Extend Your Knowledge: Activity

To practice ownership, rewrite the introductory paragraph (Strategy 3) on the spread of misinformation by media outlets. Think about an example or evidence that you can add on the topic. After revising the paragraph, review your own work or exchange drafts with a peer and follow the steps below.

Step 1. Read the draft and list the author’s interest or experience in the topic.

Step 2. Answer the following based on your reading.

• What is the author’s primary stance on the issue?
• What example or evidence have they used? Where did they get the example or evidence from and have they noted that in the paragraph (for example, as an in-text citation)?
• Who is the audience of the text?
• In what way is your voice and writing style, or your peer’s, different from that of the paragraph in Strategy 3? If you believe that it is similar, discuss some of the similarities.

Step 3. Comment on the aspect of ownership. Has the writer attempted to personalize the paragraph? In what way? How is it different from your approach?

You can use the following chart to capture your ideas: