For this Assignment, you will first want to read/listen to/watch/understand/absorb the material included in the Following ATTACHED WORD DOCUMENTS
[1] The Informative Aim Lecture
[2] Defining and Developing a Thesis
[3] THE ATTACK OF THE TURTLE, by Thomas Fleming from the companion book to the PBS Documentary Liberty! The American Revolution
[4] Links to Turtle Reenactor/AMC mini-series TURN opening credit graphics/scale model
[5] Joel Achenbach, “Saliva’s Saving Graces”
[6] Alison Gopnik “Reading and the Brain”
[7] ACC LRS (Learning Resource Services) Links to Tutorials/Information on Research Process & MLA Documentation
[8] Classification and Evaluation Models: UT Football Game Report Card/Review of Michael Bolton Concert by Don McCleese with YouTube links to versions of Otis Reding’s “(Sittin’on) the Dock of the Bay”
[9] Exemplary Research Travel Narratives, Part I PDF
[10] Exemplary Research Travel Narratives, Part II PDF
Some Questions to consider as you work through this material
[1] How do the examples of INFORMATIVE writing (Fleming, Achenbach and Gopnik) fulfill the characteristic of Keeping the reader’s interest in mind? In other words, how do they (a) tell you something you did not know before and/or (b) take an ordinary topic, and delve into it at a greater level of detail than you were aware of?
[2] As interesting as the New York Times story & video in [4] about the rebuilt, mock Turtle is, why is the short piece THE ATTACK OF THE TURTLE [3] a better ideal example of the aim, in terms of how many characteristics it has?
[3] Briefly review the Classification and Evaluation modes from Course Outline [Syllabus Item 3.2] Notice on the UT Report Card [Item 6.8] , you have an outline-type presentation of these modes, with the Letter Grade and Classification on the left, followed by the briefly written Evaluation on the right. How do these evaluations help provide context and deeper understanding? How do they help explain the numbers? How would the experience of reading about the game be different if all you had was the “raw data” without the explanations?
[4] In the Review of the Bolton Concert [also in Item 6.8] what are the five (5) classified categories that McLeese uses to evaluate Bolton? Hint: they each begin with the phrase “As a…” followed by an evaluative take-down. In paragraphs six and seven McLeese compares and contrasts the two versions of the song. After listening to them, what techniques does McCleese use to make his words convey the sounds and feelings evoked by each musician? Try reading these two paragraphs aloud. That will help make the contrast clearer.
Your Virtual Research paper Travel narrative will be a blend of both the EXPRESSIVE and INFORMATIVE Aims. It will be EXPRESSIVE, since you will write it in FIRST PERSON, using simple past tense, writing about your trip after you return. You’ll continue to practice NARRATION and DESCRIPTION as you get the SENSORY DETAILS into your account to convey the sense(s) of having BEEN THERE. You’ll use the INFORMATIVE AIM as you relay facts about your travel experience. Instead of merely listing them, you should make them seem like an organic part of the experience, ie. what you learn along the way from tour guides, cab drivers, hotel clerks, bartenders, fellow travelers, etc. “KEEP THE READER’S INTEREST IN MIND” by discovering out-of-the-way, little-known things to do in your state! Try going “off the beaten path” and try to stay away from the “tourist traps.” In doing this, you’ll avoid clichés! Finally, you should follow the format for WORKS CONSULTED that you will find at the end of the Exemplary Travel Narratives from previous students that are attached to this Item, except you will be proving URL//web addresses for on-line sources See Syllabus Item [6.7] for the latest MLA formats! You will NOT use internal notes.
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