Computer Cluster Activity

WRT 105

Unit 3 Writing Assignments

Computer Cluster Activity

Your task is to find at least three sources you might want to use in your academic argument essay. You should find one scholarly work, one newspaper article and one popular magazine article.

For your writing assignment, you will summarize/analyze one of the articles you researched in 2-3 pages, double-spaced; identify it in correct MLA citation format. Use the following suggestions as you compose your analysis:

* Identify the rhetorical situation: audience, author, purpose and context

* Briefly summarize the article.

* Evaluate the argument:

--credibility of the author

--use of evidence: emotions, reasoning, other experts, examples

--timeliness of the article

--reputation/credibility of the publication where you found the article

* What is left out of the article? Where do you question its credibility?

* Use some of the analytical strategies we practiced in Unit 2: repetitions, binaries, anomalies, seems to be about X..., asking the "so what" question.

* What kinds of appeals does the author use? What does the author specifically do to make those appeals?

* What assumptions of the audience members did the author need to be aware of when writing this essay? How did the author negotiate those assumptions? In other words, where in the text is the author implicitly or explicitly addressing those assumptions?

* Look closely at the introduction and conclusion. What did the author do in both? Was this an effective way to begin or end an essay? Why or why not?

What can you learn from this author about making an argument? Be specific.

The Presentation and Analysis/ Evaluation Assignment

This assignment has two parts: the group oral presentation of an article located on Blackboard and an individual 2-3 page analysis/ evaluation of that article. You will be assigned an article and a group in class. Each group member will hand in his/her analysis/evaluation paper.

The Analysis/Evaluation Paper

Include in your paper a discussion of the following:

* The rhetorical situation including audience, purpose, context, exigence

* Use of rhetorical appeals: ethos, logos, pathos

* The author's assumptions leading to the main claim and subclaims

* The places where the writer explicitly explains the connection between the evidence and the claim. If this does not happen in your text, explain why it hurts the argument.

* An analysis of one of the sources or pieces of evidence used in the text to support a claim that you researched. Why is this evidence credible/ persuasive? Evaluate the evidence based on timeliness, credibility of the authors, appropriateness of that particular evidence. Speculate on why the author used this evidence in that particular place in the essay.

* Your response/ reaction to the evidence presented. What was interesting, surprising, strange or revealing about the evidence in this article?

The Group Presentation

The group presentation will combine the points of analysis and evaluation of the article that are listed above. Your group can decide how to present these points in an effective way to the class. You can use the technology in the classroom to help your presentation. Your goal is to show the class why this article works as an academic argument--or why it doesn't. Summary of the article and personal reactions to its content should be kept to a minimum.

Choose between explorotory ad argument proposal

ONE OR THE OTHER

The Exploratory Paper Worksheet.

1. Write your issue in a complete sentence. Explain it, and include the information that makes the issue interesting to your readers.

2. Explain the parts of the rhetorical situation that are already in place as you begin to write. Politicians, educators govt officials

3.

Govt officials,- Im on the side of making legislation to ban all unhealthy foods in cafateriia, vending machines, and snack rooms

Parents- if they don't like the food the school is serving to their kids then provide their own lunch

vendors (unhealthy and unhealthy foods) - sucks to suck

? claim- All schools should promote and model healthy eating and good nutrition in school programs and activities relating to or involving food and drink

Describe the exigence or context for your issue, including what happened to make people interested in it. Identify the groups of people interested in this issue, with a brief introduction to their positions, and mention some of the constraints of these groups (differing backgrounds, experiences, traditions, values, associations).

3. Describe at least three different positions on your issue, say who holds them and give some of their reasons for holding them. You may explain more than three positions, if you want. Jot down the positions.

Position 1

Position 2

Position 3

4. Explain your personal interest in the issue and the position you favor.

5.