Classwork, 2.24.11

1. Read each of these articles covering the same news event.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/02/23/obama-doma-unconstitutional_n_827134.html

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2011/02/23/obama-administration-drops-defense-anti-gay-marriage-law/

http://jezebel.com/#!5768352/good-news-obama-stops-defending-defense-of-marriage-act

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/theoval/post/2011/02/obama-says-it-wont-defend-law-that-bans-recognition-of-gay-marriage/1

http://www.npr.org/2011/02/23/133996797/u-s-will-no-longer-defend-anti-gay-marriage-law

2. As you read, take notes on the rhetorical devices used in each source, particularly titles, images, vocabulary, and tone.

3. Review your notes and compare with your partner's (if you choose to work with one). List the publications and attempt to determine, based on these articles, each publication's stance on this issue (i.e. is the publication pro, anti, or neutral?).

4. Determine similarities and differences among the articles in the way they present this story (i.e. in the rhetorical devices they use). What aspects does each source highlight? What background information does each source include? What, if anything, does each source ignore?

5. Write a paragraph in which you discuss these differences. In this paragraph, please do the following:

• Make arguable claims about the content, technique, and/or rhetorical devices used in the various articles (e.g. "The images of dying children in the New York Times piece evoke greater sadness than the more neutral flag images shown in the Huffington Post piece.")
• Include direct quotations from the articles when you make claims about them.

6. When you have finished, please call me over to discuss your paragraph.

Homework Due Tuesday, March 1, 2011

For Tuesday, please complete the following:

Bring your Unit 2 research proposal and annotated bibliography to class. Please remember to follow all guidelines on the prompt and/or on the OWL MLA website. For the record: the prompt asks for single-spaced annotations; the website calls for double-spaced. I will accept either format.

Homework Due Thursday, February 24, 2011

For Thursday, please complete the following:

1. Continue working on Unit 2 paper; it is due in class next Tuesday (March 1^st).
2. Read/skim Chapter 19, “Evaluating and Using Sources,” in EaA. This should help you sort through the material you find in your research.

Classwork, 2.22.11

Freston, Kathy. “Vegetarian Is the New Prius.” The Huffington Post, Jan. 2007. Web. 22 Feb 2011.

Freston discusses global warming and its portrayal in popular media outlets. She argues that, contrary the conventional wisdom of the last decade, driving a hybrid car is not the most environmentally conscientious thing a typical person can do. Rather, she suggests, the adoption of a less meat-heavy diet by people in developed nations would result in significant reduction of greenhouse gas emissions and would be a more economically viable step for the majority of people. Freston cites sources including a report from the United Nations and provides statistics about deforestation and the emission rates of various greenhouse gases. Freston is a “conscious-living counselor,” which means her work may offer useful information but is unlikely to meet the rigorous standards of scholarly, peer-reviewed research. This article offers several suggestions for further research and is thus a good jumping-off point, but her tone is a bit casual for this to be a major source in my research.

Classwork, 2.17.11

1. The Lorax (text here)
2. This ad

Homework Due Tuesday, February 22, 2011

For Tuesday, please complete the following:

1. Continue working on the U2 proposal & research. Proposal and annotated bibliography will now be due Tuesday, March 1, 2011.

2. Revisions, if you choose to make them, are due in class on Tuesday (February 22, 2011).

3. Bring to class at least one of the sources you plan to use for Unit 2 (either a physical copy or a link to the digital version). If you do not bring any source, you will be unable to participate in Tuesday’s class activity and will receive an unexcused absence.

Sample Revision Cover Letter

If you choose to revise your paper, your cover letter should have a format similar to this one. Please note that this does not mean you may copy and paste my words into your letter.

February 13, 2011

Dear Ms. Lemieux:

Attached to this letter, please find the revision of my Unit 1 paper. After consulting your endnotes, rereading the paper and discussing your suggestions and my questions in your office, I’ve made the following changes:

· I moved the thesis statement from the second-to-last paragraph to the first, which will situate the reader and focus my argument from the beginning of the paper.

· I eliminated first- and second-person pronouns throughout the paper. In many cases, I simply eliminated excess phrases; in other cases (as on page 3, paragraphs 1 and 2 and on page 4, paragraph 3), I re-worded sentences to eliminate the imperative tense and phrases like “as you can see.”

· I expanded the concrete analysis of my argument by supporting each analytical claim in the paper with concrete evidence from the argument. Examples appear in every paragraph except the first and last; I have chosen to use bold text to indicate concrete support rather than list all the paragraphs here.

· I changed the paper’s font to Times New Roman.

· I corrected usage errors (“there” vs. “their” and “your” vs. “you’re”).

I also visited the Writing Center, where I worked on eliminating run-on sentences. On pages 2, 3 and 4, I separated several run-ons into shorter sentences.

Thank you for your time.

Sincerely,

J. L. Student

Joseph L. Student

Homework Due Thursday, February 17, 2011

For Thursday, please complete the following:

1. ATTACK (closely read) the two sample proposals in EaA, 399 – 414.
2. Identify in each where the author identifies an issue/problem, makes a strong & clear claim/proposal, provides reasons & evidence why that proposal is necessary, and demonstrates that the proposal will address the issue identified. Bring your book to class to receive credit for this assignment.
3. Continue researching your Unit 2 issue.

Homework Due Tuesday, February 15, 2011

For Tuesday, please complete the following:

1. Read Chapter 12 ("Proposals") in Everything's an Argument.
2. Submit to me for approval a topic and issue you plan to research for Units 2 - 5. Please note: you are not permitted to switch topics or issues after Unit 2, so it's in your interest to choose a subject you find interesting.

In-Class Writing: 2.10.11 (Bibliography & Reserach)

By the end of class today, please email to blemieux@siu.edu a Works Cited page that includes the following:

1. Four entries in proper MLA format for sources relevant to one of the issues addressed in “Vegetarian Is the New Prius”

2. At least two different types of sources (e.g. books, articles, journals, online sources)

3. At least one scholarly source

4. A brief annotation for each source, including a short summary of the source’s content and its relevance to the issue you have selected.

If you finish this assignment before the end of the class period, you may begin researching for your Unit 2 assignment.

Homework Due Thursday, February 10, 2011

For Thursday, please complete the following:

1. Choose a topic and issue to research in Units 2 – 4.
2. On a sheet of paper, identify the topic, issue, and three potential focus questions you might use to guide your research.
Ex.
Topic = vegetarianism
Issue = the environmental impact of dietary choices
Potential Focus Questions = In what ways does a traditional American diet contribute to climate change? To what extent might a decrease in the consumption of animal products address climate change issues? How can vegetarian activists motivate people in developed nations to consume fewer animal products?

In-Class Writing: 2.08.11 (MLA Resources)

Online MLA Guide

Online Works Cited Guide (basics)

Online Works Cited Guide (books)

Online Works Cited Guide (periodicals)

Online Works Cited Guide (other common sources)

Unit 1 (Rhetorical Analysis) Grading Rubric

This is the rubric I will use to grade your Unit 1 papers. You may find it useful as you write and revise this weekend.

Argument Analysis Rubric (Unit 1)

An “A” Paper:

· Contains an effective thesis statement that makes an arguable claim about the effect of the argument’s rhetorical devices on its purpose for its audience.

· Consistently supports the thesis throughout the paper with supporting arguable claims backed by textual evidence.

· Maintains a tone appropriate for a general academic audience.

· Meets the 4 – 6 page length requirement.

· Contains a “Work Cited” page with any appropriate sources included in MLA format.

· Is virtually free of errors in spelling, grammar, punctuation, usage, etc.

A “B” Paper:

· Contains a strong thesis statement that evaluates the chosen argument’s effectiveness.

· Supports the thesis throughout the paper by offering textual evidence.

· Generally maintains a tone appropriate for a general academic audience.

· Meets the 4 – 6 page length requirement.

· Contains a “Work Cited” page with all appropriate sources included in MLA format.

· Contains few errors in spelling, grammar, etc.

A “C” Paper:

· Contains a thesis statement that evaluates the argument.

· Supports the thesis in most of the paper by offering some textual evidence; may include more summary than is necessary.

· Contains lapses in tone.

· Meets the 4 – 6 page length requirement.

· Contains a “Work(s) Cited” page with all appropriate sources included in correct MLA format.

· Contains some errors in spelling, grammar, etc.; at times, these errors can be confusing.

A “D” Paper:

· Contains no apparent thesis statement or a thesis statement that does not match the rest of the paper.

· Fails to adequately support the thesis statement by using non-specific evidence or insufficient evidence.

· Contains more summary than analysis.

· Is written in a tone inappropriate for a general academic audience.

· Fails to meet the page requirement.

· Contains errors in citation and documentation.

· Contains significant errors in spelling, grammar, etc.

An “F” Paper:

· Fails to meet minimum requirements.

· Plagiarizes.

Homework Due Tuesday, February 8, 2011

For Tuesday, please complete the following:

1. Bring to class a polished draft of your Unit 1 paper, the rough draft (if you printed it originally), and the paper with your peer's comments.
2. Closely read "Vegetarian Is the New Prius" (EaA 800 - 804). Bring your text to class.

Unit 1 (Rhetorical Analysis) Peer Review

Unit 1 (Rhetorical Analysis) Peer Review

Please respond to these questions thoroughly, on the back of the writer’s paper or (for digital papers) on a clean sheet of paper.

1. If you’re reading a digital draft, select the “Track Changes” function (under “Review”).

2. Find the author’s thesis statement. Highlight or underline it. What rhetorical devices are mentioned in the thesis? What does the author argue that these devices “do” to the argument analyzed? (Note: if either specific rhetorical devices or their function is missing, make a note to the author.)

3. What do you expect the paper to be about after having read the introduction?

4. Read the body of the paper. Summarize each paragraph in the margins. Identify which part of the thesis each paragraph addresses (or, if a paragraph has nothing to do with the thesis, note that).

5. Each support paragraph should address one idea. Note places where one paragraph should be broken into multiple paragraphs, or where two or more should be pulled together.

6. Evaluate the author’s use of evidence: each paragraph should include specific, arguable claims about rhetorical devices in the argument analyzed. It is often a good idea to place these arguable claims at the beginning of paragraphs (as topic sentences).

a. In each paragraph, underline the arguable claims made.

b. In each paragraph, circle the evidence used as support for these claims (evidence must come from the argument analyzed).

c. Any time a claim is unsupported by specific textual evidence, write “evidence needed.”

7. Read the conclusion paragraph. Make sure it doesn’t begin with “in conclusion,” “to sum up,” or some similar phrase.

8. When you have read the paper through once, re-read the thesis. Does the author offer adequate support (in the form textual evidence) to support this thesis? If not, indicate this to the author.

9. Re-read the paper and mark sentences whose meaning is not clear (e.g. by underlining them and writing “unclear”).

10. There should be no first-person pronouns ("I," "me," "my," "mine") or second-person pronouns ("you," "your," "yours") in this paper. Identify any and make a note to the writer to remove them.

11. Indicate any errors you see in spelling, mechanics, usage, punctuation, capitalization, and grammar (even if you are not sure how to correct them; that is the writer’s job).

12. When you have finished critiquing your peer’s paper, go over your comments. Ask questions if your peer needs to clarify or be more specific about feedback.

Homework Due Thursday, February 3, 2011

For Thursday, please complete the following:

1. Bring to class Thursday a complete draft of your Unit 1 rhetorical analysis paper (double-spaced) for peer review. Email me a digital copy in the file format .rtf. You may bring your paper on a flash drive or as a hard copy. This draft should be at least four pages long.