Advanced Expository Writing
ENGL 249S-02 * Fall 2003
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Advanced Expository Writing |
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We search the Web almost every day, but how well do we understand the nature of web searches, and how efficient is our searching?
Finding the best information quickly is everyone's goal, but much depends on the search terms we use and how we combine them. Recognizing the significance of each site's URL is also important in sifting out the most reliable information from the junk.
Beginning Thursday, September 4, for each class period (unless noted on the Schedule), you will use search engines and search terms to find web sites that pertain to our daily discussion topics. A worksheet will be provided to help choose your site and focus your ideas, which you will then be able to use in class discussion. The class will be broken up into four groups of five, with one group responsible each day for talking about the sites they found (of course, others are encouraged to participate as well). Sites will be collected each day by e-mail, and I will put them on the appropriate Links page for future reference.
This exercise will serve several purposes:
You should expect each search to take you between twenty to thirty minutes. This may seem like a long time, but you will want to try a variety of search terms and view a number of sites before selecting one (or more).
The site you choose should relate to our day's class discussion. Thus, if the topic is "cloning," you have a variety of search terms from which to choose and combine, for example, "clone," "clones," "cloning," "therapeutic cloning," "reproductive cloning," "clone cult," etc. You have a good deal of freedom here; your only requirement is that you make a case for how your site relates to our topic at hand.
I will provide a worksheet that will help you take notes on your web site, which you are free to use in class discussion.
Sites will be due each day, as all assignments are, by 7 pm by e-mail. Certainly if you do this a day or two beforehand, just send along your site when you're ready. When you do send your site, you should provide a brief annotation that explains what's important about this site, or what information the site contains. You will be credited on the appropriate Links page for your contribution.
The class will be broken up into four groups of five. Each day, one group will be responsible for leading the class discussion (although others are encouraged to participate). You don't have to speak in order or even "act like a group" per se, but at some point during the discussion each group member should participate. You will be marked down for attendance, for participation, and for submission of your web site, but no group grade will be given.
The group of the day should ensure that each of their sites is unique. This will guarantee that at least five of the class sites for each topic will be different. To help with this task, each group member should look for sites on a page of hits that corresponds to a number (1-5); thus, group member "number two" should always look for sites on page two of the hits generated by each search, regardless of the search terms used. A group member whose site duplicates another group member's will not get credit for submitting his web site. You will further have access to each other's e-mail for this purpose.
Note: if your group is not "up" on any particular day, you do not need to ensure each of your group's sites is unique, but you might continue to search by hits-page numbers, just to keep in the habit. Further, if you're not a member of the day's group you are not *required* to participate, but are encouraged to do so on account of the Grading Contract. You are not required to turn your Worksheets in; they are for your use only.
As always, if you have a question or problem, just e-mail me.