Backpack Writing uses written instruction and visual tools to teach how to read, write, and research effectively for different purposes in a brief travel-friendly format.  

Table of Contents:
PART 1: THE WRITER AS EXPLORER   1.Making Discoveries Look with new eyes Find a territory Use guides   2.Readingto Explore Become a critical reader Look with a critical eye Read actively Recognize fallacies Respond as a reader   3.Planning a Journey Determine your direction Write a thesis   4.Returning and Revising Evaluate your draft Respond to others Pay attention to details last   5.Communicating Visually Communicate with visuals and words Know when to use images and graphics Create tables, charts, and graphs Understand typography   PART 2: THE WRITER AS GUIDE   6.Writing Effectively in College Understand the demands of writing in college Think about your aim Think about your genre Think about your audience Think about your credibility Think about building on the work of others   Write to Reflect 7.Reflections Writing reflections An effective reflection Sue Kunitomi Embrey, Some Lines for a Younger Brother . . .   How to read reflections Lee Conell, My Dropout Boyfriend Kept Dropping In Amy Tan, Mother Tongue   How to write a reflection Student example Janine Carter, The Miracle Quilt Projects   8.Informative Essays Reporting information Effective informative writing Samuel Wilson, The Emperor’s Giraffe   How to read informative writing Lori Gottlieb, How Do I Love Thee?        Chip Walter, Affairs of the Lips, Why We Kiss How to write to inform Student example Lakshmi Kotra, The Life Cycle of Stars Projects   Write to Analyze 9.Rhetorical Analyses Writing to analyze Writing a rhetorical analysis Writing a visual analysis An effective analysis Tim Collins, Straight from the Heart   How to read analyses David T.Z. Mindich, “The Collapse of Big Media: The Young and the Restless” Volkswagen Beetle   How to write an analysis Student example Kelsey Turner, Biting the Hands That Feed America Projects   10.Causal Analysis Writing to analyze causes An effective causal analysis Stentor Danielson, Pesticides, Parasite May Cause Frog Deformities   How to read causal analyses Stephanie Coontz, The Future of Marriage Emily Raine, Why Should I Be Nice To You? Coffee Shops and the Politics of Good Service   How to write a causal analysis Student example Sean Booker, Borrowing Bling: The Appeal of Hip-hop to Young White Men Projects   Write Arguments 11.Evaluations Writing to evaluate An effective evaluation Lefteris Pavlides, The Aesthetics of Wind Power   How to read evaluations Danah Boyd, Web 2.0 Forum: Knowledge Access as a Public Good Stephanie Rosenbloom, The Nitpicking Nation   How to write an evaluation Student example Rashaun Giddens, Stop Loss or “Loss of Trust” Projects   12.Arguments for a Position Writing a position argument An effective position argument Ted Koppel, Take My Privacy, Please!   How to read position arguments Frederick Douglass, What to the Slave Is the Fourth of July? Mark Winne, When Handouts Keep Coming, the Food Line Never Ends   How to write a position argument Student example Chris Nguyen, Speech Doesn’t Have to Be Pretty to Be Protected Projects   13.Proposal Arguments Making a proposal argument An effective proposal argument Thomas Jefferson, The Declaration of Independence   How to read proposal arguments Richard Nixon, Building the Interstate Highway System Michael Pollan, Why Bother?   How to write a proposal argument Student example Kim Lee, Let’s Make It a Real Melting Pot with Presidential Hopes for All Projects   PART 3: The Writer as Researcher   14.Planning Research Analyze the research task Ask a question Determine what you need Draft a working thesis   15.Finding and Evaluating Sources Find information in databases Construct effective searches Locate elements of a citation Find information on the Web Evaluate Web sources Find visual sources online Find books Find journal articles Evaluate print sources   16.Writing the Research Paper Plan your organization Avoid plagiarism Quote sources without plagiarizing Summarize and paraphrase sources without plagiarizing Incorporate quotations Incorporate visuals   17. MLA Documentation Elements of MLA documentation Entries in the works-cited list In-text citations in MLA style Books in MLA-style works cited Periodicals in MLA-style works cited Web sources in MLA-style works cited Other sources in MLA-style works cited Sample MLA paper George Abukar, It’s Time to Shut Down the Identity Theft Racket   Credits Index