How to Construct a Paragraph

All week has been dedicated to working on senior papers in class. The class was also given time to work on senior papers on Friday as well. At this point, the literature review should be finished or just requiring small fixes to perfect it. What should be focused on now, is the synthesis part of the paper. It’s important to remember to keep bringing in the resources students gather from databases. If students have any questions, they are encouraged to ask during lunch if Mr. Rivers is free.

Before doing independent work in class, there was a small lesson that took up half the period. This lesson focused on how exactly to know when to end a paragraph. When asked about this, some answers given by students included when you had completed a thought, try to make a new point, or want to pose a new question, amount several others. What should not be an indicator though is when the paragraph reaches five or so sentences. What’s more important is creating a focused and complete paragraph, not the number of sentences.

Furthermore, the lesson also touched upon how to create a focused paragraph. It’s difficult to write about something broad since you may not know where to start. It’s best to try to break down a point into more focused pieces. The example given to the class was a paragraph that argues his schools should offer better classes for students. The class was then asked to break that down into two different parts, since that’s a broad concept. The post on google classroom is we’re groups posted their answers. Some examples were as follows:

• How school can include more activities for hand on learners. How school can improve lectures for students who learn best by lectures and notes.
• Schools should offer classes for students based off of ethnicity background and future interests. Schools should support teachers by offering structured development for their teachers careers
• How schools should make more streamlined courses for academically advanced students. How schools should offer more varied courses based on a student's interests

Students should try to use this activity as a guide for what to do if they get stuck in a similar situation with a far too broad subject. Furthermore, this is an important lesson for writing future papers or even organizing simple arguments. Sometimes it’s hard to focus a paper, paragraph, or speech when you have a lot to say about a subject. Trying to tackle everything at once will just hurt you in the long run, and not make your argument’s points strong, or just not be very informative since it’s so unfocused.

Important things students should remember is that senior papers are due February first, absolutely no extensions. There will be no more class time given to work on writing.

Drafting In Class

Today in class we continued on working on our senior papers that are due February 1st, which is next Friday. Today I spent my time in class working on fixing some problems in my Literature Review. Mr. Rivers pointed out that I still needed to cite some evidence from my opening paragraph , even though the evidence was not directly quoted. After this I added additional details to my body paragraphs that were both from my cinematic and literature evidence. Mr. Rivers suggested that I needed to add additional information, so I decided to dedicate today in doing so. My paper is on the improvements in the way we treat head injuries and I decided to use the movie Concussion starring Will Smith as my Cinematic evidence. The movie is based off of a doctor who made discoveries about the long term effects of concussions and CTE. After I added the additional information I began adding the citations to the new evidence. The way to citate will depend on if the paper you are writing is in MLA or APA format.

Our Homework is to finish the synthesizing part of our essay, it is important to understand to understand how much sequencing effects the paper, this will allow our papers to flow smoothly. Mr, Rivers also reminded us that our papers will be worked on for the last time in class on Friday (1/25).

01/24/2019 Another day of In-Class Writing

1/24/2019Another day of In-Class Writing

For those that were not in class today or just want to brush up on what we did today (01/24), I hope the following helps. Today in class we went over citations and their huge importance in your Senior Paper. We looked at how each format, both MLA and APA, should eventually look like. The References should be a page of their own. They should be cited properly and should be attached to the document itself. Or else, you will get an automatic zero for plagiarism. Another very good point is that in the APA format, you NEED to cite every source that has in any way helped you with your research and knowledge about the topic. As for the MLA format, you DO NOT NEED to cite every source that has given you information about the topic. However, naming these sources, even without mentioning them in your paper, will help build your credibility. Nevertheless, every source that is mentioned in your paper has to be cited, no matter the format.

MLA Senior Paper

Literature Review*

Synthesis Paper

Works Cited

*Proper MLA heading with title

APA Senior Paper

Title page

Abstract** (last thing you’re writing)

Literature Review

Synthesis Paper

References

**Last piece to draft, 100-200 words

Mr. Rivers also reminded us that we only have today (1/24), Friday (01/25) and Thursday (01/31) of next week, to work on our papers. Therefore, I think I need to organize and plan out my time. My plan of attack is as follows: I will look for more sources as well as information about the topic. This will make me more comfortable with the topic as I will have a clear mind as to what synthesizes with what. I hope this helps and if you have further questions please feel free to contact me or Mr. Rivers (you should probably contact him).

My email: lavagninom@students.sparta.org

Senior paper drafting continued 1/24/19

Today in class we continued to work on our senior papers that are due on February 1st. Before Mr. Rivers allowed us to work independently, he went over how each of our senior papers should look, APA or MLA. He went over the structure of the paper and how we should construct it so that it is in the correct order and format. Mr. Rivers also reminded us that today (Thursday Jan. 24), Friday (Jan. 25) and Jan 31st will be the last days in class that we have to work on our senior paper. After this week, most of the work on our senior paper will be done at home.

For the APA paper, the order of the pages should be as follows-
Title Page
Abstract
Literature Review
Synthesis Paper
References

For the MLA paper, the order of the pages should be as follows-
Literature Review
Synthesis Paper
Works Cited

For each senior paper the works cited or reference should be on their own page and cited properly. If the works cited or reference sheet is not attached to our paper itself, then you will get an automatic zero on the paper for plagiarism. For an APA paper, the title page should be on its own page as well as the abstract. For the MLA paper, the literature review and synthesis paper should be together and the only separate part of the paper should be the works cited.

Also, for an APA paper, the citations on the reference page should be anything that helped the writer write their paper. This includes anything that the writer read that influenced their paper. For an MLA paper, only quotes that are directly in the paper or paraphrased in the paper should be included in the works cited page.

Once again, this paper is due on Feb. 1st at 11:59. Good Luck and I hope this helps anyone who was absent

January 24, 2018- Working Diligently On Synthesis Paper

Throughout the week, we have really been focusing on sequencing our papers. Sequencing allows for us to align our paper to maximize synthesis. Along with that, planning out and synthesizing our papers will allow for a more smooth paper, and will probably lead to getting a better grade. Depending on our lens we selected to write about, we had to choose between an APA senior paper and a MLA senior paper. For an APA senior paper, the title page comes first, then the abstract, then the literature review, then the synthesis paper, and finally the reference page. On the other end, for a MLA senior paper, the literature review comes first, then the synthesis paper, and then the works cited. Of course, along with the MLA components, you must include a proper MLA heading with a creative title.

Today, I used my time during class to work on a paragraph of my synthesis paper. I am writing about the history of black influence from a historic and racism lens. I start out my essay discussing the early influence of civil rights, and mentioned leaders like Martin Luther King Jr. and Malcolm X. I go into their differences in ideals, and how they appeal to different people, and eventually amount to the same goal of equality. In class today, I wrote about Barack Obama and his tactic. While there are differing opinions about his presidency and his effect of the economy, there is no disputing that his presidency was a huge turning point in society, as he was the first black president. I went on to talk about how Barack Obama would talk down to black people and make them feel worthless so that he would gain their support so that they could potentially change that. Obama was able to use this tactic because of his skin color, whereas other white candidates could not, so he used his advantage wisely.

The synthesis paper is due February 1, 2019, so we have about a week left to wrap it up. We should use our time wisely in class and use our resources, being our peers around us who all have different good ideas, and of course our teachers.

Homework is to work on our papers. Good luck.

1/23/2019 Continued Working on Our Papers

1/23/2019
Continued Working on Our Papers

If  you not were not in class today, we basically just worked on our papers. Mr. Rivers reminded us of the Writing Cycle and how useful it will be whilst working on your paper. The questions that you should keep behind your mind are:

What research do you need? 

How does Academic Research or Cinematic Research respond to Academic Research or Cinematic Research? 

What Evidence can you integrate into your paper? What Evidence can you integrate into your paper?

Remember that we will not have every class period to work on our papers, starting next week, therefore, you should use your time wisely. The Final Senior Paper is due February 1st.

My personal research:

I looked for more sources that I could use to synthesize my sources so that the paper becomes a conversation rather than a lecture. I mainly focused on the film aspect and how it fits in with the conversation.  The movie that I am synthesizing is called "The City of God" and it fits within the puzzle because of its talk about journalism in a country of crisis. I will try to continue implementing more sides of the arguments so that it becomes, like said before, a conversation.

Lesson:

Make a plan for your work while you still got time for it.

How can you show ownership for these next couple of days?

If you have any questions regarding your senior paper, make sure to ask before the due date!

1/23/19

Today in class we just worked more on our research papers and more specifically the research synthesis. People were all working their hardest so that they can be finished by this Friday. Most people either put headphones on our went into the hallway so that they could focus on their work. I was one of the people who went into the hallway to get away and just have some quiet time. My only complaint was that the floor was very uncomfortable and I was sore by the end with my back aching. My paper is about arms dealers and I have gotten a decent amount of information about the topic but because I was out my way behind and i'm still on the research review. Mr. River's was kind enough to give me till Sunday and i'm very grateful for that as i'm very busy during this week because of ski team. I had practice on Tuesday and Wednesday, and the I have a race on Thursday and Friday. This makes it so I don't get home till 7:00 or 8:00 which doesn't leave much time for homework so I have to ration my time wisely and use my study halls to the best of my ability and get my paper done. Through my research I was able to find that Russia has a huge arms dealer problem and is something that is almost commonplace but not accepted in the slightest. Another place that has a huge problem with arms dealers is Africa and this is because of all the fighting making it a extremely profitable location.  When I started my research I expected Africa to be a large hot spot but I was surprised to know that Russia still has a big problem with arms dealers even after the cold war.

How to fix your Literature Review - Daily Blog 1-22-19

Before class started, Mr. Rivers explained that everyone received an email with the graded rubric of your literature review from last week.  The class did end up taking some notes in class, however, they were mostly made up of things you can do to improve your literature review for the final product. Some of the changes may apply to your review, and others may not, but what Mr. Rivers wants to see is a process; he wants us to be critical thinkers and to solve the problems that come with writing.

Remember that your senior paper is due on 2-1-19 at 11:59 PM. (Includes a literature review, synthesis, and the works cited/reference page)

Make sure to reread the feedback and your literature review before making these changes to your review itself:

General Literature Review Feedback:

• Literature Review =/= Literary Review   (make sure to call it specifically a Literature Review)
• Last Names > First Names (ethos)      (make sure to credit a source or scholar with their last name instead of their first name - looking for credibility)
• Authentic research requires learning from scholars    (go beyond information that your audience knows - use your information to go deeper)
• INTEGRATE EVIDENCE THROUGH REVISION

Next Steps to Leveling Up Your Paper?

Find where you are on your paper and how many or how little you need to work on

• Heavy revisions - add film, find FUNDAMENTAL scholars
• Moderate revisions - connect scholarly sources, specify film
• Light revisions -    grammer, formating, refine conversation

And it is okay if you completely change your entire Literature Review if you wanted to. If you find an article that changes your paper entirely, it is on you because obviously it requires more work, but you do have the opportunity to do that if your truly wanted to.

Mr. Rivers was very disappointed to that fact that some students did not include a works cited or a reference page to their literature review last week. IF YOU DO NOT INCLUDE A WORKS CITED OR REFERENCE PAGE FOR YOUR SENIOR PAPER IT BECOMES A ZERO. Especially with plagiarism, it is just a way for Mr. Rivers to make sure that you did the work that you needed to do for the paper. Don’t cut the corner of not including it, because it applies to your audience, and I don’t mean Mr. Rivers, I mean the scholars in which your academic lens applies to.

Daily Blog 1/22/2019 Another Day Working on our Senior Papers

Daily Blog 1/22/2019
Another Day Working on our Senior Papers

For the people who were absent or just want to brush up on what we did in class today, I hope this helps.

Today we went over the general tips that we can apply to our own senior paper. The notes below are everything Mr. Rivers said, straight to the point. I would like to analyze it more but I'm sure, you just want a simple recap so you can get back working on your paper!

General Literature Review Feedback:

• Literature Review = / = Literary Review
• Last Names > First Names (ethos)
• Authentic Research requires learning from scholars
• INTEGRATE EVIDENCE THROUGH REVISION

Next steps to leveling up your paper?

• Heavy revisions - add film, find FUNDAMENTAL scholars
• Moderate revisions - connect scholarly sources, specify film
• Light revisions - Grammar, formatting, refine conversation

Revision

• Improve your work overtime

ELEVATE Lit Review to elevate synthesis!

• The more scholars the better
• Scholars come in to be a part of conversation
• End up with a more elevated, more rewarding writing

Audience

• You do not have to directly mention them

Process of Writing

• Cycle
• Academic Research
• Evidence
• ¨Build this thing from the inside out¨

With that said, we continued working on our papers.

Building Your Stack

Today, we continued to research and organize our synthesis for our senior papers. At the beginning of class, Mr. Rivers gave us all a note card. On this notecard, we were to write down both our film and academic evidence that we want to talk about in our papers. Mr. Rivers suggests that you use as many cards as you can to build up your stack and to have a larger bank of information and evidence to use in your synthesis papers. Rivers suggested that we format them as follows:
        Side 1: Cinematic evidence, including choices, themes, symbols, and scenes you want to discuss in your paper
        Slide 2: Academic evidence, such as direct quotes/statistics, argument/claim or discovery that supports your cinematic evidence

For my paper, I am synthesizing the film The Day After Tomorrow (2004) to the academic lens of abrupt climate change. While these two things are very much connected, I am finding myself struggling to organize it all since there is so much to talk about in the film. Since there is so much, I decided to follow a structure we have done before: The three-act structure. I am going to use this structure sort of like a guide, talking about each of the major sequences in the structure, such as the cinematic choices in the film, and then synthesizing each of them with my academic lense.

Today, I completed one of the notecards that Rivers suggested that we create to organize our evidence, both cinematic and academic. On the cinematic side, I chose to include a quote from the film, then for the academic side, I found evidence from one of my sources that directly support the quote, which makes it very easy to synthesize them together. Hopefully, as I continue to organize and research, I can start to make more of these flashcards.

This weekend, I plan on rewatching the film in order to refresh my mind on certain aspects of the film, and I suggest that you do the same. Rewatching the film may help you to find additional evidence for your synthesis or may spark an interest to write about a different aspect of the film, such as character choice or the special effects if you are not already writing about them. I would also suggest that you organize your paper before you start writing; it makes it a lot easier if you know what you're going to write about.

Next week, we will continue to work independently to research and write our synthesis papers.

1/18/19 ==> Notecards & Research

Today's class focused primarily around research and finding good evidence in both our film(s) and the sources we find through databases. Right when we sat down in our groups for class today, Mr. Rivers handed each of us a notecard that we could use to help organize our senior papers. He then proceeded to explain what each side of the notecard was for and put the following chart on the board:

Cinematic Evidence (Unlined side of Notecard)	Academic Evidence (Lined Side of Notecard)
Choice	Direct Quote/Statistics
Theme	Argument/Claim(s)
Symbol	Discovery/Conclusion
Scene

Mr. Rivers then proceeded to relate back to yesterday's lesson with yurts, telling us that we should not just sit down and write the whole essay in one sitting, but instead to write it in smaller sections based on the evidence we've assembled, then connect everything together. Additionally, Rivers also stressed that if we have not watched our movie(s) in a while, whether that was last year or just before we started our senior paper research as re-watching the film will reveal even more evidence we can use in our papers than we originally thought or remembered. Personally, as I was not present in class the past two days, I not only continued my search on Gale for more research but I also began to work on my synthesis for my senior paper. In class, I looked at the research I had accumulated in the past few weeks and coupled that with what I remembered about the films I am going to be using for my senior paper, Thank You for Your Service (2017) and American Sniper (2014). Of course, I am going to re-watch these movies outside of class so that I can better analyze them for more evidence I can use. Aside from this, today's class applies significantly to the real world as sometimes you won't be specifically told what to do or guided through work/research. This applies especially in college, when your professor is not going to (most likely) give anywhere near the same amount of guidance of papers and projects, he'll/she'll just assign you a paper, give you a due date, and make you do your own research, formulating, etc. Knowing how to do research, formulating, and drafting/writing on your own is an essential skill in the real/modern world and Mr. Rivers class today (and for the past few days) built on that point. 

1/18/19 Daily Blog

Today's class was on a 2-hour delay schedule so there was not as much time for research and organization as there has been in the past week. However, when we get into class today we were all handed a notecard. This notecard is to be used to help organize how we write our senior paper. This chart was on the board to help us visualize how Mr. Rivers suggests we use the notecard for organization:

Cinematic Evidence	Academic Evidence
Choice	Direct Quote/Statistics
Theme	Argument/claim
Symbol	Discovery/Conclusion
Scene

Mr. Rivers also reemphasized the importance of not trying to write the synthesis from start to end linearly. Instead, he recommends that we write the synthesis in bits, then connecting them to each other in the final draft. 

We also got another reminder that if we have not watched our movie yet (or have not watched it in a while) we should watch it as soon as possible. He also brought up the point that even if the last time we watched the movie was before taking the class we should still rewatch the movie because we have learned so much about film since the beginning of the year. We may be able to pull more evidence from one scene in the movie then we realized before taking this class by focusing on specific characters in each scene. 

For my personal research paper, I thought of another show that I could use for the synthesis portion of the senior paper. The HBO show Westworld deals with the worst case scenario for an AGI and how it could possibly affect humans. There are several episodes of this show that I would like to rewatch as they deal specifically with several ethical implications of an AGI which is the topic of my senior paper. One of the major questions the show addresses is whether or not an AGI can feel emotion. The show also implicitly deals with what the singularity would look like. In the show, the robots outsmart the humans in their quest to free themselves from their human overlords.

The skills we are learning in class will be used all throughout college when writing formal essays. Learning how to format an essay in APA will also help with this. The APA formatting will also come in handy if we decide to go into a science field, or any other field that uses APA.

Delayed opening and research tips!!!

Today we had a small snow storm that resulted in a 2 hour delayed opening. As a result of this, we had less time in class than usual. We began by receiving note cards from Mr. Rivers. These quotes will become part of a “stack.” Each note card in the stack will have academic and cinematic evidence on it. These pieces of evidence should be related in some way so that we can use these seeds of evidence to form a paragraph. Examples of academic evidence you can put on these cards include direct quotes/statistics, arguments/claims, or important discoveries. Examples of cinematic evidence include choice, theme, symbols, or scenes that relate to the academic evidence. After Mr.Rivers explained the “stack” system to us we had the remainder of the shortened period to either plan for what we will be doing on Tuesday, or begin gathering evidence for our stacks. A useful tactic I used was creating a google doc where I collected all the potentially important quotes I found on my search for sources. Another good tip would be to use the advanced search option in Gale in order to refine your search for information. A final tip I have would be to organize your citations every time you find a new source. I used a google doc in order to collect my citations and placed them in the proper formatting. This allows me to simply copy and paste them into my essay when it is completed and not waste time finding them all over again. All of these docs can easily be organized by creating a folder in google drive and placing them there. Now, all you have to do is open the folder and all of your work and resources across all of your google docs are available to you. Don't forget the senior paper will be due on the first of next month, don't forget to pace yourself. Have a great long weekend!!!

Film & Academia Synthesis / Citing / Beginning Synthesis Paper

Today in class we began by expanding on explanation of the synthesis part of our essay. Mr.Rivers started the lesson by drawing a venn-diagram on the board which is shown and explained below:

As you can see, the venn-diagram is split into two different sections “Film” and “Academia”. The film section is a regular section that you would see in any other venn-diagram but, the circle on the right for “Academia” is broken into many smaller circles. This is because there are so many different aspects of academia which it can be broken into; if you have more than one piece of film you are using  you can more than one “Film” circle.

After explaining the venn-diagram, Mr.Rivers showcased another illustration on the board. The illustration is as follows:

In the illustration, the 0%-100% is representative of your progress with your essay. The GREEN marks are the different points of synthesis you can put in your essay while the BLACK marks are the different goals you can set for yourself along the way. Examples of goals can be things such as, “What will I research today?” or, “Today, I’ll proofread my paper for the first time.” At the start, your essay will obviously be one paragraph about your topic, but eventually it should expand into multiple pages littered with research regarding your topic. Utilizing these “points of synthesis” and “goals” can help keep the process of writing your paper go as smoothly as possible.

After discussing synthesis, we quickly talked about what you would do when it comes to how you would cite someone's words within an author's words in your own writing.

For Example, It would be done as so:

Research:

“I am very smart guy, I like ice cream. Ronald McDonald says, “McDonalds ice cream is awesome!” (McDonald). I agree and think Ronald is right.”

Your Writing:

Ice cream is unhealthy. A quote from the book “I like Ice Cream” says, ““I am very smart guy, I like ice cream. Ronald McDonald says, “McDonalds ice cream is awesome!” (McDonald). I agree and think Ronald is right.” (Halpert). Boy, ice cream is tasty!

After the class discussion, we resumed our personal research. Today, I dove back into my sources and began to try to find more evidence regarding my topic to hopefully find more points in which I can synthesize my film and research. My paper is about the connection between real life mutations and those seen in films like X-Men and Deadpool.

Everything we learned in class can be applied to beneficial skills in the real world. For example, Setting goals is a very important part of success. By setting goals, you can stay more organized as well as have a finished product to look forward to. Another example is with properly citing outside sources. Proper citing of other people's work makes you seem more credible and deepens your ethos.

Class Blog 1/17- Film & Academia/Drafting

Today, we continued to go in depth in classifying the differences between characteristics of film and academia. Eventually, we went into explaining how the two correlate, and how we must combine the two in order to compose an effective paper. We learned to compare film and academia as if they were middle school students at a dance, with one group on one side, and one on the other. Our writing must allow for the two to pair up, just as eventually the groups of people would cluster during a middle school dance.
Secondly, we went into how to transfer information from an article to our papers, while citing and making sure credit is being given to those who deserve it, and putting our own spin on that information. One way to attack this problem is to go out and do more research, but the better option would be to just cite the source, whether it be one person or a group of people. We must make it clear that it is the author's work because we don't want their ideals to be stolen. Rather, we want to evaluate their substance. Before including the quote, we must introduce our take on it, then include the speaker's name after.
Thirdly, we were asked to read over the review and comments on our three act structure letter. The three act structure includes act one, which is the setup, and includes the exposition and inciting incident. Act 2 goes into the rising action, and act three is the resolution.
For the rest of the class, we were granted time by Mr. Rivers to work on our synthesis papers for our senior papers. I elected to write about the film, 42, and I am writing it from a historical lens. To start my synthesis paper, I am going deep into the idea that early African American activists inspired people around the world, and further advocated for not only the equal rights of black people, but the equal rights of all people. While using the proper MLA citation guidelines, I brought in an example of a famous choreographer in today's drafting session to show the effect of early civil rights activists on the current black population. The black choreographer was inspired by black history, and looks to guide the youth to greatness by teaching them the great things she knows, while inspiring simultaneously.

Wrapping up Literary Reviews - 1/15/19 DLB

Mr. Rivers began class with a Venn diagram of academia and film. Although we are just touching upon our film in the literary analysis, we will start to work on the synthesis soon, so thinking about effective ways to combine the film and academic lens that is being researched. Synthesizing is integral to the senior paper, therefore, learning how to do it properly is of the utmost importance.

My research process has involved a lot of shifting of my research. I chose to write about The Hunger Games in my paper because I know a lot about the movie, but deciding what area to concentrate on was difficult for me. I narrowed my research down to the dangers of desensitization of violence, mainly through exposure to reality television. The Games are an extreme hyperbole of a reality show, where viewers are entertained by suffering, drama, romance, and humiliation.

Reality television is considered trashy and poor quality compared to modern television streaming. I think that this is why I struggled with finding recent articles on how reality television effects society. Eventually, I was able to find more information on the database EBSCO. All I had to do was type in key phrases and I was able to find articles that fit with the different aspects of desensitization and reality based television.

The most difficult part of my research process was finding a conversation on the societal effects of reality television. All the scholarly articles I read unanimously agreed that exposure to violence and over-dramatized shows could have a detrimental effect on the way people think and act. Consequently, I am going to need to dig deeper and alter my research to try and find some conversation.

Good luck to everyone on finishing their literary reviews! If you have any questions, email Mr. Rivers (but not at 11:30 PM).

Intro to the Senior Paper Synthesis: Notes from 1/16

          The objective of today's class session is as follows: I will be able to develop seeds of synthesis that can be organized into a coherent essay. To begin our activities, we started with group brainstorming. A statement and question were put on the board: "Dr. Hier's dissertation was around 120 pages long with almost 15 pages of citations. How does a human being do that?" In our groups we came up with answers and then as a class we constructed this chart on the board:

What did Dr. Hier need to have?	What did Dr. Hier need to do?
Passion Time Concentration Patience	Manage time Organize Set goals Energize

          We were urged to follow in Dr. Hier's footsteps. These examples of what he needed to have/do can be reintegrated into our own writing processes. This will ensure a smooth writing experience. 

          We then moved on to discussing a quote said by a man of the name Saunders. The quote is fairly long so I will paraphrase it. He creates an extended metaphor comparing the building of houses to writing. Saunders, in his quote, expresses doubt that he cannot build a mansion as he is accustomed to building small, simplistic yurts. However, he comes to the realization that a mansion is just "a series of connected yurts" (Saunders, 2017). This of course can be applied to our perception of the senior paper. Some of us look up at the word count minimum in fear, but by taking it with steps (one yurt at a time) we can alleviate these fears and have a more enjoyable/successful writing experience.

          We then took a step back to look at the Literature Review in a "big picture" sort of way. When we were assigned the Literature Review, we were given three points to hit:

1. Introduce major speakers/topics/events
2. Distill current state of conversation
3. Call for research

          These three points, when compared to the three-act structure, seem like three acts, but they are actually three sequences. They cover the first three sequences of Act 1:

1. Point of attack
2. Inciting incident
3. Lock in

          This hints to how one should sequence their paper. By referencing the three-act structure while writing, you will be able to align your paper to maximize synthesis. Creating research clusters will also aid in sequencing your paper. It is likely that in this process you will have to do more research. This is because by organizing clusters of information, you will open up gaps in your research that need to be filled.

          I must also include a link to the world at large from these studies. This will be redundant, as I made the same claim in my last Daily Log Blog, however I feel that as students, this is the most prevalent example: We will soon be graduating from high school and many of us will be attending college shortly. I have gathered enough information to confidently say that college isn't a walk in the park. If we want to perform our best, we're going to need to step up our game when writing. This senior paper assignment is a perfect opportunity for us to stretch our legs and see what we can do at our best.

          Best regards and good luck to you all! Don't forget that the senior paper is due February first. NO EXCEPTIONS. So you know, no pressure👍👌

Literature Review due Tonight. Daily Blog 1-15-19

If you did happen to be absent Monday, (I know that by Daily Blog is for today, but if you also happened to miss yesterday) the class took notes on MLA and APA format for our senior essays. Those formats will be used for the Literature Review section of the senior paper (HINT: that is due TONIGHT). Rivers will be expecting you to apply the correct format and presentation for the assignment, whether that be MLA or APA. (Rivers says that he wants the review to look as clean as possible)

If you haven’t done so already, Rivers also wants you to make sure that you are following the rubric that he posted for the Literature Review on Google Classroom. Here is a picture of the exact rubric:

RUBRIC

CONTENT:	Specific	Clear
Introduce major speakers/topics/events	/10	/10
Distill current state of conversation	/10	/10
Call for research	/10	/10
EVIDENCE	Integrated & Analyzed
Evidence from academic sources	/10
Evidence from cinema	/10
PRESENTATION:	Consistency
MLA/APA Format, 500-750 words, INSTRUCTIONS REMOVED FROM THE PAGE	/10
Works Cited (MLA) or References Page (APA)	/10

The one thing that Rivers made very clear is that not everyone’s essay is going to look the same. However, when writing your literature review, Rivers wants to make sure that all of his students are applying the information from your research in the same way (HINT: By using the rubric above)

Also, Rivers made it very clear that in your Literature Reviews you should be citing as much as possible, even when you are paraphrasing. The more citations and the more sources that you have in your Literature review, the more credibility it will show for the Synthesis section later in your essay. However, if you are going to use a quote, Rivers asks that you integrate the quote instead of just sticking a quote in the middle of a paragraph. He wants it to sound as if there aren’t any quotes at all. If the quote is too bulky or too huge, paraphrase it. Rivers wants to see our voices come through in these papers. Twenty points of the assignment is all about presentation, to see if you are using MLA or APA format appropriately, which also includes where the works cited/references are. If you do not have your references or a works cited page, that will be an automatic zero.  

Last but not least, Rivers wants you to make sure that you turn in your Literature Review in the assignment on classroom that is titled : “#7: Lit Review”. He purposefully mentioned this to make sure that none of his students just share a Google doc with him. The assignment needs to be turned in on Google Classroom.