For Week 15, we’ll be doing following the same schedule as usual.
Lesson 1
On Day 1, we’ll have a short review and wrap-up session.
Lesson 2
On Day 2, we’ll meet in our usual small groups to discuss your Participation Self-Assessments. Make sure you bring a filled-out Participation Self-Assessment Form. Please make sure to be on time for the meeting, to avoid losing participation marks. You can download a copy of the Participation Self-Evaluatiuon form at the link below:
Non-Textbook-Related Videos
I have a couple of videos for you, aimed at helping you prepare for the Final Exam and keep in practice once you’ve finished this course.
Paragraph Blog Post for Week 15
You don’t need to write a blog post for the Paragraph Blog this week. I’ve reduced the minimum posts for the Paragraph Blog to 12 total, rather than the original 13 total it was before.
If you have posted 12 posts already, you’re done with the Paragraph Blog. However, if you are behind, you can post another Opinion Paragraph in Week 15.
Exam Preparation Tips
As I said in class, you know the process we’ve studied for writing paragraphs, and you know that I will be testing you on one of the three Paragraph types that we’ve studied since Midterm Exams: Definition Paragraphs, Process Paragraphs, and Opinion Paragraphs.
If you want to prepare for the exam, the best was to do it is to try writing one of each type of paragraph, using the entire process we’ve studied, from Free Writing all the way to the Final Draft. Remember to pay attention to specific differences in each paragraph type, including how the Topic Sentence or Supporting Sentences (and other body content) change, as well as any different approaches we used in the brainstorming process (the For/Against Table for Opinion Paragraphs, the difference in how Mind Maps work for the Process Paragraph), or the writing process (like “Chunking” the steps in a Process Paragraph).
Writing one of each type of paragraph through the complete process is a great way to prepare, but also to review everything we’ve discussed this semester. This includes checking all three paragraphs for grammar and structure problems of the type we’ve discussed earlier.
You can’t control what will appear on the topic list you’ll receive for the Final Exam, but you can control how comfortable you are with the writing process and with these three types of paragraphs specifically!
Want More?
If you want even more review materials, I’d check out the Writer’s Handbook, which is located in the back of your textbook. It begins on page 192 of the textbook.
- Pages 193–210 are a pretty complete overview of the grammar we’ve studied, and can be useful for reviewing or quick-reference during the exam.
- The Test-Taking Tips (pg. 211–212) are also pretty good.
- The Peer Editing Forms are also useful: Forms 6–8 (pg. 218–220) deal with Definition, Process, and Opinion Paragraphs specifically.
Finally, I have three more suggestions:
- Go back and read my written feedback on your Midterm Exam (in the My Grades page). Take note of weak points and remember to check your final paragraph on the Final Exam to make sure those weak points or problems don’t recur. My feedback on your other homework would also be helpful.
- Go back and read what you wrote for this class at the beginning of semester, such as your first few Paragraph Blog posts or homework assignments. Check for any problems of the kinds we’ve studied or discussed this semester, in terms of grammar, structure, style, clarity, or interest, and edit the paragraphs to get some practice rewriting your own work from a distance. Pick one paragraph and edit it, fixing all the problems you find and improving the paragraph in all the ways you can. This should help you get comfortable spotting similar problems in your own work during the Final Exam.
If you do all of that, you should definitely be ready for the Final Exam.