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Writing Journal Packet

Contents of this Packet

Several OLC Full-time Instructors collaborated to pull this packet together. The page after this (page 2) is a listing of the critical thinking/writing skills we want our students to practice, paragraph topics that students use to practice each skill, and page numbers. Of course, instructors may replace any topic with one they like better. The next pages (pp. 3-22) contain model paragraphs written about these topics, and a link (inserted at the bottom of each page) to a source for instructional materials for that particular skill. The exceptions to this format are:

the Description, pp. 5-9 (which requires that students complete the supplied sensory chart before they write a paragraph about their favorite person)

the Summary,pp.11-12 (where students are supplied two selections to summarize)

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Critical Writing/Thinking Skills to be addressed in the Writing Journal

Reflection pp. 3-41. Sometimes, we feel that the people around us don’t really know who we are or

acknowledge our special qualities. What are the skills, life experiences, and special qualities that make you who you are?

2. Explain one of the Lakota values that you adhere to and how you try to live by it. Description pp. 5-9

3. After using the Sensory Chart to help you remember your sensory memories about this person, write a paragraph about your Favorite Person using your sensory memories.

Narration p. 104. Tell us something about your life; something that happened to you.

Summary pp. 11-145. Read and summarize the provided paragraphs 6. Report on either a Newspaper Article or a News Story on FOX or ABC.

Definition p. 157. Define Success: What is Success to you? To others? How is success achieved?

Using Facts from Another Source pp. 16-178. What are the financial benefits of graduating from college?9. What are the long-term physical effects of smoking cigarettes?

Compare and Contrast pp. 18-1910. Compare and contrast Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Swartzeneger OR Etta James

and Beyoncé OR any other pair of famous people that you are interested in. Explain how they are alike and how they are different.

11. Talk about any two things or activities (like football vs. basketball) and tell how they are similar and different.

Reaction pp. 20-2112. Write how you feel about any one of the following topics:

Legalization of Marijuana US immigration policy, especially the Wall between Texas and Mexico. The Oil Pipeline Uranium mining

13. Read a piece of Literature and explain what you feel and think about it. Critique p. 22

14. Pick out a movie that you have seen lately and tell what you liked or didn’t like about it. Explain what was or wasn’t well done.

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Reflection

TOPIC #1: Sometimes, we feel that the people around us don’t really know who we are or acknowledge our special qualities. What are the skills, life experiences, and special qualities that make you who you are?

Model Paragraph

My Strengths to get “That Job”

I don’t think anyone has ever asked me what my strengths are. I am grateful for this

opportunity to think about it and write some ideas about me and what I hope to achieve. I know

that I am smart enough to attend college and graduate. Getting a degree will greatly improve my

chances to get a better, well-paying job that I would enjoy. That job will put me around other

achievers and the opportunity to make new friends, to travel, and to give my kids more

opportunities. Because I like people, I want “that job” to be something that helps other. I have

a good sense of humor that I think will come in handy, and I have a very strong work ethic. So,

right now I have to discipline myself to attend all classes, improve my study skills, manage my

time, and keep my focus on completing my education. It is the doorway to a great future!

Source of Instructional Materials: http://www.sophia.org/tutorials/reflection-papers

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Reflection

TOPIC #2: Explain one of the Lakota values that you adhere to and how you try to live by it.

Model Paragraph

Lakota Values

One of the Lakota Values that I try to live my life by is Waohola (respect). It is important to show

respect for elders, young people, and everyone in between. To me, respect means treating people with

kindness and compassion, looking to them as an equal, and appreciating them for who they are. I believe

that you should show the same amount of respect for a homeless person asking for change as you do for a

close friend. Sometimes this is hard to do, but it is something I strive for. It doesn’t matter what

someone’s age, ethnicity, or background are—everyone deserves to be treated with respect. I have done a

lot of work with people with disabilities, and one reason that I excelled in that field was the amount of

respect I had for the people I worked with. I did not see them as being any less than myself, and I treated

them the same as I would treat a member of my own family. Every person on this earth is sacred and

should be treated with respect.

Source of Instructional Materials: http://www.sophia.org/tutorials/reflection-papers

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Description

TOPIC #3: After using the Sensory Chart to help you remember your sensory memories about this person, write a paragraph about your Favorite Person using your sensory memories.

Model Paragraph

My Bro

My brother was a crazy man. He dressed like Russell Brand before it got hip. He drank

from the waters poured by the coolest rock-star, driving up to our vacation rental, his rent-a-

wreck a smooth, blue, 1956, convertible Cadillac, gleaming white teeth and Ray Ban shades,

looking all Hollywood. He was crazy alright, driving us through the murky streets of Miami in

the stark of day, looking for a good Cuban restaurant and gazing at the local women, as they

walked down the streets, serving the hot summer day up like a platter, with their colorful cotton

skirts slapping their hips. With songs on the old tape deck by the Rolling Stones; “Start Me Up,”

“Wild Horses,” “Paint it Black,” we never thought we would ever live that day down, with the

top down our corn maze blonde hair streaming in the sun, shining cars, the ocean nearby. We

got crazy too.

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Model Sensory Chart:

Name ___Example___________________ Date _______________

See1. All the details you can remember about how they look.

2. Details about the environment around them.

Colorful person,

Flashy car,

Flashy clothes,

Has style, bravado, and panache

As a long time part time resident of Miami, one word which is not evocative

(to me) of even the most "questionable" of Miami neighborhoods, including those around Little Havana, would be "murky", as all is brightly bathed in warm sunshine; elegant and seedy neighborhoods equally so.

What to the women look like in Miami (Little Havana)

What kinds of foods do they eat?

What are they wearing? Wearing long flowing skirts, carrying platters of good food, fruits, black beans and rice, hair is shiny, long…they are all pretty, some are heavier set, but they are all still pretty, the colors are bright because of the sun, and they are murky at the same time as it is a low-income area, but the colors are still surprisingly bright, in comparison to cities, such as Philadelphia. The brother shows up in a light blue 1970 Cadillac convertible “Rent A Wreck” car, that he had rented for cheaper than one could rent a newer vehicle.

Hear 1. Details about how their voice sounded and their favorite sayings.

2. Sounds that were always around that person.

Songs, such as “Start Me Up.” Rock n’ Roll by the Rolling Stones, songs that were famous in the 1980’s, while still selling to the young people. At the time, the cassettes were being utilized. Later the cd disks were being used. The famous songs blared throughout the streets with also the background noises of the Latin music in the Cuban Neighborhood.

Smell1. Smells that you always associate with that person. (For

The smell of black beans and steaming rice, mixed with spices, such as coriander and cumin, fish, fresh fruits, such as oranges bananas.

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instance, my Grandfather always wore Old Spice Aftershave.)

Taste1. For instance, did you Grandma make you special food?

The food matched the music and mood of spicy salsa, fruits, the best and highest meanings behind food.

Feel1. Do you remember hugging this person? What did that feel like?

2. Did they have soft or hard hands?

The feel of the car on the pavement, the background jams of Latino music, the blaring beat of the overblown car stereo, bass rolling thunder in the car.

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Blank Sensory Chart: For students to complete before writing their Favorite Person Paragraph

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Sensory ChartA sensory chart can help you think about details that can be seen, heard, smelled, tasted, or felt.

Fill in each box while you are thinking about your favorite person. Use some of these sensory details when you write your favorite person 5-paragraph

essay.

See1. All the details you can remember about how they look.

2. Details about the environment around them.

Hear 1. Details about how their voice sounded and their favorite sayings.

2. Sounds that were always around that person. Smell1. Smells that you always associate with that person. (For instance, my Grandfather always wore Old Spice Aftershave.)

Taste1. For instance, did you Grandma make you special food?

Feel1. Do you remember hugging this person? What did that feel like?2. Did they have soft or hard hands?

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Narration

TOPIC #4: Tell us something about your life; something that happened to you.

Model Paragraph

Howard’s Hand

I once had a boyfriend who would spend hours singing, talking and rubbing my back with his hand. He would cup his hand and make a moving gesture as though he was gathering sand on a beach. My back was a tiny beach and I have never felt so relaxed and peaceful. The sensual feeling was unforgettable. There is a piece of land on Highway 79, about 20 minutes north of Hot Springs that looks like God used his hand and gently moved the earth to make soft hills. I have driven by it dozens of times and always felt a strong connection to its visual beauty. One day it became clear to me. The beauty I saw was the beauty that I had felt. I named that area “Howard’s Hand”.

Source of Instructional Materials: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/685/04/

Summary

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TOPIC #5: Directions: Read each passage and…

1. Create a title for the passage related to the main idea.2. Accurately summarize the text.3. Your summary must describe all key ideas from the text.4. Do not include opinions or personal info in your summary.

Model Summary

Picture this: a herd of elephants flies past you at sixty miles per hour, followed by a streak of tigers, a pride of lions, and a bunch of clowns. What do you see? It must be a circus train! One of the first uses of the circus train is credited to W.C. Coup. He partnered with P.T. Barnum in 1871 to expand the reach of their newly combined shows using locomotives. Before circus trains, these operators had to lug around all of their animals, performers, and equipment with a team of more than 600 horses. Since there were no highways, these voyages were rough and took a long time. Circuses would stop at many small towns between the large venues. Performing at many of these small towns was not very profitable. Because of these limitations, circuses could not grow as large as the imaginations of the operators. After they began using circus trains, Barnum and Coup only brought their show to large cities. These performances were much more profitable and the profits went toward creating an even bigger and better circus. Multiple rings were added and the show went on. Today, Ringling Bros. and Barnum and Bailey Circus still rely on the circus train to transport their astounding show, but now they use two.

1. Main idea related title for the passage:

Circus on Wheels

2. Summarize the passage in your own words: Circus trains were introduced in the late 1800’s. Being able to move circuses around on circus trains allowed them to make more money and increase in size by adding more exciting acts and animals.

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Student Summary Practice

Directions: Read each passage and…

1. Create a title for the passage related to the main idea.2. Accurately summarize the text.3. Your summary must describe all key ideas from the text.4. Do not include opinions or personal info in your summary.

How do you say “Holy cow” in French? The fastest thing in France may just be the fastest ground transportation in the world. The TGV (Train à Grande Vitesse: French for very high speed) is France’s national high speed rail service. On April 3rd, 2007, a TGV test train set a record for the fastest wheeled train, reaching 357.2 miles per hour. In mid-2011, TGV trains operated at the highest speed in passenger train service in the world, regularly reaching 200 miles per hour. But what you may find most shocking is that TGV trains run on electric power not petrol. Now if you’ll excuse me; I have a record to catch.

3. Main idea related title for the passage:

4. Summarize the passage in your own words: _______________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

Giddy-up, cowboys and girls! In the Southwest during early half of the 1800s, cows were only worth 2 or 3 dollars apiece. They roamed wild, grazed off of the open range, and were abundant. Midway through the century though, railroads were built and the nation was connected. People could suddenly ship cows in freight trains to the Northeast, where the Yankees had a growing taste for beef. Out of the blue, the same cows that were once worth a couple of bucks were now worth between twenty and forty dollars each, if you could get them to the train station. It became pretty lucrative to wrangle up a drove of cattle and herd them to the nearest train town, but it was at least as dangerous as it was profitable. Cowboys were threatened at every turn. They faced cattle rustlers, stampedes and extreme weather, but kept pushing those steers to the train station. By the turn of the century, barbed wire killed the open range and some may say the cowboy too, but it was the train that birthed him.

5. Main idea related title for the passage:

6. Summarize the passage in your own words: _______________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________

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Summary

TOPIC #6: Report on either a Newspaper Article or a News Story on FOX or ABC.

Model Summary

Newspaper Article:

$1M in road repairs not enough for Big Sky annex

Chris Huber, Journal staff

A car drives around a large pothole near the intersection of Degeest Drive and Avenue A recently in the Big Sky subdivision east of Rapid City. The city has earmarked nearly $1 million for road repairs in this area, but only if the residents accept annexation.

Nearly $1 million to replace the neighborhood's washboard roads wasn't a big enough carrot to lure residents of the east-side Big Sky subdivision to annex into Rapid City.

The city's Public Works Committee on Tuesday reviewed an update on the potential voluntary annexation of about 130 homes in Big Sky but took no action except to acknowledge the report.

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Public Works Director Terry Wolterstorff told the committee that he expects the revival of a failed petition to approve the annexation. Only about 30 percent of homeowners and registered voters, roughly 75 residents representing 45 properties situated just south of the city's jurisdiction, have agreed to annex. 

A 75 percent majority needs to sign the petition to annex, which would require them to swap tax districts and pay new assessments like the city's annual storm water drainage fee.

Wolterstorff said homeowners were mostly concerned over the potential of increased taxes. He said an increase, however, is seemingly a wash given data from Pennington County.

"Usually, that's a big question. How will taxes impact my property? Wolterstorff said. "Really, the numbers we saw have little to no impact at the end of the day when it comes to taxes, simply because our solid waste services that we provide are substantially cheaper than commercial services out there.

"The county taxes — library tax, fire tax, unincorporated road taxes — they go off their tax bill once they annex into the city," he added.

Other perks include street maintenance, snow removal and complaint-based city code enforcement, all of which now are lacking in the neighborhood, as well as a lighting of the its currently dark streetlights.

Fireworks, however, would legally become a no-no.

Wolterstorff said that a handful of Big Sky residents have volunteered to revive the petition to annex, and that he would like to wait until the summer before considering other options like an involuntary annex.

For nearly seven years, the city has been locked in court with developer Doyle Estes over who is responsible to fix the crumbled, derelict roads but decided in May 2014 to fund the repairs on its own, an offer contingent on the area's annexing into the city.

Roughly $111,000 in street repairs have already been completed on roadways inside city limits just north of the 130 homes. The city recently brought the issue to the Pennington County Commission, which urged residents attending the recent meeting to sign the annexation petition.

The county has denied responsibility for maintaining the roads, saying that the city had overseen construction and is therefore responsible for maintenance.

 

Summary: There is a deadlock between the City of Rapid City and the property owners in the Big Sky subdivision located east of Rapid City about the annexation of the subdivision to Rapid City. Although annexation to Rapid City would provide several incentives such as road maintenance, cheaper garbage pickup, snow removal, street light maintenance, and city code enforcement, only about 30% of the Big Sky homeowners have agreed to the annexation. Apparently, the other property owners have been reluctant to sign the petition to annex because of concerns about potential tax increases.

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Source of Instructional Materials: http://www.wikihow.com/Write-a-Summary

Definition

TOPIC #7: Define Success: What is Success to you? To others? How is Success achieved?

Model Paragraph: Definition of Mother’s Day

Mother’s Day

Webster's II New Riverside University Dictionary defines mother's day as "A day for

honoring mothers and motherhood, observed annually on the second Sunday in May." Actually,

mother's day is a celebration, but it is much more too. For the family, it is not a normal day, busy

with chores and work around the house, and empty of excitement. It is a day when children get

up earlier than usual, and excitedly try to keep their plans for celebration secret from their

mothers. It is a day when mothers pretend not to hear the kids’ excitement and preparations, and

show absolute surprise when they, smiling and parading down the hall, carefully and awkwardly

bring orange juice and overdone toast for her breakfast in bed, as a sign of love. Mother's Day is

a day for remembering - a happy day for people who warmly think of their mothers, a sad day for

those who no longer have them. It is a day for most of the world to celebrate a very special

member of the family - the mother. It is a day when kids and adults buy all kinds of gifts for their

special women - from jewelry to food, to cards and flowers, and restaurants are full of families

trying to give their mothers a day off from the kitchen.

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Source of Instructional Materials: http://web.clark.edu/martpe/defintion%20paragraph.htm

Using facts from another source

TOPIC #8: What are the financial benefits of graduating from college?

Model Paragraph

The Financial Benefits of a College Degree

It is a commonly held belief that if you want to make more money, you should get a college degree, but is this really true? With the cost of college tuition skyrocketing, and graduates from all over the country struggling to find jobs and pay off student loans, some might wonder if it’s really worth it. However, according to facts and statistics, it definitely is. In 2013, people in the US with a bachelor’s degree made 98% more an hour than those without a degree, and that number has been steadily increasing over the past 30 years (Leonhardt, 2014). Although getting your degree might weigh you down with annoying student loans, in the long run a college education pays for itself, and more. Some experts argue that in this economy, it is close to impossible to get a well-paying job without a degree. Despite all of the stories that you hear about recent graduates being unable to find a job, the unemployment rate for young people with four-year degree is only 3 percent (Leonhardt, 2014). So clearly, it pays to get that diploma.

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Leonhardt, D. (2014, May 27). Is College Worth It? Clearly, New Data Say. New York Times. Retrieved from http://www.nytimes.com/2014/05/27/upshot/is-college-worth-it-clearly-new-data-say.html

Using facts from another source

TOPIC #9: What are the long-term physical effects of smoking cigarettes?

Model Paragraph

Truth can be a very Scary Thing

These days, it takes either a very determined or a severely addicted person to be brave enough to smoke cigarettes in light of recent startling facts about the effects of smoking. In days past, people could naively continue smoking without a care in the world. But now, there is just too much scientific proof about the harmful effects for anyone to maintain their smoking habit without worrying about the long-term effects. They don’t jokingly call them “cancer sticks” for no reason. According to the American Cancer Society, “tobacco use remains the single largest preventable cause of disease and premature death in the US, yet more than 45 million Americans still smoke cigarettes”(2015). It must put a lot stress on a smoker to contemplate these facts, while they are standing outside feeding their lungs.

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Retrieved from: http://www.cancer.org/research/infographicgallery/tobacco-related-healthcare-costs?gclid=CJ_97KavlMMCFQySaQodWXEAhA

Compare and Contrast

TOPIC #10: Compare and contrast Sylvester Stallone and Arnold Swartzeneger OR Etta James and Beyoncé OR another pair of famous people that you are interested in. Explain how they are alike and how they are different.

Model Paragraph

Compare and contrast: Nicki Minaj and Taylor Swift

Nicki Minaj and Taylor Swift are both contemporary female pop musicians who write and perform their own songs. They both have an enormous fan base and a global presence in the music industry. They have both won many awards, including several Billboard and American Music Awards. While these two artists may have success and popularity in common, there are many ways in which they are different. Nicki Minaj is eight years older than Taylor Swift, and she performs mostly rap music, while Swift is a country musician. Taylor Swift is a positive role model for young women, empowering and encouraging them to make positive changes in the world, while Nicki Minaj is known for her brash, belligerent, over-sexualized lyrics. Nicki Minaj changed her name and her appearance to become who she is, while Taylor Swift used her real name and is very honest in her appearance. Taylor Swift is also a well-known philanthropist who cares deeply about making the world a better place, while Nicki Minaj only seems to care about money, fame, and her public persona.

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Compare and contrast resource:

https://www.sbcc.edu/clrc/files/wl/downloads/WritingaCompareContrastEssay.pdf

Compare and Contrast

TOPIC #11: Talk about any two things or activities (like football vs. basketball) and tell how they are similar and different.

Model Paragraph

Compare and Contrast:

Washing Clothes in the United States and England

I married a man who was born and raised in England, where it rains a lot and the use of electricity is much more expensive than in the United States. I was raised in western Nebraska where my mother washed our clothes every day and hung them on outdoor clothes lines or used a dryer. When we and our three young sons visited England, I washed our clothes daily in my parent in-law’s washing machine. Because they did not own a dryer, we had our clothing drying on indoor clothes lines everywhere in their house, for long periods of time. They never complained and it finally dawned on me that it was not necessary to wash most clothes every day. I am regretful for all of the extra work I caused and wish I had been more thoughtful. Ironically, today I use my washer and dryer as infrequently as possible.

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Compare and contrast resource:

https://www.sbcc.edu/clrc/files/wl/downloads/WritingaCompareContrastEssay.pdf

Reaction

TOPIC #12: Write about how you feel about any one of the following topics:

Legalization of Marijuana US immigration policy The Oil Pipeline Uranium mining in the Black Hills

Model Paragraph

Uranium Mining in South Dakota

Western South Dakota has many uranium deposits that have been mined over the past one hundred years. More often than not, the owners of the projects leave a big, expensive toxic mess that South Dakota taxpayers have to clean up. Now another foreign company (Arzaga, located in Hong Kong) is applying for various permits to do in-situ uranium mining in the southwest corner of South Dakota. They want to use tons of water in our aquifer (free water) on free land permits, to take the free uranium they mine (that is imbedded in the aquifer) and ship it to another country where they can sell it to whoever they want for whatever purposes. What does South Dakota get? A few paid off people, a few short term jobs, another mess to clean up and maybe even a nuclear bomb coming our way in the future. Fortunately that are many people and organizations fighting to stop this including the Clean Water Alliance, Dakota Rural Action and South Dakota Peace and Justice Center.

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Source of Instructional Materials: http://homeworktips.about.com/od/essaywriting/tp/How-To-Write-A-Response-Paper.htm

Reaction

TOPIC #13: Read a piece of Literature and explain what you think and feel about it.

Model Paragraph

Adios Again, My Blessed Angel of Thunderheads and Urineby Adrian C. Louis

Ah, so there you are, somewhere between thedemerol and the morphine, silently emptyingmy catheter jug. Don't do that, I want to say,but my voice is lost from two weeks on theventilator. Baby Girl, I want to say hello, sayI know your name, say how much I've alwaysloved you, but only a rasp comes and then youare gone forever again.

I know I've got a crinkled picture of youboxed somewhere in my shuttered house.The image is as foreign as it is faded.

Somewhere west of Tulsa, you are leaningagainst a black Bug, smiling and pointingat a remarkable formation of thunderheadsthat tower and bluster miles past heaven.Your long, black hair dances below your waist.Your worn Navy bell bottoms are snug againstyour perfect legs, your strong, loving hips.After I snap the photo, you tell me thatyou're going back to nursing school.Me, I'll wander in the wilderness for thirty yearsbefore I see you again, and then, it will be onlyfor a brief minute while you empty my urinebucket and I try to cough up words thatwill not come like the flashing pain beneathmy sutures that signals healing and wonder.

This poem makes me feel nostalgic and somewhat sad, even though I don’t know the person he is talking about, or why she is so important to him. It seems like he is in the hospital for a reason he does not explain, and that the nurse who is taking care of him is someone he remembers from long ago. He wants to speak to her, but can’t. His memories of her are vivid and specific, and it is easy to picture the young woman with her dark hair whipping in the wind as she leans against her car. The thunder rumbling in his memory is pushed back by the “flashing pain” that he feels in the present. Even the heavy narcotics that dull his thoughts can’t get rid of his desire to reconnect with her. You can feel his sorrow and surprise at seeing her so many years later, under such circumstances. It makes me melancholy for him, and I wish that things could be different.

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Reaction writing resource: http://www3.spfldcol.edu/homepage/dept.nsf/9fd80471db04a6c885256f4200656df5/$file/writing%20reaction%20papers.pdf

Critique

TOPIC #14: Pick out a movie that you have seen lately and tell what you liked or didn’t like about it. Explain what was or wasn’t well done.

Model Paragraph

Critique of a movie:

I recently watched the original 1964 version of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, because it is my mom’s favorite Christmas movie. She says that no contemporary Christmas movies can compare to this classic, and I would have to agree. This 50 year old version of Rudolph uses a unique form of clay-based animation that must have been painstaking for the creators of the film. You just can’t find that quality of handmade creative work, not with all of the digital animation that you find around every corner these days. There are so many Pixar movies being released that you can’t keep track of them. This was not the case when Rudolph was released. It was a one-of-a-kind, magical experience for the children who watched it, and still holds that power to mesmerize its viewers today. The songs add a lot to this version of Rudolph, especially the ones sung by the legendary Burl Ives. The characters are really compelling and the story is suspenseful and entertaining, no matter how many times you see it. My favorite character is Yukon Cornelius because I love the way he throws his pickaxe in the air and then licks it to see if there is any silver or gold nearby. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer is a true American classic.

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Critique writing source: http://www.citewrite.qut.edu.au/write/critique.jsp