CUNY CATW Materials

http://www.kbcc.cuny.edu/academicdepartments/english/faculty/Pages/catw_materials.aspx




NOTE:

We will look at "Individuals in Groups" and "Is Music a Good Tool for Health" AND "Kingsborough Reading and Writing Center: Reviewing the CATW Criteria for Writing and Trying Out a Practice Writing" in class.


Please do not go over these materials in advance. It is better to look at them with the class.


Feel free to look over any other materials listed here.

CATW Flash Cards

http://jjc.jjay.cuny.edu/erc/act/writing/exmenu_writing.php

"Hang It Up" CATW Prompt and Related Material

Follow this link to access what we covered in class:

http://blsciblogs.baruch.cuny.edu/saccengforum/files/2013/02/HangItUpPractice.pdf

Summary * cite your source * Main Idea * Important points/supporting details * Paraphrase -No opinion -No small details -No discussion/explanation -No direct quotes Response * Your opinion * Refer back to specific points in the article *Quotes or reported speech encouraged * Support your opinion with life experiences, observations, or past learning	Essay Structure Introduction * General statements * Introduce the topic(s) * Thesis (your main idea, your reason for writing this essay, what the whole essay will be about) Body paragraph(s) * Topic sentence * Discuss your topic * Support your discussion Conclusion * Reword -Thesis * Remind – of the points you discussed * Relate – Make the essay feel finished
CATW Essay Introduction Hook (interesting, general statement) Summary of article Thesis (YOUR idea about the article) Body paragraph(s) Topic sentence Response to one aspect of the article Conclusion Reword Remind Relate

Tongue Computing

Summary
* Source:
 “Tongue Computing Could Help Disabled” posted on CNN.com

* Main Idea:
There’s a new technology being developed which can allow people who are disabled more freedom and control in their lives by using their tongue to operate a sort of computer in their mouths.

* Important points/supporting details
- Keyboard on teeth
- Easy to learn
- In development (Georgia Tech)
- A lot more options/more advanced than other current options

                Can you imagine not being able to use your hands? Many people are in this exact predicament. That’s why the new technology being developed by Georgia Tech is so exciting. According to “Tongue Computing Could Help Disabled” posted on CNN.com, there is a new computer that disabled people can control with their mouths, allowing them to manipulate the world around them in new ways. The machine is easy to learn and offers many more options than what is currently available on the market. As someone with a close friend who is disabled, I have seen firsthand out exciting and helpful this new technology can be.

Agreeing, Disagreeing, and Giving Opinions

Giving Opinions/ Summarizing/Agreeing and Disagreeing in English

adapted from The Language of Meetings by Malcolm Goodale

Asking for an Opinion/Reaction

§  What’s your opinion of…

§  What’s your position on…

§  What do you think of…

§  I’d like to hear your views on…

§  Could I ask for your reaction to…?

§  I was wondering where you stood on…

Where exactly do you stand on…?

Giving a Tentative Opinion §  It seems to me that… §  I would say that… §  As far as I can judge… §  I think it would be fair to say that… §  It could be that….	Giving a Moderate Opinion §  I think…. §  In my opinion… §  It’s my opinion that… §  As far as I’m concerned…. §  From my point of view… §  It’s my belief that… §
Giving a Strong Opinion §  I firmly/strongly/definitely believe that… §  I’m absolutely convinced that… §  It’s my strong belief that… §  There’s no doubt in my mind that… §  It’s quite clear that… §  I’m certain that…. §  It’s my considered opinion that… §	Summarizing §  To summarize… §  In short,… §  Briefly, … §  If I could just sum up …. §  To sum up, ….

Strong Agreement §  I completely/totally agree. §  I agree entirely. §  Exactly! §  I’m of exactly the same opinion. §  I couldn’t agree more. §  You’re exactly right. §  That’s exactly right.	Moderate/Partial Agreement §  I think we’re in agreement on that.. §  I think I can go along with that. §  I tend to agree. §  I agree on the whole, but… §  I agree in principle but… §  By and large, I accept your views, but…
Moderate/Tactful Disagreement §  I don’t completely agree with you. §  I can’t say that I agree. §  We’ll have to agree to disagree. §  I’m not totally convinced by your argument. §  I feel I must disagree. §  You have a good point but… §  I take your point but… §  I see what you mean but… §  That’s a good point but… §  That’s true but… §  Yes, but…	Strong Disagreement §  I totally/completely disagree. §  I don’t agree at all. §  You’re completely mistaken. §  I disagree entirely. §  Under no circumstances could I agree. §  What you’re saying is just not possible. §  I really have to disagree.
Softening Disagreement §  Frankly,… §  To be honest… §  I’m afraid… §  With (all due) respect… §  To be frank… §  Frankly speaking… §	Softening any “face-threatening” act Use questions Use negative questions Use modals Use an introductory softening phrase Use “not + very” + positive adjective Use comparative adjectives Use continuous verb tenses Use qualifiers (“rather” “somewhat” “a bit” “slightly”…)

Outline Overview

 I.  Introduction

          A.       Background information (summary of the author’s main points, including the author’s thesis/main idea)

1 (main idea).  _________________________________

     2 (main points to summarize).  _________________________________

B.  Thesis Statement: (YOUR opinion/idea/point to discuss)

Body Paragraph I.    ________________________________________ 
                              (Main idea/aspect # 1)

          A.    ___________________________________ 
                              (Supporting idea #1)

A1. Point from the article that can be referenced : _______________________

          1.   ________________________________
                    (Example/detail)

          2.     ________________________________
                    (Example/detail)

             B.    ___________________________________
                                      (Supporting idea #2)

B1. Point from the article that can be referenced: _________________________

          1. ________________________________
                    (Example/detail)

          2. ________________________________
                    (Example/detail)

Body Paragraph II.  ______________________________________
                                (Main idea/aspect # 2)

              A.    _________________________________
                                (Supporting idea #1)
A1. Point from the article that can be referenced : _______________________

                      1.     ______________________________
                                (Example/detail)

                      2.     ______________________________
                                (Example/detail)

              B.    ________________________________
                                (Supporting idea #2)

B1. Point from the article that can be referenced : _______________________

  1.     ______________________________
           (Example/detail)

  2.     _____________________________
            (Example/detail)
 

Etc…

 V.    Conclusion

Restate thesis

Remind the reader of your points/the author’s main idea

Relate to the reader

You don’t have to talk about the main idea, but you have to name it in the summary, and you MUST reference it in your writing!

While the author believes commercials to be harmful to our concentration, I take this notion a step further and believe that TV as a whole is harmful to us, and we must get away from it.

… The author says that for children, “soon enough, attention will be turned inside out” because of the commercials they see. I agree with the author on the effects, but not the cause; I think TV as a whole is the problem, whether commercials are involved or not. For instance, when I am at work, all I can think about is watching my favorite sports games on TV. If it were not for TV, I would be able to focus better…

Example CATW Prompt and Example Essays

Here is an example CATW prompt. Set a timer, read it, and write your best CATW paper. Then, look at the rubric and score yourself. After that, you can follow the link to see what would be expected to be included in your summary and look at some example papers with their scores.

Click here to read the prompt. Continue scrolling after you've practiced your own writing to see comments and example papers:

http://www.kbcc.cuny.edu/academicdepartments/english/faculty/Documents/catw_materials/catw_practice_playtimeisover.pdf

One thing I would like for you to notice while reading the student papers is how annoying and difficult it is to read messy handwriting. Remember, the scorers can't give you a good grade if they can't read what you've written!