Unit 4 Lesson 5: Developing the Topic Flashcards
fact
a piece of information that can be proven true
relevant
connected to the topic
sufficient
enough to adequately support the topic
When choosing which facts to use, writers can ask themselves the following questions:
- Is this fact accurate?
- Is this fact related to my thesis statement?
- Do these facts adequately support a reader’s understanding of the topic?
Read the following thesis statement and facts. Which facts would best develop the topic? Explain your answer.
Thesis statement: Getting the recommended amount of sleep is imperative for teenagers.
Facts:
Teenagers need more sleep, typically between 8 and 10 hours per night.
Adults only need 7 or more hours of sleep per night.
Adults who get less sleep tend to have higher BMIs, higher blood pressure, and other health problems.
Humans have circadian rhythms that change as the body develops. For teenagers, their brains release sleep hormones later than children or adults because teenagers’ bodies are changing.
Without enough sleep, teenagers will have more difficulty concentrating on normal activities, such as completing school work, doing chores, or driving from place to place.
Facts 1, 4, and 5 would best develop the topic and support the writer’s thesis statement because these facts directly relate to teenagers and their need for sleep. Fact 1 discusses the amount of sleep teenagers need, Fact 4 describes circadian rhythms and how those relate to teenagers’ sleep schedules, and Fact 5 describes the consequences of not getting enough sleep. By using these facts, the writer can develop their topic in a way that supports their thesis that sleep is imperative for teenagers.
What changes the process of developing a topic
The process of developing a topic will be different depending on the writer’s audience, or intended group of readers. This is why writers need to use effective reasoning skills to plan how to best develop their topic for their audience.
When considering the audience, writers take into account:
- the general age of the audience
- their relationship to the audience
- the level of background knowledge the audience has
How does considering the audience help a writer develop the topic of an explanatory text?
Considering the audience helps a writer determine how much background knowledge their readers will have, as well as what might interest them. This helps the writer know what kind of facts to include to develop the topic of a text and support their thesis statement.
a print source with one author; how would you cite
- Include the author’s last name followed by the page number where the information was found. Do not use a comma between the author’s name and the page number. Example: (Rodriguez 120)
- If the author’s name is mentioned in your text, then simply include the page number in parentheses.
a print source with more than one author
- Include the authors’ names followed by the page number where the information was found. Do not use a comma between the names and the page number. Example: (Kowalski and Jones 56)
- If the authors’ names are mentioned in your text, then simply include the page number in parentheses.
an online source
Include the author’s name (if known), article name in quotation marks, or website name in parentheses where the information was found. The first item in parentheses should match the way the source is listed on the Works Cited page.
Do not include a page number for online sources.
What information should Shandra include in a parenthetical citation in her essay if the author is unknown for a section of the website she used for facts about the Great Depression?
the page number
the website name
the publication date
the date Shandra accessed the information
the website name
How should Shandra organize the websites she used on a Works Cited page?
Shandra should list sources alphabetically based on the information she has. She should use the author’s last name if she has it. If she does not have the author’s name, she should use the article title from the site. If she does not have an article title, she should use the website name.
MLA is preferd for what groups
The style of the Modern Language Association (MLA) is the preferred style for many writers in literature and the humanities.
Where can you find MLA style citations
When writers use the MLA style, they create citations in two places: in-text citations and a Works Cited page. In-text citations go in parentheses at the end of a sentence that includes ideas from another writer. The parenthetical citation is put inside the closing period of the sentence.
