Week 16 Goals

• Revise & submit final research project
• Reflect on the course as a whole in a medium of choice

Week 16 Activities:

1. Submit: Revised Annotated Bibliography (Final)
2. Submit: Final Course Reflection

16.0 Intro

Well, after a challenging semester of world-shaking events, the end to this class has arrived. Your final task for the course involved two things:

1. submitting your final, revised Annotated Bibliography based on the feedback you’ve been given and 
2. submitting a final course reflection in a medium of your choice (see instructions below)

16.1 Submit: Revised Annotated Bibliography (Final)

Revise your annotated bibliography in light of the feedback you’ve been given. At the top, before your alphabetical list of sources, be sure to include:

• The current evolution of your research question, which should be more of an analytical question, rather than a factual question. If the answer to your question is a list, you should challenge yourself to refine the question in the direction of analysis and judgment, in light of your sources. If you’re still unsure how to do this, revisit “From Topics to Questions” or “Developing Strong Research Questions”.
• A one-sentence thesis statement that reflect an answer to your research question. This thesis statement should develop as a result of your research and the analysis of your sources. If you need it, you might revisit the handout on “Strong Theses”.

Other reminders: proofread, check citations, double-check your annotated bibliography looks like the format of this one: Sample MLA Bibliography

When you’ve proofread, submit the final version of your Annotated Bibliography as a Word .doc/.docx through Dropbox here: https://www.dropbox.com/request/z1M49HQjRirfBFCGEmVV

16.2 Submit: Final Course Reflection

One final task: a reflection on the course as a whole.

I invite you to reflect on the course questions below in whatever medium you’d like to. This could be any one of the following:

• a short video of yourself recorded on your phone (I’d prefer you do this! It doesn’t have to be perfect!)
• a blog post on the course site
• an audio file of yourself speaking
• an email to me
• a Word Doc

Or anything else creative you’d like. I’d love to see a bunch of videos of your faces thinking in real time, but if you don’t feel comfortable with that, feel free to do it one of the other ways.

Here are the questions I’d like you to answer, in whatever way you’d like:

• What are the three most important ideas or concepts about writing, language, and/or the research process that you learned from the course?
• How might you apply one of them to some aspect of your life outside of the class—whether in another course or in your everyday life?
• If you had to take this course again, what’s one thing you would suggest I change? (Besides the obvious catastrophe of global pandemic—out of my control!)
• What information about climate change / the environment / the Anthropocene that you encountered in the course has stuck with you? Why?

I only ask that you put some real effort into thinking through these questions and answering them—not just for me but for yourselves. I’m really, excited to see what you come up with!

When you’re done, submit it whatever way makes most sense. You’re welcome to submit it via this special Dropbox link here: https://www.dropbox.com/request/nM4SmY07RvNRaTpZ1xY5

Or you can email it to me or post on the course blog.

16.3 Thank You!

Congratulations on finishing a very challenging semester. It’s been a pleasure working with y’all, and I hope you can take some time after the end of this semester to relax and take a break.

To end on an inspirational note, I invite you to listen to James Baldwin’s speech on the power of language and words: “The Artist’s Struggle for Integrity”

Thank you, and take care!

Week 15.2 Goals

• Receive feedback from the instructor on your research process
• Set goals for completing and revising the final research project

Week 15.2 Activities:

1. Schedule an Individual Conference Meeting
2. Attend the Individual Conference Meeting

15.2.1 Schedule an Individual Conference Meeting

If you have not already done so, please schedule an individual conference meeting with me by clicking on this link. When you’ve done so, I’ll send you a Google Meet invitation for that time. Be sure to write down your conference time.

To prepare for your conference, please create/articulate at least three goals for revising/researching in the next week. We’ll go over these in our meeting.

15.2.2 Attend the Individual Conference Meeting

Attend the video meeting with me at the time you signed up for. Don’t forget to come in ready to tell me your goals for the next week!

Week 15.1 Goals

• Give and receive critical feedback on the research process so far
• Reflect on the feedback received
• Set goals for final course completion

Week 15.1 Activities:

1. Show & Tell Post: Kishan
2. Watch: Intro video
3. Read & Critique: your partner’s Annotated Bibliography draft
4. Summarize: your feedback in an email to your partner & cc: me
5. Reflect: on your feedback and goals in a separate email to me
6. Attend: class meeting

15.1.1 Show & Tell Post: Kishan

This session’s show & tell post is from KISHAN, on forest fires! Head over and give it a read/listen, and leave a comment if you feel so inclined.

15.1.2 Watch: Intro Video (3 min)

15.1.3 Read & Critique: your partner’s Annotated Bibliography draft

Read your partner’s bibliography and offer specific, critical feedback that will help them revise their research. (I recommend you use track changes [Microsoft Word] or the Suggesting/Comments feature [Google Docs] to highlight specific sections, make comments, and/or give suggestions. Use the questions on this handout to guide you.

15.1.4 Summarize: your feedback in an email to your partner & cc: me

When you’re done, write a formal email to your partner that summarizes your main points of feedback (both positive and negative!). Include at least three examples of something working well and at least three constructive criticisms.

Make sure to cc: me on the email ([email protected]), so I receive it too. Be sure to attach your partner’s bibliography with your track changes/feedback, just like I do when I return your essays.

15.1.5 Reflect: on your feedback and goals in a separate email to me

Write a separate email just to me in which you reflect on your partner’s feedback to you.

• What were the most helpful things to hear?
• Did your perception of anything in your bibliography shift from listening to feedback?
• What kind of revising and/or further research do you hope to accomplish in the next week before the final submission on Wednesday, May 20th.

15.1.6 NO VIRTUAL MEETING TONIGHT

In light of the fact that we have individual conferences this week—and to make the best use of your and my time—we won’t meet for a group call tonight. But please do make sure to sign up for a conference slot so we can talk about your research.

Week 14.2 Goals

• Create a draft of an annotated bibliography
• Reflect on the research process so far

Week 14.2 Activities:

1. Show & Tell Post: Raj
2. Submit: Annotated Bibliography (Draft)
3. Write: Post 3.5: Draft Reflection

Recording of Group Video Call from May 4th (Class 14.1)

If you weren’t able to attend the group call on May 4th, I recorded it, and you can view it below:

14.2.1 Show & Tell Post: RAJ

This session’s show & tell post is from RAJ, with a video that explores the connections between global warming and the increasing likelihood of pandemics. Thanks, Raj! 

14.2.2 Submit: Annotated Bibliography (Draft)

Complete a working draft of your Annotated Bibliography.

AT THE TOP of the Annotated Bibliography, clearly list your:

• RESEARCH QUESTION, and
• WORKING THESIS

followed by your annotated bibliography, with the sources listed in alphabetical order by the last name of the author.

When you’re done, submit the working draft of your Annotated Bibliography via Dropbox by clicking on this link.

BEFORE YOU SUBMIT, make sure you’re meeting the assignment requirements by re-reading the prompt: Assignment 3: Annotated Bibliography

Once you submit, I’ll give you feedback as soon as I can. You’ll also have a peer review workshop next week with a partner.

14.2.3 Write: Post 3.5: Draft Reflection

Take 15 minutes and reflect on the process of creating and submitting this draft.

Please answer the following questions:

• How has your research question/topic shifted over the past few weeks? What made it shift?
• What’s the most useful source you’ve found? Why is it so useful?
• What work do you have left? What more research do you want to engage in? What do you need to tackle in your research process in order to address your question? 

When you’re done, tag the category as “Post 3.5” and hit “Publish.”

Week 14.1 Goals

• Remember the qualities of a strong thesis
• Discover a new source for your annotated bibliography
• Recognize how you can use short sentences to formulate strong arguments
• Summarize the main argument(s) in the new source
• Compose a draft of both your research question and your working thesis

Week 14.1 Keyterms:

• thesis
• summary
• annotation

Week 14.1 Activities:

1. Show & Tell Post: Pupel
2. Watch: Intro video
3. Research: Find another source relevant to your research project
4. Read: “Arguments with Simple Sentences”
5. Write: Blog Post 3.4: Research Process 3
6. Attend: Class Group Call via Google Hangouts

14.1.1 Show & Tell Post: Pupel

This session’s show & tell post is from PUPEL. You can view Pupel’s post here. Thanks for sharing!

14.1.2 Watch: Intro Video (6m)

Watch this brief intro video, which will summarize what we hope to do in this session and review the qualities of strong thesis.

14.1.3 Research: Find another source relevant to your research project

Keep researching! Find at least one more source relevant to you research question, whether scholarly or non-scholarly. Challenge yourself to find yet another kind of source, another perspective from which to approach your question.

Remember: as you find sources that interest you or feel relevant, revisit your driving research question and revise it. Your question should shift and change a lot through your research process.

To remind you again: at this point, stop looking for facts. Look instead for arguments, theories, and ideas, because these will help you build your argument and join a scholarly conversation.

14.1.4 Read: “Arguments With Simple Sentences”

Your engagement with Verlyn Klinkenborg’s book Several Short Sentences About Writing was truly inspired. Now, we want to think about incorporating some of those suggestions into our writing.

Recall that Klinkenborg never claims that short sentences are always better. The point is not to stop writing long, complicated sentences. The point is to focus on how you write sentences by limiting their length momentarily. In this way, you can control what you’re saying. This slows down the writing considerably. Later, as you turn toward your final project or to essays due in other classes, you should feel free to use longer, more complex sentences again.

In order to think about this, read this handout: “Arguments with Simple Sentences”

TRUE STORY FROM MY OWN WRITING LIFE: As you might know, I’m in the process of finishing up my first book, which is about 300-pages / 110,000 words. It’s taken me five years, and, around 2018, I lost count of the number of drafts. Some days, it takes me an hour to get one sentence right. (Really!) I share this with you not to intimidate you but to encourage you to think of good writing not as fast and efficient but as s l o w. If you slow down your process now, you will build necessary skills while improving clarity and strengthening original thought that will allow you to speed up later without losing any of the quality.

Don’t worry. You’ll be able to speed up and use long, complex sentences again. But for now, focus on short, slow sentences.

14.1.5 Write: Post 3.4: Research Process 3

Write another post about your process so far. Unlike the previous posts, I want you to use all that you’ve read and studies about research questions, strong theses, summary, and the clarity of short sentences to list the following:

• RESEARCH QUESTION: this should be revised, the most specific and clear version of your research question so far.
• ANNOTATION OF NEW SOURCE: apply your understanding of the clarity of short sentences from Verlyn Klinkenborg and the handout “Arguments with Simple Sentences” in order to draft an annotation of this new source. Remember, an annotation should have: 1) summary of the source’s main argument(s) 2) evaluation of the source and 3) reflection on how you’re going to use it in your research project. If you need to be reminded of how to construct an annotation, revisit “What is an Annotated Bibliography?”.
• WORKING THESIS: now that you’ve done some research, develop a one-sentence thesis that attempts to include all the qualities of “Strong Theses”.
  (Note: if you’re still struggling with how to revise a thesis, check out these helpful pages from Rules for Writers: “Draft and revise a thesis statement”)
• ANYTHING ELSE about your process that you want to dump. What are you struggling with? How has your idea shifted? What do you feel strongly about?

When you’re done, tag the Category as “Post 3.4” and click “Publish.”

14.1.6 Attend: Virtual Class Meeting @ 7pm

We’ll meet for a short time at 7pm to talk briefly about the start of your research process.

In preparation, write down some thoughts on the following:

• What are several different ways we can use sources?
• What has your research process been like so far? I’d love if some of you could share your journey up to this point.
• I want to revisit the question: what grants a source authority? Also, what information do we trust, and why? 

Week 13.2 Goals

• Consider what gives certain sources authority
• Distinguish between scholarly and popular sources
• Learn the critical questions to ask of a non-scholarly source
• Continue practicing research through the library’s databases and the internet

Week 13.2 Keyterms:

• authority
• non-scholarly / popular sources

Week 13.2 Activities:

1. Watch: Virtual Class Meeting (if you did not attend)
2. Show & Tell Post: Victoria
3. Review: Scholarly vs. Popular Sources
4. Research: Find another relevant source
5. Write: Post 3.3: Research Process 2

13.2.1 Watch: Virtual Class Meeting

If you weren’t able to join us for the collective video chat on Monday, please watch the recording here.

13.2.2 Show & Tell Post: Victoria

This session’s show & tell post is from VICTORIA here—a thoughtful inquiry into both the beauty and impact of resorts vacations! Thanks for sharing this, Victoria! Head over, read, and leave a comment.

13.2.3 Review: Scholarly vs. Popular Sources

Remember that scholarly sources are peer-reviewed. If they’re articles, they’re published in academic journals. If they’re books, they’re published by academic presses. Scholarly sources almost always have an end bibliography/works cited/list of references.

Helpful tip!: if you find one good, relevant scholarly source, try looking at the works cited at the end—and use that to find more sources.

A popular source, then, is non-scholarly. Does that mean it’s not authoritative? Not necessarily. Newspapers and magazines are popular sources. Not all newspapers and magazines are authoritative on certain subjects, however.

If you’re having trouble distinguishing between scholarly and popular sources, here’s a handout that compares the two: “Popular vs. Scholarly”

So what makes a source authoritative? Just because a national news source published it, doesn’t mean it’s authoritative. From where do texts derive their authority? What makes something authoritative?

This is an open question. I’ll let you think about it in your blog post.

13.2.4 Research: Find another relevant source

Keep researching and find another source relevant to you research question. Challenge yourself to find a different kind of source, not just a popular source but one that you might use in a totally different way—perhaps a source you’d argue against or from a different discipline.

Remember: you’re not just looking for facts. You’re looking for arguments, theories, and ideas, because you’re building an argument.

13.2.5 Write: Post 3.3: Research Process 2

Write another post about your process so far. Include the following:

• thoughts on at least one new source (it can be non-scholarly). What is the source’s question? What is it responding to? What theories or ideas could you use?
• thoughts on what makes a source authoritative—particularly popular sources. What kinds of questions should you ask a source? What makes a source authoritative?
• any other relevant updates on your progress.

You might also begin drafting the short annotations for your Annotated Bibliography. A reminder of what those are here.

Week 13.1 Goals

• Understand what a scholarly source is and why we look for them
• Practice using the library’s databases
• Identify a source’s research question as a way of understanding the text

Week 13.1 Keyterms:

• keyword(s)
• database
• scholarly source

Week 13.1 Activities:

1. Show & Tell Post: Zabia
2. Watch: Intro Video on Scholarly Sources 
3. Research: scholarly source through the library’s databases
4. Write: Post 3.2: Research Process 1
5. Attend: class Zoom meeting

13.1.1 Show & Tell Post: Zabia

This session’s show & tell post is from ZABIA here. Zabia has shared with us thoughts from the 2013 documentary Blackfish. Some particularly helpful qualities of this post are:

• Zabia gives us a brief, critical summary of the documentary, in addition to the video trailer
• Zabia poses three analytical questions about the rhetorical strategies in the doc and links them to our topic of the Anthropocene/climate change. In other words, the post focuses not just on the content (abuse of animals) but on the form within which that content is presented (an emotional, dramatic doc) in order to ask questions around how climate change is or is not communicated in a similar way.

Thank you for serving as such a great model of critical analysis and presentation, Zabia!

13.1.2 Watch: Intro Video on Scholarly Sources

13.1.3 Research: Scholarly Source through the Library’s Databases

And we’re off! Once you have a topic and specific research question that you feel excited by and confident about, start researching! Don’t worry if it feels overwhelming at first. Go for specificity. The smaller your question, and the more specific, the more manageable your research.

Your goal is to find at least one scholarly source that looks relevant to your project using the library’s databases. Part of your tuition goes to fund these resources—so use them!

Be sure to save it to your computer somehow. Keep your research organized!

13.1.4 Write: Post 3.2: Research Process 1

Write about your assignment 3 research process so far.

Write and write and write. And write. Don’t worry about perfection. Just transfer the thoughts that are happening in your head to the page/screen. This might seem hard at first, but IT GETS EASIER. It only gets easier, however, if you practice it.

Some advice:

• Don’t focus on how you’re feeling. This shouldn’t be a diary entry. Instead, it should be a record of your thought process.
• Include thoughts on at least one scholarly source that you’ve found. Use this post as a way to draft your annotation. What’s the source? (You might include the citation). What is the source’s research question? (Not your research question but the source’s!) What is the main argument? What is it responding to? What theories or ideas could you extract use? (Hint: these will probably be in the middle or the end of the essay, not in the beginning.)
• Include any other relevant updates on your progress including (but not limited to): how your research question has shifted/changed/developed, further questions you have, what kind of sources you might look for next, observations or thoughts about your topic, etc.

Have fun with this. Make it your own, and use this time/space to really think about a question that interests you.

When you’re done, publish your thoughts as Blog Post 3.2 (don’t forget to tag “Post 3.2” in the Categories box!).

13.1.5 Attend: Virtual Call Meeting @ 7pm

We’ll meet for a short time at 7pm to talk briefly about the start of your research process. In preparation, write down some thoughts on the following:

• • What is a scholarly source? Why do we care? 
  • How should we begin the research process?
  • What are some useful general databases to begin with?
  • When we find a scholarly source that we think might be relevant to our project, what questions should we ask?

Week 12.2 Goals

• Understand the importance in developing a research question
• Understand how to move from topic to question to keywords
• Consider what makes a strong research question
• Begin to brainstorm research topics and analytical questions

Week 12.2 Keyterms:

• keywords
• research question
• brainstorm

Week 12.2 Activities:

1. Watch: Virtual Class Meeting (if you did not attend)
2. Review: Library Research Orientation & Resources
3. Read: “Developing Strong Research Questions”
4. Write: Post 3.1
   • Write a brainstorm post: give me at least 500 words in which you write, write, write in order to think out loud about what you want to write about and why. 
5.  Optional Read: Booth reading

12.2.0 Intro Vid

12.2.1 Watch: Virtual Class Meeting

If you weren’t able to join us for the collective video chat on Monday, please watch the recording here. 

Heads up: I was only able to record part of our meeting. My deepest apologies. What’s not on here is:

• Going over the assignment prompt
• Going over the MLA Annotated Bibliography
• Talking about how academic research is different and what makes a successful research project. Some things we said:
  • Specificity and depth of answering the research question
  • Authority of sources used
  • Creativity
  • Arriving at an idea that says something beyond your sources
• We ended on an open question: what gives a source authority?

12.2.2 Review: Library Research Orientation & Resources

Remember that library orientation we had a few weeks ago? Yeah, me neither!

Luckily, the Queens College library has put together a series of videos that will help you review the most important skills you need to know in order to start your academic research.

Spend considerable time watching these videos, scrolling past the videos and reading the text, and clicking on each of the five tabs at the top. The five tabs are: Getting Started, Generating Keyterms, Finding Books in OneSearch, Finding Articles in Library Databases, and Wrapping Up. Please make sure you review by reading each of those pages. That should take some time.

Here’s the library orientation review: https://qc-cuny.libguides.com/c.php?g=955810&p=6897913

12.3.3 Read: “Developing a Strong Research Question”

It all starts with a research question! Your thesis will be only as good as the question that answers it. Significant time spent brainstorming, revising, and narrowing down a research question will save you hours and hours and hours of work—not to mention stress.

Go for: narrowness, specificity, complexity, and feasibility. Does your question require substantial, theoretical research, or does it lead to a simple, factual answer? Can you actually find evidence and arguments to explore the question thoroughly? The most commons mistake here is asking a question that’s too broad and general. Often, students ask questions that require WHOLE BOOKS to answer. Be careful! The smaller and more specific the question, the better. You want to be able to actually answer it with your set of sources.

If you’re stuck and don’t know what topic to start with, you might check out this list of environmental justice organizations in New York. (This works particularly well if you’ve chosen the first of the two prompts.) Why look at environmental justice organization websites? Because they’re usually focused on specific campaigns that address local environmental problems. So if WE ACT is focused on asthma in children in Harlem due to pollution from diesel trucks AND you’re also interested in that, it might be a good place to start.

In order to learn more about developing a research question, read this handout: “Developing Strong Research Questions”

If you want to read more about how to develop strong research questions, skip to the optional reading in 12.2.6: “From Topics to Questions.”

12.2.4 Write: Post 3.1

Now that you understand how to begin with a question, it’s time to brainstorm. Do this however you’d like, but I want to see evidence of an engaged, sustained brainstorm.

Write a brainstorm blog post: give me at least 500 words (but challenge yourself to go for much more!) in which you write, write, write in order to think out loud about what you want to write about and why. Which of the two options interests you most? What do you think you want to write about? What driving research question could provide an annotated bibliography that would be both interesting to you and meet the goals of the assignment. Feel free to include images or anything at all. MESSINESS IS WELCOME AT THIS STAGE. Think out loud!

When you’re done, tag the Category of the post as “Post 3.1” and PUBLISH.

12.2.5 OPTIONAL Read: “From Topics to Questions”

If you’re stuck on how to move from a general topic to a specific research question, there’s no better source than Booth, Colomb, and Williams’s The Craft of Research. Check out this chapter on moving “From Topics to Questions”. I find it super helpful!

Class 12.1 Goals

• Understand the goals of the Final Research Assignment
• Learn what an annotated bibliography is
• Consider why and how we research
• Understand what makes a successful research project

Class 12.1 Keyterms

• research
• annotated bibliography

Class 12.1 Activities

Watch: Intro Video

1. Show & Tell Post: Jenny
2. Read: Assignment 3 Prompt
3. Read: “What Is An Annotated Bibliography?”
4. Watch & Respond: Majora Carter’s TED Talk (18m)
   • What kind of research do you think Carter had to go through in order to achieve these successful projects
5. Attend: Class Zoom Meeting @ 7pm
   • Zoom link: https://zoom.us/j/99276265639?pwd=R2luTEV4TTFqSDZidll0VFNvdUJldz09
   • Meeting ID: 992 7626 5639
     Password: 031104

12.1.0 Intro Video

Watch this short introductory video:

12.1.1 Show & Tell Post: Jenny

This session’s show & tell post is from JENNY on a deforestation video. (Thanks, Jenny!) You can access the post here. I’m also particularly interested in thoughts around the form of the video. We talk a lot about the content of the things we bring in, but I challenge you to analyze the form of the video. How does it communicate? Why might it communicate in that specific way? What’s implied that might not be explicitly shown/stated?

12.1.2 Read: Assignment 3 Prompt

Read the third major assignment prompt slowly and carefully. Then, re-read it! Note any questions you might have and ask me during the group video meeting @ 7pm on 4/20.

12.1.3 Read Handout: “What Is an Annotated Bibliography?”

Okay—so what’s an annotated bibliography? It sounds scary! 

Good question. And I hope it’s NOT scary. (Or at least not as scary as a full research paper.) But you WILL need to learn what it is and how to construct it. Don’t worry. I’ve divided the research assignment into small, manageable parts that are due a little bit each class period.

Start by reading this brief handout: “What is an Annotated Bibliography?”

Then, take a look at this sample bibliography: Sample MLA Bibliography.

You can use the sample bibliography as a template. In terms of style/formatting, your Annotated Bibliography should look exactly like this, although your annotations will be longer, and there will be more of them. Read the sample to better understand what you’ll create.

OPTIONAL: If you’re still not sure what an Annotated Bibliography is, take a look at the following resources listed below. (I’ll also list these on the “Resources” page.)

• Queens College Library: Annotated Bibliographies
• John Jay College: What is an Annotated Bibliography?
• Purdue OWL: Annotated Bibliography
• Cornell University: How to Prepare an Annotated Bibliography

12.1.4 Watch & Respond: Majora Carter’s TED Talk

As we turn toward thinking about research and solutions to environmental problems, I thought I’d end this class session on an uplifting note. Watch this TED Talk by Majora Carter, an organizer in the South Bronx, talk about her work toward environmental solutions. (Note: there’s a transcript posted on the site that you can follow along with.) As you watch, keep thinking about research. Consider the following:

• What kind of research do you think Carter had to go through in order to achieve these successful projects? What kinds of questions do you think drove her projects?

When you’re done, post your thoughts and response to the above question on the class discussion board.

12.1.5 Attend: Class Zoom Meeting @ 7pm

We’ll meet for a short time at 7pm to talk briefly about the third major assignment and the work ahead. In preparation, write down some thoughts on the following:

• • What is research? 
  • How do we engage in research in our everyday lives?
  • How is academic research different? Why?
  • What makes a successful research project? Why?

Zoom link: https://zoom.us/j/99276265639?pwd=R2luTEV4TTFqSDZidll0VFNvdUJldz09

Meeting ID: 992 7626 5639
Password: 031104