
• The Proposal or Call to Action
• Especially useful in a persuasive or argumentative essay, in this type of
conclusion the writer makes a proposal and/or asks the readers to do
something, calling them to action. It is frequently seen in sermons and
political speeches.
CONCLUSION STRATEGIES
• The Concluding Story Technique
• Here, the writer sums up the essay by sketching a scene or by telling a brief
anecdote that illustrates the topic's significance. Often, this approach makes
an emotional connection with the reader.
WORKS CITED PAGEMOVIES
• Frame:
• Film title. Dir. First Name Last Name. Distributor, Year of Release. Medium.
• Example:
• Jurassic Park. Dir. Steven Spielberg. Universal Pictures, 1993. Film.
INDIVIDUAL ACTIVITYWTE PLANNING
• Based on the current draft of your movie review, spend a few minutes to
plan and brainstorm the following information
1. What is a works cited page entry that you can use for the movie you are
evaluating?
2. What conclusion strategy might work best for your essay?
3. What type of information could you use for a clincher to your essay? What
rhetorical appeal might that involve?
GROUP ACTIVITYWTE DRAFT EVALUATIONS
• Pair up with one (or two) student from a different table?
• Review each student’s essay and answer the following question
1.
How engaging is the student’s hook on a scale of 1-5? What rhetorical
appeal(s) might the hook be using?
2.
What words does the student use for the evaluation of the movie in the
thesis? Is this language acceptable
3.
What elements does the essay forecast for the body paragraphs?
4.
Does the essay’s first body paragraph align with the forecasting?
5.
What kind of evidence does the body paragraph(s) present to support the
evaluation of its criteria? (quotes, paraphrase, summary, etc)
HOMEWORK
• WTE Draft 3
•
•
•
•
500+ words
Should include your introduction and body paragraphs for all criteria
Must include your works cited page
Submitted to Turnitin.com by Friday