76-101 Course Packet

English 76-101, Section Interpretation and Argument Fall 2005

Instructor: Office: Old Student Center, 106 E-mail: Phone: Office Hours: ______and by appointment

Required Texts

Books (available in campus bookstore) Wells, H. G. The War of the Worlds. New York: Barnes and Noble Classics, rpt. 2004.

Wells, H.G. The War of the Worlds: Mars’ Invasion of Earth, Inciting Panic and Inspiring Terror from H.G. Wells to Orson Welles and Beyond. Naperville, Illinois: Sourcebooks MediaFusion, 2004. **Please note that this edition includes the audio CD of the 1938 Orson Welles’ Mercury Radio Broadcast, “War of the Worlds.”

Essays (on reserve at the Hunt Library circulation desk or online through the CAMEO electronic course reserves at www.library.cmu.edu) Brown, Robert J. “Chapter 10: Orson Welles and the ‘War of the Worlds,’” in Manipulating the Ether: The Power of Broadcast Radio in Thirties America. Jefferson, N.C. and London: McFarland & Co., Publishers: 197-205.

Brown, Robert J. “Chapter 12: The Public Reaction,” in Manipulating the Ether: The Power of Broadcast Radio in Thirties America. Jefferson, N.C. and London: McFarland & Co., Publishers: 219-227.

Brown, Robert J. “Chapter 14: Aftermath,” in Manipulating the Ether: The Power of Broadcast Radio in Thirties America. Jefferson, N.C. and London: McFarland & Co., Publishers: 241-253.

Butsch, Richard. “Class and Audience Effects: A History of Research on Movies, Radio, and Television.” Journal of Popular Film and Television, Fall 2001: 112-120.

Cantril, Hadley. “Conditions Inhibiting Critical Ability,” in The Invasion from Mars: A Study in the Psychology of Panic. New York: Harper and Row, 1966/rpt. 1970 [1940, Princeton University Press]: 127-149.

Cantril, Hadley. “Why the Panic?” in The Invasion from Mars: A Study in the Psychology of Panic: 189-205.

Condit, Celeste Michelle. “The Rhetorical Limits of Polysemy,” in H. Newcomb (Ed.) 76-101 Course Packet 2 Fall 2005 Instructor Name

Television: The Critical View, 5th ed., pp. 426-447. New York: Oxford University Press, 1994.

Lazarsfeld, Paul F., Berelson, Bernard, & Gaudet, Hazel. “The People’s Choice: How the Voter Makes up His Mind in a Presidential Campaign,” in W. Brooker and D. Jermyn (Eds.) The Audience Studies Reader, pp. 13-18. New York: Routledge, 2003.

McLuhan, Marshall & Fiore, Quentin. The Medium is the Massage: An Inventory of Effects, pp. 1-53. California: Gingko Press, [1967] rpt. 2001.

Monaco, Paul. “Agendas, Politics, and Television,” in Understanding Society, Culture, and Television, pp. 37-46. Praeger Publishing, rpt. 2000.

Recommended Texts A good college dictionary.

For a rhetorically sophisticated manual of prose style that will take you into writing in your own profession, consider purchasing Joseph Williams’ Style: Ten Lessons in Clarity and Grace. Longman. Older, used versions are just as useful as the 2004 edition.

There is no required handbook for this course. However, if you would like to purchase one, I recommend Diana Hacker’s A Pocket Manual of Style. Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2004.

Course Goals and Objectives Interpretation and Argument is structured by the following overarching goals:

 To introduce students to fundamental practices of critical reading and academic argument, including summary, synthesis, analysis, and contribution.

 To demonstrate a rhetorical model of academic contribution that is socially responsible to an ongoing, academic conversation.

 To help students understand and begin to meet the requirements of college-level argumentation and composition. Becoming a competent writer in this way requires that students be reflective and strategic with their composing processes, particularly with planning, writing, reading, detecting and diagnosing problems within their own work, and finally with revising their own texts.

Overview and Major Assignments

The course employs fiction, film, academic and personal essays to develop students’ critical reading and writing practices. The major writing assignments are organized in a cumulative sequence of three essays:

1. Argument Summary, in which students are expected to explain, in their own words, another writer’s argument about a problem. 2. Issue Analysis, in which students synthesize and analyze—or “tie together”--a number of distinct sources into one coherent description of a problem. 76-101 Course Packet 3 Fall 2005 Instructor Name

3. Contribution, in which students enter into a specific debate, choosing and arguing for their position.

Course Requirements and Policies

Class Participation and Lateness

You must do the assigned homework and come prepared to participate in class. You are expected to contribute to general class discussions, to contribute to small group discussions, to seek feedback from other class members on work in progress, and to provide thoughtful feedback to other class members on their work. Being prepared for this class includes paying close attention to the assignments for each class, doing the homework, and bringing relevant materials with you to class.

Arrive on time. You won’t get an A in this class if you can’t get here on time. Lateness not only disrupts the class but also shows a good deal of disrespect for your peers and for your instructor. For every three days you are late to class, you will be marked for one absence. If you are more than 15 minutes late to class, you will be marked absent for that day.

Attendance Since this is a small discussion class, attendance is mandatory. You are allowed four unexcused absences without penalty—once you miss that fifth class, your grade in the class will begin to drop by a half-a-letter grade per absence. Plan ahead if you think you might miss class for religious holidays or for other scheduled events.

If you have extenuating circumstances that could affect your attendance throughout the semester (such as illness or a family emergency), it is your responsibility to notify me about your situation and to get some sort of authoritative documentation to excuse your absences (usually from the Dean, your adviser, or doctor). If you miss more than the allotted days due to your situation, we will discuss whether it’s prudent for you to continue in the course.

If you miss a class meeting, you are responsible to contact your peers for materials and information you’ve missed. Thus, it is your responsibility to keep on top of the homework. Do not email me asking whether or not there was a daily assignment. Missing a class is no excuse for not completing the homework. Likewise, I expect you to have read the assigned readings and to be ready to discuss them, even if you were absent the class before. This is a discussion class, so consider your readings just as important as any written homework you have. I call on people in class discussion, and it’s embarrassing (for you and for me) to have to announce to the class that you haven’t done the reading. 76-101 Course Packet 4 Fall 2005 Instructor Name

Using Sources Properly In this course, we will talk about the differences between plagiarism and the misuse of sources. There is a difference, and so the consequences for each are not the same. We will discuss how to use sources appropriately; and if you have any questions, always feel free to ask me. It’s been my experience that those writers who plagiarize are those who feel overwhelmed by the assignment and out of desperation, use someone else’s work to stand in for their own. If you get so frustrated with an assignment that you feel like your only option is to plagiarize, come see me. My role as a teacher is to help students, not punish them—use me as a resource to help you write, brainstorm or work out your essays. So pay attention to how we use sources in this class, and please don’t plagiarize.

Academic Integrity At Carnegie Mellon, we believe in the excellence of our students and in the integrity of our academic programs. We also believe that your good ideas become better when you test them against the ideas of others. So for this course, feel free to discuss your ideas about the major writing assignments with other students. However, collaborating on question/answer homework assignments or open-book quizzes is not acceptable because those types of assignments are designed for me, your instructor, to monitor how you are handling specific parts of the course materials. Blatantly taking someone else’s words, ideas or concepts, and using them without citing your source is plagiarism. So is using another student’s essay, or part of his or her essay, as your own. In the world of writing (academic writing especially), this is a serious crime, and is treated as such. Anyone who uses non-documented material from another source, including online sources, will receive a failing grade for the entire course and will be referred to the Dean’s office for possible further disciplinary action.

Deadlines All written assignments must be submitted on the due date, and missing the class when the assignment is due doesn’t mean your assignment isn’t late. You can receive an extension on the three main papers only if you use the “Late Paper/Rough Draft” coupon on the next page to submit the assignment within one week after the scheduled due date. Turning in an assignment on time is part of doing the assignment, and late work will be graded down, regardless of how well it’s executed. So remember—you have one chance to get an extra week to work on your essay; use this opportunity wisely. (Most students try to save this for a real emergency or for the end of the semester when their workload is heaviest.)

Any other lateness will be dealt with in the following ways:  Rough drafts and Revision Statements. For every day that a rough draft or revision statement is late, your final draft will lose five points. If you do not hand in a revision statement or a rough draft, I will not grade a final draft. Your grade will be a zero.  Final drafts. For every day that a final draft is late, you will lose ten points.  Daily assignments. I will not accept late daily assignments or quizzes unless you are absent on the due date.

Religious Observance If you have a conflict between a religious holiday and a graded assignment, please contact me in advance so that we can make appropriate arrangements. 76-101 Course Packet 5 Fall 2005 Instructor Name

Learning Disability If you have a learning disability that could impair your progress in this course, please contact Larry Powell, Disability Services Manager, with Equal Opportunity Services on campus. We can arrange to accommodate your learning style based on EOS recommendations. Please notify me at the semester’s beginning of your learning needs--do not wait until the semester becomes overwhelming to acknowledge the problem. Larry Powell’s contact information is 412-268- 2013, [email protected]. Their URL is http://hr.web.cmu.edu/current/eos/.

General Guidelines on Submitting Assignments

 Please note that to receive a passing grade, you must hand in the three major papers and do the presentation at the end of the semester.  All papers, including daily assignments, must be typed, double-spaced, with 1” margins.  The three main papers must be submitted BOTH in electronic and paper forms. Electronic form alone is not unacceptable.  Include page numbers on all assignments longer than one page.  Carefully edit and proofread all texts to eliminate problems in grammar, spelling, and punctuation.  Spell-check your documents. A hint in this regard: typos typically occur in the last minutes when you are making final revisions to a text. Be sure, therefore, to always do a final spell check on at least the section of the document in which you have been making changes.  Any time you cite an essay, film, or book in your main essays, you will need to include a Works Cited section of your essay that provides complete and accurate bibliographic information of the material mentioned in your essay. If you’re not sure how to cite sources, please consult the Citation Guideline in this course packet.

Documents that do not meet these and other assignment-specific requirements will not be graded. They will be returned to you and when resubmitted will be treated as late submissions. Pay attention to these details for handing in your final drafts. Superficial errors do not signify poor thinking; but they can indicate, for some readers, a lack of precision and a nonchalance toward the task. When you write papers for your courses within your major, your professors will expect high quality, readable prose. Use this class as a stepping stone toward that end. You’ll have to plan your writing process to make time for proofreading— printing a just-written paper 10 minutes before class time will probably not yield terrific results.

Written Homework Assignments Throughout the semester, you will be asked to write brief responses for a particular reading. It is hoped that these responses will help you prepare for the three major writing assignments, and I strongly urge you to keep all responses to prepare for the major essays. Moreover, the exercises outlined for these responses are excellent for you to use for all of the readings in our class, as well as for readings in your other courses. Keep a reading notebook to jot down your ideas as you are reading; these ideas will be useful for planning your papers.

These responses are not formal essays, and so they need not be framed by an overall claim or thesis. But they should be written clearly, with complete sentences and appropriate paragraphing. You will be graded on how well you answer the response questions, how well you support your 76-101 Course Packet 6 Fall 2005 Instructor Name generalizations with examples or details from the text. Homework responses will be graded according to the scale on page 8.

Summary Response The Summary Response must answer these questions: (1) What is the gist of the reading? That is, what is the author’s bottom line claim and the major reasons he or she gives for that primary claim? (2) What is at stake for the author’s argument, or what is the significance of that primary claim? (3) What did you learn from this essay? (4) What question(s) did the essay raise for you?

Your work must be strictly text-based. That is, these questions ask you to interact with the text’s argument and do not ask you to make explicit connections to personal experience. All responses about the text should be written in your own words. That is, your own explanations should not simply be written as direct or indirect quotations from the author. Finally, all responses should be typed; and prose should follow common usage guidelines for standard, written English. Each response should include a full citation for the reading (included at the end of the response or bottom of the page).

Synthesis/Analysis Response The Synthesis Response must answer these questions: (1) How does this author connect with others we’ve read so far? Discuss common ground and/or points of contention between this author and 2 others. (2) What are the strengths and weaknesses of the author’s perspective? (3) Based on the interactions between the authors you have named in this response, write a question about media or mediation that could be developed for further inquiry.

Your work must be strictly text-based. That is, these questions ask you to interact with the text’s argument and do not ask you to make explicit connections to personal experience. All responses about the text should be written in your own words. That is, your own explanations should not simply be written as direct or indirect quotations from the author. Finally, all responses should be typed; and prose should follow common usage guidelines for standard, written English. Each response should include a full citation for the reading (included at the end of the response or bottom of the page).

Communications You can reach me via e-mail, office phone, or a note in my mailbox in the Baker 245 wing. The best way to reach me is through email--I’ll be checking it every day before I leave campus, and sometimes in the morning before class.

If you have questions about the policies of this class, review the syllabus first, and then come to see me.

------LATE FIRST DRAFT / FINAL DRAFT Turn this coupon in with any first draft or final draft of your choice. You have one week past the initial deadline to turn this draft in for complete credit. So if a draft is due on Monday the 5th of October, you will have until Monday the 12th of October to get full 76-101 Course Packet 7 Fall 2005 Instructor Name credit for your work. After that, your paper will be marked down a letter grade for every day it is late. This coupon can be used only once. Assignment:______Initial Due Date:______Current Date:______

Name:______

Grade Tracking Sheet Name: Absences: Possible Your Cumulative Points Grade Points Main Assignments (300 possible points) Summary 90

Synthesis/Analysis 100

Contribution 110

Total possible points 300 Total points toward final grade

Short Assignments and Quizzes (100 possible points) Cantril response 5 Cantril, in-class response quiz 5 Lazarsfeld response 5 Monaco quiz 5 Condit response 5 Synthesis grid 10 Wells reading quiz 5 Revision Statement, Summary 5 Revision Statement, Issue Analysis 5 Brown response 5 Contribution proposal 10 Revision Statement, Contribution 5 Presentation 15 Presentation response 1 5 76-101 Course Packet 8 Fall 2005 Instructor Name

Presentation response 2 5 Presentation response 3 5 Total Points

For the final grade: Main assignments Quiz and homework Total points Final grade: total points/4

Point Ranges for Letter Grades

90-100= A 80-89= B 70-79= C 60-69= D below 60= R

Grading Policy and Scale

General rating scale for short assignments

A Superior work. Ideas are well planned and articulated with convincing detail, and audience has been taken into consideration. Any errors in mechanics are not noticeable.

B Really strong work with all assignment tasks met. There’s evidence of great effort and thought in this assignment, although there may be a minor problem with the argument’s development or overall organizational structure. Minor editing problems at most.

Note: The differences between a B and an A concern issues of originality, excellence, thoroughness, and attention to detail. Although B grades may include comments on sentence level editing, doing this type of editing would not be sufficient to raise a B to an A.

C Acceptable in its representation of the task and in some ways above average, but the work is lacking elements that would boost it above the ordinary. There may be a glaring conceptual or execution problem. Details may be somewhat limited, and concepts may be ambiguously defined.

D Below average work. These assignments do not move beyond broad generalizations and do little to explain core ideas. The central focus may not be well articulated, and the prose may seem to ramble. These papers may not represent the task as it has been explained in class.

R Work is not of acceptable quality and does not meet the task requirements.

Lateness and Grades for Rough Drafts I do not assign formal grades for the rough drafts of the 3 major assignments. However, for each day that a rough draft is late, the final draft loses five points for the final grade. In 76-101 Course Packet 9 Fall 2005 Instructor Name other words, if a rough draft were 2 days late, the final grade would be docked ten points.

Late homework assignments will only be accepted in case of absence. You are responsible to submit all late work upon your return to class. If you miss a quiz, it’s up to you to arrange for the make up. You must make up quizzes within one week after your absence. Otherwise, the grade is a zero.

Grades for Revision Statements Revision statements can receive a letter grade based on the rating scale above. For each letter in the scale, a point value will be applied to your homework grade.

A—5 points B—4 points C—3 points D—2 points R—1 point

Assessing your class participation Since 76-101 is a discussion class, it’s important that you participate in class. Your in- class participation grade falls to my discretion and can nudge a borderline grade higher or lower. When you contribute to class discussion, be sure that your comments are helpful ones and not tangential to the current threads of conversation. You should be ready to participate in general class discussion at least once a week, and you should always be prepared to generate thoughtful input in small-group discussions and peer review work. Be sure to be supportive of your peers’ ideas, even when you disagree with them. When you raise disagreement within class discussion, do so respectfully by articulating your grounds for disagreeing with an idea rather than with your peers. Of course, all discussion should refrain from language and tone that could be considered inappropriate or offensive. 76-101 Course Packet 10 Fall 2005 Instructor Name

76-101: Interpretation and Argument Making messages mean: Media makers, their messages, and their audiences

Summary as Interpretation and Persuasion: Using Heuristics for Text Analysis and Production Week 1: Contextualizing the course

08/29 Introductions, overview of the course. Read course policies together. Homework: Read the Letters to the Editor from the New York Times from October 31, 1938.

08/31 Discuss what’s at stake for the course issue through the Times Letters. Introduce the vocabulary of claim, grounds, and warrant for analyzing logics behind arguments. Homework: Read Cantril, “Conditions Inhibiting Critical Ability” (CAMEO source). Bring to class a written description of a major claim, grounds, and warrant interaction that explains a significant part of Cantril’s chapter.

Audience as the decontextualized individual

09/02 Discuss Cantril. Introduce the heuristic I/P/S for mapping out arguments. Homework: Write a summary response for Cantril’s chapter. See the course packet for a description of this homework task.

Week 2: 09/05 No class. Labor Day.

09/07 Due: Summary response homework. Continue discussing Cantril. Homework: Read Butsch, “Class and Audience Effects: A History of Research on Movies, Radio, and Television.” Read the Argument Summary Assignment in your course packet.

Reading Culture into Audience Effects

09/09 Discuss Butsch, and be prepared to use the I/P/S and claim, grounds, and warrant heuristics. 76-101 Course Packet 11 Fall 2005 Instructor Name

In the last 10 minutes of class, discuss the summary assignment. Homework: Read handout about plagiarism vs. misusing sources

Week 3: 09/12 Butsch, continued. Use the argument milestones to sketch out Butsch’s reasoning. Raise questions about the summary assignment. Discuss Plagiarism vs. misusing sources handout. Homework: Read Cantril’s “Why the Panic?” and be ready for a quiz.

09/14 Cantril, chapter 9, “Why the Panic?” At the beginning of class, we will take 10 minutes for students to write in-class summary responses to Cantril; we will use those responses as a springboard for discussion.

In the last 10 minutes of class, we will discuss the summary assignment expectations and any questions students might have about them.

09/16 Cantril, cont. Introduce AAGR heuristic and refer to the course packet for its definition.

Go over the peer review instructions in the course packet.

Week 4: Audience and Social Choices 09/19 Due: Rough draft. Bring 4 copies to class for Peer Review. Peer review in class

Homework: Read Lazarsfeld et al, “The People’s Choice: How the Voter Makes up His Mind in a Presidential Campaign.”

09/21 Discuss Lazarsfeld et al, “The People’s Choice: How the Voter Makes up His Mind in a Presidential Campaign.” Due: Turn in your Revision Statement and Argument Summary rough draft. Make sure you submit both an electronic and paper copy of your draft.

Homework: Write a Synthesis/Analysis Homework Response for Lazarsfeld. (The full description of the assignment is on page 6 of the course packet.) The Synthesis/Analysis Response must answer these questions: (1) How does this author connect with others we’ve read so far? Discuss common ground and/or points of contention between this author and 2 others. (2) What are the strengths and weaknesses of the author’s perspective? 76-101 Course Packet 12 Fall 2005 Instructor Name

(3) Based on the interactions between the authors you have named in this response, write a question about media or mediation that could be developed for further inquiry.

09/23 Continue Lazarsfeld, et al discussion. Be prepared to volunteer your ideas from the Synthesis/Analysis homework response. How does this essay connect with the other ideas we have discussed so far?

Week 5: 09/26 No class because of mandatory conferences.

09/28 Revising the Argument Summary with the grading rubric, or, “How to get a good grade on your final draft”

Homework: Read Monaco’s “Agendas, Politics, and Television.” Be ready for a quiz.

Synthesizing perspectives: Writing good questions and building argument “camps”

The individual agendas of audiences

09/30 Quiz on Monaco. Discuss Monaco’s connections to the readings so far. What does he offer that others do not? Using the analytical heuristics to locate points of interaction between the readings.

Homework: Read Celeste Michelle Condit’s “The Rhetorical Limits of Polysemy.” Be prepared for an in-class writing response.

Week 6: Problematizing Individual Choice in Audience Meaning Making 10/03 Discuss Condit. Be prepared to write an in-class response at the beginning of class to be turned in as a homework grade. You will be able to refer to the reading for this response (i.e., it’s not a quiz).

10/05 Due: Final draft of Argument Summary. Submit the final draft in paper and in electronic form. The paper copy should include your rough draft and your revision statement as well.

Write an in-class response to Condit. Discuss Condit; continue placing authors in conversation with each other by constructing a grid for grouping common points. Introduce (briefly) Issue Analysis assignment 76-101 Course Packet 13 Fall 2005 Instructor Name

Homework: Read I.A. assignment and bring to class a possible question that the paper could explore. Be ready to share these with the class.

10/07 Discuss the Issue Analysis paper assignment and possibilities for writing. Explore reasons for doing this kind of academic essay, the writer’s relationship to the relevant sources, as well as what kind of main point or thesis an Issue Analysis paper might have.

Continue working on a class grid and a synthesis tree to show emerging patterns for synthesis.

Homework: Bring to class a grid or another graphic representation that maps out your synthesis and turn it in for a homework grade. Your homework should clearly state the question your issue analysis paper will address as well as the different perspectives represented by different authors.

Analyzing perspectives for strengths and weaknesses Week 7:

10/10 Bring grid homework to class and be ready to share it with the class. Discuss the “analysis” part of the task within the context of the grids.

Homework: Read up to page 78 of H.G. Wells’ The War of the Worlds

10/12 Reading quiz on The War of the Worlds. Discuss genre expectations and Wells’ construction of the narrator.

10/14 Continue discussion of WotW.

Week 8:

10/17 Due: Issue Analysis Rough Draft. Bring 4 copies to class for peer reading response groups. Homework: Write a Revision Statement to accompany your rough draft.

10/19 Finish discussion of War of the Worlds. Due: Revision statement and Issue analysis rough draft. You should submit both paper and electronic copies. 76-101 Course Packet 14 Fall 2005 Instructor Name

10/21 No class. Mid-semester break. Homework: None. You deserve a break. You should feel good about how much you’ve accomplished so far.

Week 9: 10/24 Revising the Issue Analysis paper by applying the grading rubric to students’ drafts.

Homework: Read Brown, “Chapter 10: Orson Welles and the ‘War of the Worlds.’” Write a synthesis/analysis homework response for Brown.

10/26 Bring homework response to Brown. Discuss Brown and the in- class handout from McLuhan’s “Radio” in Understanding Media. What does Brown add to the discussion that is new to the conversation?

Homework: Listen to the Mercury Theatre Radio Broadcast of Orson Welles’ War of the Worlds. The CD is included in your text, The War of the Worlds: Mars’ Invasion of Earth, Inciting Panic and Inspiring Terror from H.G. Wells to Orson Welles and Beyond. SKIM pages 3-31 from the Sourcebooks text, “The Eve of the Invasion.” **NOTE THE PROCEDURE: Listen to the radio broadcast first before you skim the chapter. Don’t, don’t, don’t do anything else while you listen to the broadcast. Pay close attention to it. Don’t check e-mail, don’t chat online, avoid interruptions from today’s world and pretend that you live in 1938 with no television and no computer. Do not follow the script while you listen to the broadcast.

10/28 Discuss radio broadcast, “War of the Worlds.” Compare your experience of reading the story to hearing it from the Mercury group.

Week 10: 10/31 Continue discussion of radio program. How do the course readings about media, audiences, and meaning construction relate to the broadcast?

Homework: Read Brown, “Chapter 12: The Public Reaction,” and “Chapter 14: The Aftermath” 76-101 Course Packet 15 Fall 2005 Instructor Name

11/02 Discuss Brown. What possibilities does the last chapter raise for a contribution paper?

11/04 Due: Final draft of Issue Analysis paper, both electronic and paper. Please be sure to include the rough draft and revision statement with the final draft.

Wrap up discussion of Brown.

Read in class the Contribution Essay assignment and discuss the contribution proposal that is due 11/09.

Homework: Read McLuhan and Fiore segment from The Meaning is the Massage.

Contribution: Joining the Conversation Week 11: 11/07 Discuss McLuhan and Fiore.

11/09 Finish discussion of McLuhan and Fiore. Due: Contribution paper proposal. Be ready to share these with the class.

11/11 Planning your contribution: using the contribution rubric to discuss task expectations.

Homework: Read the class handout on explaining the warrants in your own writing.

Week 12: Constructing your own argument within the conversation 11/14 Discuss reading on warrants. Planning your contribution: What will be your underlying assumptions? What is the role of counterarguments in a contribution essay?

Homework: Read the presentation guidelines on page 32 of the course packet.

11/16 How to give a presentation. Explanation of presentation feedback forms. Assign presentations and presentation feedback “partners.”

11/18 Due: Rough draft of Contribution paper. Bring 4 copies to class for Peer Reading Response groups.

Week 13: Understanding student perspectives 76-101 Course Packet 16 Fall 2005 Instructor Name

11/21 Presentations Due: Revision statement and contribution rough draft.

11/23 No class. Thanksgiving break.

11/25 No class. Thanksgiving break.

Week 14: Student perspectives, continued 11/28 Presentations

11/30 Presentations

12/02 Presentations

Week 15: More student perspectives and course conclusion 12/05 Presentations

12/07 Presentations

12/09 Course wrap-up. Due: Contribution paper final draft (electronic and paper). Please include the rough draft and revision statement with the paper copy. 76-101 Course Packet 17 Fall 2005 Instructor Name

76-101 Glossary of Reading Heuristics

What’s a Heuristic in the Context of this Course?

In Young, Becker, and Pike’s Rhetoric, Discovery, and Change, they define a heuristic as a set of questions or concepts that help to generate ideas. These heuristics are schemes for invention: one of the five traditional canons of rhetoric. (The other four are memory, arrangement, delivery, and style.) As Young, Becker, and Pike point out, this definition is really a description of how structure works—structure is generative and constraining.

We will use these terms as a common vocabulary for reading others’ arguments and for writing our own arguments. These heuristics are transferable strategies for reading analytically—take them with you to history class, business, and even engineering.

(1) Agent, Action, Goal, Result The agent is the character that performs the action. The action is the event or what happened. The goal is the intended or hoped-for outcome of the action. The result is the actual consequence of the action.

(2) Claim, Grounds, Warrant (or Assumption) The definitions that follow are from Toulmin et al’s Introduction to Reasoning.

A claim is a statement or an assertion that is “put forward publicly for general acceptance.” It contains “the implications that there are underlying ‘reasons’ that could show them to be ‘well-founded’ and therefore entitled to be generally accepted” (p. 29).

Grounds are “statements specifying particular facts about a situation. These facts are already accepted as true, and can therefore be relied on to clarify and make good the previous claim, or—in the best case—to establish its truth, correctness, or soundness, in turn” (p. 37).

Warrants are “statements indicating how the facts on which we agree are connected to the claim or conclusion now being offered. These connecting statements draw attention to the previously agreed general ways of arguing applied in a particular case, and so are implicitly relied on as ones whose trustworthiness is well established” (p. 45).

Example: An example of these three items can be found on page 46 of An Introduction to Reasoning: A: I should choose the ice cream today! (Claim) Q: Why do you say that? A: Jack chose yesterday, and Jill the day before. (Grounds) Q: So? 76-101 Course Packet 18 Fall 2005 Instructor Name

A: Everyone should have a turn at choosing. (Warrant)

(3) Qualifier Within an argument, a qualifier is typically some kind of language that indicates the weight of a claim or that expresses the limits or circumstances of that claim. Sometimes qualifying an argument is also called linguistic hedging.

Example claim: Based on my research, there is no police corruption in the township of Nottingham.

(4) Issue, Problem, Solution “An issue is a topic that sparks controversy within a community of speakers, readers, and writers. More specifically, an issue is a topic that creates a tension in the community, a discontent or dissatisfaction with the status quo. If the tension is commonly acknowledged by the community and judged important enough to command its attention, the topic that created it is recognized as an issue. Members of the community attach a social value to seeing the issue resolved. Not all topics warrant such favored attention. But when they do, they become issues” (Arguing from Sources, p. 3).

“A problem case is a concrete situation whose existence raises discontent or dissatisfaction for a community. Members of the community share the goal of wanting to see these cases resolved, of wanting to see their dissatisfaction relieved. However, they can’t agree on the best way to resolve these cases—they can’t agree on solutions. Or they can’t agree on what’s causing the problem in the first place—they can’t even agree how to define the problem. Often, they can’t agree on either. Their disagreement is what sustains the issue” (Arguing from Sources, p. 6).

Oftentimes, the solution is really more like a resolution of the overarching issue and its problems. Ultimately, this solution presents itself as an argument’s overall claim or thesis.

(5) Main, Faulty Paths A main path in an argument is the line of reasoning that the author develops and ultimately connects to the argument’s primary claim.

A faulty path is a false or misleading line of reasoning that the author acknowledges in the process or developing a different perspective. A faulty path can also be called a counterclaim or a devil’s advocate statement. 76-101 Course Packet 19 Fall 2005 Instructor Name

Argument Summary Assignment 76-101: Interpretation and Argument Carnegie Mellon University Fall 2005

The Assignment Summarize the argument of Richard Butsch’s “Class and Audience Effects: A History of Research on Movies, Radio, and Television.” You may have had assignments in the past that asked you to summarize the material. Those assignments most likely wanted you to report back or paraphrase the essay’s information, almost verbatim, to prove that you had read the assigned book, book chapter, or essay. This paper is not that sort of assignment, so don’t be fooled by the name.

An academic summary is really an argument analysis—it is the first step toward entering an academic conversation because it requires us to rearticulate another author’s point of view. What summarize means for this class is picking out what is most important in the argument and explaining it in your own words, articulating the significance of the argument itself. The key to this assignment is not trying to account for every point Butsch makes, but rather to focus on isolating the kernel of his argument and to explain how he gets there.

Your assignment is to explain what is at stake in Butsch’s argument, or what he is ultimately arguing about audience and class. There are several ways to read Butsch, but not an infinite amount—so be careful and thoughtful about your analysis of his argument.

The Procedure Generating ideas. . What is the argument? First, you must select the most important parts of his argument. You can do this by identifying the issue Butsch addresses, the problem he defines, and how he resolves that problem. Your thesis statement should explain Butsch’s “bottom line” argument and then should indicate why Butsch feels this perspective is important.

. How does Butsch make his argument? Second, you must analyze and explain these crucial parts in such a way as to demonstrate how each part fits together in the larger framework of the argument. It’s not enough to merely repeat what the author says, changing the words slightly. Your task is to explain how Butsch establishes and defines the issue, problem, and solution in his argument—using the claim/grounds/warrant vocabulary can help you get at this “how” question by examining evidence and the assumptions that build Butsch’s argument.

Supporting your argument. It is important to provide textual evidence from the article to support your argument. Use direct quotes and paraphrases to support what you think Butsch’s major claims are. Remember to be selective about what evidence you use and always ask yourself, “Is this integral to Butsch’s main point?” In this sense, you should also be careful not to let your supporting material take over your argument and subsume your own explanation of his essay—if you were to do this, you may as well hand in a copy of the text you’re summarizing. And remember. . . you have only 3-4 pages to make your argument summary. 76-101 Course Packet 20 Fall 2005 Instructor Name

NOTE: Be sure to consult the citation guide that was included with the course packet.

Considering your audience. Of course, for this essay, your immediate audience is your instructor. However, assume your hypothetical audience is composed of people interested in media studies who have not read the text, might need help to understand it, or perhaps have a different view of the argument than you do.

Common Misconceptions It might be useful for you to know some of the popular misconceptions or pitfalls some students have had in the past with this assignment.

. Thinking the argument summary is not an argument of your own interpretation. Your interpretation enters the scene when you select the information that you consider to be central to Butsch’s argument. You also express your opinion when you explain how Butsch’s argument hangs together logically. Believe it or not, every student does not represent Butsch in the same way.

. Writing an argument summary about audience and class rather than about Butsch on audience and class. In other words, your bottom-line claim in this summary should not be about audience but about what Butsch says about audience.

. Organizing the argument summary chronologically, according to the organizational structure in Butsch’s essay. Since part of your task is to select the most important claims in Butsch’s argument, it’s imperative to realize that you will order those claims according to importance rather than chronology.

Important Dates and Details

. Rough Draft Due: Monday, September 19, at the beginning of class (Please bring 4 copies of your essay to class.)

. Final Draft Due: Wednesday, October 5, at the beginning of class (Please turn in your rough draft with my comments, your revision strategy, and the final.)

. The Argument Summary should be 3-4 pages, typed, double spaced. It should include a Works Cited page (even though there is only one author, Butsch, you need to get in the habit of including the page).

. As the syllabus states, you must hand in your drafts (both rough and final) in both electronic and paper form. Return to pages 5-6 of the course packet for formatting and proofreading policies. 76-101 Course Packet 21 Fall 2005 Instructor Name

Issue Analysis Essay 76-101: Interpretation and Argument Carnegie Mellon University Fall 2005

Write a paper that explores an issue raised by the essays we’ve read so far (such as the ideal audience and ideal meaning, the agency of media audiences, or media persuasion). The goal, and focus, of your paper is up to you, though you are accountable for defining the problem(s) you’re exploring, and explaining what is at stake in your discussion and analysis. While there is no maximum set of texts you can use to explore this problem, be sure to use at least five essays you’ve read so far. No outside material is permitted for this assignment.

Ultimately, you should argue that by exploring the particular questions you raise through the perspectives you’ve chosen, you can discover something new about the larger issue. (This “something new” could refer to a point that has been overlooked by other writers, or it could be any other insight that you’ve found about the overarching issue.) Ideally, the Issue Analysis paper should function as a point of entry for the Contribution paper.

The Procedure

You will first need to write a research question and several sub-questions for this paper that will allow you to explore an issue raised by the essays we have been reading. That is, if you are focusing on the persuasive power of mass-produced, media messages (for instance), your first priority is to work out what issues are at stake in this topic, and what questions come up around it that your essay will attempt to work out, and answer. A question like “Is mass media good or bad for society?” will be much too large to answer in your essay, but a question like “What is at stake in competing definitions of power in media?” will give you a more manageable and useful project.

Once you have a good question, you will need to do the work of synthesizing and analyzing information from several authors’ arguments to show your audience (1) where this question comes from and (2) what terms you will be using in your analysis and discussion. NOTE: Do not be surprised if you find that you must reshape your question(s) as you begin to work through the different arguments you’ve read. Likewise, expect to spend time re-reading material as you think through this project. Most good questions evolve over time as you work with the readings, and you’ll want to do a lot of re-reading for this assignment.

Generating ideas Synthesis: For synthesizing perspectives, keep the following tips in mind--

. Group authors according to their common points around a particular issue. 76-101 Course Packet 22 Fall 2005 Instructor Name

 Group common perspectives accordingly into “camps” and describe what defines those camps, what makes them distinctive. You may find that there is a major point of conflict or major “split” between two camps around which you will structure your paper. Work hard at exploring and articulating the major problems at stake within the issue.  When you write the paper, be sure to explain how you’ve structured the essay. That is, what are the camps, and what are the criteria for inclusion into that camp? (Are the camps structured according to similar descriptions of the problem, similar arguments regarding the consequences of the problem, etc.) . Don’t assume that each camp is homogeneous. Instead, push to find points of disparity—minor splits--and then explore why these differences occur. . When you identify the minor split(s) in the camps you’ve grouped, label those splits. For example, are there differences in terms of definitions of problems? of locating responsibility for the problem? of explaining consequences of the problem? of naming a solution?

Analysis: You are, of course, employing analytical skills when you produce an argument summary and when you synthesize information. To push your analytical thinking even further, consider these guidelines for your paper:

. A good analysis requires that we employ intellectual imagination. That means that we must take time to reflect upon the different perspectives we’ve chosen to explore. Keep in mind that you will not be able to reflect upon arguments unless you are very familiar with them—cursory readings will lead to shallow representations of the issue you’ve chosen and to a superficial understanding of how different perspectives are related to each other. . Explore what the different perspectives offer us for our understanding of the issue. At the very least, explain what the strengths and weaknesses are for each “camp’s” perspective. For example, what do we learn about media and audience interpretations when we look through the eyes of Butsch? through the eyes of Monaco? What happens if we ignore Monaco’s point of view? What do we lose? Each perspective gives a partial view of the issue you’ve chosen—it’s up to you to explain those partial views and their relationships to each other.

Structuring your argument. . Like the summary paper, you need to provide evidence for the claims you make in this essay. Part of that evidence should include specific citations and paraphrases from the authors you’ve chosen to include. . Remember that the goal of this paper is not simply to re-present the texts we’ve read in a compare/contrast format. Rather, you need to find a way to show how these writers are thinking: What is at stake 76-101 Course Packet 23 Fall 2005 Instructor Name

for them in their essays? What is the relationship between the points that they’re making? How do some claims reveal fundamental agreements/disagreements between the writers, and what do these tensions indicate? Use your thesis statement to indicate what is at stake in your analysis and to give an indication of what it is you’ll be focusing on in your essay. . Although it may seem strange to think of the “conversation” in this way, your argument is to be about the positions you’re exploring—not the authors. So your bottom line is that you should argue about what the different ideas offer us.

. Rough Draft Due: Monday, October 17, at the beginning of class (Please bring 4 copies of your essay to class.)

. Final Draft Due: Friday, November 4, at the beginning of class (Please turn in your rough draft with my comments, your revision strategy, and the final.)

. The Issue Analysis Essay should be 4-5 pages, typed, double spaced. It should include a Works Cited page (even though all of the authors are from the course readings).

. As the syllabus states, you must hand in your drafts (both rough and final) in both electronic and paper form. 76-101 Course Packet 24 Fall 2005 Instructor Name

Contribution Essay 76-101: Interpretation and Argument Carnegie Mellon University Fall 2005

The Assignment

So far you have summarized articles and analyzed a debate. You now know enough about what’s at stake for media makers, audiences, and public persuasion, to join the conversation and write your own argument. From your own work in this course, you must argue for your own position that responds to a question you have constructed. Your contribution will not stand alone. Imagine every author that we have read so far—and perhaps one or two authors that you find on your own—standing in judgment of your position. It is your job to find allies for your position and silence your position’s critics. You will articulate your analysis and argument by explaining how you have come to this position via the coursework you have done this semester.

The position that you wish to argue is up to you. The number of sources that you will draw upon are likewise up to you (the minimum is 6). You can take sides in a debate, defend one side against the others; you can stake out a new position that none of the authors we have read so far have considered; you can write a critique of all the positions that have been problematic for you; you can introduce a new issue or topic (e.g., race, religion, your disciplinary interests) that sheds light on the issues surrounding media information, and democracy. The contribution incorporates the skills you’ve learned so far in particular ways.

. Summary: You should describe your object of study and your sources well enough that someone who is unfamiliar with them will be able follow your argument.

. Synthesis/Analysis: You should put forth a responsible argument by mapping and analyzing the terrain of the debate before you enter it. It will not be enough merely to say, “I believe X and Y.” You need to stake out important positions in the debate while you are in the process of taking up your own position. If you know the arguments of the essays we’ve read and of your outside sources, and you can shape them into a coherent pattern that ultimately serves your own purposes, your argument will be much more convincing. Your outside sources should be chosen so that they will allow you to set up the argument that you want to make. You should take up a position of authority by selectively refuting, qualifying, or supporting the arguments made in your sources. 76-101 Course Packet 25 Fall 2005 Instructor Name

The Procedure

Generating ideas. . For this paper, the issue to be explored is up to you, located specifically within the course readings. To get a handle on the problems involved with this issue, you will need to choose different authors to explore, synthesize, and analyze the conversations involved for this issue.

. Remember that most likely your argument will look like this: (1) claims about the issue will be about the past; (2) claims about problems will be about the present; (3) claims about solutions will be about the future.

Structuring Your Argument. Mapping the issue. . Locate your opinions in terms of the debates on this issue. Pick a side to this debate, and let your readers know why you have done so. . Picking a side requires that you include the most important critiques of this position, so be sure to include them in your argument. And if there are critical points that you think are valid, then say so, and suggest reforms for your position.

Identifying and confronting opposing viewpoints. . You should think of structuring your argument around the most compelling points against your position. Texts that oppose your point of view can be very helpful in establishing how and why your position is the better one. But remember—when you introduce rival hypotheses, you will have to be careful to take your reader through the steps in your logic. . You are not straying from the paper’s focus when you confront opposing points of view in your argument. Don’t forget—if you can think of a good, obvious objection to your argument, chances are a reader can think of it as well. Confronting counter arguments can persuade readers (1) that your view makes sense or (2) that your argument considers this critique and can acknowledge where its points have merit.

Your Audience. Persuasiveness is a key criterion for this assignment. Direct this paper toward a culturally western, academic audience that is interested in media studies as the course has defined the area. Basic ideas about meaning, media, and audience would be familiar to your readers, but they may not have read the authors you’ve included in your essay. Hence, some background or context is necessary for your reader to understand the significance of the question you’re exploring

. Rough Draft Due: Friday, November 18, at the beginning of class (Please bring 4 copies of your essay to class.) 76-101 Course Packet 26 Fall 2005 Instructor Name

. Final Draft Due: Friday, December 9, at the beginning of class (Please turn in your rough draft with my comments, your revision strategy, and the final.)

. The Contribution Essay should be 6-9 pages, typed, double spaced. It should include a Works Cited page.

. For this paper, you are not required to use sources outside of the course materials. But if you would like to, please let me know your plans early in your writing process—I need to approve any reading you bring to the essay that has not been assigned in the course. Any readings you choose from the course’s supplemental list need not be approved by me.

. As the syllabus states, you must hand in your drafts (both rough and final) in both electronic and paper form. 76-101 Course Packet 27 Fall 2005 Instructor Name

Reading Response Checklist for Argument Summary Rough Draft

(1) Do you know who wrote the text being summarized? (2) What issue is addressed by this author? (3) What is the main point made by the author? (4) Would you be able to locate the text in the library? Where would you look? (5) Can you clearly separate the points made by the author of the summary and the points made by the author of the text being summarized? Mark any points about which you’re unsure. (6) How does the author of the text being summarized see the issue? (7) What does the author being summarized feel is the real problem? (8) What solution does the author of the text being summarized recommend? (9) Judging from this summary, what did the author of the text being summarized emphasize: beliefs or actions we should accept or beliefs or actions we should reject? (10) Are there any terms used in this summary that you don’t understand? Underline them. (11) Are there any points in the summary that made you wonder, “Why did the author say that?” Mark them.

Reading Response Checklist for Issue Analysis Rough Draft

(1) What is the issue being addressed by this paper? Does the introduction prepare you to hear about the various approaches taken in the issue? (2) Why, according to this essay, should you be concerned with this issue? Are you convinced by these reasons? (3) Who are the major authors taking positions on the issue? List and number them. (4) What is the overall state of the issue? (5) Are there any authors whose positions you don’t understand? List them. (6) Circle all the words you don’t understand. (7) Does the body of the essay set the stage for each approach and the positions associated with them? Is the progression within an approach and the ordering of approaches clear and well motivated? (8) Does the essay give clear and valid reasons for the strengths and faults attributed to the different positions? What elaboration is necessary to make these reasons clearer or more valid? (9) Did the writer adjust his/her prose to talk about approaches and positions rather than authors? 76-101 Course Packet 28 Fall 2005 Instructor Name

Reading Response Checklist for Contribution Essay Rough Draft

Introductory Paragraphs (1) Does the introduction prepare readers to understand the essay’s central question? (2) Does it use a thesis statement to preview the writer’s response to this question? (3) Does it give readers the right amount of background information?

Seeing the Issue (4) Does the text give readers a sense of the issue through historical accounts and problem cases? (5) Does it inform readers about possible controversies associated with seeing the issue? about the writer’s own paradigms if there is a controversy?

Defining the Problem (6) Does the text give readers a sense of the problem’s definition? of alternative positions whose problem definitions are considered problematic? (7) Are the writer’s reasons clear for rejecting the alternatives?

Choosing a Solution (8) Does the text give readers a sense of the writer’s solution? of alternative positions whose solutions are considered faulty? (9) Are the reasons clear for rejecting the alternatives?

Main Point (10) Is the writer’s main point well supported and amplified? (11) Does it meet the criteria of support required by the class?

Overall Flow (12) Does the text unfold as a set of directions from seeing to resolving with clear transitions along the way?

These checklists are from Kaufer, D., Geisler, C., & Neuwirth, C. (1989). Arguing from Sources. Harcourt Brace Jovanovich. 76-101 Course Packet 29 Fall 2005 Instructor Name

Guide to MLA Citation 76-101: Fall 2005

This page introduces you to a citation method, one used most often in the discipline of English. Though many specific disciplines do have other methods of citation, this method will serve you for most of your college career. Above all, remember that any set of rules for citing sources is meant to give credit when credit is due—that is, when you are using words or ideas that are not your own. It is much more important to understand the purpose of citation than to memorize any specific set of rules. The rules may change depending upon what class you take, but the intention behind it will not.

Consider this quotation from Kaufer, Geisler, and Neuwirth’s Arguing from Sources about why we should cite sources (for this text’s full citation, see page 26 of the course packet) : “Documentation allows your readers to retrace your reasoning. By knowing what has influenced your thinking, readers can evaluate whether you’ve been fair to these influences and, at the same time, whether you’ve made your way beyond them. More important, perhaps, your citations can give readers efficient search paths of their own, helping them select texts (possibly including your own) to develop their own lines of argument. Thus, through your citations, you provide for future authors what previous authors have provided for you. Citing sources ensures that the cycle of literacy (from reading to authoring) you have been practicing throughout this book will perpetuate itself indefinitely” (277).

In this class, we’ll be using what is called the MLA format for “parenthetical citation.” Documentation for a source occurs within the text itself. This handout is meant to introduce you to the basics of the MLA format. For more information, you can consult The MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers or, for an in-depth summary, check out the online writing lab at Purdue University: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/print/research/r_mla.html. For our purposes, the following items should help you with citing sources from our class:

1. Barrabus argues that Americans take “for granted that everything people of African descent do, think, or say, is racial in nature” (98). [Note the positioning of the quotation mark—it’s before the parenthesis and the period after them. You don’t need to put the author’s name in the parenthesis because you just mentioned him in your sentence.]

2. If it is not clear from context which author the quote is from, then include the author’s last name at the end of the quote. It has been argued that Americans take “for granted that everything people of African descent do, think, or say, is racial in nature” (Barrabus 98).

3. If you are using more than one text by the same author, then use the title of the essay or book instead of the name of the author. 76-101 Course Packet 30 Fall 2005 Instructor Name

4. The rules are the same for paraphrasing. Barrabus argues that Americans think everything done or said by African Americans has to do with race (98).

5. Other cases can come up, although they probably won’t in class. Use common sense, remembering that giving proper credit is more important than following some set of rules correctly.

6. You must include an alphabetized bibliography (by author’s name) at the end of every paper on a separate page. Order your texts as the example below.

Book: Leeming, David. The World of Myth. New York: Oxford University Press, 1991. Journal: Greenberg, Harvey R. “Fembo: Aliens’ Intentions.” Journal of Popular Film and Culture. 15:4, 1998. 165-71. Article from a book. Jennings, Ros. “Desire and Design—Ripley Undressed.” Immortal, Invisible: Lesbians and the Moving Image. Ed. Tasmin Wilson. New York: Routledge, 1995. 193-206. Article from the Internet: Smith, Robert. “Nicaragua: The Struggle Intensifies.” [full internet address here].[date you accessed the article here]. 76-101 Course Packet 31 Fall 2005 Instructor Name

Guidelines for Working in Reading Response or Peer Review Groups

1. Designate a time keeper: each person gets equal time (15 minutes) in the group (with no single person dominating the discussion).

2. When it is your turn, read your paper out loud, and listeners follow along on the copies. This will help YOU to hear where you think your paper works well and where it needs revision. Listeners should make marks in the margins: quick comments, questions, exclamation marks. When the reader has finished reading, listeners--

 In your own words, summarize the writer’s argument on the back of the essay. Is there an argument being put forth? How sound is it? If you’re having a hard time summarizing the argument, that’s a clue for the writer that he or she needs to make the essay’s thesis much clearer.

 If you are curious about something, ask the writer to explain it--your role is to act as a reader, letting the writer know what works, what doesn’t, and what else they should, or need to, include.

3. Discuss both the strong points of an essay and where it needs revision. Start with what is good about the writer’s work. A guideline is to say positive things before moving on to suggestions for revision.

4. A well-written essay will be strong in the following areas:

 Attention to the assignment: Did the essay complete the assignment task?

 Focus: Did the essay have a clear focus and did it stick to this central idea? Was the writer’s main point or thesis clear and specific? Did it remain clear and specific throughout the essay?

 Examples: Did the essay have examples that proved or illustrated the writer’s opinion, and were they appropriate to the topic being addressed? Were the examples detailed enough?

 Organization: Did the essay have an introduction that stated the area of focus? Did the essay present ideas and details in a logical order, and were the ideas divided into paragraphs? Were there clear transitions at the beginning and end of the paragraphs that helped to keep the argument in front of the reader?

These are the sorts of concerns you will be focusing on during your peer review sessions. Keep the following advice in mind:  DO NOT spend much time commenting on proofreading and spelling errors. What’s the point of making superficial changes when the paper’s argument isn’t well organized or well supported?  As your group discusses your paper, write down as many comments as you can. This is important, because when you get home, you won’t remember what everyone said without notes. Be sure to take with you the copies of your group’s comments. 76-101 Course Packet 32 Fall 2005 Instructor Name

Revision Statement Assignment 76-101 Interpretation and Argument Fall 2005

Your goal for the Revision Statement is to write a detailed plan for how you will revise your rough draft. This plan can be organized and written as an outline, a bulleted list, or in paragraph form. It should be roughly 2-3 typed pages in length. Primarily your task is to identify two major areas of your argument for revision and then explain how you plan to improve them. Ultimately, you should focus on the structure of your argument and its development rather than on superficial text issues, such as spelling and grammar.

NOTE: If you want to conference with me about your essay, you must complete this plan before we meet.

Procedure

Keep the following things in mind as you write your revision statement:

(1) Based on your experience with the peer review and the assignment specific criteria, identify and then describe 2 major problems with your draft and their effects on the overall text. These problems could have originated from your own reflections of your writing process or from the peer review. Some problems might be . A“murky” thesis in the introduction that falls apart as the essay progresses. This problem usually indicates a lack of overall focus. A lack of focus could be related to a need for you to re-familiarize yourself with the reading(s), or it could demonstrate that you haven’t fully understood the assignment. Your task would be to plan for refining your essay’s focus, thesis statement, and organizational structure. . Paragraphs that read like a list of points rather than logically connected ideas. This problem, often sensed as a lack of “flow,” could indicate a couple of things—first, that you’re not quite sure how or if everything is connected in your essays; second, that you just need to add or clarify transitions between the points you’re moving between; third, that the paragraphs themselves are not clearly focused to reflect a logical connection between a claim, its grounds, and assumptions. After locating this problem in specific points of your essay and identifying where your argument breaks down, suggest how you will remedy the situation. (What kinds of transitions might be necessary? What information is missing in order to make clear connections?) . Statements that are too general and are lacking explanation. This problem could indicate that you need to add examples or elaborate your claims with further evidence. You might also find that with more elaboration you will refine the claims you’ve made. Your plan for solving this problem would include locating areas in your essay that need more specific kinds of information and speculating toward what that information might be. 76-101 Course Packet 33 Fall 2005 Instructor Name

Remember, pick only the two major areas you want to revise, and be sure to explain in detail how you will be revising them. Prioritize your work.

Of course, if you feel your essay is as good as it will ever be, then explain why and please be detailed in your rationale for not having to revise any aspect of your work. Tell me what you did well, and why it can’t be better. Generally, all work can be revised to some degree (especially rough drafts), so if you feel good about your work, take this chance to plan out how you can improve it.

(2) Even if you feel like going back to the drawing board, pick two places in your argument you sense difficulties with, and develop your plan from there. What can you use from this draft, and what will the next one be like?

(3) Feel free to ask me questions about your essay—if you want feedback on a specific issue, let me know. Or if your peer review group said your examples are helpful, but you’re still not sure, ask me. And if you received some feedback from your group that you disagreed with, you can use this document to get a second opinion.

Some General Comments

You might be concerned that since I’m asking you to write a revision plan, I won’t be providing you with the feedback that you need for your final draft. Don’t worry. The purpose of this document is to help me organize my comments on your essay (by preventing me from telling you what you already know). And if I think you missed something, I’ll let you know—think of this as a chance for you to direct my attention toward your immediate concerns, as well as for you to approach revision collaboratively with me.

This assignment aims to make immediate use of the peer reading response experience for your revision process, to make conferences with me as productive as we can make them, and, of course, to equip you to take charge of your writing and rewriting.

Grading the Revision Plan Revision statements can receive a letter grade based on the rating scale above. For each letter in the scale, a point value will be applied to your final draft’s grade.

A—2 points B—1 point C—0 points D— -1 point R— -2 points

Please refer to the grading explanation on page 8 of the course packet for more details. 76-101 Course Packet 34 Fall 2005 Instructor Name

76-101 Presentation Guidelines Fall 2005

The Task. For this assignment, your task is to present to the class a cogent summary of your contribution argument and an explanation of how its ties into the concerns of the course. You will also take questions from the class at the end of your presentation.

Your presentation should include the following information: (1) State the primary claim or thesis you plan to argue and explain why it is important or “what’s at stake” within the larger issues in the course. Explain how this paper is a contribution to an ongoing conversation. (2) Contextualize your argument by naming the authors you’re using and the reasons you’re including them in your paper. (3) Make your case by explaining the reasons for your thesis and the assumptions within your path of argument. (4) Confront potential counterarguments to your argument. (5) If necessary, discuss the specific questions or issues that still need some work. Explain your current thinking, where your thinking could be headed, and most importantly, what problems you have yet to solve.

Your presentation should run about five to eight minutes (so that we will have time for comments and questions from your classmates). Since it takes about 4 minutes to read a page of typed text, plan accordingly so that you choose the most important aspects of your argument and explain them clearly and effectively in the time allotted. (Think of this presentation as an argument summary of your paper and not a synopsis of the material as a whole.)

Handout Guidelines. To facilitate our understanding of your presentation, prepare a handout that covers the basic points and issues you will be discussing. This handout should be no more than a page in length but can be organized in any way you like (using basic outline form, bulleted points, diagrams, or any other schema you like). Since printing at clusters can be tricky, you can email me your handout as a word document, and I’ll print and photocopy it for you, as long as I receive the document two hours before class begins.

Assessment. You will be graded according to the grading scale on page 8 of the course packet. Your presentation is worth a total of 10 points in the homework section, and presentation feedback handouts (given in class) are worth 5 points.