Wednesday, July 15 2009

Part One Goals:

• Workshop precis for “The Oblivious Empire” (1015-1025).

For your homework today, you were to complete a précis draft of “The Oblivious Empire” (1015-1025).

Let’s begin today by getting those drafts out and getting into groups of three.

Review of Situation, Issue, and Thesis

The Précis (Pray-SEE)

There are three simple parts to a Précis.

The point of a précis is to lay out an argument for an audience who needs to know about the argument without reading the entire ten, twelve or twenty page document. We have to inform the audience on the argument without “dumbing it down” or oversimplifying it!

To write a précis, you will need to incorporate direct quotations from an article to express those points that are better articulated by the author than you yourself could articulate them. You will sometimes need to use words in quotes to emphasize the author’s original tone. It is hugely important to show an author’s bias without commenting on it and editorializing, without using “I” anywhere in this piece.

You will need to paraphrase quite a bit in this document, and can expect to use phrases like “according to….” or “X claims” every couple of lines. The point here is to report on the author’s thoughts and comments, and to leave your own opinions at the door (there will be time enough for voicing your opinions in the future).

The three parts of the précis: Situation, Issue, Thesis

*Each section should be titled as such. This is okay in a précis.

Situation

·         The very beginning of your précis.

·         It should lay out what the audience needs to know about the author, the full title (including subtitle), and whatever publication info you have in MLA style (except for the author’s name which should be done first name first).

·         Next, you need to establish the basic context for the writing: who is writing it (what do we know about the author and or his or her position, profession etc), to whom are they addressing the piece (audience), when was it written, and whether there is any particular EVENT that has driven this response. Some arguments may have this, some may not. You can expect to take the better part of a paragraph to convey this information.

·         SITUATE the writing for an audience who WILL NOT READ THE FULL ARTICLE. What general information do they need to know about it?

Self-Reflection on Situation:

Group work:

Situation:    5 mins on grammar and mechanics

5 mins on content

Section II

Issue

·         The author may use technical jargon or academic lingo in the argument. You need to begin your ISSUE section by defining these terms for the reader. Clarify for the ready any terms or phrases you think may cause him or her difficulty.

·         Lay out the basic questions that the author addresses (NOT the answers).

·         END WITH THE MAJOR ISSUE QUESTION. The major issue question is the question the author attempts to answer with his or her thesis.

Reflection on own Issue, and then group assessment

Issue:           5 mins on grammar and mechanics

5 Mins on content

Section III

Thesis

·         Thesis section. This is where the THESIS appears (the answer to the major issue question.)

·         It is also where the other claims and evidence for those claims (as well as the major claim) will appear.

·         This is the lion’s share of the précis.

Reflection on own thesis, and then group assessment

Thesis:         5 mins on grammar and mechanics

Summarize your findings and your group’s findings into a revision plan for yourself.

Break

Part Two Goals:

• Plans for revising our Precis

• Begin to revise document in class

• Homework: Complete Revision and Read about Logos: 78-101

Part Two

Class Discussion of Changes we will need to make to our Precis.

Begin revision of Precis in class.

Homework: Your homework is to revise your precis and read:

Arguments based in reason: Logos, 78-101

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