The Weekly Paper Guidelines

Overview The following guidelines apply to the Weekly Paper, which is due each Monday. It is based on whatever you read from The Weekly Reader. This assignment, both the reading and the writing, has several important goals. Through this weekly assignment, you will:

q read a variety of types of text (images, essays, films, articles, poems, stories, and multimedia productions)

q improve your familiarity with how to use the web and its resources

q reinforce and extend your knowledge of how to write paragraphs that are focused, organized, and developed using examples and details

q write about a subject of interest to you and your audience that demonstrates your ability to read a variety of texts with insight

q write with an emphasis on clarity and correctness

Step One Decide what you will read. Go to: http://www.englishcompanion.com/room82/weeklyreader.html

If you don’t have much time, try one of the Quick Picks. If you have more time or the inclination, take time to investigate one of the other sites listed in The Weekly Reader.

Step Two Read the text you choose. I say "text" because you might choose an image, a web-based documentary, a painting, a poem, or a video essay. Before you begin, jot down some questions about the text you chose, questions that will help you read it better. If you are not sure how to take your reading to the next step, go to www.englishcompanion.com and scroll down the main page to the list of How-To-Reads in the left-hand margin.

Step Three Write a one page paper that:

q is double-spaced and typed; uses 12-point serif font and 1.25 inch margins

q establishes a clear thesis in your opening paragraph

q organizes itself into paragraphs, each with a main idea that relates to and builds on your thesis

q includes examples and details from the text you read; these examples should maintain the focus, organization, and development of each paragraph

q gives your paper a title that helps clarify or even extend the idea of your paper. It should not be anything like, "The Weekly Paper."

q Follows the prescribed format of the sample paper: headers, citation, recommendation, etc.

q shows you know how to properly format titles

o Quotation marks: poems, articles, stories, essays, songs

o Italics: books, CDs, movies, magazines, newspapers

q is revised

q is proofread