MIDTERM RECAP: What to work on

1. Make sure you are answering all parts of the question asked of you. In the case of the midterm, you were asked to argue your opinion—not to give an overview, summary, or analysis of the articles. Go beyond what the article says and offer your own evidence or examples, using the article as reinforcement. This means that you will use the author’s words to further your opinion, but ultimately YOUR opinion is what matters. Those who were able to relate the articles back to their own ideas and come up with their own examples did better than those who merely reiterated what McWhorter said without offering any new evidence or insight.
2. Use quotations: this means introducing quotations with a signal phrase, quoting properly, citing at the end, and explaining why you are using that piece of evidence.
   According to McWhorter, “it’s more likely the fault of an individual’s education than laziness” (McWhorter).
3. Make sure your organization relates directly back to the thesis. Body paragraphs should be organized around the specific points mentioned in the thesis, and in the same order.
4. Include a strong thesis. Almost all of you had the what, and some even had the beginning of the how, but all can continue to work on this.
   What (your stance) + how (the reasons for your stance) = thesis

An example thesis: “Because grammar is not prioritized in the school systems these days, it is therefore not an appropriate indicator of one’s intelligence or work ethic and should not be the reason why someone’s resume is discarded.”

How the thesis translates into the body of the essay:

– Body par 1: the lack of focus on grammar in schools hurts the job applicant, and they have no control over it. They should not be faulted for this.
– Body par 2: grammar is not an appropriate indicator of one’s intelligence. You could be discounting a really smart person who just never really figured out the rules of grammar.
– Body par 3: grammar may not even be relevant for the job. The skills required of the job are what should be considered—not grammar.

We also discussed How to Write Great Introductions.

INTRODUCTION TO ESSAY #3: The Research Project

Essay #3 will take us through the rest of the semester. The topic is Entertainment & Society. Your assignment is to write an argumentative, research-based essay on how some aspect of entertainment affects society—positively or negatively (You can find the assignment here.)

Be specific in your focus. Here are some examples of specific focuses:

1. Pop music: Taylor Swift’s feel good music instills a greater confidence in today’s adolescents.
2. Video Games: Violent first person shooter games like Call of Duty instill violent tendencies and behaviors in kids and teens who play them.
3. Social Media: Social media has ruined romantic relationships by removing face-to-face intimacy and offering a buffer for all communication to hide behind.

You can also argue the opposite—that Taylor Swift is ruining pop music, that shooter games actually instill positive values in kids, or that social media is helping to bring people together. (Remember, these are just examples. Your focus should be something specific that interests YOU!)

You MUST choose a side. Your point of view doesn’t have to match the view of the general public. In fact, a good persuasive essay is one in which you try to persuade your readership toward a less-accepted point of view. There are plenty of times in your life when its best to adopt a balanced perspective or consider both sides, but this isn’t one of them. Take a firm stance! You must choose a specific side and explain what you think and why you think that. Remember, you may not use “I.”

PROPOSITION STATEMENTS:

To start, create a proposition statement. This is the first step toward your thesis, and is required on your preliminary research sheet.

• Your proposition should define your argument’s scope and make a debatable claim. It should not be a fact or pure opinion.
• A statement like “social media ruins things for people” is weak because it’s a vague generalization that provides no direction for writer or reader. Think about what + how. How does it ruin things? Why does it ruin things? What are “things?” Who are the people?
• If pressed to be precise, the writer might then come up with something more particular: Social media has ruined romantic relationships by removing face-to-face intimacy and offering a buffer for all communication to hide behind.

 As you start to think about what you want to argue, you should consider a few questions:

• How many people could argue against my position?  What would they say?
• Can it be addressed with a yes or no? (Aim for a topic that requires more than a yes or no answer.)
• Can I base my argument on scholarly evidence, or am I relying on religion, cultural standards, or morality? (You MUST be able to do quality research!)
• Have I made my argument specific enough? 

HOMEWORK DUE THURSDAY 4/2

• ESSAY #2 DUE THURSDAY!!!!! Include all process work as well as peer review worksheets.
• Finish rewriting your new midterm intro in your in-class writing notebook. (Midterm readings available here)
• Post your new midterm thesis to Open Lab (category: “Midterm Thesis Rewrite”)
• Complete the Preliminary Research Sheet, due in class Thursday
• Read “Thinking Critically About Research” pt. 1 (pgs. 1-8). NOTE: you do not need to do a reading response. Print and bring to class on Thursday.