Composition 102 - Fun with Argument

Portfolio Checklist and Introduction

2005-05-05T14:25:33Z

Portfolio:

• Clean folder

• Title page

o Name
o Class
o Date
o Instructor (Mr. Weiss)

• Reflective Introduction

o 2-3 pages
o double spaced
o Times New Romans
o 1-inch margin

• Essays

o 9 + pages of clean properly MLA formatted text
o Times New Roman
o Double Spaced
o 1-inch margins
o not counting Works Cited

Questions to Ask While Choosing Entries

• Which pieces could you start working on right now, knowing you could make it better?
• Which one do you have the most energy for revisiting?
• What piece do you just feel good about?
• In which papers do your strengths really shine?
• Which topic would you like to add too?
• Which paper surprised you?

Elimination
• Which essay do you dread working on?
• Which essay just does not interest you at all?
• Which essay do you know will be too big of a task for the time you have?

Reflective Introduction

In the reflective introduction, you might try some of the following (but you can't choose all of these options):

• Discuss your best entry and why it is your best.
• Detail the revisions you've made and the improvements and changes that you want readers to notice.
• Discuss each piece of writing included, touching on the strengths of each.
• Outline the process that one or more of your entries went through. .
• Demonstrate what this portfolio illustrates about you as a writer, student, researcher, or critical thinker.
• Acknowledge your weaknesses but show how you've worked to overcome them.
• Reflect on what you've learned about writing, reading, or other topics of the course.

You have many options in writing an effective introduction. There is no magic formula or model text - but you will need to demonstrate self-assessment; in other words, show that you can evaluate the strengths of your work, that you understand what you do well and what you still need to work on.

The reflective introduction is also the place where both process and product come together. I have not been able to see every part of your process. I haven't watched you write, haven't participated in your peer response groups, haven't seen all of your notes, drafts, and other evidence of your evolving ideas. I won't know what your friend suggested about the anecdote that opens your essay, and I won't know how hard you've worked on adding transitions between paragraphs. I will be aware only of what you share with them in the reflective piece.

FX 4 PEER REVIEW WORKSHEET

2005-04-21T11:36:23Z

Read over the Prompt:
What are the major goals of this assignment? What should you be looking for in this essay that carries over from the essays before? What is new and specific to just this one?

Read over the paper:

Cohesive thesis and reasons: This paper can be set up in many different ways, but it should still read as an argument with a discernable thesis and direction. Pick out the thesis. Does it work for the essay?

Read over the paper again

Look for the Rhetorical Contexts. Pay close attention to target audience.
Look over the MLA of the essay. Where and how could the author better their citations?
Lastly, does the author provide enough reasons and evidence in a persuasive way to convince you to give? Point out a few places with problems or questions you have.

Put it All Together

Now that you have thoroughly read over you peer’s paper, read over it once more concentrating on what your peer is saying. Are they making their case in a clear and persuasive way? Produce a paragraph (around 150 words) addressing how well your peer has met the goals and purposes of the assignment focusing on the argument of the paper. Place this paragraph in the comment section of your peers Live Journal.

Websites to Help with FX 4

2005-04-14T13:40:55Z

Charity Navigator - http://www.charitynavigator.org/

US Census - http://www.census.gov/

FX 4 Persuading the Committee

2005-04-11T20:15:54Z

A committee wanting to donate 1 million dollars to charity has approached our class in an effort to find the right organization for their donation. To assist this committee in their decision, we will each research a charitable organization and write an essay persuading the audience that the charity you are writing about is the most worthy and needing of donation. To do this you should address its history, focus, and beliefs. This essay should not only inform, lay out a concise persuasive argument for why the 1 million dollars should go to the charity you have chosen and no other.

Purpose:

The purpose of this assignment is to take everything we have learned in the class and create a document that puts these strategies and tools to work for a cause that we are informed about and believe in.

Objectives:

• To have a focused thesis with research support.
• Strong reasoning and appeal
• A working knowledge of the strategies and rhetorical tools we have learned throughout the semester.
• Have a properly structured essay format
• Have concrete development and solid and persuasive support for your claims.
• Integration of source material
• An awareness of audience.
________________________________________________________________________

• This assignment should be typed in Times New Roman Font
• Double space
• 1inch margins.
• 3-5 sources
• 4 -5 pages in length

Schedule:

TH April 21st – Rough Draft
TH April 28th – Final Draft

FX 4 through Final Schedule

2005-04-11T20:14:32Z

4/19 & 4/21

Tues –
In Class Writing
Thurs –
FX 4 – First Draft

4/26 & 4/28

Tues –
In Class Writing

Thurs –
FX 4 – Final Draft

5/3 & 5/5

Tues –
Portfolio Workshop

Thurs –
Portfolio Workshop

5/10

Tues –
10:10am in Quig 0206

FX3 Peer Review

2005-04-07T11:50:41Z

FX 3 PEER REVIEW WORKSHEET

Read over the paper:

Readability: Does the paper read like a focused essay or are there obvious signals and breaks that make it seem like the writer is just answering questions? Choose some places where the paper could use more focus and less Comp 2 lingo.

Readability can also be a lack of cohesive thesis and reasons. This paper can be set up in many different ways, but it should still read as analysis with a discernable thesis and direction. Pick out the thesis. Does it work for the essay?

Read over the paper again
Look for the Rhetorical Contexts. Pay close attention to target audience. Do they mention all the Rhetorical Contexts that are needed? If not, point out which one(s) they need to spend more time with.

Look over the compare/contrast statements of the essay. Where and how could the author better their comparisons?

Lastly, does the author give you any of the Implications of the ads they are analyzing? Point out a few places or questions you have.

Put it All Together

Now that you have thoroughly read over you peer’s paper, read over it once more concentrating on what your peer is saying. Are they making their case in a clear and persuasive way? Produce a paragraph (around 150 words) addressing how well your peer has met the goals and purposes of the assignment focusing on the argument of the paper. Place this paragraph in the comment section of your peers Live Journal.

Link to Ad Review

2005-03-24T14:25:14Z

http://s22.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=1UP0MZVXW5EKO20FF0JARTT8CI

102 Schedule

2005-03-24T13:12:14Z

Tuesday March 29

Read AOA – 82-102

Thursday March 31

Conferences
Bring FX 3 Rough Draft to Conference and post.

Tuesday April 5th

Conferences
Bring Rough Draft to Conference

Thursday April 7th

Peer Review

Tuesday April 12th

Read: AOA – 251-258

Thursday April 14th

FX 3 Final Draft
Read AOA – 258-272

FX 3 - What are Ads Really Selling?

2005-03-10T04:46:12Z

Everyday we are bombarded with advertisements that sell us products. These ads focus on specific audience and use detailed arguments that might or might not have anything to do with what they are really selling.

In FX 3, each of us will choose 2 ads for the same product from different print media and analyze the arguments that each is using paying close attention to who the target audience of the ad is and what forms of persuasion the ad is using to sell the product.

Examples:

An ad for tennis shoes in Maxim Magazine and one in Good Housekeeping.

An ad for an SUV in OutDoor LIfe and one in Martha Stewart's Living.

Procedure:

1. Look at the rhetorical contexts of each ad.
2. What evidence are the ads using to make their case? (do they also use text and how do the two work together?)
3. What are the assumptions or bias?
4. What values do the ads consider and what are the implications of accepting the argument?
5. Compare the two arguments focusing on how well each works for their audience and how well they use visual arguments?

Criteria:
• Analysis of both ads focusing on:

o Target audience
o Forms of persuasion
o Talk about the difference in the ads
o The effectiveness of each on their target audience (and on others)

Objectives:
• Clear analysis of each ad
• Clear ideas and reason
• To use analytical ideas of argument and decision making
• To have an awareness of audience.
• To use of professional structure and language to describe personal thought.
• To use MLA documentation correctly.

________________________________________________________________________

• Typed in Times New Roman Font with 1inch margins.
• 4 to 6 pages in length plus a work cited.
• Careful edited and revised writing (I am so tired of marking your grammar wrong)
• The assignment will be reviewed by both classmates as well as myself before being revised for a final draft.

Schedule:
• Thursday March 24th – Bring both ads to class.
• Thursday March 31st - First drat posted and brought as a hardcopy to class
• Tuesday April 12th – Final Draft posted and hard copy

FX 2 peer review

2005-03-08T14:22:37Z

http://s11.yousendit.com/d.aspx?id=36LIOXVJW9B3N3SH8RIXEKMWHP

Texts for in Class

2005-03-01T02:18:48Z

Walker, Francis

and

EBSCO Search

THE BORDER PATROL STATE , By: Silko, Leslie Marmon

FX 2

2005-02-24T05:24:07Z

FX 2
Making the Case

Most of us have made it through the research stage of our writing project by accomplishing FX 1 without any problems. We have gathered evidence and put together a research tool that will provide us most of the information and a strong argument in which to make a case about a topic. In FX 2 we will make that case.

Because there will be a few of you that need to do more research for this we will be extending the time between drafts a little to provide you the research time that you need. To even things out and provide everyone with an variety of sources you are required to have 4-6 sources for this assignment.

Objectives:
• To write an essay that makes a case about our research topic.
• To develop thesis, reasons and evidence that focus our argument.
• To develop analytical ideas of argument and decision making
• To use persuasion to change your audiences view or opinion on a subject
• To develop Into, Body, and Conclusion and tie them together to make a congruent essay.
• To have an awareness of audience and reader.
• To use of professional structure and language to describe personal thought.
• To use MLA documentation correctly.

Source Material

• FX 1
• Aims of Argument Chapter 7 and 5.
• Little Brown Handbook 355-398
________________________________________________________________________

This assignment should be typed in Times New Roman Font with 1inch margins. It should be between 4 to 6 pages in length plus a work cited. You should have 4-6 sources.
The assignment will be reviewed by both classmates as well as myself before being revised for a final draft.

Schedule:
• Tuesday March. 8th – First drat posted and brought as a hardcopy to class
• Tuesday March 22nd – Final Draft posted and hard copy

FX 2 Schedule

2005-02-24T05:21:54Z

3/1 & 3/3

Tues –
Chapter 7: 237 - 242
Thurs –
Chapter 7: 242 - 249

3/8 & 3/10

Tues –
FX 2 – First Draft DUE

Thurs –
Chapter 5: 139 – 150 MLA Style part
FX 3 Assigned

3/15 & 3/17

Tues –
Spring Break
Thurs –
Spring Break

3/ 22

Tues –
FX 2 – Final Draft Due

FX 1 - Personal Review Guideline Handout

2005-02-22T13:00:52Z

Read each part of your FX 1 from beginning to end.
• Think about your progress through this writing assignment and write a few sentences focusing on your movement of ideas and your completion of each section.
• Do you feel that you had a flexible opinion or was opinion never going to change? Does that show in your writing?

Read over Part 2

• Now that most of you have formed an argument based on your research do you feel that you can Make a Claim using just the research you have listed in part 2?
• Write a few lines about the research process and what your initial plans are for integrating it into FX 2

Read over each Part again looking for patterns of ranting and personal opinion:

• Are there places in any of the parts where you repeat yourself or feel that you go into a rant like statement of opinion? How will you handle these in your final draft?

Read over the whole thing once more looking for grammar and other small writing mistakes.
• Do you feel that taking the time to write a paper in sections, whether it be an essay or other form of writing is beneficial? Why or why not?
• Are there ay error patterns that you see on a third reading that you need to work on? What are they and how are you going to fix them?

End this personal review with a statement about your experience with the paper as a whole.

• Do you feel it was beneficial?
• How do you feel your writing and research skills worked together?
• What would you do differently in the next assignment?

Peer-Review Guideline Handout

2005-02-17T04:05:37Z

Read Part TWO at normal reading speed from beginning to end.

• What are your peer’s sources?

• From the information they provide what is their most important source?

•Looking over the sources do you feel that your peer has enough sources to give them an informed opinion?

Read over the whole thing once more.

•Do they address the Rhetorical Contexts of the sources?

• Find a place or two where you feel more could be said about certain sources, a place that peeks your interest, but does not tell you enough?

•Check over the MLA IN-Text Citations, are they used correctly? If not give them an example of how theirs should be.

•Check it with the MLA rules in your textbook.

Put it All Together

In effect, you now have enough material to produce a paragraph (around 150 words) addressing how well your peer has met the goals and purposes of the assignment.

In Class Writing

2005-02-10T14:00:00Z

Find an article on Ebsco or the Web that deals with you topic. Write a paragraph summary of the article covering:

What is the Title and Thesis?
Who is the author and what is the publication?
What evidence (surveys, quotes, numerical data, graphs, etc) do they use?
How does the article fit into the topic you are researching?

Peer Review Guideline Handout

2005-02-08T05:46:11Z

Read Part One at normal reading speed from beginning to end.

• What is your Peer’s Issue?
• What is his or her initial opinion?

Read over the whole thing once more.
• What is the reasoning for your peer’s opinion?
• Does the reasoning help you understand the opinion?

Comment from your Own Personal Research
• Give your peer your opinion on the issue they are researching.

o Don’t say “I have never … so I can not…”

o Say “I have not owned a Honda, but I can tell you about my Ford” or “I have never been in love but I have seen that the world is …”

Put it All Together
In effect, you now have enough material to produce a paragraph (around 150 words) addressing how well your peer has met the goals and purposes of the assignment.

Websites that talk about Writing Surveys

2005-02-08T05:20:54Z

For those of you who opt to write surveys to help with your research for FX 1 here are a few websites that give helpful ideas. Be sure to evaluate them as you would anything found on the web.

Techniques for writing surveys

Qualities of a Good Question

How To Write A Good Survey

Classes in the Blogsphere

2005-02-02T13:50:00Z

Here are some blogs for those of you who wondered if the technology could be used in a course beside English.

Buisness at University of Michigan - http://www.samoore.com/moorestuff/

Technology and Network Media at RMIT Univeresity in Melbourne Australia - http://media.rmit.edu.au/teaching/networkMedia/

102 FX 1 Class Schedule

2005-02-01T02:51:53Z

2/8 & 2/10

Tues –
FX 1: Part One- Due on LJ before Class starts
Chapter 2: 23 - 36
Thurs –
Chapter 6: 176 - 185

2/15 & 2/17

Tues –
Chapter 6: 201 - 203
Chapter 2: 37 - 47

Thurs –
FX 1: Part Two – Due on LJ before Class Starts
Chapter 6: 203 - 208
Chapter 2: 48 - 57

2/22 & 2/24

Tues –
FX 1: Part Three – Due on LJ before Class Starts
Chapter 7: 209 – 224
Thurs –
FX 1: Due on LJ and in Hard Copy when class begins
Chapter 7: 225 - 236

FX 1 – Arguing to Inquire

2005-01-31T17:20:32Z

FX 1 – Arguing to Inquire

For our first formal writing in 102 we are going take an analytical look at the prewriting stage of argument. To accomplish this task we are going to write 3 small writings and place them together in preparation to make a case out of the information and informed reasoning that we acquire.

The Topic

The 1st step in this process is to choose a topic. I am giving you the freedom to come up with your own topics, but I would like them to be as narrowed as you can make them and personal to your interests and stage of life experience. I do this to avoid broad overused topics like abortion or capital punishment. Topics like these have been written on so many times that the arguments have been exhausted. I would like you to think of something from your life here at SIUC. Something that you have encountered or that you encounter every day.

After you have come up with your topic, try your best to narrow it down and remember that the smaller the topic the more informed you can become.

Part One:

You will write a 250 + word statement of topic and what issues or questions interest you most about it. You will give your initial opinion and tell your audience why you feel you have that opinion. This will take some personal research on the question and analyzing of your own thinking to perceive how you came across the subject and your opinion in the first place

Part Two:

You will write a 500 + word statement about 3-5 sources (1 of these sources can be a class member interview) that confirm or contradict your initial opinion and you will evaluate the arguments with an open mind (This is where our reading and analyzing of the early reading should come in handy. Apply those questions to your research.) Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of each argument leaving out your personal opinion.

Part Three:

You will write a 300 + word conclusion of your thinking after the process of inquiry, an explanation of the truth you have found as a result of your research and study. Ask yourself if your original opinions have changed or have been strengthened into mature reasoning by the study you have conducted. Restate your new claim or your inconclusive stance (if you find that further research is needed) and discuss how you arrived at that point through your research.

Works Cited

Do not forget to use MLA documentation and supply a works cited page with your completed piece of writing

Schedule for Writings

2/8 – Part 1 due
2/17 – Part 2 due
2/22 – Part 3 due
2/24 – FX 1 final w/ works cited due

Semagic Download

2005-01-29T21:44:23Z

I have had a few requests to give a better link to the Live Journal Client Semagic since the one from the LJ client menu takes you to a german site. For those of you who want the Client -

Click HERE

Choose a source and click the download button. It should work. Comment on here if it does or does not so everyone else who wants it will know.

An Interesting Post about the Blog and Journalism Argument

2005-01-26T19:14:09Z

Mark Dery, writer and blogger at Shovelware has a nice post about the role of blogging in society and the idea of the blogging journalist

HERE

Changed Office Hours

2005-01-25T12:30:32Z

Due to a change in my Class Schedule, I have changed my Office from ~~W 1-3~~ to Th 1-3

My new office hours are posted on the syllabus

Blog Censorship in Iran

2005-01-25T04:28:05Z

I thought this blog was very interesting considering the mention that Iran gets in "Web of Influence"

Stop Censoring Us