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Oops, science is POWERFUL!
ENGL 390, 390H, and (sometimes) 398V Class Journal
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Week 13: themes and variations plus train schedules
Good morning.
I will talk about Friday's Eli Review task where I will post TWO DIFFERENT LINKS where you begin your
- Train Ride to Atlanta, planning to wrap up between the last day of class and the first weekend of finals
- Train Ride to Boulder, planning to wrap up after the first weekend and before/on the last day of finals.
Ok, craft lessons, re Theme and Variations!
BEGINNING with Definitions. You can consider bullets. These work well when the concepts are closely related. For example,
Let's review PCR types before we look at Guerro's modifications in her study:
- Polymer chain reaction (PCR) tests for....
- Quantitative PCR (qPRC)...
- Pyro sequencing ....
The treatment studies for Patel's rice productivity work examine subtle soil pH variability in spring crops typical of terraced fields in SE Asia. The soil categories, based on surveys of Thailand posted at the UN FAO (Food and Agriculture Organization) data base:
podulized categories 3-8
spodosoil category 6
hydropodosoils (two) designed for this experience but based on FAO emerging research linked here.
More complex definitions might need their own paragraphs. Consider defining what a highly conserved gene is and how that work helps scientists use animals for human disease. In my work with farmers and nitrogen scientists, i need to define Q method, which tests subjectivity rather than objectively. Farmers get this but scientists tend not to. I use this video definition all the time! OOPS YouTube failure. Will try later.
MIDDLE PARAGRAPHS with Variation in the fat portion of the document aka locating your analysis after one or more of the body paragraphs -- you might want to write a short paragraph in YOUR VOICE after the body paragraph. I call this the fat-pearl small gold bead necklace pattern.
ENDING--Wrapping up: What is YOUR MAIN MESSAGE here? What take-away do you want people to remember. Readers are cognitively awake as the document closes. This is a good cognitive condition to remember for you as a speaker/writer and as a listener/reader.
From Patel above and other rice studies: my main message is that nighttime temps under climate change pose kernal malformation problems for the world's most important grain.
Marybeth Shea
Happy Wednesday, which is in the lemon part of the week, right? Check in later today because I will post Friday's details AND A SCHEDULE FOR Atlanta Train v. Boulder Train. Let's consider the A Train first with this song by Billy Strayhorn and made famous by the Duke!
Two documents you have seen before that will will revist briefly:
- IMRAD + Stasis analysis (if you are still thinking more than drafting_
- Lemon and Pear flow chart, aka the Theme+Variations visual
New: text-based guidance/checklist (long Google doc but worthy!) But first, let's think about new language for our body points in the document middle. I give you
Marybeth Shea
See you as needed today in the open office hours/flipped classroom. Google Meet link here.
TONIGHT! Please post your current draft either in the
ATLANTA TRAIN Eli Review Writing Task OR the
BOULDER TRAIN Eli Review Writing Task
From here on out, we will have separate TRAINS to wrap up the semester, with modified prompts to reflect the different needs/schedule of wrapping up the class.
TRAIN ATLANTA
Friday, April 28 WRITING POST of current draft
Monday, May 1, REVIEW POST to your peer group
Friday, May 5, WRITING POST of current draft
Monday, May 8, REVIEW POST to your peer group
PARKING LOT FOR FINAL SUBMISSION OPENS FRIDAY MAY 12, try to submit by Monday the 15
TRAIN BOULDER
Friday, April 28 WRITING POST of current draft
Monday, May 1, REVIEW POST to your peer group
Friday, May 5, WRITING POST of current draft
Monday, May 8, REVIEW POST to your peer group
Friday, May 12 WRITING POST of current draft
Momday, May 15 REVIEW POST to your peer group
PARKING LOT FOR FINAL SUBMISSION OPENS FRIDAY MAY 19, try to submit by Monday the 22
See you as needed today in the open office hours/flipped classroom. Google Meet link here.
Here is another version of Take the A Train, which reveals that the song speaks of the NYC elevated train system with Harlem and jazz joints the destination. Go Miss Ella! She opens by scatting -- improvised nonsense syllables, sung to instrumental accompaniment -- a jazz vocal technique. Note, this is a nested definition example.
Now, enjoy Emmy Lou Harris's "Boulder to Birmingham," who is a roots musician.
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Week 12: taking stock of your close-read review NOW
What shape is your document now?
Documents have beginnings, middles, and ends. For this work, think LEMON-shaped or PEAR shaped.
Beginning: 1-3ish paragraphs that prepare the reader to understand and trust the center portion of your analysis (three or four body paragraphs). Use a cognitive wedge strategy aka "lemon nipple." Think:
- Opening (see the seven strategies -- you can combine them,
- Ethos of lead author (some sample language below),
- Definitions/descriptions or backgrounds, which is largely common knowledge. You can use
- bullet strategy
- consider an audience-friendly referral sentence or two (use your words; not a link, as we need to imagine this as a presentation setting and not a hyper linked document).
Middle: 3-4ish body paragraphs. Start with one paragraph per point BUT you may need to divide complex material into two shorter but connected (by transition) paragraph. These are your larger paragraphs. You MAY need to nest small definitions -- use the appositive technique -- near the material.
End: In the LEMON-shape, you taper off, with some useful information or thoughts for closing. For example, brief critique about stats (this is hard and will NOT count against your work grade-wise), applications, further line of inquiry, implications for society. In the PEAR-shape closure, you use several small paragraphs to describe implications of this research.
--
Friday's Eli Review task would be a place to:
Audition beginning elements like your
- 1+1 opening hook, aka two strategies of the seven opening moves
- ABT statement, which can be part of the first paragraph or stand alone as a transition to the body paragraphs
- What terms will you define and how (bullets can be an option) and
- might you use a punting referral link
- the first author ethos paragraph
List your three to five possible take aways and poll reader interest (fat middle portion of the fruit!)
Tentatively identify the stats note work
Identify the study type
Note the stats used
AND, borrow what the authors say about these tests against bias
Reveal your behind/end (I crack myself up) and tell the shape of your ending, with a possible take away
Application?
Next step
Controversy
Critique
ETHOS para detail: Citation/ethos/introduce your lead researcher: in class, we will talk about the conventions of citation in a close read of an article. Basically, the steps are:
- first mention, full name (in the ethos paragraph that also introduces the article).
- (author, date)
- last name throughout
- Example: Marybeth Shea is a professor of technical writing at the University of Maryland. She studies stasis theory in environmental policymaking. Her research article appears in the Journal of Conservation Biology and is the subject of this review (Shea, 2014). Then, in rest of document, refer to the work using the last name:
- Shea's approach...
- Her findings...
- What Shea's inference fails to account for...
- WILD CARD: what if you cannot find the author. TBD
- What supports the ethos is the underlying process of peer review publication. Can you examine the journal's ethos?
Finally, phrases that you can use throughout the document to propel your analysis to the end.
Before we look at Patel's work on food additives, let's review a few key definitions.
You can read more about polyphenols and oxidative stress at the open pages of the Nutrician Society of the US.
Let's turn now to Suarez's use of bioplastics in 3-D printing applications for oyster restoration. First, Suarez describes....
A second key take-away from Cummings' analysis of ankle joint morphology concerns wear and tear on patellar (kneecap) interior surfaces.
The first two points from Mozafari's cardiac perfusion study strongly support her conclusion concerning injectable medications administered in the field, while enroute by ambulance.
Most bioretention specialists will appreciate the specific findings about nitrogen uptake by hedgerows. This knowledge is important for farmers seeking mixed benefits from using plants as flexible "green tech": windbreaks, shade for energy conservation, screening from neighbors, and for sinking nitrogen into the soil, out of the airshed.
Marybeth Shea
Wonderful ABI statements to discuss from optional ELi Review work. Google doc round-up here.
Now, how about thoughts on wrapping up your article review, with patterns for your re-use and re-mix. Start with this section of the MU Academic Phrasebank.
These findings suggest that …
It can therefore be assumed that the … WHAT WOULD MbS SUGGEST HERE?
An implication of this finding is the possibility that …
One of the issues that emerges from these findings is …
Some of the issues emerging from this finding relate specifically to …
The results of this observational study suggest that X may help prevent …
This is an important issue for future research.Research questions that could be asked include …Several questions remain unanswered at present.Despite these promising results, questions remain.Additional research is needed to better understand the …A further study with more focus on X is therefore suggested.There is abundant room for further progress in determining …Future studies on the current topic are therefore recommended.Further work is needed to develop reliable analytical methods for …To develop a full picture of X, additional studies will be needed that …In future investigations, it might be possible to use a different X in which …Further studies, which take these variables into account, will need to be undertaken.
These paragraph types fit with the ending portion of your document:
- Stats note (not graded)
- Critical comment by you (plus a variation on this to be discussed)
- Final paragraph (s)
- Lemon document is more restrained with focus on the field and light commentary for world
- Pear document noted field implications and larger commentary for world
Marybeth Shea
Happy Friday. You have an Eli Review task due tonight. Be on time for each other! Your halo of grace is until about noon on Saturday. Then, I write a review task prompt based on what I see in your entries.
Let's review briefly sentence work. Here is another handout that can help us be deliberate about subject placement in sentences and paragraphs: The Red Ridinghood / Jonah + Whale Handout (Two-pages, Google document) is a way to think again about narrative patterns in writing, even science writing. Recall that ABT from South Park via Randy Olson is another narrative pattern. Narrative patterns are perhaps the most powerful way to achieve flow for your readers. Cognitive support to readers is a writer's ethical duty. Knock-on benefit for writers is that you will likely understand the concepts more deeply if you work in the weeds to grow a garden of knowledge for your readers.
WRITING ABOUT STATISTICS: Visit this web exhibit at OWL Purdue. Be sure to click into the sub-categories. Just reading about how to write this paragraph will help you think more clearly as you read your article. Pair the OWL exhibits with this "Reporting Findings" page at MU. Here are a few samples I offer to you as ways forward in this difficult thinking+writing task.
From the study overview chart labeled Fig.7, we can see that the greatest demand for local poultry production is the Metro DC area. i
From Shea's data displays, we can see that Treatment Plot !2a resulted in the lowest amount of ammonia …
This summary Table 14 reveals several ways for farmer practices that reduce ammonia. First, unlike the other tables, Table 14 is directed at farmer feeding strategies that...
From the regression analysis detail in Figure 9, we can see that spring and summer are the months that require additional ammonia controls to prevent...
DEFINITION WORK: This image to the right is a reminder to you that you can pay attention to your definition strategies. Note that you have two places to place them!
- As part of the three or four paragraph cognitive wedge and/or
- Localized -- think nested -- short definitions within your body paragraphs.
I have not spoken re localised or nested definitions yet. BUT the point is that you might place very small definitions within your body paragraphs to help the reader in the location of the fat part of the document.
Week 11 ABT work + Main Message & Supporting Messages
In science research articles, the primary stuff is the research results, with the author's claims about what the results mean.
Other framing aspects of the entire point of WHY READ THIS ARTICLE can be understood by two other document aspects:
- And, but, therefore pattern of narrative from Randy Olson
- Main message and supporting messages.
Let's look at a Google document overview with many environmental ABT statements in environmental science (link to Google Presentation set).
Little aside about fairy tales, some selected quotes from Goodreads-->
“Fairy tales are more than true: not because they tell us that dragons exist, but because they tell us that dragons can be beaten.”
― Coraline
“If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales. If you want them to be more intelligent, read them more fairy tales.”
―“When I was a little girl I used to read fairy tales. In fairy tales you meet Prince Charming and he's everything you ever wanted. In fairy tales the bad guy is very easy to spot. The bad guy is always wearing a black cape so you always know who he is. Then you grow up and you realize that Prince Charming is not as easy to find as you thought. You realize the bad guy is not wearing a black cape and he's not easy to spot; he's really funny, and he makes you laugh, and he has perfect hair.”
―
“If you ever find yourself in the wrong story, leave.”
― Goldilocks and the Three Dinosaurs
Why fairy tales? Because truthful. And, you can practice ABT thinking with fairy tales. Let' think about Andrew Revkin from the New York Times (he is in your reading grid).
Every story can be reduced to this single structure. I can tell you the story of a little girl living on a farm in Kansas AND her life is boring, BUT one day a tornado sweeps her away to the land of Oz, THEREFORE she must undertake a journey to find her way home.
Marybeth Shea
Wednesday. How is your grid work going? This table helps you read and pre-write at the same time. At the very least by now, you need to have formed ideas on-->
- Possible opening strategy or combination of the seven opening moves
- Working list of key terms to be defined early in your document
- List of three-five points you might include in the "fat" portion of the lemon shape (pear, too)
- ABT statement
- Hey, I just met you AND this is crazy. BUT here's my number. [Therefore] call me maybe.
Connecting to earlier lessons in semester-->
- The leaf ends of the lemon and the pear are a cognitive wedge shape (seriously!)
- Definitions are part of an audience-friendly document opening (stasis 2!)
- Stasis 3 of causal analysis is a frame for your three or four take-aways in the middle of the fruit shape
- Establishing trust for the reader (ethos) is accomplished by describing briefly the disciplinary and institutional expertise of the first author (like you did for Davis, Hocking or Moore in earlier assignments).
Let's gather some language helpers aka free sentences/phrases for you to use within the structure give-->
Before we look at Mazela's field study, let's review fives types of nitrogen speciation in soil water systems.
These brief, working definitions of speciation states set the stage for Mazela's work on ammonia fixation in water systems. I have selected four take-aways from this study. The first point concerns ammonia deposition rates in wet, winter conditions.
In addition to the field method described here, a second method innovation is worth our attention. Mazela combines quantitative PCR to identify fungal community assemblages, with speciation state re N availability.
--- New discipline
A third point useful for clinical trials concerns Patel's discussion of biomarkers.
Finally, immunologists will be particularly intrigued by the array of IGG markers seen in the control patient group. I recommend close reading of that section though most clinical providers will be more focused on the IGG markers that suggest specific autoimmune diseases.
What we are working with here are two craft decisions: metadiscourse and counting out.
More language helpers at the Manchester University Academic Phrasebank. I will post useful clips from this resource and additional guidance on critiquing your article directly, including the states/numerical analysis comment. If you want a preview, go to this section (discussion your article's findings).
Marybeth Shea
Reading like a writer. 
This is the main message of the reading grid I gave you. My supporting messages in support of this cognitive frame include:
- counting out helps you identify information worth sharing
- the quality and trustworthiness of this information is supported by
- the ethos of your first author*
- the rigor of the analysis -- including a stats/numerical analysis -- done by the researchers
your thought on what this research paper means for
- the discipline -- how should research go forward, given this knowledge refinement in the line of inquiry?
- the world -- applications? Uses? Remember that science and technology serves humanity whether we
- expand basic knowledge (like understanding black holes) or
- build a tool for human flourishing
How are your three points coming along? This little video song will help you remember the magic of three. This may help you remember how important counting out is to cognition and memory. The Wikipedia entry about this series is informative. Wow. She linked to Wikipedia. What kind of source is that?
*SAMPLE TEXT (MENTOR!) Kaspari earned a PhD in pharmacognition (1981) from the University of Illinois. She leads an interdisciplinary team at Wexler Institute of Plant Based Technology, which is part of the University of California at Berkeley Plant Science Department.
Are you behind? Here is a bouquet of files that we discussed earlier but can help you catch up cognitively and compositionally.
THINKING and READING as a Writer
- Stasis theory and the IMRAD article (MbS Google doc)
- Reading Grid (MbS Google doc with larger table for YOU)
- Flow chart for lemon+pear shape of YOUR article revew
COMPOSITION CRAFT (your work as a Writer)
- Seven opening + closing strategies
- ABT statements (Google doc with important links to examples)
Week 10: read and annotate your article
Good morning. You have your narrow focus article by now. Seriously, YOU MUST LOCK THIS CHOICE IN. 
You have seen this reading stratgies guide already. You should be in skim+early parse mode this week. To guide your parsing mode, copy this Google doc reading table support (aka the grid) and keep notes NOW. Why should you do this work? Here is a Scientific American open access piece with research on reading, notetaking, and enhanced understanding of science (Francie Diep, 2014).
Additional guidance on how to read like a scientist--> Let's look at this recent article in PloS One about writing scientific prose. In Science (open access blog section), two scientists talk about how they read articles. Ruben writes with a somewhat lighthearted approach while Pain responds to his piece with her approach. Read the comments.
Where are we going with this? Of course, we have a (official MbS-crafted) research review flow chart.
Marybeth Shea
Happy Wednesday. Regarding Friday, I would rather NOT have online office hours. I am planning to catch up on grading the coffee cup memo work that is coming in steadily now. Is also Good Friday for me, as well as Passover and ongoing Ramadan, with the Friday night gathering/meal planned by many.
I DO want to introduce a simple and power step toward the first paragraph in assignment 3: the HOOK paragraph. Here are seven types of beginnings (MbS Goodle doc), each with an example, from a fabulous online engineering/composition project now shuttered (CAIN project hosted at Rice University).
I am also reworking the final schedule towar assignment 3 progress and will offer details on Monday. Short version: you CHOOSE to either
- complete this assignment and all asociated peer editing/collaborative review work close to last day of class OR
- compete the assignment and all associated peer editing/collaborative review work close to the end of finals.
I call these the Train to Atlanta and the Train to Boulder options.
Now, a preview of next week and another item of your opening paragraphs. We will use Randy Olson And-But-Therefore pattern. Here is a 10 minute TedMed video with Olson descrbing this process of efficient and reader-friendly problem definition.
WELCOME BACK!
Let's open up with a wonderful speculative fiction writer who is an alum of College Park. N.K Jemison is a Mac Genius. Here is an interview with Judy Woodruff (PBS)-->
Friday, the parking lot for Coffee Cup memo opens. Take a week to post, as needed. Here is a resource for you of two takes on a checklist.
Next up, for April+May: your close review of ONE scientifice/technical article. Pick one THIS WEEK.
The central skill in this final assignment (no. 3) concerns the cognitive difference of description and analysis (short Google doc with linkes) and the related task of reflection/integration/synthesis. The craft element concerns what these intelectual moves look like in a document and how to lead the reader through this complex human endeavor.
Description/Analysis sample: Writing about history of thyroid medication as prelude->>
|
DESCRIPTION |
ANALYSIS |
|
Thyroid gland function Typical malfunction Diagnosis and medication Craft in document: Sources: use authoritative sources to document how large the problem is in terms of population; try to get figures from within the last five years. Use a trusted summary source about first diagnosis and treatments ( was cow and horse and pig thyroid glands, extracted and dried and placed into rough pills( Circa 1880 or so in US first and then Europe |
What are the levels based on (mostly on huge database of thyroid hormones from MALE ONLY subjects) Broader problem of male-only studies in biomedical science including Mice and rat models -->>Transition to integration/reflection
|
Marybeth Shea
Happy Wednesday. Today we keep talking about your article. Choose one, based on this overall criteria:
technical article from disciplinary experts that is a narrowly focused genre.
Whis a narrow focus genre in this context? The best and most common article type is an IRMAD article, (short GMU html exhibit) which means a research results artical that uses the Introduction->Methods/Materials->RESULTS->Analysis->Discusion format.
Other options include a clincial note, methods piece, and other narrowly focused piece (proof note in pure math or physics, for example).
Here is a long Google document exposition about how to think (cognitive reading strategy for you) about IMRAD articles that uses stasis theory. Read and savor this over the next few days.
Now, we will start on this Google presentation that disects the IMRAF format.
HOUSEKEEPING DETAILS: Today, I open up the Assignment 2 partking lot for submission. And, a few of you STILL NEED TO PARTICIAPTE IN PEER COLLABORATION. Please do that ASAP. 