Writing 3 Class Notes -- Week 6 (September 29)

Greetings!

Happy October 1!  Fall is definitely here!!

We began our class with some more ACT Essay writing strategies.  I gave the students handouts that explain some specific steps for writing these essays.  I like to teach this kind of writing during this class because many of the students are at that stage when they will be taking the ACT or SAT.  Also, the kind of thinking that these essays require (analyzing, making connections, supporting with examples, etc.) is exactly the kind of writing that a longer research paper requires.

We did some hands of research for one of the topics that I hope was helpful for other students when they get stuck finding pertinent information that they can use for their papers -- "pertinent" being the key word. Sometimes students find lots of material that they need to sift through to find just those nuggets that are useful.  Sometimes students have a hard time finding any information at all.  

Some helpful online resources for searching for information:

Google Scholar

Northfield Public Library

     -- Note:  While most students have library cards, it seems that not all libraries have the same online search potential.  So, I've given the students my library card number and PIN so that they can use the Northfield Public Library as a resource.

     -- Card number:  1101 1007 12509

     -- PIN:  0270

     -- ELM  (Electronic Library for MN)  

          -- This is a source that is good for high school students.   You can narrow your search to types of databases or types of media

     -- Complete List of NPL Resources

     -- EBSCO Host Databases

          -- Narrow you search to the type of database (business, academics, health, etc.)

     -- ProQuest

          -- This searches periodicals (newspapers, magazines, etc.)

Don't forget Youtube.  It's not just the place for cute kitty videos.  

Other video options:  Khan Academy, TEDTalks,  Veritasium  (science-related), CrashCourse (multiple topics)

Helpful videos for incorporating sources into your paper:

Integrating Resources from ELC PolyU

MLA In-Text Citations -- Step by Step

MLA Works Cited -- Step by Step

Summarizing, Paraphrasing, Quoting

And, finally, the biggest news of the day was the change in due dates for the first rough draft.  Originally set for next week, I've moved it to the following week, much to the students' delight.  Below is the change in due dates:

Rough Draft #1 -- October 13

Rough Draft #2 -- November 3

Assignments for Next Week:

-- Keep researching

-- Start writing

-- Watch the videos listed above -- they are very helpful!

This week's Class Notes.

Have a beautiful weekend!

Blessings,

Mrs. Prichard