October 13, 2010

Literature: -plagiarism/paraphrasingWriting: - organizing and connecting support (follow-up)

- summary of effective writing- “Traffic? What Traffic?” follow-up

Housekeeping• Hand-in “Word Families” Sentences

• Uploading homework

– naming files

NOT: “Allgrownup.doc” or “vocabulary.doc”

BUT: “Katie_Allgrownup.doc” or “Amir_vocabulary.doc”

– bring a print-out of any uploaded work to class in case I ask you to use it in class.

• Marked Work

– if I hand back work when you are away I will put it in the “marked work” folder in the green box on my desk

Plagiarism

• is the act of presenting someone else’s work as if it were your own (whether intentional or unintentional)

– using exact words or phrases from an article or story without paraphrasing or quoting and giving the author credit

– copying someone else’s writing from a website and handing it in as if it were your writing

Example of Plagiarism

Q: What criticisms does Beattie make about the Baby boomer parents?

A: Baby-boomer parents seem to struggle with two things: saying no and letting go.

(The answer uses the exact words from the story.)

Plagiarism

• defeats the purpose of the activity (showing the teacher what you’ve learned or know)

• does not help you learn

• wastes your time and mine

• is dishonest (when done intentionally)

Consequences of Plagiarism

The school’s Academic Honesty Policy sets out the following penalties for plagiarism:

• First offence = 0 on assignment /note on file

• Second offence = 0 on course / note on file

• Third offence = Expelled from the school.

If even one sentence or answer is plagiarized, you could receive a mark of zero on the entire assignment.

How to Avoid Plagiarism

1. Paraphrase and give credit:

– Beattie criticizes boomer parents for giving their children everything they want and for trying to control every aspect of their children’s lives.

– Beattie feels these parents are too permissive and overprotective.

How to Avoid Plagiarism (Cont’d.)

2. Quote and give credit:– Beattie says parents have problems with “saying

no and letting go.”• You should only quote distinctive words and

phrases that cannot be easily or accurately paraphrased.

• Avoid quoting entire sentences or paragraphs. Paraphrase and summarize instead.

ParaphrasingParaphrasing = saying the same thing as the writer or the article,

but using your own words.

Step 1: make sure you understand the sentence first (look up any unfamiliar words)

Step 2: decide if there are any words from the original passage that are absolutely necessary

Step 3: looking away from the original sentence, try to express the same idea in your own words.

Step 4: check your version against the original version and make any changes necessary to• be accurate• avoid plagiarism

Practice

While the Sears Tower is arguably the greatest achievement in skyscraper engineering so far, it’s unlikely that architects and engineers have abandoned the quest for the world’s tallest building.

Practice

• Words/phrases that are okay to use in your paraphrase– Sears Tower, architects, engineers, tallest

• Words/phrases that probably need to be explained in other words– arguably, “greatest achievement” “skyscraper

engineering” “abandoned the quest”

Practice

• Share your paraphrase with a classmate

• Who would like to share with class?

• What was difficult to reword?

Student Examples

• Architects and engineers will never stop trying to build towers that surpass the Sears Tower as the highest building.

• Architects and engineers are always trying to improve their projects and the Sears Tower is the highest building in the world but its height is not enough high for designers.

• Some builders and designers are proud to announce that they have found the tallest tower on earth – it’s name is Sears Tower. Yet other people are not completely convinced so they will continue trying to build much taller buildings if possible.

• Since the Sears Tower is under discussion about the tallest building until now the engineers and architects are still working towards this goal.

Practice• Remember, paraphrasing is not just inserting

synonyms:

• original: It’s unlikely that architects and engineers have abandoned the quest for the world’s tallest building.

• attempted paraphrase: It’s not likely that architects and engineers have given up the search for the world’s highest building.

• successful paraphrase: Architects and engineers probably won’t stop trying to build the tallest building in the world. (or Architects and engineers will continue to compete . . . )

Hand-in your paraphrase

• No marks.• I will give you individual feedback.

Quick Review of Steps in Writing

1. Make a point

2. Support the point with specific evidence

3. Organize and connect the evidence

4. Write clear, error free sentences

I have decided not to go out with Tony anymore. First of all, he was late for our first date. He said that he would be at my house by 8:30, but he did not arrive until 9:20. Second, he was bossy. He told me that it would be too late to go to the new Chris Rock comedy that I wanted to see, and that we would go to a new action film with the Rock instead. I told him that I didn’t like violent movies, but he said that I could shut my eyes during the bloody parts. Only because it was a first date did I let him have his way. Finally, he was abrupt. After the movie, rather than suggesting a hamburger or a drink, he drove right out to a back road near Oakcrest High School and started making out with me. What he did a half hour later angered me most of all. He cut his finger on my earring and immediately said we had to go right home. He was afraid the scratch would get infected if he didn’t put Bactine and a Band-Aid on it. When he dropped me off, I said “Good-bye Tony,” in a friendly enough way, but in my head I thought, “Goodbye forever, Tony.”

I have decided not to go out with Tony anymore. First of all, he was late for our first date. He said that he would be at my house by 8:30, but he did not arrive until 9:20. Second, he was bossy. He told me that it would be too late to go to the new Chris Rock comedy that I wanted to see, and that we would go to a new action film with the Rock instead. I told him that I didn’t like violent movies, but he said that I could shut my eyes during the bloody parts. Only because it was a first date did I let him have his way. Finally, he was abrupt. After the movie, rather than suggesting a hamburger or a drink, he drove right out to a back road near Oakcrest High School and started making out with me. What he did a half hour later angered me most of all. He cut his finger on my earring and immediately said we had to go right home. He was afraid the scratch would get infected if he didn’t put Bactine and a Band-Aid on it. When he dropped me off, I said “Good-bye Tony,” in a friendly enough way, but in my head I thought, “Goodbye forever, Tony.”

I have decided not to go out with Tony anymore. First of all, he was late for our first date. He said that he would be at my house by 8:30, but he did not arrive until 9:20. Second, he was bossy. He told me that it would be too late to go to the new Chris Rock comedy that I wanted to see, and that we would go to a new action film with the Rock instead. I told him that I didn’t like violent movies, but he said that I could shut my eyes during the bloody parts. Only because it was a first date did I let him have his way. Finally, he was abrupt. After the movie, rather than suggesting a hamburger or a drink, he drove right out to a back road near Oakcrest High School and started making out with me. What he did a half hour later angered me most of all. He cut his finger on my earring and immediately said we had to go right home. He was afraid the scratch would get infected if he didn’t put Bactine and a Band-Aid on it. When he dropped me off, I said “Good-bye Tony,” in a friendly enough way, but in my head I thought, “Goodbye forever, Tony.”

I have decided not to go out with Tony anymore. First of all, he was late for our first date. He said that he would be at my house by 8:30, but he did not arrive until 9:20. Second, he was bossy. He told me that it would be too late to go to the new Chris Rock comedy that I wanted to see, and that we would go to a new action film with the Rock instead. I told him that I didn’t like violent movies, but he said that I could shut my eyes during the bloody parts. Only because it was a first date did I let him have his way. Finally, he was abrupt. After the movie, rather than suggesting a hamburger or a drink, he drove right out to a back road near Oakcrest High School and started making out with me. What he did a half hour later angered me most of all. He cut his finger on my earring and immediately said we had to go right home. He was afraid the scratch would get infected if he didn’t put Bactine and a Band-Aid on it. When he dropped me off, I said “Good-bye Tony,” in a friendly enough way, but in my head I thought, “Goodbye forever, Tony.”

I have decided not to go out with Tony anymore. First of all, he was late for our first date. He said that he would be at my house by 8:30, but he did not arrive until 9:20. Second, he was bossy. He told me that it would be too late to go to the new Chris Rock comedy that I wanted to see, and that we would go to a new action film with the Rock instead. I told him that I didn’t like violent movies, but he said that I could shut my eyes during the bloody parts. Only because it was a first date did I let him have his way. Finally, he was abrupt. After the movie, rather than suggesting a hamburger or a drink, he drove right out to a back road near Oakcrest High School and started making out with me. What he did a half hour later angered me most of all. He cut his finger on my earring and immediately said we had to go right home. He was afraid the scratch would get infected if he didn’t put Bactine and a Band-Aid on it. When he dropped me off, I said “Good-bye Tony,” in a friendly enough way, but in my head I thought, “Goodbye forever, Tony.”

Organizing and Connecting Evidence

The two main ways of organizing evidence are• time order (Example, p. 84)

– the supporting evidence is organized by the order events happen in

• emphatic order (Example, p. 85)

– the supporting evidence is organized from least important to most important [“save the best for last”]

Fill in the missing words, p. 85

• first of all, Next, After, Then, and after.

Fill in the missing words, p. 86

• three, our love of gossip, Most of all.

Transitions

Important tools for organizing and connecting your evidence are transitions.

Transitions are words that • help the reader follow the writer’s thoughts,

and• show the relationship between ideas

Ex: First, second, moreover, most importantly

Check the item that is easier to understand, p. 86

Transitions

__ Our landlord repainted our apartment. He replaced the dishwasher.

Our landlord repainted our apartment. Also, he replaced the dishwasher.

Check the item that is easier to understand, p. 86

Words That Show Addition

1. __ A drinking problem can destroy a person’s life. It can tear a family apart.

A drinking problem can destroy a person’s life. In addition, it can tear a family apart.

Check the item that is easier to understand, p. 87

Words That Show Addition (Cont’d.)

2. __ One way to lose friends is always to talk and never to listen. A way to end friendships is to borrow money and never pay it back.

One way to lose friends is always to talk and never to listen. Another way to end friendships is to borrow money and never pay it back.

Check the item that is easier to understand, p. 87

Words That Show Time

1. __ I had blood work done. I went to the doctor.

I had blood work done. Then, I went to the doctor.

Check the item that is easier to understand, p. 87

Words That Show Time

2. __ Every week my uncle studies the food ads to see which stores have the best specials. He clips all the coupons.

Every week my uncle studies the food ads to see which stores have the best specials. Next, he clips all the coupons.

Check the item that is easier to understand, p. 88

Words That Show Time

3. __ Carmen took a very long shower. There was no hot water left for anyone else in the house.

Carmen took a very long shower. After that, there was no hot water left for anyone else in the house.

Activity 1, p. 88

1. one, another, finally2. First, next, before, After, then3. First of all, Another, last4. First, then, next, finally

Other Kinds of Transitions, p. 90These transitions are grouped according to what kind of signal they provide:

• Space signals – often used in descriptive paragraphs

• Change of Direction signals – useful in compare and contrast paragraphs

• Illustration signals – usually used when you want to introduce a specific example

• Conclusion signals – used in cause-effect paragraphs and at the end of most paragraphs

Activity 2, p. 90-92

1. above, in front, behind2. on the other hand, But, in contrast, However3. For instance, specifically, example4. Therefore

Writing Clear, Error Free Sentences

• Turn to p. 106

• This chapter focuses on sentence skills necessary for writing clear, effective sentences.

• We will study some of these topics as we go through the term.

The Four Bases of WritingThe Four Steps In Writing The Four Bases for Evaluating

WritingIf you make one point and stick to it,

your writing will have unity.

If you back up the point with specific evidence,

your writing will have support.

If you organize and connect the specific evidence,

your writing will have coherence.

If you write clear, error free sentences,

your writing will reflect effective sentence skills.

The Four Bases of Writing

• Turn to p. 148• This diagram is a useful summary of the four

bases, AND• it lists some of the sentence skills you need to

develop to write clearly and effectively

BREAK

“Traffic? What Traffic?” - Vocabulary

exhort (v.) – advise strongly, urge, persuadeviaduct (n.) – bridge, cataclysmic (adj.) – disastrous, catastrophic revelry (n.) – partying, celebration

“Traffic? What Traffic?” - Vocabulary

• hustles (v. to hustle)– hurries

• core (n.)– centre

• outlying (adj.)– far from the centre

• cataclysmic (adj.)– really destructive; disastrous

• exhortation (n.)– advice or strong encouragement(v. to exhort – to give advice)

“Traffic? What Traffic?” - Idioms

• “It all boils down to this” – it all leads to this; it all comes to this point

• VANOC – Vancouver Olympic Organizing Committee.

“Traffic? What Traffic?” - Structure

• The author begins by making statements about driving.

• Then he describes the situation leading up to the Olympics.

• Then he gives the reasons he has not used public transit.

“Traffic? What Traffic?” - Structure

• Find the place in the second half of the article, where Breathor shifts to discussing how the Olympics might change his and other drivers behaviour.

• What specific things does Breathor suggest might get drivers onto public transit?

• He gives these details individually and then sums them up in the second-to-last paragraph.

• How does he end?

“Traffic? What Traffic?”

• How do your experiences during the Olympics compare with the author’s experiences?

“Traffic? What Traffic?”

Comprehension Questions

• Did you do the assigned questions?• Did you answer all the questions asked?• Did you follow the guidelines in “How to

Answer Literature Questions”?

Homework

Vocabulary Sentences• Write sentences for the seven vocabulary

words on the “Traffic? What Traffic?” Handout. Make sure your sentence is original (not plagiarized from a dictionary or other source), uses the right form of the word, and fully shows the meaning of the word.

• Due Monday /7 marks