Thursday, July 23 2009

More on evaluation

What’s the question?

What’s the answer?

Does the answer use pathos, logos, or ethos?

Did he answer the question?

What’s the question?

What’s the answer?

Does the answer use pathos, logos, or ethos?

Did he answer the question?

What is going on in this speech? What  can we say about her rhetoric?

Part One Goals

• Reflection on the Argument

• Workshop the Argument

Part One

Jounral: I want you to describe the process of writing argument. How did you go about judging the significance, value, or worth of the individual parts of Hertsgaard’s  essay as they either support or contradict his thesis? Be specific and go into detail.

Group Work: For the next 5-7 minutes, I want you to get into groups of 4 and share the writing you just completed with one another. Take a few minutes to explain your answers to both of the above questions.

Class Discussion: What did we do? How did we do it? (5-7 mins)

Now that we have thought about what we did, we need to be showing one another how he actually did it.

Workshop:

In your groups, I want you to exchange drafts with one another. We will be performing focused proofreads on these documents for the next 20 or so minutes.

1)      Analysis:

a.       Content Check

i.      Has the author successfully analyzed the essay in the required space? Did he or she lay out the basic parts of the arguments (situation, issue, and thesis) in a way that makes sense? Is the writing balanced or unbalanced? That is, is the author skipping over important information?

b.      Mechanics check

i.      Let’s begin with a focus on paragraph structure. Are these paragraphs well-developed, i.e. 6-8 sentences long and focused on a general topic or idea. If so, great – but if not, then we need to let the person know that.

ii.      Citation check. Are quotes and paraphrases properly cited? Essentially, any information that appears to have come from, or have been gleaned from, a specific source (the essay) needs to be cited appropriately.

2)      Evaluation:

a.       Content check:

i.      Has the author clearly identified a thesis early in either his section or in the previous analysis section? Are they clearly explaining how the parts of the essay either relate or do not relate to the thesis? Has the author made an attempt to clearly explain the value of these parts within the essay as either supporting or confusing the author’s thesis?

b.      Mechanics Check:

i.     Again, let’s begin with a focus on paragraphs. Has the author written in well developed paragraphs, 6-8 sentences long, focused on one topic or idea? If so, the next step it to see if they have, again, cited correctly.

Part Two Goals

• Introduce the Concept of Synthesis

• Begin researching materials for Synthesis

Part Two

Today we are going to continue to move towards our goal of writing our argument, and we are going to do that by taking up the concept of synthesis.

Our assignment: A 3-5 page argument, using a variety of sources as material.  In the argument, you will analyze and evaluate the source material and synthesize it into a coherent whole.

Synthesis: The combining of the constituent elements of separate material or abstract entities into a single or unified entity

We saw the phrase “constituent elements” when we were thinking about “analysis.”

Remember, the definition for analysis was: the separating of any material or abstract entity into its constituent elements.

When we analyzed “The Oblivious Empire,” we took in apart into its situation, issue, and thesis sections.

Now, it wouldn’t make much sense for us to simply synthesize something that we have already analyzed, as we would just be putting something “back to together the way it already was.”

So here is what we are going to do:

In the “synthesis” portion of our paper, we are going to attempt to combine some of the basic parts of “The Oblivious Empire” with material from other sources. We can do this for essentially one of two reasons, to affirm Hertsgaard’s claims and evidence, or to challenge these same claims and evidence.

Well, in order to begin this process, the first thing we need to do is identify another source to use.  I am going to provide you with  two . On page 1003 of your textbook, you will find an article entitled “America the Beautiful: What we’re fighting for” by Dinesh D’Souza.

Over the next few moments, I want you to read the first few pages of this article, and, as I read, I want you to note things that seem to be either similar to, or contrary to, the claims and observations that Hertsgaard makes.

Group work: Compare notes

Class Discussion: Generally speaking, how are these authors different?

Okay, now let’s get specific . I want you to take the next 10-15 mins and look through Hertgaard’s article and identify  specific points or claims that are either in agreement with, or which are contrary to,  specific things that D’Souza is claiming.

In the Synthesis portion of our papers, we would explain the similarities or differences that mark these two writings. If we are in agreement with Hertsgaard, what kind of information would we be looking for? If we are in disagreement with him?

Your homework for the weekend is to do the following: Write a one to one and a half page synthesis section to your argument.

Part Two: Goals

Begin working on Synthesis.

Homework:

E-mail me papers by tomorrow

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