LAB FIVE-B

Today we’ll expand our work with distinguishing between primary and secondary ideas, practicing the skills that help us recognize, extract, and express the core from within a wealth of enriching detail.  We'll also have a chance to make progress on our third paper, the one which we'll use for class discussion.

1. Routine Startup

• the first browser shows these instructions. Press Control-N to open a second browser and use it to follow links and carry out the instructions.

2. Start your email in a third browser
    
3. If you haven't done so already, save in the shared folder the finished Report / Right On! exercise (report_yourlastname and right-on_yourlastname)

1. Introduction: Seeing What Matters

   We need to be able to see significant content without being distracted by secondary material.  With this ability, we can quickly get to the heart of what we read, and more importantly, simplify and clarify what is in our own writing.  This exercise will give you practice in finding the core in a piece of writing.  When you do that, you will be able to see the structure and progress of the ideas.  In this exercise, rewrite according to the directions below as if you are the original author.  You will be extracting the core ideas and creating a new, vastly shorter version.

   NOTE: your result will become automatically summary, rather than scene, example, and showing.  Your condensed version will lose much of the unique flavor of the original -- but for a reason.  We are using the article for a limited goal -- to practice the ability to separate primary thought from secondary.  It is not meant to be a replacement of or improvement on the original.

2. To The Core: the exercise

1. Start a new document in Word and save it as core_yourlastname
    
2. You have been given a printout with a series of numbered paragraphs.  Find the core idea in each paragraph, and in the Word document, write one sentence only for each paragraph that expresses that core idea as well as you can.  Write them each on their own line (without numbering).  As much as you can, don't simply copy a selected sentence -- summarize using a mix of your own words and words from the original.
    
3. When you have written a sentence for each paragraph, go back to the beginning and rework the sequence of sentences to make them flow smoothly and clearly together (use whatever transitions and rearranging is necessary). Remove the spacing so the result is in paragraph form.  Decide what new paragraph divisions are needed to help present the condensed material.  The goal is to create a self-contained 'digest' of the original that reads well.
    
4. When you have finished, or when an announcement is made, save your finished exercise in the shared folder.

4. Work on your Persuasion Paper

   Prepare as much as you can of the current writing project, Paper Three: Persuasion, during the lab. Your paper is due for the start of next class, saved in the shared folder. Use the filename persuasion_yourlastname