2015-09-01 Writing: prewriting strategies

Greg Malivuk
[email protected]
http://www.pastebin.com/u/gmalivuk
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Class Schedule: 9:00-10:30, 10:45-12:15, 12:30-1:15, 1:30-2:15, 2:30-3:15
Also remember there is no class on Monday, September 7, due to Labor Day.
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To prepare a writing assignment, you need to arrange your ideas. One way to do this is called “clustering”, or a “mind map”.

p. 37 part A - Think of a job you have done or would like to do. Create a cluster about the things that are necessary to do that job.

part B - Share your cluster with your group. Offer suggestions about ideas to add or ideas to cut out. (You can cut out the ideas with the fewest additional ideas connected to them, or the ones that you decide aren’t as important for the job)
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feedback - to tell someone how they did on a task (good or bad)
encouragement - to say things that give someone more confidence
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Another way to arrange your ideas is called “outlining”, where you create an outline. (p. 56)
It’s best after you have already chosen the best ideas from your cluster

Example (from the cluster on p. 36):

What are the three most important qualities of a good flight attendant?
A  friendly
	1  can calm nervous passengers
		a  explain noises
B  physically strong
	1  heavy carts
	2  heavy doors
C  self-confident
	1  give orders to passengers
		a  get passengers to sit down
		b  emergencies
If you have these qualities, you should think about becoming a flight attendant.
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In the handouts I give you, outlines always include complete topic sentences and conclusion sentences, but it’s not necessary to have those sentences before you start organizing your ideas. It is possible to think of the topic and conclusion after you finish the cluster or outline.
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Homework: read the paragraph on p. 38 and answer the four questions