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Oops, science is POWERFUL!
ENGL 390, 390H, and (sometimes) 398V Class Journal
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More sentences to use in the coffee cup memo
Sentences and paragraph-parts bank for the coffee cup memo:
Having described both our office problem and reviewed the way we use and dispose of hot beverage cups, let's turn now to life cycle analysis (LCA). LCA is.......The EPA provides this useful definition THREE OR FOUR SUMMARY SENTENCES THAT YOU PARAPHRASE.....then, (EPA, n.d.)
Hocking's work, though dated, is strong support for the styrofoam cup choice. We should, however, acknowledge that if you weight the fate of ocean plastic as more important than climate change, you would reach another recommendation. Oceanographer Charles Moore.......
Moore's work as a science advocate requires that we use his peer reviewed, co-authored work as a primary and trusted source. This ocean plastic problem is emerging in both understanding and seriousness......ADD SOURCE IF YOU WANT? Referral link?
Overall, I recommend paper cups for our office. I based my analysis on two criteria:
fate of ocean plastic as the primary environmental problem, and,
LCA to examine the existing peer-reviewed evidence. (climate change/energy efficiency)
Now, some humility sentences for closing up your recommendation (science is HUMBLE before truth) that address fairly the counter-argument, for the last part of the memo:
I want to acknowledge the reasonableness of the other recommendation.
Clearly, this recommendation is limited in several ways. First, we begin with the environmental problem in our analysis.
The problems of the fate of ocean plastic and climate change are incommensurate, or without common measure.
These two problems resist a direct and definitive comparison. In other words, you cannot declare which environmental problem is worse. Both problems pose serious sustainability problems for us.
Citation conventions for using Hocking and Moore work (formal, in-text parenthetical citations):
You will need to use signal phases as way to be professional, ethical, precise, and careful in your citation. Read this brief guide, noting carefully the table of words and phrases at the end. The signal phrase ANNOUNCES where your cited information begins. Then, you complete the announcement by placing the author, date--parenthetical cite. Example,
According to Hocking's 1994 analysis (INSERT, SAY FIVE SENTENCES). . . . . . THEN (Hocking, 1994)
RECALL this bottom line: When you place a cite in a paragraph, the location can be ambiguous in at least three ways:
- do you mean to cite on the information in THAT ONE SENTENCE?
- do you mean the cite to encompass or surround all the information that PRECEDES the citation?
- to the beginning of the paragraph?
- just select sentences?
- if you place the citation at end of paragraph, do you mean to cite
- ONLY THE LAST SENTENCE?
- the ENTIRE PARAGRAPH?
Marybeth Shea
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Arranging the information for coffee cup problem-solution memo
Lesson 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 (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?
==== (pivoting away from definition/desorption to causal analysis (STASIS 3); reveal your decision criteria!)
Life cycle analysis definition paragraph content items:
use a sourcing sentence (signal phrase) like
According to ........Life cycle analysis (LCA) assesses......
Life cycle analysis is the primary decision criteria used in this memo to evaluate our coffee cup choice.
Note that Martin Hocking's work uses LCA to assess the energy intensivity of paper, styrofoam, and ceramic cups.
Charles Moore's work on the fate of ocean plastic focuses on the disposal step of life cycle analysis.
(These last two sentences serve as transitions to the summary paragraphs where you focus on the science of Hocking OR the science of Moore, depending on your recommendation (STASIS 4->5 Value to Policy). This is the heart of your memo, the evaluation PARA that uses evidence for your claim on which cup is better, given your problem frame)
On the board, in class, we will work out a P1, P2, P3. . . series arrangement where P = Paragraph. Take a picture of this to guide your work.
Does this visualized arrangement of our thinking help? Here is a rough cut at how a flow chart would make the NODE paragraph choices clearer. What do you think? I saved this as a PNG file so this is scalable. You can download the image and look at this in an image viewer. I tried Popplet at the advice of JP Dickerson, in Computer Science.
UPDATE: Here is link to a google doc with a jpg of a whiteboard from last year, and an additional copy of this flow chart.
Coffee cup
Now, she wants a problem-solution memo about the type of coffee cup we use in our firm. 
Let's start by reading this article from Seattle: Coffee Cup Recycling Brims with Obstacles.
Jane wants a coffee cup policy for the office that is "green." OK, that is the content for your invention. Here is an arrangement (paragraphs):
POLITE OPENING, with your recommendation that previews your final policy paragraph
CONJECTURE PARAGRAPH
Problem description (our office situation, with quantifiers)
Environmental problems (energy efficiency ->climate change AND persistence of plastic in ocean -> food chain disruption)
YOUR WEIGHTED PROBLEM (revealing your pre-analytical frame or bias)
DEFINITION-->CAUSE/EFFECT information
Coffee cup types (how many? Can we do this in one paragraph or do we need one per coffee cup type? Use counting technique of two or three)
Decision criteria (HINT: Life cycle analysis, and define this; use an EPA source) HERE, this definition helps us move to the VALUE paragraphs
CAUSE/EFFECT continued (system) -->VALUE (Harm or benefit)
Martin Hocking's work on life cycle analysis of paper v. Styrofoam
Charles Moore's work on size of ocean garbage patches
POLICY/ RECOMMENDATION
Science/Research support (remind about evidence discussed above in VALUING PARAGRAPHS)
Qualification (concede reasonableness of the other position)
Concrete examples (2)
Sentences that can help you as topic sentences or transitions sentences between paragraphs
Any analysis of coffee cup choice requires use of life cycle analysis.
Life cycle analysis -- also known as cradle-to-grave -- helps capture the entire environmental effect from origin and inputs through use and, importantly, to disposal.
In my analysis, I weight [name environmental problem] more heavily than [the other problem].
Life cycle analysis can help us understand this difficult question about coffee cup sustainability
We have two choices in coffee cups: paper or plastic (Styrofoam).
Martin Hocking conducted the first -- and to date only -- peer-reviewed analysis of the energy embodied in coffee cup choices.
Charles Moore is among the first to alert us to the huge problem of persistent ocean plastic.
....more on Monday.
Writing a concise definition memo
Many memos are really short definition/description memos. What is hard for many scientist is the limiting of information for Audience, Context, Purpose.
Using definition theory from classical rhetoric helps. Definition is one of the cognitive frames of stasis theory. This link takes you to a conceptual diagram about how environmental scientists use stasis theory to
- assemble the known science for stakeholders and
- write an expert, advisory document for decisionmaking.
The structure and type of paragraphs you will write follow Aristotle's stasis theory (very much a system of analysis and action, like your scientific method steps): Here we focus on unpacking definition. Recall the cognitive wedge and the given-new construct? Today we add a secondary structure to appear in all the paragraphs as a binding or cohesion element: form of the rain garden and the function of the rain garden.
Our first stasis is the conjecture or question lurking in the context: what is a rain garden.
- Para 1: Definition (what is a rain garden, briefly, by two functions)
- Para 2: Classification (what type of technology is this? Hint: low impact development and storm water management)
- Para 3: Description (Illustrative; give detail on the layers of soil and the type of plants)
- include two examples; consider the ones on campus (we will curate links)
- Para 4: Evaluation (is this good or bad? Use Dr. Davis' research as you do not have authority to evaluate based on your expertise)
I would think you need about one source per these paras: classifying, illustrating, evaluating. Use (author, date) citation from APA guidelines. Include a works cited page also.
Audience scenario for this memo: Here is Jane, our boss. She asked for the memo at the end of our last staff meeting.
irst up! What is a memo?
By the way, the OWL website at Purdue is a fabulous resource for writing. Memos also have a standard format: See the image to the left. Also, look at the email heading in your software. This electronic message is based on the memo format. Bonus question: what is the difference, traditionally, between a memo and a letter.
Topic Sentences: A list of qualities for you to strive for
- Usually a short direct sentence (think announcement)
- Signals the topic in the paragraph (think preview)
- Hooks the reader by 1) raising a question or 2) provoking thought
- Can be placed anywhere, but early on in the paragraph is the best default strategy for most professional documents; in other words, at the beginning of the paragraph
- Contains an element of transition from the previous paragraph
Note: topic sentences can be implied in tightly coherent prose (for now, leave this subtle technique to the professionals!)
Let's look at examples of topic sentences useful in the rain garden memo:
Rain gardens, or bioretention ponds, are a kind of low impact development. Low impact development....
Rain gardens have two components: layers of percolation material and carefully chosen plants.
Rain gardens protect the local environment by absorbing water run-off from impervious surfaces and by sequestering pollutants.
Dr. Allen Davis studies rain garden effectiveness. Davis, a civil engineering professor, has been studying bioretention for more than twenty years.
Let's also think about sentences generally. General advice to you? Write shorter sentences than those you are familiar with in literature and many of your textbooks.
Now, let's think about sentences:
And, on to paragraphs:
Paragraph Definition: think Architectures
Dates: PEER REVIEW ON MONDAY. DUE FOR A GRADE ON WEDNESDAY, February 14. Happy Valentine's day to us.
Marybeth Shea
Here is a checklist link for the rain garden memo.
Here are some phrases you can use to build the ethos of your sources:
Larry Coffman, inventor of rain gardens, largely wrote the Bioretention Manual....
Widely considered the "bible" of bioretention, the PGC Biorentention Manual....
Allen Davis first pioneered evaluation of rain garden function with Larry Coffman....
(Pink portion of the checklist; students are often confused about this. We are building confidence and trust for the reader in the sources we cite at the end.)
(Purple portion? We will talk about on Wednesday and Friday; in other words, you are not responsible for this task, yet.)
Marybeth Shea
For our discussion today, some items to learn.
Redraft two paragraphs, as we discuss in class (will write on board).
Bring your 90% revised document to class on Monday. We will print out.
Class sourced guide on visual genres
will be built here in a google doc table.
For Monday, cruise around the internet to have a working definition of what a rain garden is. By the way, that link is to a ScoopIt web exhibit built by former ENGL 390 students. Here are some search terms:
- rain garden
- low impact development
- bioretention
Spend about ten minutes of your time on this. See what the Wikipedia entries look like. If you would like additional ways to focus your search time, look at rain garden topics limited to the Mid Atlantic, Maryland, and even Prince George's County.