Week 5: Monday, 9/21 – Friday, 9/25

By end-of-day Monday, 9/21

READING: 

  • Reread Douglass’s speech and Wollstonecraft’s letter, and decide which one you want to use as a model.
  • Optional:  I have responded individually to each of your posts on Wollstonecraft, but you may want to read through your classmate’  posts on the Dedicatory Letter–this is in Week 4 Work. Overall everyone did a good job identifying strategies and there was a real variety in the strategies identified. Reading through the posts might help you think about strategies to use in your own writing.

WRITING:

Micro-Activity #7: Pick a Model & Organize Your Ideas

  • Imagine you have met someone who is outside your discourse community. You want to convince them of the importance of the issue you’ve identified.
    • Set a timer and spend 20 uninterrupted minutes writing what you would say about your issue or problem. (This is a freewrite, so you don’t have to worry about perfect grammar or complete sentences– just get your ideas down!)
    • Include all the details you can think of related to this issue or problem:
      • Who is affected and how?
      • What possible solutions exist?
      • Who are the people with power who could help to create change?
      • Also include other important and relevant information.
    • After twenty minutes, read through and decide what information seems useful and worth using in the letter or speech you will be writing. Also, think about how you will lay out your argument; for example, in what order will you deliver the information? What is your tone? Who is the audience you will choose to address your speech or letter to?
  • The above activities are for you to keep and reflect on as you work towards the Unit Assignment (in other words, do not submit the above). For today’s submission, (approx. 300 words) write a post in which you do the following for Micro-Activity #7:
    • Write a few sentences explaining which model you are choosing (the speech or letter) and why. How do you think this specific genre will help you to make your argument?
    • List five key elements of your chosen genre. In other words, what are the important things to do and/or include  when writing a letter or speech.
    • Describe your audience. Think about how or why this particular group may see you (the speaker/writer) as different or even less knowledgeable than they are on this particular topic.
    • Create either an outline or a summary organizing your thoughts. Whatever you prefer to make clear (to you and to me) what the main point of your piece will be and how you will make your argument.
  • Before publishing your post, make sure you do the following:
    • Title it “Micro-Activity # 7: Pick a Model & Organize Your Ideas”
    • Pick the category “Week 5 Work”
By end-of-day Wednesday, 9/23

READING:

  • Look at your research on your DC  from earlier this semester  and find a quote you might use to support the argument you are making in your letter or speech. Be sure to use the “quote sandwich” technique and cite using MLA style. For more on quote sandwiches use this IQIAA worksheet. If you need help with either quoting or citing, refer to Purdue Owl or visit the City Tech Writing Center (CityTechWritingCenter@gmail.com) for help.
  • Watch and/or read Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez’s (A.O.C’s) speech responding to Rep. Ted Yoho. You can watch and read here.

WRITING:

Quick Comment

  • Go to my Discussion Question on A.O.C’s speech and  use commenting to respond to the following: How does it relate to Kothari, Douglass, and/or Wollstonecraft and the idea of discourse communities? Does it highlight anything new for you about the genre of the speech or on what makes  a clear, well organized, persuasive speech? (approx. 100 words)

Drafting

  • Work on your draft.
  • Optional: You are not posting your drafts, but you may use virtual office hours to check in and ask questions.