Assignment

RRR 11 - This is Where I Stand Part 2

1. Read

The "'This is Where I Stand': Arguing a Position," Chapter 7 in Everyone's an Author (61-88, 1st Ed.; 116-138, 2nd Ed. ).

2. Research.

Look to see where and how positions are expressed around you, considering posters, editorials, songs, Facebook postings, blog entries, and so on. Then choose one that most interests you - or that is most irritating to you - and spend some time thinking about how it presents its positions. How does it appeal to you - or why does it fail to appeal? What kinds of words, images, or sounds does it use as support for its position?

3. Respond.

Write a 200-250 word response about how you would revise it for a difference audience, what would you do?

RRR 12 - This Where I Stand Part 2

1. Read

The "'Yes/No/Okay,But': Three Ways to Respond," Chapter 4 in They Say/I Say (55-67). Notice the templates given throughout the chapter.

2. Research.

Go back to the item you wrote about in your last response.

3. Respond.

List the templates you could use if you were turning that response into a major paper and why they would be useful.

Requirements

• Write out the entire template.

Try It: Analyzing Argument
No unread replies. No replies.
Complete two of the following activities (200-250 words).

1. Watch the youtube video "Coke Super Bowl Commercial 2014 'America The Beautiful' [HD] Coca Cola". Its principal message, of course, is "drink Coke," but what else is it saying? What's the claim? Explain your response.

2. Find an argument you've read recently that caught your attention and reread it with an eye for the argumentative strategies it uses. Does it use one particular approach-Classical? Toulmin? Rogerian? Invitational?-or does it mix strategies from more than one approach? Is the argument persuasive? If not, try revising it using strategies from one of these approaches. Respond to these questions below.

3. Examine Signe Wilkinson's cartoon. Wilkinson is making an argument about distracted drivers, of course, but how would you classify the appeal? Emotional? Ethical? Logical? A combination of these? Point to specific elements of the cartoon to support your response.

Prewriting/Proposal/Organization: Review "Writing a Project Proposal," Chapter 19 in Everyone's an Author (372-376) and submit a proposal and outline for your Argument Essay. Please note: you are welcome to use the same topic and research you used in your analysis essay. However, keep in mind, that the thesis and purpose of your essay will change because you will be making a claim based on your opinion, which you will support with evidence, rather than explaining the "why and how" like you did in your analysis. In other words, you will take a stance/side and attempt to persuade your reader to see your point of view. That is why it is important to have evidence from your research that supports your stance.

Answer the following questions to work towards a thesis for your essay. Prepare a formal or graphical outline to organize the paragraphs of your essay. Plan where to place all evidence, analysis, and transition. Plan to write approximately 250-500 words. Feel free to discuss your plan with a Writing Center or Smarthinking tutor.

• What do you want to persuade your audience to think or do?
? What background information will you need to provide?
? What does your audience already think or know about your topic?
? Why should your audience care about your topic?
? Why should your audience care what you have to say about your topic?
? What is your motivation in choosing your topic?
? How do you want to be seen as an author on this topic?
? Other than your own, what are three different perspectives

What you will submit to me

Write and submit a brief (250-500) overview of what you are going to do in your paper. It consists of three parts:

• an indication of the focus of your essay,
• a statement of what your paper is going to say or your thesis statement, and
• an idea of some support you're going to use or your research.

Note: In order to keep yourself on track with the fundamentals of the paper assignment, you must articulate the three elements of your proposal by starting off with each of the following fragments, exactly as they stand. For example, you will write...

The focus of my essay is __________________.
In, my paper I am going to say that _________________________________.
The support or research I will use includes ____________________________.

While this might seem restrictive, it will force you to think about the assignment in precisely the right way...and it will save you a lot of trouble later with claim and organization.The more specific you are in this proposal, the less preparation work you will have to do when you start drafting.

Drafting, Evaluation, and Revision

Use your proposal and outline, write a rough/revised draft of your essay. Upon completion, submit to Smarthinking, and then submit your Smarthinking Edit to me.

Postwriting: Answer the following questions to evaluate your own essay. Use the same list of questions to gather feedback from the Writing Center or peer review. Use your feedback to make any improvements you want to your essay. You will have two weeks to continue drafting and revising whichever essay you choose to finalize for extra credit in the final module of this course.

? Is the essay's position stated explicitly?
? Is there a clear and appropriate thesis sentence?
? To what larger conversation is this essay responding?
? Why will readers care about this topic?
? Does the introduction capture the audience's interest?
? Is there appropriate background information provided in the essay?
? Is the essay's tone authoritative and reasonable?
? What is the strongest evidence included in the essay?
? What is the weakest evidence included in the essay?
? What further reasons or evidence would convince you to agree with the essay's position?
? Are the sources used in this essay trustworthy?
? What counterarguments are included in this essay?
? Are the counterarguments treated fairly?
? Is the essay organized effectively?
? Is this essay's style appropriate to its audience and purpose?
? Is the conclusion forceful and memorable?
? Does the essay's title accurately describe it and encourage readers to read it?
? Does this essay persuade you to agree with its author

Your rough draft can be read by a tutor at SmartThinking (online) or in the Writing Center. If you have time to get a reader, feel free to submit the marked draft.

1. Write Rough Draft

2. Review and redraft

3. Go to SmartThinking or Campus Writing Center The link to SmartThinking is on the left hand navigation bar. Writing Center is immediate feedback.

4. Submit the draft after review.