Transcript Slide 1
• Vocab quiz, http://rws100.pbwiki.com/Vocab-Quiz • FUTURE HOMEWORK: get a portfolio folder and keep all your homework, papers, writing etc., with my comments, in it. – a) want you to write a reflection at end of semester – b) I reward it when you address issues discussed in comments. Easy way to get points? Address things I talk about in previous papers/homework (way to lose points = keep repeating same mistakes.) – c) Toward the end I may ask you to show me how you have addressed these issues. • RAIMES, page 595 – correction guide. You need to look up if don’t understand. • Homework LAST THURS– good news and bad news. Bad news? RTFQ. Good news: we got this out of our system early. • On Thursday (2/14) we will workshop drafts. Come to class with a significant chunk of the body written. • On Tuesday (2/19) there will be conferences in my office. • Final paper is due 2/21 • What’s wrong with this sentence? “Rifkin addresses that animals our more like us then we ever imagined” The language of argument • When writing about arguments use verbs like: Argues that… asserts that, claims, suggests, proposes, advances that claim that…establishes… • When you want to explain how the writer introduces support or evidence to support a claim – what verbs could we use? • Supports her claim with • Justifies his claim by… • Introduces evidence that… • Substantiates this claim by presenting evidence from X… • Provides support Assignment 1: writing an account of Gladwell • Your job is to construct an account of the argument that Gladwell makes. An account is NOT the same as a summary (although you will need to do some summary). Your goal is to show how the author’s use of specific kinds of evidence supports the argument, to explain how the argument is constructed and why it is effective. Your paper should respond, in order, to the following specific issues: Part 1. Introduction (1 paragraph) should: 1. Introduce Gladwell and his project in “The Moral Hazard Myth.” Questions to consider: a) b) c) Who is he? What is his project?[1] (What sort of work does he set out to do, how, and why?) What issue or problem is he responding to, and why does it matter? 2. Describe Gladwell’s main argument - what is he trying to get us to believe? 3. State the direction of your analysis and the steps you will take to get us there. This is called metadiscourse. (For example, “In my analysis of Gladwell’s text I will examine X and show Y.”) The “project” describes what the author sets out to do, how she does it, and by what means (such as research connections between X and Y, drawing from case studies or statistics, etc.) To articulate a project you need a verb, such as “researches,” “investigates,” “studies,” “presents,” “connects A with B,” etc. [1] • Part 2. The Body, in which you present your central analysis In this section, you will provide 3 or 4 major claims that support Gladwell’s argument. For each claim, you will: Identify the claim, in your own words, that you will discuss in this section. Use a quotation to illustrate this claim Identify the evidence Gladwell presents to support this claim Use at least one verb to describe what the author is doing - what moves Gladwell makes to get his point across and make the claim persuasive? Interpret Gladwell’s moves in terms of the main claim. How does the work Gladwell is doing in this particular section support his claim/argument? Comment upon how Gladwell organizes his text as he makes his claim and why he may have decided to place the material where he does. • Part 3: Your conclusion, which tells us “So What?” (1-2 paragraphs) In this section, you will discuss the overall significance of the text. There are several things you can choose to emphasize in this section. – What is the significance of Gladwell’s argument – why does it matter (at this moment/in general/to you)? – Consider the effectiveness of the argument – has Gladwell impacted your thinking/views on this topic? – Consider the significance of the assignment – of the intellectual exercise you have carried out. Does reading and analyzing a text this way provide you with any interesting or novel insights? • Some Key Suggestions: 1. Remember to focus on the text’s argument and how it is constructed, not what it is about. 2. Write the paper as if you are addressing an audience that has not read Gladwell, and you thus need to “spell things out.” 3. You are expected to use MLA format. See Raimes for assistance. 4. Proofread your work—you will be marked down for grammatical/spelling errors!