Intern/Mentor Seminar December 12, 2013

1. Intern/Mentor SeminarDecember 12, 2013

2. Due Today Four annotated works Journals Classroom PPT Presentation update Due Monday: Blurb for showcase Due by next Friday, 12/20: County-wide Ref. *Begin conferences to discuss data collection worksheet and thesis notes (ref 2.2)

3. Agenda • Expressions of Gratitude Date/Ideas • Classroom Presentations Checklist • Data Collection Instrument Review • How to Write a Thesis Statement • Finding Gaps in Knowledge Base • Mahara Quarter 2 Assignment • Assignments due by 12/21 • January 9 Seminar Assignment

4. Expressions of Gratitude • Share your gift idea for your mentor. • Mark the day in your agenda book prior to the holidays. • Remember in the note to say thank you without saying “Thank you”.

5. Classroom Presentation Checklist • Confirm the date and time after you set up the presentation (email/mailbox) • Discuss equipment needs, LCD, presenter tool, etc. • Confirm the day before the presentation in person • Teacher evaluation form to grade presentation • Dress up—it establishes credibility • Bring your index cards, PowerPoint, etc. • Do you need a pass for a class to present? See me. • Send a thank you note to the teacher • Oral reflection and completed reflection due 1/6

6. Data Collection Instrument Review • By January 8th…data collection conference with required materials • Conference sign-up will be on top of the mailbox. Lunch conferences…

7. Mahara: Collaboration • Discussion forums provide opportunities to collaborate with other research students. • Search for students to find common research interests. • Collaborate on potential products, share sources, etc.

8. Formulating Your Thesisstarting your synthesis paper

9. A research thesis… has most of the same thesis characteristics as a thesis for a non-research essay. The difference lies in the fact that you gather information and evidence from appropriate, valid sources to support your perspective on a topic or stand on an issue. Although your sources provide information that informs your thesis, the thesis idea should be your own, particular to your personal way of thinking about and analyzing a topic.

10. Where does the thesis go? Keep your thesis prominent in your introduction: A good, standard place for your thesis statement is at the end of an introductory paragraph. Although this is not required in all academic essays, it is a good rule of thumb.

11. What a thesis is NOT: A thesis is NOT a question. Sometimes a question can be an ear-catching piece to your introduction, although do not overuse it; however, it does NOT express an opinion or perspective.

12. Can we save the Amazon rain forest? VERSUS We can save the Amazon rain forest by limiting tourist presence, boycotting goods made by companies that deplete the forest’s resources, and generally educating people about the need to preserve the rain forest in order to preserve the earth’s ecological systems. For example…

13. What a thesis is … An effective thesis has a definable, arguable claim. “While cultural forces contributed to the collapse of communism in Eastern Europe, the disintegration of economies played the key role in driving its decline.”

14. A thesis… • takes on a subject upon which reasonable people could disagree. • expresses one main idea. • takes a stand. • is specific.

15. H I N T #1 • Many clear and engaging thesis statements contain words like… • Because • Since • So • Although • Unless • However

16. H I N T #2 IT IS ACCEPTABLE TO MODIFY AND REVISE THE WORKING THESIS AS YOU RESEARCH MORE ABOUT THE TOPIC AND WRITE THE PAPER.

17. CHOOSE THE RIGHT THESIS FOR YOUR RESEARCH A thesis can come in many forms. This presentation will explore two options; both, however include an opinion.

18. CHOOSE THE RIGHT THESIS FOR YOUR RESEARCH Option #1: A statement of a topic and your attitude/stand/ opinion regarding that topic. Option #2: A statement that indicates categories or reasons that are then listed and form the organizational structure of your essay.

19. Option #1: A statement of a topic and your attitude toward that topic. Because half of all babies with Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome are likely to grow up in homes lacking good cognitive and emotional stimulation, the federal government should finance programs to supplement parental care for these children.

20. BREAK IT DOWN… TOPIC: Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome babies This is too broad; it only indicates a general subject. Your reader does not know what you want to say about NAS babies.

21. BREAK IT DOWN… NARROWED TOPIC: programs for children born to drug addicted mothers Now you are focusing on one main idea. It also raises an idea that could be argued because some people will agree on developing programs and others will not. It is still NOT a thesis because your reader does not know your conclusions or attitude on the topic.

22. BREAK IT DOWN… TAKE A POSITION: More attention should be paid to the environment NAS children grow up in. Now you have asserted your position; however, “more attention” and “environment” are still a bit vague.

23. BREAK IT DOWN… MORE SPECIFIC: Experts estimate that half of babies with Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome will grow up in home environments lacking rich cognitive and emotional stimulation. This statement is more specific; however, it isn’t a thesis yet because it merely reports a statistic and does not include an assertion.

24. BREAK IT DOWN… FINAL THESIS: Because half of all babies with Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome are likely to grow up in homes lacking good cognitive and emotional stimulation, the federal government should finance programs to supplement parental care for these children.

25. Option #2: A statement that indicates categories or reasons that are then listed and form the organizational structure of the essay. Workforce training in basic skills is now necessary due to the lower reading and writing levels of the workforce, the fact that a person now entering the workforce will change jobs many times, the shift in jobs from the manufacturing to the service sectors and the more comprehensive, abstract nature of those service jobs.

26. BREAK IT DOWN… In the body of the paper, the writer will defend each of the listed categories in the order that they appear in the thesis statement. Each category is an opinion and not a fact. The writer will use his/her research to back up and defend the argument.

27. HOW TO MAKE A THESIS STRONGER WEAK: There are some negative and positive aspects to the Banana Herb Tea Supplement. STRONG: Because Banana Herb Tea Supplement promotes rapid weight loss that results in the loss of muscle and lean body mass, it poses a potential danger to customers. WHY BETTER? This is stronger because it takes a stand and is more specific than the original.

28. HOW TO MAKE A THESIS STRONGER WEAK: Companies need to exploit the marketing potential of the Internet, and web pages can provide both advertising and customer support. STRONG: Because the Internet is filled with tremendous marketing potential, companies should exploit this potential by using web pages that offer both advertising and customer support. WHY BETTER? The first statement confuses the reader. It states two different ideas and leads the reader to wonder what the focus of the paper is. The two ideas need to be related.

29. HOW TO MAKE A THESIS STRONGER WEAK: World hunger has many causes and effects. STRONG: Hunger persists in Appalachia because jobs are scarce and farming in the infertile soil is rarely profitable. WHY BETTER? This is stronger because it narrows the subject to a more manageable topic and identifies the specific causes for the existence of hunger.

30. To Sum It Up… A successful working thesis has three characteristics: • It is potentially interesting to the intended audience. • It is as specific as possible. • It limits the topic enough to make it manageable.

31. Filling in the Gaps • Sort the annotated sources in to common topics/piles • Review and identify the main points/details of each source to determine which main points the source can support • Allow the thesis to guide the structure of the literature review.

32. Friday, December 20, 2013 Oral Presentation Reflection Evaluation (Countywide) Monday, December 16, 2013 • Marketing Write-up for Showcase Tuesday, December 17-Tuesday, January 7, 2014 • Data Collection Conference • Thesis Worksheet

33. Monday, January 13, 2014 Mahara Portfolio Evaluation Mentor Evaluation Journal Summary (signed by mentor) Time sheet (signed by parent and mentor) Thursday, January 9, 2014 • Four annotated works • Pre-outline organizer • Journals • Classroom presentation reflection (2.2)