Summaries

/in /by

MAYA ANGELOU CHAMPION OF THE WORLD

 

The last inch of space was filled, yet people continued to wedge themselves along the walls of the Store. Uncle Willie had turned the radio up to its last notch so that youngsters on the porch wouldn’t miss a word. Women sat on kitchen chairs, dining-room chairs, stools, and upturned wooden boxes. Small children and babies perched on every lap available and men leaned on the shelves or on each other. The apprehensive mood was shot through with shafts of gaiety, as a black sky is streaked with lightning. “I ain’t worried ‘bout this fight. Joe’s gonna whip that cracker like it’s open season.” “He gone whip him till that white boy call him Momma.” At last the talking finished and the string-along songs about razor blades were over and the fight began. “A quick jab to the head.” In the Store the crowd grunted. “A left to the head and a right and another left.” One of the listeners cackled like a hen and was quieted. “They’re in a clinch, Louis is trying to fight his way out.” Some bitter comedian on the porch said, “That white man don’t mind hugging that n_____ now, I betcha.” “The referee is moving in to break them up, but Louis finally pushed the contender away and it’s an uppercut to the chin. The contender is hanging on, now he’s backing away. Louis catches him with a short left to the jaw.” A tide of murmuring assent poured out the door and into the yard.

“Another left and another left. Louis is saving that mighty right . . .” The mutter in the store had grown into a baby roar and it was pierced by the clang of a bell and the announcer’s “That’s the bell for round three, ladies and gentlemen.” As I pushed my way into the Store I wondered if the announcer gave any thought to the fact that he was addressing as “ladies and gentlemen” all the Negroes around the world who sat sweating and praying, glued to their “Master’s voice.”1 There were only a few calls for RC Colas, Dr Peppers, and Hires root beer. The real festivities would begin after the fight. Then even the old Christian ladies who taught their children and tried themselves to practice turning the other cheek would buy soft drinks, and if the Brown Bomber’s victory was a particularly bloody one they would order peanut patties and Baby Ruths also. Bailey and I laid the coins on top of the cash register. Uncle Willie didn’t allow us to ring up sales during a fight. It was too noisy and might shake up the atmosphere. When the gong rang for the next round we pushed through the near-sacred quiet to the herd of children outside. “He’s got Louis against the ropes and now it’s a left to the body and a right to the ribs. Another right to the body, it looks like it was low . . . Yes, ladies and gentlemen, the referee is signaling but the contender keeps raining the blows on Louis. It’s another to the body, and it looks like Louis is going down.” My race groaned. It was our people falling. It was another lynching, yet another Black man hanging on a tree. One more woman ambushed and raped. A Black boy whipped and maimed. It was hounds on the trail of a man running through slimy swamps. It was a white woman slapping her maid for being forgetful. The men in the Store stood away from the walls and at attention. Women greedily clutched the babes on their laps while on the porch the shufflings and smiles, flirtings and pinchings of a few minutes before were gone. This might be the end of the world. If Joe lost we were back in slavery and beyond help. It would all be true; the accusations that we were lower types of human beings. Only a little higher than apes. True that we were stupid and ugly and lazy and dirty and unlucky and worst of all, that God himself hated us and ordained us to be hewers of wood and drawers of water, forever and ever, world without end. We didn’t breathe. We didn’t hope. We waited. “He’s off the ropes, ladies and gentlemen. He’s moving towards the corner of the ring.” There was no time to be relieved. The worst might still happen. 1 “His master’s voice,” accompanied by a picture of a little dog listening to a phonograph, was a familiar advertising slogan. (The picture still spears on some RCA recordings.)

“And now it looks like Joe is mad. He’s caught Carnera with a left hook to the head and a right to the head. It’s a left jab to the body and another left to the head. There’s a left cross and a right to the head. The contender’s right eye is bleeding and he can’t seem to keep his block up. Louis is penetrating every block. The referee is moving in, but Louis sends a left to the body and it’s an uppercut to the chin and the contender is dropping. He’s on the canvas, ladies and gentlemen.” Babies slid to the floor as women stood up and men leaned toward the radio. “Here’s the referee. He’s counting. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven . . . Is the contender trying to get up again?” All the men in the store shouted, “NO.” “—eight, nine, ten.” There were a few sounds from the audience, but they seemed to be holding themselves in against tremendous pressure. “The fight is all over, ladies and gentlemen. Let’s get the microphone over to the referee . . . Here he is. He’s got the Brown Bomber’s hand, he’s holding it up . . . Here he is . . .” Then the voice, husky and familiar, came to wash over us—“The winnah, and still heavyweight champeen of the world . . . Joe Louis.” Champion of the world. A Black boy. Some Black mother’s son. He was the strongest man in the world. People drank Coca-Colas like ambrosia and ate candy bars like Christmas. Some of the men went behind the Store and poured white lightning in their soft-drink bottles, and a few of the bigger boys followed them. Those who were not chased away came back blowing their breath in front of themselves like proud smokers. It would take an hour or more before the people would leave the Store and head for home. Those who lived too far had made arrangements to stay in town. It wouldn’t be fit for a Black man and his family to be caught on a lonely country road on a night when Joe Louis had proved that we were the strongest people in the world.

Note Taking On Carah And Louw: Making News: News

/in /by
urgent24hours

Read the following chapter of your textbook and upload your notes

Carah, N. & Louw, E. (2015). Making news.  In N. Carah & E. Louw, Media and society: production, content and participation. Sage publications, Ltd. (pp.124-145)

Note-taking

DO NOT simply cut and paste quotations from the text to fulfill the requirements for taking notes for each subsection. You will not get any grade for doing this as this does not demonstrate your understanding. It only indicates that you can select quotations. Only use quotations in the manner indicated below, where the writers use particularly evocative language.

First contact

Scan the document

You will understand more if you quickly scan the chapter. Read the questions that start the chapter, the writers’ objectives for the chapter (under the heading “In this chapter we”) and the conclusion. By reading these parts of the chapter you will understand the writers’ aims. You now have a map of the chapter that will help focus your thinking and evaluate what you are reading.

Identify the main focus of the chapter

In two or three sentences explain clearly what is the main claim that the writer is trying to make in the chapter and how it seems to contribute to the objectives laid out in the overall introduction to the book.

Focus on the claims and examples made under each subheading

Examine the subheadings the writers use as these will help you focus on the way in which the writers build the argument. Write each of the subheadings down.  Read each section of the text under the subheadings and make the following notes

  • In one sentence identify the main claim being made in the subsection
  • When the writers use an illustrative example in a subsection, in one or two sentences explain what the example is and what it is being used to illustrate
  • If you find a quotation that you want to remember write Quotations I Wish to Remember and write the quotation including the page number

Apply your own lens to the content

Select something from the chapter that you found particularly evocative. Perhaps you found something particularly interesting, problematic, true or counter to your experience, true or counter to something you encountered in another class. Write a short paragraph of three or four sentences explaining what was evoked by reading this part of the text. Ensure that it is clear which part of the text you are referring to.

Ask questions of the content

In their book The miniature guide to the art of asking essential questions, Richard Paul and Linda Elder explain that questions are a fundamentally important part of our education. Asking questions generates greater understanding. They argue that if the reader is not asking questions of a text they are not really engaged in substantive learning. You are required to ask questions of each chapter using the following headings.

  • Clarifying Question(s)
    • If there is something that you do not understand, under the heading
  • Conceptual Questions
    • Writers use concepts. Concepts are ideas that are less concrete. They are ideas we use in thinking. They provide people to create a mental map of the world. Through concepts we define situations and define our relationships to the world around us. This will become particularly clear after we read Chapter One of your textbook and so I will add to this definition after we read that chapter.

Rubric

Note-taking of the introductionNote-taking of the introductionCriteriaRatingsPtsThis criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeIdentifying the main focusIn two or three sentences explain clearly what is the main claim that the writer is trying to make in the chapter and how it seems to contribute to the objectives laid out in the introduction.2.0 ptsGoodSuccessfully identified the main claim in the text0.0 ptsUnsatisfactoryFails to identify the main claim of the introductory chapter2.0 pts
This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeClaims in each subheadingAbility to identify the claims within each subheading, how examples are utilized and any evocative quotations5.0 ptsGoodSuccessfully identifies the main claim being made in each subsection and successfully explains how the examples are used in the subsection3.0 ptsMarginalLimited success in identifying the claims in subsections and/or explaining the uses made of the illustrative examples0.0 ptsUnsatisfactoryFails to identify the claims in the subsections and/or provides inadequate explanation of the uses made of illustrative examples.5.0 pts
This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeApplying your own lensAbility to synthesize and analyze chapter content in relation to other knowledge.3.0 ptsGoodClearly identified an element of the chapter and intelligently demonstrates its links to other knowledge that the student has gained0.0 ptsUnsatisfactoryFails to synthesize his/her learning3.0 pts
This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeQuestionPoses clarifying substantial questions of the text3.0 ptsGoodQuestions demonstrate careful consideration of the content of the chapter content and concepts.2.0 ptsUnsatisfactoryQuestions are poorly articulated or do not demonstrate substantive engagement with the content and concepts of the chapter0.0 ptsUnsatisfactoryNo questions were asked3.0 pts
Total Points: 13.0Previous

Exercises In Concision

/in /by

Project 2: Exercises in Concision

 

EXAMPLE

Wordy: The teacher demonstrated some of the various ways and methods for cutting words from my essay that I had written for class. (22 words)

Concise: The teacher demonstrated methods for cutting words from my essay. (10 words)

 

Now, try your hand at making these clearer and more concise while still maintaining the original meaning. Keep the original sentence or sentences, and compose your revision underneath each one. Don’t only eliminate word; use more precise terminology when appropriate.

 

It would help me grade faster if you put your responses in a different color or type of font or italicized them to make them stand apart better. (3 pts each)

 

1. The politician talked about several of the merits of after-school programs in his speech.

 

 

2. Angela believed but could not confirm that her neighbor of several years had been quietly secretly reading her catalogs from her mailbox.

 

 

3. Our Web site has made available many of the things you can use for making a decision on the best optometrist.

 

 

4. Working as a pupil under someone who develops photos was an experience that really helped me learn a lot.

 

 

Combine sentences and cut down on words when possible.

 

5. The office manager truly preferred all interoffice reports to be prepared on time. He also wanted all letters to be on the most current stationery and for them to be prepared with Times New Roman 12-point font.

 

 

6. The supposed crash of a UFO in Roswell, New Mexico, aroused interest in extraterrestrial life. This crash is rumored to have occurred in 1947.

 

 

 

Reduce clauses to phrases and phrases to single words. Eliminate unnecessary phrases that do not enhance the meaning of the sentence.

 

7. John Tarleton Agricultural College, which was a college founded in 1899, was the first to join the Texas Agricultural and Mechanical College system, and that happened in 1917.

 

 

8. Citizens who knew what was going on voted him out of his happy little office space.

 

 

9. Recommending that a student copy from another student’s paper is not something he would recommend.

 

 

10. Grandmothers who tell the tale of having to wear flour-sack dresses during the Depression are likely met with quizzical, puzzled looks.

 

 

11. After all, most young American citizens have never laid their eyes on a flour sack.

 

 

12. When young Americans try to picture clothing made of flour sacks, they probably picture a homely creation that boldly proclaims FLOUR on the bodice; however, most flour sacks were unmarked in the 1930s.

 

13. As more homemakers began sewing leftover plain sacks into clothing, the manufacturers had the realization that it would be wise to sell flour and feed in patterned sacks.

 

 

14. They saw that if they sold flour or feed in bags of printed cloth, consumers would buy an extra measure of flour or feed just to get the material.

 

 

15. While it is true that the material was sturdy enough to hold one hundred pounds of flour or feed, the prints themselves were pretty and bright.

 

16. As a matter of fact, there are more woodlands in Connecticut now than there were in 1898.

 

 

17. All things considered, Connecticut’s woodlands are in better shape now than ever before.

 

 

18. Due to the fact that their habitats are being restored, forest creatures are also re-establishing their population bases.

 

 

19. In a very real sense, this policy works to the detriment of those it is supposed to help.

 

 

20. In the case of this particular policy, citizens of northeast Connecticut became very upset.

 

 

Rewrite overused jargon or clichés.

 

21. She’s cool as a cucumber when it’s budget crunch time.

 

 

22. I wanted all my ducks in a row, so if we did get into a posture, we could pretty much slam-dunk this thing and put it to bed.

 

 

23. Alexander took the bull by the horns and made the gutsy decision to sell the Acme Bean Company stock.

 

 

24. Most of us were not down with the fact that gargoyles were a big deal to the stability of the buildings’ structure.

 

 

Strengthen these sentences by removing the fillers it and there, and rewrite the sentences to emphasize the logical subjects and verbs. If the passive voice has snuck back in, eliminate it.

 

25. There are many tools that are used by mechanics.

 

 

26. It was noticed by the mechanic that the check-engine light was malfunctioning.

 

 

27. There are always people who somehow want to beat the system.

 

 

28. There are several different types of needles that can be used.

 

 

29. Payment will be made as soon as the bill is received by us.

 

 

Eliminate the unnecessary words in these sentences.

 

30. This morning at 8:00 am the prisoners were transferred away to the prison facility by means of a bus.

 

 

31. It is absolutely necessary that the scalpels be sharp-edged in order to bisect the specimens in two.

 

 

32. Remove any and all foreign objects from the sensor machine.

 

 

33. I am of the opinion that the administrative agencies are at this point in time failing to work together for the enhancement of our lives.

 

 

 

Adapted from https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/572/01/, http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/GRAMMAR/concise.htm and other sources

4.04 Make It Memorable

/in /by

MJ LANGUAGE ARTS III : LIVING INNOVATION : 04.04 MAKE IT MEMORABLE

How Do I Present?

Competition for public attention is high and increasing. This is especially true in an age where anyone with access to the Internet can publish his or her thoughts (whether worth reading or not). There’s just an amazing amount of information available. So when you have a message or idea to share with the world, how do you know the best way to present it?

The answer depends on your topic, purpose, and audience. It also takes into account the advantages and disadvantages of various  mediums . Using multiple mediums can help spread the message to the most people possible. Yet that does not mean every medium is suitable for a certain idea.

 

How Do I Present?

Kristopher Bronner is an American teen. He supports the idea that candy doesn’t have to be made of unnatural foods to be tasty and low priced. He promotes both the innovative candy company he helped form and the idea that teens can change the world. Kris uses several mediums to share his message. Examine these formats to see the advantages and disadvantages of each.

Text Audio Video Graphics Static Multimedia Dynamic Multimedia Summary

 

Select each tab to learn about various means of presenting information.

Text ( newspaper article, formal report)

Advantage Writers share in-depth information in a text to fully explain their ideas. People can reread to review details about the topic.

Disadvantage People must use extended time to read lengthy explanations. A lack of audio or visual clues can lead readers to misinterpret the text’s statements.

 

Audio ( radio broadcast, podcast)

Advantage Speakers can use vocal  inflection  to show passion for the topic and build excitement.

Disadvantage Sound recordings lack  visuals  that can support a listener’s understanding. Listeners may find it dull if a speaker just reads a report.

 

Video ( television commercial, TV news segment)

Advantage Presenters use sights, sounds, and motion to build interest. It can be very engaging and informative for viewers.

Disadvantage It takes more time and money to create. Presenters cannot guarantee people will watch.

 

Graphics ( graphs, charts, maps)

Advantage Graphics can simplify complex ideas into easy-to-view chunks. Colors and shapes can present information in a clear and attractive manner.

Disadvantage Poorly designed graphics can confuse the viewer rather than aid understanding. Graphics provide the big picture but can lack supportive detail.

 

Static Multimedia ( posters, billboards)

Advantage Designers combine written words and images. They can create a short, memorable message.

Disadvantage People pass by quickly. Designers cannot include much detail. Information must be condensed to grab attention.

 

Dynamic Multimedia ( PowerPoint presentation, website)

Advantage Designers can combine text, images, and sounds. The format can engage multiple types of learners. It can include virtually unlimited information.

Disadvantage Audience must seek out the information. The format can distract from the message if it is too flashy or too outdated.

 

A Final Message About Mediums

You have seen that information may be shared in several different mediums. Each has its pros and cons. It is wise to share ideas through several different mediums rather than just one. This ensures that your message reaches the widest possible audience.

 

 

 

 

Evaluating Mediums

Using more than one medium to present information can help deliver the ideas faster to more people. Yet not all formats are equally effective for all people. You are familiar with the pros and cons of each medium. Keep this knowledge in mind as you view two different presentations about DNA fingerprinting—an article and an interactive.

DNA Interactive Text Version

 

Slide 1

There is an image of DNA strands.

Text:  DNA DNA—deoxyribonucleic acid—we all have it in every cell of our bodies. DNA is similar to a fingerprint—everybody’s DNA is different. (The only exception is identical twins. They have the same exact DNA.) Scientists and investigators count on DNA analysis for its accuracy. This unique genetic code can be found in all body cells, including hair, skin, and blood.

What if you came home one day and discovered your iPod was not in its usual place? Help us solve the mystery behind a similar scenario.

Slide 2

There is an image of a small desk with a light and a book.

Text: Oh, no! My iPod is not where I left it last night. Where could it be?

Slide 3

There is an image of a bedroom with a green chair, a bed, a desk and an iPod on the floor.

Text: It seems to be on the floor … I should probably pick it up.

Slide 4

There is an image of a cracked iPod.

Text: But. … what is this? There’s a scratch on the screen! And there seems to be … grrrrr … peanut butter remains!!

Slide 5

There is an image of a young girl and a boy in yellow shirts. They are playing in a house.

Text: Well, both of my siblings enjoy eating peanut butter crackers after school. But which one of them did it? Since each human being has a unique DNA code, and they are not identical twins, I am going to do DNA testing to catch the culprit!

Slide 6

There is an image of a bathroom sink with 2 hairbrushes.

Text: Aha! Their hairbrushes are just what I need. I’d better take a closer look …

Slide 7

There is an image of hair in a pink hairbrush and a brown hairbrush.

Text: I know that hair has DNA. I will grab a couple of hair strands and take them into the lab.

Slide 8

There is an image of a laboratory.

Text: Okay, I’m here at the lab. I should open the DNA analyzer…

Slide 9

There is an image of a DNA analyzer and a slide with 2 strands of hair.

Text: I need to place the hair samples I collected earlier into the glass.

Slide 10

There is an image of DNA computer samples and a picture of a young boy and a young girl.

Text: The results are back. Help me select the person who did this terrible damage to my iPod.

(If sister is selected) Hmmm … based on the results, my sister seems to be innocent. Please try again.

(If brother is selected) Guilty!

Slide 11

There is an image of the Daily News newspaper and an older man.

Text: DNA evidence exonerates innocent man after 22 years!

Audio: 22 years ago I was convicted of a crime I did not commit. At the trial, I pleaded innocent. Although my family believed me, the jury did not. The circumstantial evidence was too convincing. I have been in jail for 22 long years. I have missed every family event. Even my lawyer had given up after several appeals. I finally accepted the fact that jail would be my only home when a group called “The Innocence Project” contacted me. They set up a DNA analysis by using a strand of my hair. When they compared my DNA to the DNA at the scene of the crime, it was not a match!  I was free.

Slide 12

There is an image of the Daily News newspaper and an Egyptian mummy.

Text: DNA Extracted from 3000-year-old mummy!

Audio: 3400 years ago, I walked this earth. I lived in Egypt and lived and breathed, just like you do- except that I was Pharaoh. When I died, my family had my body mummified to preserve my tissue, skin, and organs. A new pharaoh took over after my death, and to preserve his power, he erased all information about my family and me from history. For 3400 years, my family was forgotten until one day a group of archeologist found me in my sarcophagus. Using CT scans, they figured out that I was Tutankhamen. You might know me as King Tut.  By analyzing the DNA of a group of mummies, they figured out who my family members were.  DNA analysis reunited my family in historically, 3400 years after our deaths.

Slide 13

There is an image of the Daily News newspaper and a two teens.

Text: DNA testing improves health!

Audio: My daily diet? Well … there is nothing I like better than doughnuts for breakfast, a big juicy hamburger for lunch and pizza night with my friends … yum!  All this changed when I had my DNA analyzed. The biologist informed me that the sequencing in my genetic code revealed a dangerous possibility- I was at risk for developing diabetes in my later life!  Armed with this information, I started exercising every day and eating my veggies- just like my mom always told me to do. I feel terrific knowing that I am doing what is best for my future me.

Slide 14

There is an image of a computer and a hand pointing to the computerized DNA image.

Text: Since the start of DNA analysis, investigators needed a way to keep track of all the data they were collecting from crime scenes. So the FBI and the U.S. Department of Justice developed what’s called the Combined DNA Index System, or “CODIS” for short. CODIS is a database of DNA records of convicted offenders. It is used worldwide to share and compare DNA data. Any forensics laboratory can use CODIS for free to run a DNA sample against the database to see if there are any matches. Once a criminal’s DNA code is in the system, it remains there for identification in future crimes.

 

Is DNA forensic analysis reliable? Guilty as charged.

Kathryn Holmes, Department of Justice

What if you came home one day and discovered your iPod was not in its usual place? Instead of resting on your nightstand, you found it tossed on the floor with a big scratch on the screen. First, you would examine the scene. Picking the iPod up, you see it has a peanut butter smudge on it. That’s when you start making a mental list of potential iPod-scratching suspects. Since you have a little brother and sister whose favorite afternoon snack is peanut butter crackers, you determine they are the prime suspects. But which one committed this offense? You storm down the stairs to begin your investigation.

When law enforcement is faced with a real crime and must analyze a crime scene, they take a much more detailed approach. Using science and technology, they can conduct what is called a forensic analysis. For example, the police might find written documents and have the handwriting analyzed by an expert. They can even use ballistics testing to examine markings on a bullet to see if it was fired from a suspect’s weapon.

But out of all the methods, the most reliable forensic technique police use is called DNA fingerprinting. As opposed to traditional fingerprinting in which the actual fingerprints are lifted from the crime scene, this type of fingerprinting looks inside the cell of a human being to determine who committed the crime.

Scientists and investigators count on DNA fingerprinting for its accuracy. That’s because DNA is similar to a fingerprint — everybody’s DNA is different. (The only exception is identical twins. They have the exact same DNA.) This unique genetic code can be found in all body cells, including hair, skin, and blood. That means investigators can examine these types of evidence found at the scene of the crime, with the hopes of matching it to a suspect’s DNA.

Although it is widely used today, DNA analysis technology has not always been around. Scientists developed this method in the 1980s. Since then, police and investigators have used it to help convict criminals and solve numerous crimes. This technology has proven useful in solving cold cases, too. Those are cases that were previously thought to be unsolvable.

1.

But DNA analysis isn’t just for convicting criminals. Over the past few decades, it has been used to help free prisoners who were wrongly convicted of a crime. Some of these prisoners were even on death row. Archeology is another profession that uses DNA analysis. Ancient peoples are studied using DNA samples taken from 3,000-year-old mummies. The scientists determine interesting characteristics, such as the health of the Egyptian family lineage. A more recent use of DNA analysis involves preventing health problems before they start. If a person’s DNA indicates that he or she has a propensity for heart problems, he or she could start exercising and eating well in order to avoid getting sick.

Since the start of DNA analysis, investigators needed a way to keep track of all the data they were collecting from crime scenes. So the FBI and the U.S. Department of Justice developed what’s called the “Combined DNA Index System,” or “CODIS” for short. CODIS is a database of DNA records of convicted offenders. It is used worldwide to share and compare DNA data. Any forensics laboratory can use CODIS for free to run a DNA sample against the database to see if there are any matches. Once a criminal’s DNA code is in the system, it remains there for identification in future crimes.

Although DNA fingerprinting would not really be used to solve the mystery of the scratched iPod, for more serious matters, investigators around the world agree — when it comes to reliability, DNA analysis is guilty as charged.