Friday, February 13 2009

Today’s Agenda

Your homework for today was to do the following:

Re-draft these pages and e-mail the revision to me BEFORE class.  Your other homework for Friday is to come to class with your FOLDER: this folder will have printed off copies of everything in it that you have done for this class so far this semester.

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. You will need to find two for your paper, but I am going to provide you with one. 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 of Hertgaard’s article that uses quotes or evidence from D’Souza and one other source of your choosing. This source needs to be addressing the reasons for contemporary American foreign policy. I would suggest you begin your search for sources by considering mainstream publications like Time, Newsweek, or US News and World Report.

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