GUIDELINES
FOR WRITING THE SEMESTER PROJECT BOOK REVIEW
Dr. Andy Howard
BCPS ITP
Dr. Sharon Quiroz,
Director of Communication Across the Curriculum
Oct. 30 and Nov.1, 2001
The
semester project is due in draft form on Wednesday, November 29. The
revised version is due Saturday December 16. The review should be 1000
to 1500 words. The draft will be turned in online.
Follow
these guidelines because this is a lesson in how to design text (your
writing) to meet different purposes and audiences, and in how to make
sense of what you read.
NOTE:
Downloading a review from the Internet and turning it in as your own
work is stupid several times: First, it is dishonest. Second, it violates
the copyright laws, which are like the patent laws. Third, it deprives
you of the opportunity to learn how to design text (your writing) to
meet different purposes and audiences, and in how to make sense of what
you read. Downloaded papers, which are very easy to spot, will receive
no credit and you will not be permitted a second chance.
Writing
it:
- Give
your essay a title that is a clue to your primary claim. (Remember
the Science article.)
- In
the introduction, be sure to tell what the topic is, what book you
are reviewing , who wrote it and when they wrote it.
- Also
in the introduction, be sure to make it clear why this book is important.
What does it have to do with Professor Howard's class? What does it
have to do with other things that are happening? (Would you like a
career in genetic engineering after reading the Science article? Anybody
that you know of doing genomes these days???? Cloning? What about
the claim that biology will be the physics of the next century?)
- Tell
readers what you think about it. (Genetic engineering is doing something
new. Genetic engineering is dangerous. Genetic engineering of plant
life will save the world population. Genetic engineering of plant
life sounds good. I'm just worried aboutÖ.)
- In
the body of the essay, lay out a logical sequence of claims and evidence
in support of what you think. Let the reader know what that organization
is, and then stick to it. Use a conclusion.
- Be sure
that you give enough material to support your claim. Be even surer
that you are not just summarizing the book. You do need to tell us
what is there, but you need to tell us how that affects your claim.
This is YOUR essay, not the other author's.
- Make
sure that transitions between sentences and paragraphs guide the reader
to make the connections you are making. Think about whether you are
simply adding more of the same information (and, moreover), changing
directions (but, however), or hypothosizing (if...then, in that case...)
- By now
you probably know what kind of language problems you tend to have:
its vs. it's; there/their/they're, too many prepositions in a row
(up off of the couch). Without reading every sentence, look for these
trouble spots and fix them.
- Read
your paper aloud to your roommate before you turn it in. If you have
accidentally said something that makes you sound dumb, you can catch
it right away by reading it to someone. Or even better, have him/her
read it to you. When your roommate looks puzzled and stops reading,
you have a problem. Not your roomy. You.
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