Discussion Forum 3 Main Post Prompt

For your main post, please write two or more paragraphs (total 200+ words) on the following:

Paragraph 1 (Your Personal Example):

Imagine that you are a woman about to go surfing for the first time. Please answer some of the following questions: How would you go about preparing for the experience? Which beach would you go to, who would you bring with you, what would you wear, what equipment would you prepare, and what time of year would you go? What obstacles and fears would you expect to face? Do you think you would do well? How would you feel after facing these challenges?
Helpful link to Surfline.com (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.. This website is great for planning a surf session because you can see live footage of the surf in our LA beaches and forecasts for wave conditions, water temperatures, tidal information etc..

Paragraph 2 or More (Essay 1 Thesis Brainstorming)

Begin your second paragraph with a one sentence thesis that fully answers the Essay 3 question:

Discuss two similar challenges faced by today’s professional women surfers (post-1990’s) and their predecessors (pre-1990’s).

See Chapters 3 and 13 (“Women and Surfing”) of The World in the Curl, and view my videos of women surfers today under Week 5 on this Moodle web site. Also, don’t forget to see the sample model student essay for help (download under General Helpful Handouts and Links at top of this class Moodle web site).

2. Then support your thesis with quotations and supporting examples from Chapters 3 and 13 from The World in the Curl. Also provide examples from my linked videos and articles on women surfers today. You are also welcome to cite information from sources you find on your own regarding today’s women surfers.

3. End your main post with an interesting question for the class that stems from the ideas in your post.

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Discussion Forum 3 Reply Posts Prompt (50+ words)

Part 1: What parts of the other student’s main post could you identify with? What parts did you like? Explain why you liked those ideas.

Part 2: Suggest improvements by referring to additional supporting examples from The World in the Curl. Or point out parts of the other student’s main post that you would like to see discussed in more detail, either with more explanation, clarification, or support.

Part 3: End your reply post with an interesting question that is relevant to your discussion.

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Online Class Discussion Forum General Instructions 

I. Point Value: 60 points

II. Minimum Requirements:

1 main post (200+ words) that fully responds to Dr. Kwa’s prompt
2 replies (50+ words each) to others’ main posts
Very Important: You are required to end all of your main posts and replies with a question that is related to your thoughts in your post.

III. Deadline: Late main posts and replies are not accepted.

IV. Originality: If your discussion forum plagiarizes ideas or wording from another student’s post or an outside source, you will receive “0” points for your plagiarized forum. Claiming lack of understanding of plagiarism will not be an acceptable excuse for plagiarism in your post. You will not be allowed to rewrite your plagiarized post. Please make sure to give credit to other students by name should you discuss their ideas.

V. Forum Formatting and Other Important Tips

Main posts should be titled “Main Post” to distinguish them from replies
Paragraph formatting: Divide your post into separate paragraphs. Skip a blank linebetween paragraphs, and do not indent paragraphs (e.g. business letters). 
Make sure to answer all parts of Dr. Kwa’s instructions for each discussion. 
Avoid recopying Dr. Kwa’s questions and writing in a question and answer format.  Write in well-organized complete paragraphs.
Must show language respectful of other students and Dr. Kwa. Disagreement is fine; hurtful language is not. Flaming posts will be immediately deleted from the forum.
Should not get off topic. Please not waste class forum space by talking solely about excuses for why you haven’t been participating earlier in the class discussion. Also avoid short posts where you say that you can’t post now but will post later in the week.
Must be proofread and reasonably grammatically correct. I recommend that you first write your post in Microsoft Word, save it, and then cut and paste it into the forum.

a) Remember to capitalize “I,” beginnings of sentences, proper nouns etc.

b) Use proper punctuation, including periods at end of sentences.

c) Avoid all capitalized letters in words since this looks like screaming in written form.

d) Avoid run-ons and fragments.

e) Avoid abbreviations used typically when texting or writing casual emails.

f) Always spell-check

Essay #1: The Demise of Surfing in 18th Century Hawaii

In your introductory paragraph: (Should only be one paragraph long and no longer than half a page.) Describe Westwick and Neushul’s account of the ways in which surfing was central to ancient Hawaii culture prior to the arrival of 18th century European explorers. See Chapter 1 “The Cradle of Surfing” in The World in the Curl.

In your thesis answer the following question:

What were the two biggest factors that caused the near elimination of surfing from Hawaiian culture after it was discovered by English explorer Captain James Cook in 1778?

In your body paragraphs, make sure to

Provide quotations from Chapter 1 of The World in the Curl by Westwick and Neushul. No outside Internet sources or other sources are allowed. No Works Cited page needed.
Make sure to follow up all quotations with a 4-5 sentence explanation of how they support your topic sentence claim.

ORGANIZATION TIPS

1) Thesis formation: The thesis should subdivide into the same number of points as your total number of body paragraphs. If you have two body paragraphs, your thesis would subdivide into two points. Thesis needs to be the last sentence of your introduction. The thesis should fully answer the essay question. It should also be specific, concise, and arguable.

2) Body Paragraph Organization and Unity: Each body paragraph should discussion one idea that supports the thesis; in other words, body paragraphs should not repeat ideas from previous paragraphs and should not contain more than one main idea.

3) Topic Sentences: Each body paragraph must begin with a topic sentence that tells the reader which thesis idea that paragraph will be about.

4) Concluding Sentences: Each body paragraph should end with a concluding sentence that restates topic sentence main ideas and adds supportive reasoning. The goal is to summarize the main examples you covered in that body paragraph.

5) Quotations: You will need to support any assertions you make with a discussion of quotations from the texts assigned. All quotations should have an introductory phrase and should use the following MLA format: Westwick and Neushul write, “XX” (24).

6) Quotation Analysis: All quotations should be followed by 4-5 or more sentences that provide a detailed explanation of how the quotation supports your body paragraph’s main idea.

7) Title: Divided into two parts separated by a colon. Centered. Double-spaced like your heading and the rest of your paper. Capitalize all key words. Should be a fragment. Not underlined or in boldface. No period at the end of the title. Your title should not just copy the title of this essay prompt or the title of the readings. Example:

Surfing Topic: Your Two Thesis Ideas

8) Conclusion: A place for you to summarize your thesis and add any last reflections on your topic. Should be no longer than half of a page.

9) Essay formatting: Use MLA format. For help, see Purdue University OWL website and click on the MLA section.

10) Number of Paragraphs: In order to pass, your essay must have an introduction that ends in a thesis statement, two body paragraphs, and a conclusion.

IMPORTANT: MANDATORY ESSAY STRUCTURE

Important: You are required to structure your essay using the outline below. The final draft of your essay should be developed from this outline using full paragraphs like any traditional essay. Please also see the model student essay link in our Canvas website.

Introduction

Describe Westwick and Neushul’s account of the ways in which surfing was central to ancient Hawaii culture prior to the arrival of 18th century European explorers.

·

Your Thesis: What were the two biggest factors that caused the near elimination of surfing from Hawaiian culture after it was discovered by English explorer Captain James Cook in 1778?

Body Paragraph One:

Topic Sentence: Restate using new wording the first thesis idea that this whole paragraph will focus on very specifically.	Your thesis’s first factor that caused the near elimination of surfing from Hawaiian culture after it was discovered by English explorer Captain James Cook in 1778:
Provide one quotation in MLA format. Reduce to 3 lines if longer using ellipses. Less than 4 lines: Westwick and Neushul write, “XX” (35).
Explain what the quotation is saying in detail in your own words. Make sure a reader unfamiliar with the text would be able to understand you without confusion. Aim for 4-5 or more sentences.
Provide another quotation in MLA format. Reduce to 3 lines if longer using ellipses. Less than 4 lines: Westwick and Neushul writes, “XX” (35).
Explain what the quotation is saying in detail in your own words. Make sure a reader unfamiliar with the text would be able to understand you without confusion. Aim for 4-5 or more sentences.
If you want to add and discuss more quotations, you can put them here.	· Quotation: · Analysis:
Argument: Link all the above quotations together in a way that shows how they support your topic sentence claim.
Add a concluding sentence reminding the reader of how your examples support your topic sentence claim. Should look similar to topic sentence but be more detailed.

Body Paragraph Two

Topic sentence: Restate using new wording the second thesis idea that this whole paragraph will focus on very specifically.	Your thesis’s second factor that caused the near elimination of surfing from Hawaiian culture after it was discovered by English explorer Captain James Cook in 1778:
Provide one quotation in MLA format. Reduce to 3 lines if longer using ellipses. Less than 4 lines: Westwick and Neushul write, “XX” (35).
Explain what the quotation is saying in detail in your own words. Make sure a reader unfamiliar with the text would be able to understand you without confusion. Aim for 4-5 or more sentences.
Provide another quotation in MLA format. Reduce to 3 lines if longer using ellipses. Less than 4 lines: Westwick and Neushul writes, “XX” (35).
Explain what the quotation is saying in detail in your own words. Make sure a reader unfamiliar with the text would be able to understand you without confusion. Aim for 4-5 or more sentences.
If you want to add and discuss more quotations, you can put them here.	· Quotation: · Analysis:
Argument: Explain how all the quotations together support your topic sentence claim.
Add a concluding sentence reminding the reader of how your examples support your topic sentence claim. Should look similar to topic sentence but be more detailed.

Conclusion

Restate your thesis using new wording (no cutting and pasting from thesis itself)
Your last reflections on this topic.

Essay 2 Final Draft: Bad Boy California Surfer Skaters

Required Texts Needed to Write This Essay

Watch the film Lords of Dogtown (2005). (You can acquire the film yourself or watch my copy available through Library Reserve with GCC student id; students must watch the film at the Library and are not allowed to take the DVD home. Bring your own earbuds to Library.)
Read Chapter 4 (“Inventing Surfburbia”), Chapter 5 (“War and Surfing”), Chapter 6 (“The Surf Boom”), and Chapter 7 (“Charlie Don’t Surf”) of The World in the Curl by Westwick and Neushul.

In your introductory paragraph: (Should only be one paragraph long and no longer than half a page.) Briefly describe Westwick and Neushul’s historical account of reasons why surfing became popular in Southern California from the early 1900s to 1960s. Then summarize how modern freestyle skateboarding emerged from surfing through the groundbreaking innovations of the Zephyr Skate team in Lords of Dogtown.