Thurs, 4/10

Discussion of the reading and the research projects

Topic Assignment
Read "The Tipping Point" by Malcolm Gladwell in The Mercury Reader (85-92)
Read  “Burlington, Vermont” in Field Notes from a Catastrophe 173-182
Read "Remember This: 350 Parts Per Million" by Bill McKibben (online only)

• Round Two: Midterm Corrections (Instructions)
• Revision Plan
• Make sure you can access your midterm essay in Cyberia by email or disk

Research Topic Description:

• A two-to-four sentence summary of your research topic.
• A list of at least three sources you intend to use in your paper.
• Tell me your first and second choices for a presentation date. The dates for presentations are 5/1, 5/6, and 5/8. If there is a day you cannot present, let me know now.

• View Al Gore's new slideshow (click on the link) . Write down two examples each of ethos, pathos, and logos from the slideshow.
• Write a one-sentence summary of Al Gore's message. Be as specific as you can; we know he wants us to take action on global warming, but what does he think is the essential first step?
• Write a short paragraph about what you found most and least compelling about the slideshow.
• Visit the webpage that describes the National Resources Defense Council (NRDC). Do some reading to acquaint yourself with the organization's goals and methods. Write down two questions for our guest speaker related to environmentalism or global warming.

• Read "Back to Nature" by Gary Snyder and "Hearing Voices" by Linda Hogan in The Mercury Reader
• Read the poems by D.H. Lawrence, Wendell Berry, and Mary Oliver on the handout
• Read "Thinking like a Mountain" by Aldo Leopold (handout)
• Read "Touching the Earth" by bell hooks (handout)
• Choose three quotes from any of these readings that are moving or annoying or meaningful or confusing to you. Write a few sentences about why you each quote got your attention and what it meant to you.
• Work on your research paper

Rough Draft of Research Paper
See the Online Writing Lab's website on writing research papers for more guidance

Round One: Revision Corrections

Final Draft of Research Paper
--A blank grade sheet
--Final draft
--Rough draft with peer comments and peer grade sheets (or a Writing Lab stamp, if you didn't have a draft for review day)
--Outline
--A works cited page with at least 5 sources

1) Round Two of any corrections needed to bring your total up to three.

2) Optional: A "grammar version" of your final draft of the research paper. This is your chance to spend enough time on the grammar as well as the content. Proofread for all grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors. I will grade the orginal final draft you turned in on Thursday, 5/8 for content. I will grade the grammar version for grammar. If you do not turn a grammar version in, I will simply grade your original final draft for grammar.

3) A research paper cover letter which discusses the strategies you used to find and fix your grammar errors. How successful were the strategies? What do you want to try in order to improve your grammar in the future? (You must turn this cover letter in for your research paper to be graded).

4) Choose a final exam topic and write at least one page of notes or freewriting on it.

• Outline
• Fill out the feedback form (This is anonymous, but I will ask you to fold it and put it in my feedback envelope for homework credit)
• All extra credit for the semester

Bring your outline and notes (no drafts and no notes with more than one sentence in a row that you use in the paper).

If you would like detailed feedback on either your research paper or your final exam, bring a self-addressed envelope with at least two stamps on it. Otherwise, I will have the graded essays available for you to pick up in August.