A Sense of Doubt blog post #1662 - Essay One - Argument - The Injustice
So, I am battling my way back from falling behind.
When I don't have time to create original material, and since I don't always want to share an interesting article or an xkcd comic, I am going to continue to use the material I am writing for school to get my daily posts.
I tried a new version of the argument essay this term and returned to a model in which the students build the essay in steps.
I am already seeing the quality control I need to impose on this assignment before I roll it out on LCC classes.
For example, being lenient, I was going to waive my usual veto policy and accept essays on abortion. A day later, I felt sick to my stomach, nauseated, literally. I just cannot read such essays on that very, very upsetting and incendiary subject. I am definitely going to share my veto list before that start.
I think I will adjust the initial brainstorm stage and have students generate multiple subject ideas and choose the one they favor. Also, I may make a list of sites for them to draw articles from and only accept those sites with some options for outside approval. For instance, if someone found a blog by a good author, like David Brin or Sarah Jaffe (the writer for the Nation and other things not the singer), then I would approve such things.
Generally, there have been a lot of good ideas from students, though.
I need to push more in class instruction to show thew connection and the idea as students move to the THEY SAY I SAY part.
Here's what I tasked students with thus far:
Ye Olde Argumentation Paper Assignment
IMPORTANT DUE DATES
Injustice Paragraph due at class time: Wednesday Sept. 4th
TSIS due at class time: Monday Sept. 9th
Thesis draft and DB due Friday 9/13 to Blackboard + Responses after
FIRST DRAFT DUE at class time: Wednesday Sept. 18th
Peer review of REVISION in class: Friday Nov. 15th
Revision DUE at class time: Monday Nov. 18th
FINAL DRAFT DUE: in final portfolio: no later than 12/12
ASSIGNMENT: Write a persuasive essay (ie. one that persuades the reader) on an injustice of your choice that can be framed in a problem-solution organizational pattern. Develop the essay in a series of stages that include two brainstorming steps and three drafts of the essay manuscript.
STAGE ONE - INJUSTICE PARAGRAPH - Typed or handwritten - due on paper 9/4 - requirements as per class instructions and as explained here. Write a single paragraph of five-eight sentences that describes your chosen subject (an injustice), some thoughts on how you might argue it, some thoughts on why you chose it, and the data (author, title, link) of one OPINION source related to this subject, even if it expresses a view opposite of what at this time you believe your own to be. The intention of this stage is to get you to choose a subject and set down some thoughts. You may change your subject. If so, please seek my approval.
Brainstorming and suggestions can be found here:
See sample posted to announcement for 1909.03 and here:
STAGE TWO - They Say - I Say (TSIS) PARAGRAPHS
- Submitted typed on paper and uploaded to Blackboard [bbrd] - due MONDAY 9/9.
Respond to the opinion article you found.
Start with writing at least a single paragraph summarizing what “they say.”
Follow up by writing at least a single paragraph detailing what YOU SAY (the “I Say” part). Take a position. Do you agree? Disagree? Or a little of both? Refer to class instruction for additional guidance.
Provide an end reference for your source in MLA form. In-text cites not required at this stage but clearly name the author and source in your THEY SAY part.
The intention of this stage is provide a starting point to form your content for your first draft and forming your thesis.
Your focus here should be to establish to some minute satisfaction the credibility (or lack thereof) of the writer of your opinion column, to carefully and accurately characterize those opinions as written in the column, and then to clearly establish your position and craft a detailed reaction for, against, or both.
STAGE THREE - THESIS DISCUSSION
due to Blackboard by Friday 9/13
with responses by Monday 9/16.
Craft a thesis and share with your classmates on the Blackboard discussion.
Create your thesis in the form taught in class.
Respond to at least two classmates offering affirmation, validation, encouragement, and advice as they develop their thesis statements.
STAGE FOUR: FIRST DRAFT OF THE ESSAY:
due on paper & bbrd - MONDAY 9/18
LENGTH = 700 WORDS minimum.
Six paragraph minimum.
No maximum length.
Argue at least three topics (three problem and one solution or some variation).
SOURCES: Reference at least three sources.
One source is an opinion article, one source uses data that you analyze as part of your argument, and the third source is of any kind. One source must be found via the library and the search steps you took must be noted on your works cited page. A source can fulfill two requirements, such as being from the library and using data.
All sources must be written by authors with names, real people whose identities you can track.
General sources like Wikipedia may be used in addition to three, authored sources.
All source material is cited with in-text citations and end references in proper MLA form.
STYLE: Utilize persuasive strategies and techniques. Create an engaging hook to start essay. Use the instructor’s thesis form; paragraphs should begin with topic sentences that derive from and support the thesis.
NOTE: The TSIS writing and the Injustice paragraph were both meant to be brainstorming and exploration activities and not partial drafts of your essay. Beware copy and pasting this material into your essay verbatim.
Though your essay may draw from the opinion column on which you performed TSIS, and though you had formed ideas in that document, you should evolve, expand, shift, transform, and mutate those ideas
STAGE FIVE and SIX: PEER REVIEW & FIRST REVISION
Initial draft due in class on paper for peer review Friday Nov. 15th.
Revision DUE at class time on paper and to bbrd: Monday Nov. 18th.
In the two months since the submission of the first draft, you have received feedback from the instructor and have revised and expanded the essay. Now, you are ready for a review session with peers and completing another draft.
ADDITIONAL detailed instructions for the revision will be posted separately before this stage’s due date comes up. In brief, for this stage, you
• consider issues of credibility and bias with regards to source material,
• introduce and refute opposing perspectives,
• expand content,
• strengthen argument structure after learning more about persuasive strategy,
• provide transitions,
• add source material,
• and include a few other elements to be taught by instructor.
Some students will have re-crafted their entire foundation including a revised thesis, topics, and source materials.
LENGTH: at least 1000 words.
SOURCES: at least four total (one more than previously). The fourth source must be scholarly – from a peer-reviewed journal.
Other required elements from first draft still apply, such as types of sources.
STAGE SEVEN: The Final Draft
After feedback on your first draft and your revision, you will complete one more revision due to the portfolio at the end of the semester. Every students will revise this essay for the portfolio as your “signature” or “capstone” work. No additional requirements are mandated for this draft. You should follow the advice given by your instructor as well as your own good sense and more sophisticated knowledge of what a good essay entails.
GOOD LUCK!
shalom: chris
All I really Need To Know I learned in Kindergarten; No one is a barber shop; Lighten Up; It Takes a Village; Like a Rolling Stone;
What’s so funny about Peace, Love, and Understanding?; Let’s Give Peace a Chance; Won’t Get Fooled Again; You Can’t Always Get What You Want, but if you try sometimes, you just might find
you get what you need
oh yeah
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- Bloggery committed by chris tower - 1909.06 - 10:10
- Days ago = 1525 days ago
- New note - On 1807.06, I ceased daily transmission of my Hey Mom feature after three years of daily conversations. I plan to continue Hey Mom posts at least twice per week but will continue to post the days since ("Days Ago") count on my blog each day. The blog entry numbering in the title has changed to reflect total Sense of Doubt posts since I began the blog on 0705.04, which include Hey Mom posts, Daily Bowie posts, and Sense of Doubt posts. Hey Mom posts will still be numbered sequentially. New Hey Mom posts will use the same format as all the other Hey Mom posts; all other posts will feature this format seen here.
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