Unit 3.7 - Wordiness & Abstracts

Writing concisely mini lesson

Students will be able to:

• Define "writing concisely," which should be taken to mean: using exactly the number of words necessary to express ideas, no more
• Determine the justification behind writing concisely
• Edit sample writing to be more concise
• Revise their own writing to be more concise

Individual conferences availability poll - Doodle Poll

Part 1: Inductive group work and discussion

Open the INDUCTIVE WARM UP WORKSHEET.  In groups or pairs, compare the various sets of  two passages. Which do you prefer? Do they both convey the same meaning? How does the author eliminate wordiness in the shorter passages? Be prepared to discuss your discussion with the class.

Part 2: Explicit lecture (EXPLICIT LECTURE POWERPOINT)

Follow along as the instructor provides explicit instruction on how to avoid wordiness. Provide answers to the various sections that have questions and take notes on sections you still do not understand or desire clarification from the instructor.

Part 3: Group/Pair practice analysis and editing

Open the GROUP/PAIR PRACTICE WORKSHEET. In groups or pairs, analyze each passage and rewrite the section in a more concise manner. Refer to the instructor's lecture on different ways to avoid and eliminate wordiness from writing. Be prepared to share your rewritten sections with the rest of the class.

Abstracts mini lesson:

Students will be able to...

• Recognize the importance of writing an effective abstract
• Recognize that the structure and style of abstract writing varies across different disciplines
• Write a concise and appealing abstract whose structure reflects the organization of the research paper

Part 1: Class discussion

Please discuss these questions in your groups. Be prepared to share your insights and answers with your classmates.

• What is the purpose of abstracts?
• What information would you include in your abstract?
• What is the difference between summaries and abstracts?
• What is the difference between introductions and abstracts?

Part 2: Explicit instruction. - powerpoint lecture

Please open the powerpoint and follow along. If at any point you do not understand a slide or concept(s), feel free to raise your hand and ask the instructor.

Part 3: Abstract reverse outline

In groups, open the reverse outline worksheet. In a separate google doc, analyse the two abstracts. Use the materials discussed in the powerpoint to create the structure of your reverse outline.