Week 7: coffee cup recommendation

Start by looking at Friday's post last week. I gave you audio links to consider broadly two linked problems within the coffee cup question (stasis 1=conjecture).

This NEW memo content is more complex and wide-ranging.

CRAFT ELEMENT: Transitions BETWEEN PARAGRAPHS are a way to thread the cognition for our busy readers.
COGNITIVE FRAME: Your first memo focused on the definition stasis (second stasis, with the rhetorical move of elaborated definition), with a evaluation move at the end. Now, we focus more on evaluation work between the two cup choices -- paper or plastic --, which is the fourth stasis. And, the policy stasis (number 5) is really the overarching job of the memo.

Below is a visual that will help you see the memo movement, quickly and concisely, toward the end goal.

New CRAFT -->on paragraphs, here for early in your memo, in the definition/description move (STASIS 2) where we also need to address context. Skill?: Coherence in a paragraph (sample content but the paragraphs might not be complete for the purposes of your coffee cup paper):

"Meh" paragraph

Plastic and paper cups pose problems for recycling. Ceramic cups are very energy intensive to produce. Recycling seems environmentally-sound. Paper does not degrade deep within most landfills and the plastic coating is also difficult. Not all plastic can be recycled. You need to check the bottom of the container. Landfills are increasingly full. There is a huge "patch of garbage" in the Pacific Ocean. Supply chains of garbage recycling, especially plastic do not really work.

Note: can you see the compare/contrast move here, even in this meh or necessary draft version?

Better paragraph

Paper and plastic both pose disposal problems. First, not all plastic can be recycled. Check the bottom of the plastic container. "No. 1" and "No. 2" types can be recycled by most facilities. Second, paper does not degrade deep within most landfills because of low oxygen conditions. The plastic coating also interferes with decay. Landfills are increasingly full. There are several huge "patches of garbage" in the Pacific Ocean. Recent analysis suggest that China is a source of this garbage.

Note: do you see a place for a referral citation, using the Seattle news article posted earlier? Can you find a more general article that you can refer to, about the limits of recycling and landfilling? Recall that this information, now, at this level of detail is common knowledge, even if you do know this.

Even better paragraph

(reading preview: can you see the re-thinking of content as well as sentence-level revision)

Paper and plastic both pose disposal problems. First, not all plastic can be recycled. Check the bottom of the plastic container. "No. 1" and "No. 2" types can be recycled by most facilities. Second, paper does not degrade deep within most landfills because of low oxygen conditions. The plastic coating also interferes with decay. Landfills are increasingly full, with paper and plastic part of the waste stream. Not all plastic is recycled or landfilled. According to the Algalita Foundation, huge "patches" of garbage in the Pacific Ocean are further evidence of of the environmental harm posed by plastic.

Note: do you see another place for a referral citation? Should we build a new paragraph with this information?

This is your roadmap visual!

Update on Wednesday, March 8, 2023 at 06:44AM by

Marybeth Shea

Let's begin with a document resource from a few semesters ago. This is an OHitS/AMA type of resource. FIRST, you will see that I captured "free" sentences and paragraphs for you to use. The second part is a Q&A that will help you think through this complexity.

Do not forget that you post your approximately 60% arrangment+content Friday night on Eli Review

CRAFT FOCUS: Paragraphs! Sentences live in paragraphs. Please keep your sentence strategies in place and consider NOT using empty subjects. Remember the cognitive wedge? You can apply that thinking at the beginning of each paragraph (also, simutaneously balancing the topic sentence value with a sense of transition from the earlier paragraph).

Generally, short paragraphs are evidence that you, the writer, does the heavy lifting for the reader. Why? Please consider paragraphing as an ethical duty to your reader. At the very least, think about manners and consideration. The two handouts here about paragraphs you have seen before.

Paragraph architecture

Paragraph samples

(Those two handouts linked just above are MS Word short docs to help you review paragraph essentials.)

GENERAL CRAFT RESOURCE: Grammar/Punctuation/Conventions advice

Check out this set of links (on the navigation bar to right but linked for your ease). What skill are you weak on? Semi-colons v colons? Using that v. which? Take a lock.

Linked there are my short memes (I made them) on common points, so that you might be able to remember them better (COGNITIVE strategy: visual plus humor).

CRAFT LESSON ON the OXFORD COMMA

To my parents, Ayn Rand and God.

To my parents, J.K. Rowling and God.

To my parents, Stephen Colbert and Jon Stewart.

In a newspaper account of a documentary about Merle Haggard:

Among those interviewed were his two ex-wives, Kris Kristofferson and Robert Duvall.

These two preceding examples are from Theresa Hayden. Here is another doosie that cries out for a serial or Oxford comma.

Here is another doosie that cries out for a serial or Oxford comma, by TH and presented in Wikipedia>

The Times once published an unintentionally humorous description of a Peter Ustinov documentary, noting that

"highlights of his global tour include encounters with Nelson Mandela, an 800-year-old demigod and a dildo collector."

Now, to be clear, the serial comma does not always solve ambiguity problems (classic teaching example):

They went to Oregon with Betty, a maid and a cook –

They went to Oregon with Betty, who was a maid and a cook. (One person)
They went to Oregon with Betty, both a maid and a cook. (One person)
They went to Oregon with Betty, a maid and cook. (One person)
They went to Oregon with Betty (a maid) and a cook. (Two people)
They went to Oregon with Betty, a maid, and with a cook. (Two people)
They went to Oregon with Betty – a maid – and a cook. (Two people)
They went to Oregon with the maid Betty and a cook. (Two people)
They went to Oregon with a cook and Betty, a maid. (Two people)
They went to Oregon with Betty as well as a maid and a cook. (Three people)
They went to Oregon with Betty and a maid and a cook. (Three people)
They went to Oregon with Betty, one maid and a cook. (Three people)
They went to Oregon with a maid, a cook, and Betty. (Three people)

We can also look at the grocery list problem:

buying bread, jam, coffee, cream, juice, eggs, and bacon. VS

eating toast and jam, coffee and cream, juice, and bacon and eggs

Finally, we have a theme song to remember this punctuation convention.

And, this from S.C, one of my heroes.

http://www.cc.com/video-clips/fo5d9i/the-colbert-report-vampire-weekend

Update on Friday, March 10, 2023 at 07:43AM by

Marybeth Shea

Happy rainy (garden) Friday. Many of you are worried about tonight's post. PLEASE get in there however imperfect or incomplete your work is. Remember that you do not know what you know until you commit tenetiely to writing the ideas down.

Then, you can improve your work/ideas by the essential practice of giving and receiving feedback. Be on time for this and late if needed for me.

As per ususal, I am available 9-2 at same Google Meet link.

New paragraph help: Life Cycle Assessment (Analysis). Learn quickly what this environmental technique is. This EPA source is helpful and authoritative. Then, you craft a short definition paragraph that helps you pivot from the description work of the first part of the memo, to analysis. Here is a way to approach that (free ideas+text)-->

Shifting now toward analysis based on my [name climate change or the fate of ocean plastic] frame, we can use the environmental technique of life cycle assessment (LCA). The EPA defines LCA as.....

You can do a short direct quote OR you can paraphrase.

Having defined LCA, we can turn now to the peer reviewed work of [name either Moore or Hocking}...

THIS IS THE PIVOT TO YOUR EVAL Paragraph SUMMARIZING RESEARCH FINDINGS,

which is for next week.

Posted on Monday, March 6, 2023 at 07:22AM by

Marybeth Shea |

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