MbShea@PWP@English@UMCP

Here is a first-draft structure for your memo:

Define rain garden briefly, focusing on form and function: (definition paragraph); No citation necessary, as this is common knowledge)

Categorize rain gardens as a kind of low impact development (categorizing paragraph); Citation useful here, use EPA or the Bioretention Manual)

Illustrating paragraph FOR MONDAY. Think of this as extended definition.....

Document the effectiveness of rain gardens (logos-proof paragraph with ethos of citation authority); Citation essential here, based on Allen Davis' work)

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A Gathering of Rain Gardens here.

This is our class journal -- the text -- for this class.

Please read the syllabus and syllabus rationale for Wednesday.  We will be begin an in-class writing assignment based on these two documents.

and style.  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.

Here is an exercise in sentence-to-sentence coherence.  Work your way through this web exhibit, including the links. Read more about working on paragraph coherence strategies at OWL.

For some fun, as we all head into the hell of May:" Elements"!

First, in Japanese.

Here is the writer of the original "Element"s song.

First, are you writing a thesis-driven document or a problem-solution document?

Within the first three paragraphs, you need to make clear to the reader what the docuent is about.

For thesis-driven documents, you need to think in terms of research question and hypothesis. Problem-soloution documents need to establish the problem, including quantifiers.  Recall what we did in both the coffee cup and rain garden memos?

as we wrap up this final project set of assignments.

1. How is your folder assembly going? You should have the checklist.
2. Be sure to look at the documents you have thus far for this class.  I suggest that you check once again for any errors or lapses. Repair them and SAVE IN A COMPUTER FOLDER CALLED "science writing samples." This way, you are fully prepared to answer a request for a writing sample.
3. How is your final document going?  What structure or order or arrangement are you using?

•  
  • Intro?
  • Conclusion?

Consider this brief exhibit on science writing and dangling modifiers. Now, this tutorial, on bias in language: Purdue's OWL take on APA guidelines. We spoke about impact and impacted, briefly.  Here is a summary of the history of this word's meaning and usage.  More on affect and effect from a biomedical editor. Grammar Girl's take on impact.

Ok, now some Friday science culture.  Did you know that you can dance your PhD thesis as a way to think about communicating quickly to lay audiences? Yes, you can:  2014 winners here.  B.C. and M.L. may want to include something like this in their document.

Other possible sources to consider:

• TED Talk
• personal, first person blog
• non profit or advocacy group
• authorative and trustworthy slide set (perhaps conference?; watch out for student presentations)
• conference proceedings or 
• video on YouTube or Vimeo
• JoVE

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Comic sans analysis

Comic sans conversions

And for fun, from Harvard Medical School (though UMD Medical School beats them over time in this parpody videos.)