A+Preface

= Here are some sample "prefaces" and the papers they introduce. For each of your ten portfolio papers, write a similar type of preface introducing and describing your papers: =

** WRITING PREFACES **
 * __ Explanation __ **** : The students who wrote the essays below have also described how they wrote them with a brief explanatory “preface.” A preface introduces something you’ve written, shows how you came up with your topic, what main ideas or messages you wanted to convey, and points out special techniques, effects or types of organization and development you put into your paper. **

1) //PREFACE: In this essay, I wanted to introduce a problem from my own culture and show how it is not always as bad as we might think. I start with why people might probably think it is best to be the oldest child in a family. Then I explain three ways being younger is not so bad. In fact, in my conclusion I show my strongest reason why I’m glad I wasn’t the oldest. Also, my title adds more weight to the thesis of my essay//.

Being Younger, the Pressure’s Off In Micronesia, many families solve the problem of inheritance issues by simply giving the land and property to the oldest son. It is common, then, to think that being the oldest child in a family has the most privileges. However, there are several advantages to being the youngest child, too. First, it is important to note that by the time the youngest child is born, the parents have already had experience as parents. They know how to care for a newborn, and they tend to be more relaxed. Second, the youngest child has the opportunity to learn how to stay out of trouble. If the older children get into trouble, it is easy for the youngest child to learn from the older children’s mistakes. A third advantage of being the youngest child is that in many cases, the youngest gets extra attention from the older siblings. It is not unusual to see older siblings taking care of their younger siblings at school or protecting them from bullies. Finally, even though the oldest inherits everything, he is supposed to divide it fairly among all his brothers and sisters. I’m glad I don’t have that pressure when someday we have to say goodbye to our beloved parents. --Nelson Eiuriunig, Micronesia

2) //PREFACE: This is a fun short reflection about intercultural greetings. It’s based on my own observations and experiences, as well as a little Google research from a website about intercultural body language. So, who knows? Maybe I didn’t get everything exactly right. Read my examples and tell me what you think!//

Be Careful How You Do It! Greetings are the way that a person addresses or acknowledges another person when the two meet. In Bosnia, we can sometimes be very demonstrative; for example, two guys might kiss or brush one another’s cheeks, especially if they haven’t seen each other for a long time. Obviously, types of greetings vary in different countries. From my own research and other people I’ve met, here are some things I’ve learned. For example, people in Japan often prefer to greet each other nonverbally, with a bow and a smile. Africans would likely greet fellow Africans with a handshake. For Maori people of New Zealand, the most common greeting is the //hongi//, which involves rubbing noses. In Poland, a kiss on each cheek is possible, like in my country, but Dutch people kiss the right cheek, then left, then rigbt again. Travelers to other countries would be wise to learn the appropriate greetings commonly expected by people. --Drago Vujasinović

3) // PREFACE: In this research paper, I explain what I have discovered about the dangerous effects of unemployment in the U.S. and other countries. I include graphics and charts to more clearly show important facts and data. Summarizing, paraphrasing, and quoting were really hard but helped me to understand the issues more clearly. I also worked hard to describe the strength of my sources in my paper and to match them to where they appear in my Works Cited section at the end. //

// THE DANGERS OF UNEMPLOYMENT // // FAHAD A. // // --HERE IS THE WORD FORMATTING OF FAHAD'S PAPER: //