Homework for Wednesday 9/29

For Wednesday, you need to access the student Rhetorical Analysis example on Blackboard. Go to Course Materials > Rhetorical Analysis and select student example. There are also copies of some notes on rhetorical analysis in general. You'll need to print out the student example and annotate it, with the goal in mind of understanding how this paper will be crafted. This will come with you to class tomorrow.

Homework for Monday 9/27

Your assignment for Monday is to complete your final Summary Paper. If you were not in class on Monday the 21^st to peer review, you’ll need to have at least one person (preferably the Writing Center) look over your paper and provide feedback. Those who were in class for the peer review, please be sure to keep in mind the revisions made by your reviewer. Again, here is what you should be looking for.

1.       Was the paper organized chronologically?

2.       Was the argument polished, and did it flow well?

3.       Did you avoid “me, my, I, he said”?

4.       Is the paper free of spelling / grammatical errors?

5.       Do you avoid personal opinion on the subject?

6.       Is the work introduced at the beginning of the summary?

You will also have your first portfolio due Monday. Remember that the papers should be turned in in a soft cover pocket folder. It should include the following elements:

1.       *Cover letter (more info follows)

2.       Summary rough draft

3.       Summary final draft

4.       Printed blog posts

5.       “Science Courses Key” ethos, pathos, logos, claims, reasons, assumptions

6.       Letter to Catherine Ford

If you don’t have these papers with you, I’m still reviewing them and will return them at the beginning of class Monday.

COVER LETTER:

Your cover letter should be one page, SINGLE - spaced (double spacing wouldn't allow as much room as you'll need), 12 pt. Times New Roman font, with 1 " margins. It should be in correct cover letter format, which incorporates the following:

Top Left:
Your Name
Date
Course Info
(double space)
Dear Professor Robinson:
Type your letter here, with double spaces between paragraphs only.
(Double space)
Sincerely,
Your Name

The cover letter serves as a sort of summary for your unit experience. It is also the written equivalent of my first impression of your portfolio. Here, you should touch briefly on the content of each of the assignments. Most importantly, you should discuss how you feel this unit will aid you in accomplishing your overarching goals for the course, as well as your future writing goals.

If you have any questions about the final paper or portfolio, please email me at krobinson_150@yahoo.com

Homework Due 9/20

We have worked for the last several weeks on developing the foundational skills necessary to write a polished essay. Now, we'll put those elements to practice to create the Summary Essay.

You will be summarizing Stephen Jay Gould’s essay “Sex, Drugs, Disasters, and the Extinction of Dinosaurs” found on page 294 of your 40 Model Essays textbook.

Your assignment over the next several days is to use your critical reading skills to become familiar with Gould’s essay. Then, use the tools we discussed in class to break down and summarize that document. 

Remember the simple steps to summarizing:

Step 1: Pick out the less important or repeated ideas from the story

and eliminate. 

Step 2: Pick out important details that are necessary to the story. 

Step 3: Highlight the important details using keywords.

Step 4:  List keywords in the order they appeared in the passage.

Step 5: Trim the list of key words down to one topic sentence.

For example, let’s look at the 9/11 speech we read in class on Monday.

Today, our fellow citizens, our way of life, our very freedom came under attack in a series of deliberate and deadly terrorist acts.

On September 11, 2001, America fell victim to several devastating terrorist attacks.

The victims were in airplanes or in their offices: secretaries, businessmen and women, military and federal workers, moms and dads, friends and neighbors.

Those killed in the attacks were airplane passengers and office workers from all walks of life.

Thousands of lives were suddenly ended by evil, despicable acts of terror.

These acts of terror ended the lives of thousands of people.

The red text was inserted by me – in this case, I took my summary line by line. If you choose to use this method, be sure to edit your text when you combine it so as to avoid repetition. For example, my summary could read
On September 11, 2001, America fell victim to several devastating terrorist attacks. These acts of terror ended the lives of thousands of people including airplane passengers, office workers, and others, from all walks of life.

Your summary does NOT have to read line for line, however. You can summarize a paragraph at a time as well. Just remember to maintain the chronological feel of the original document.

*Remember the banned words list as you write: ‘me’, ‘my’, ‘I’, ‘he said’ (or any version of the same meaning, including ‘he stated’, etc.)

*Remember to avoid including your own opinions on the topic

Your rough draft should meet the full length requirement of 2 pages, and needs to be in class printed and stapled on Monday the 20^th. We will be peer reviewing, so come ready to discuss your writing.

And remember, we will not meet on Wednesday the 15^th .

Homework Due 9/13

Your homework today will draw upon all of the elements we've discussed in class thus far. To do this assignment, you'll need to access Essay #1 again in Course Documents > Summary Unit > Essay #1 on Blackboard. You'll be familiar with this article, "Science Courses Key to Future Jobs" from your last assignment. Now, we'll delve in a little deeper. 


1. Locate 5 examples of ethos in the article
2. Locate 5 examples of pathos in the article 
3. Locate 5 examples of logos in the article 

*These examples will be typed in list format, but please include direct quotes from the article


4. Write 3 - 4 sentences on the claims you see the author making
5. Write 3 - 4 sentences on the reasons you see the author making
6. Write 3 - 4 sentences on the assumptions you see the author making


With the evidence you've gathered, you'll write a response letter to the author. Please refer to the following example of the format I'd like to see. In place of the bracketed instructions, insert your responses. Be sure your writing is clear, formal, and polished.

Again, your list of examples, as well as your letter, should be typed and appropriately formatted according to MLA guidelines (12 pt., Times New Roman, double spaced [including your letter], 1" margins. Bring your completed assignment with you to class on Monday. 

Homework Due 9/8

The first part of your homework can be found in "40 Model Essays." Please read pp. 306 - 313. Study this section carefully as a review of today's class discussion, as well as to prepare for the quiz on Wednesday. Pay special attention to the bolded words and phrases.

The second half of your homework can be found on Blackboard in the Summary Unit folder (found in course materials).  Please read the two essays posted there, then do the following.

1. For Essay #1, find at least 5 examples EACH of ethos, pathos, and logos. In either a Word document (which will have to be copied and pasted onto your blog) or on your blog itself, write a paragraph on ethos, one on pathos, and one on logos. The sections should be formatted as follows.
 

ESSAY #1:
Ethos:
1. "_________" (page __). This demonstrates an appeal to credibility by...
2. "_________" (page __). This demonstrates an appeal to credibility by...
3. "_________" (page __). This demonstrates an appeal to credibility by...
4. "_________" (page __). This demonstrates an appeal to credibility by...
5. "_________" (page __). This demonstrates an appeal to credibility by...
 

2. Do the same for pathos and logos as well.
 

3. When you have collected this evidence demonstrating the use of rhetoric in Essay #1, complete the same exercise for Essay #2.
 

4. With this evidence, you are ready to make a claim as to which of the two articles was more effective and why. This claim should be at least one paragraph of 8 sentences.
 

5. Post this response to your blog no later than class time on Wednesday, Sept. 8.