practice exit exam, knapp discussion for extra credit, and Wed. 12/9

You need be aware of some procedures for the Practice Exit Exam this upcoming Monday to ensure you can make the most of the allotted 75 min. time period.

Upon arriving in class Monday immediately approach my desk to receive the second essay and some lined paper on which you will compose the exam.

You will have the entire class period to read, outline your paper, and write it. I would suggest, in the interest of time, that you only compare and/or contrast one or two main points (items) between authors. This can be accomplished in the 75 min. window; should you endeavor to write a "full" essay you may find yourself without time to finish.

The Practice Exam is not graded. However, I will look over each exam and provide any necessary comments and/or criticisms as I see fit, returning these on Wednesday 12/9.

While on the topic... next Wed. 12/9 I will not be able to attend the entire class period and will have to leave approx. at 2:50p to, lo and behold, take an exam of my own! Yikes! The end of the semester gets us all, no? Still, you must attend class for it will be devoted to three important things:

1. Collection Revisions #4 and #5
2. Returning of Practice Exams
3. Peer Group Discussions of Exit Exam Article #1 (Schlosser, "Why McDonald's Fries Taste So Good")
   

When we must depart from the classroom, you are welcome to stay for the remainder of the class period to continue discussing Schlosser's article. Remember you are all allowed to talk about this essay with each other to increase comprehension, gather possible points of comparison and contrast, and finally to share notes and annotations with each other. I am not, under any circumstances, allowed to discuss the essay with you.

So, use this opportunity next Wednesday wisely. You are in a university setting now which means that the responsibilities (and perks) of true adulthood are upon you. Our class, and further your Learning Community, is a viable resource of peers who have a great amount of academic insight to impart. Learn from each other. Work towards the common goal of passing this Exit Exam by preparing.

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Given that we only discussed the Knapp article for half an hour today in class, I wanted to offer a space for you all to continue the discussion in preparation for the Practice Exit Exam this upcoming Monday.

As an incentive... for every post/reply you make to this thread I will discount one day's absence. You must provide at least one "new" citation in your comment to gain credit. By "new" I mean that you must offer a different quotation and/or a different explanation/reading/interpretation to gain credit. Remember, if you're replying specifically to one author include "Re:NAME" in your comment.

Topics for suggested discussion:
-- anxiety and its connection, according the Knapp, to anorexia
-- cultural stereotypes and the feminine ideal
-- prevalent rhetorical devices used in Knapp's essay
-- agreement/disagreement with Knapp's views, claims, generalization, etc.
-- any personal reactions or responses to this piece
-- any connection of this piece to other themes discussed thus far in the course

essay #5: the penultimate frontier

Essay #5
• Due Date: Wednesday, 12/2/09
• Length: three to six typed and stapled pages
• Formatting: one-inch margins; 12pt. font, Times New Roman; MLA citation
• Grade: a standard letter grade will be given


I am giving you two options for this assignment:

I. Moser presents the eight-stage Movement Action Plan on page 128 of the Coursepack. How can you utilize this MAP as a lens through which Thompson’s article, “Responsibility…” can be analyzed? In other words, how do some of the philosophies, theories, notions, and ideas—e.g., those concerning nature and man’s relationship to nature, wilderness v. wildness, excessive civilization and the post-natural world, etc.—presented in Thompson’s text connect to the current debate on global warming and environmental repair? How have these ideas influenced our current beliefs about climate change? Where might the dynamic of social movement lead these ecological debates in the future? Lastly, to draw from Moser’s text, how might “ignoring [these] internal dynamics […] possibly lead to failure” (129)?

II. Compare and/or contrast at least two of the following five article choices: (i) Moser and (ii) Thompson, from the Coursepack; (iii) Kallman and (iv) Gore, which were posted on the blog; and (v) the essay you researched and chose for Article Paper #4.

revision of essay #3 is mandatory!!!

This is just a friendly reminder that Revisions of Essay #3 are required, and therefore mandatory to be turned in this Wednesday (11/18), along with Essay #4.

Please feel free to email me with questions concerning your revisions!

Good luck!

essay #4

Essay #4
• Due Date: 11/18/09
• Length: three to six typed and stapled pages
• Formatting: one-inch margins; 12pt. font, Times New Roman; MLA citation
• Grade: a standard letter grade will be given


I am giving you two options for this assignment:

I. Either defend/agree or attack/disagree with Truss’s argument(s) concerning punctuation and language. In your paper you must trace how Truss develops and reiterates this argument throughout the chapters we read in class; that is, supply evidence from as many chapters as possible.

II. Compare and/or contrast the Segment 4 Coursepack essays by authors Braden and Westlake.

Should you choose to utilize your article from Article Essay #2, you may only use it as secondary, supporting evidence.



General tips:

I have noticed that many students’ thesis statements are too general and not direct. Therefore, be specific and directly name the things you wish to compare and/or contrast between the two authors/texts.

• Here is a good thesis statement from the first round of Essay #3, “In the article ‘Title’ by Andrew Fiala, he explains the concept of jus as bellum or justice after war as does Marian Eide in her article ‘Title’. Eide writes from a feminist point of view and she discusses the position of women in war. She also discusses how just war and late feminism discourse are used to justify war. Andrew Fiala focuses more on the justification of war and pacifism. The similarity between the two articles is the idea of jus post bellum. The differences are that Fiala speaks more to the justification of war and Eide speaks of gender roles and feminist perspectives”

• Another example I deem to be quite direct and to the point is the following, “In ‘Title’, author Andrew Fiala suggests that citizens are not capable of fulfilling this position of what constitutes a justifiable war. He argues that instead, a citizen’s responsibility is to hold their leaders accountable for their policies and actions regarding just war. In ‘Title’ Bat-Ami Bar On constructs her thesis through a feminist lens by putting forth a call to Americans to not just look at war through the traditional ‘white-male’ perspective. The two authors both suggests that war is sometimes necessary and that ethics should not be brought into the conversation regarding war because often justice can be achieved through un-ethical warfare also known as, jus post bellum.”

• To begin thinking of ways to compare and/or contrast authors/texts, identify two or three issues, points, or items that you can discuss; for example, both Fiala and Eide discuss the “item” of pacifism. Crucially, how they each authors approaches pacifism and what they have to say about the “item” determines if they can be compared or contrasted.

Concerning the bodies of these essays, be sure to double check your body paragraphs.

• Examine each paragraph’s topic sentence, evidence, and transitional statements. Be sure that you are saying exactly what you mean to say and that the paper flows from paragraph to paragraph.

• Make sure that your body paragraphs are in the correct order; that is, the order outlined by the thesis statement.

In the conclusion, you can offer your opinion of the issues at hand, or even better, you can connect the present essays in question to other essays that we have read or to issues that we have discussed before in the class.

article paper #2 (10/28)

For class tomorrow, Wed. 10/21, please bring your first Article Paper so that we can review some vital issues and so that I can provide constructive remarks to the class.


For the second Article Paper, I would like you to follow the same format as the first assignment. Therefore, review the rubric for the first Article Paper if you need guidance.

Here are some general observations and criticisms I noticed from the first round of assignments that I'd like to share with you:

• in the introduction some were lost as to the direction and scope of their paper; be sure to compose effective intros which seek to accomplish what they set forth

• many students failed to draw a parallel between their quotes and the subsequent explanations; thus, I wanted most students to offer more in terms of explanation of their evidence and support

• many students left their quotes without proper introduction or prior explanation; remember, you cannot simply plop a quote into your paper, it needs to be adequately foregrounded.

• statements like “I believe that”, or “in my opinion” can be avoided; be more direct and just state that it is!

• offer/focus more on your analysis than your summary, as the former is more fruitful in terms of academic writing

essay #2 and revision #1

Please forgive the delay in this posing; however, such postings only exist to supplement the materials handed out in class.

Essay #2
• Due Date: 10/14/09
• Length: three to six typed and stapled pages
• Formatting: one-inch margins; 12pt. font, Times New Roman; MLA citation
• Grade: a standard letter grade will be given

For this assignment, I ask that you write a formal essay that compares and/or contrasts at least two of the readings from segment two; these include the three articles assigned from the Coursepack: Nelson, Moore, and Taylor.

The Shapiro article, entitled “Obama Toughens States Secrets Privilege” posted on the blog, and your article from Article Essay #1 may only be used as secondary, supporting evidence.

General tips:

• In your introductory paragraph:
o Be sure to name the titles and the authors of the works you plan on comparing and contrasting.
o You must have a thesis statement that identifies not only the order, but also the specific points which you plan on founding your discussion.

• In your body:
o Be sure that each paragraph is following the “course” or “path” set by the introduction; that is, ask yourself:
-- How does each body paragraph highlight, illustrate, or expand upon the main idea of the thesis?
-- How does each body paragraph provide further evidence in support of your thesis?

• In your conclusion:
o Be sure to summarize your paper’s main point(s), drawing the reader to a natural close.
o Should you wish to include any personal experience, the place is here in the conclusion.
o You may wish to offer “what’s next”; that is, ask yourself:
--What are the implications of essay and/or the essay’s thesis?
-- How can/will the things you discuss be implemented in the future?
-- What is the next step you will take?
-- How will this writing affect the larger, greater, external world beyond?

Other important tips and requirements:
• Should you quote any reading or text we have read thus far, be sure to properly cite each source using parenthetical citation. Use the handout on citation for assistance. You may also use the MLA section within Hacker’s Writer’s Reference for further assistance with this necessary requirement.
• A “Works Cited” page or bibliography is not needed for this paper, but be sure to reference the page numbers from the Coursepack not the page numbers from each individual article.
• Should you have any questions regarding this assignment, please email me as soon as possible.



Revision of Formal Essays
• Due Date: essay revisions are due when the subsequent essay assignment is due
o e.g., your revision of Essay #1 is due when your first “draft” of Essay #2 is due, in this case: 10/14/09
• Length: three to six typed and stapled pages
• Formatting: one-inch margins; 12pt. font, Times New Roman; MLA citation
• Grade: a standard letter grade will be given which will be averaged with the mark conferred on the “draft”

For this assignment, I ask that you rewrite the first “draft” of your formal essays and hand them in when the subsequent essay assignment is due.

In your revisited paper you need to accomplish the following requirements to receive credit:
1. You must attach the original draft-copy, or copies should there be multiple, of the essay you are revising.
2. You must revise the paper for both global and local errors.
3. You must consider revisions and corrects beyond the ones that I have offered. That is, I want to see that you have engaged with your essay on a deeper level and have attempted to located the major and minor places where revision and improvement can take place.

reminder, memoir submissions

Please make note that October 16th is the deadline for memoir/essay submissions to this year's edition of Telling Our Stories, Sharing Our Lives. The woman responsible for compiling these documents has asked for them via electronic submission, a.k.a. via email attachment.

Therefore, should you desire to submit your essay please email me with it attached by the 15th. Last minute requests on the 16th are not guaranteed to make the deadline if they are sent to me after 5pm.

I encourage each and every student to submit their essays, as I believe that each of you has a distinct voice worth projecting out into the world... either verbally or written. I would also encourage you to revise your essay, not only to resubmit for a second-round grading to me on 10/14, but moreover to increase your chances of being accepted into the publication. Feel free to bring your essay (either paper or e-copy) to me during office hours, or go to the Learning Center for peer assistance.

That is all for now, I suppose.
Good luck with your revisions and submissions!
Get them to me by the 15th of Oct. at the latest.

article assignment website links

Hey, is anyone else having trouble connecting to the websites to the articles?

If anyone knows any other websites I would appreciate it as I can't get to any of the websites.

thanks,

Nick

the “article paper”

• Due Date: first is due Monday, 10/5; three subsequent assignments to follow
• Length: one to three pages
• Formatting: one-inch margins; double-spaced, 12pt. font, Times New Roman; MLA citation
• Grade: a standard letter grade will be given

For this assignment I ask that you do some brief, outside research. These short papers essentially summarize and analyze the thesis, main argument, and content of an article or essay located within an “approved” academic source. (Check the WR for the meaning of summary and/versus analysis.) Ultimately, I’d like you to find an article or essay that corresponds to the subject matter being discussed in the class at the time the assignment is given. If you choose to do so, you may compare and/or contrast your article with one previously read in the class.

For this first article essay, the topic or subject matter is The Patriot Act and Post 9/11 Legislation. Therefore, articles which address issues of and surrounding the Patriot Act and other legislation enacted during the last eight years regarding civil liberties and/or terrorism, the aftermath and fallout of 9/11 upon American politics, culture, and society, et cetera, will serve as “good” articles to write about. Articles that do not deal with this subject matter directly should be avoided, as they are outside the scope of the topic and the issues being discussed by the class. Such “poor” articles will receive no credit.

In your 1-3p paper you need to accomplish the following requirements:
1. In the introduction name the article, the author, and the source of publication.

2. Summarize the author’s thesis and the article’s main points in one or two paragraphs. It is highly recommended that you quote the author’s thesis statement verbatim; explaining why you think it is the thesis of the text.

3. Analyze and explain in one to two paragraphs how you see this article “fitting in” with the subject matter currently being discussed in class. Ask yourself:

a. How does this article comment upon what we’e been talking about?

b. Does it offer a new viewpoint that we have not encountered yet?

c. Does it agree or support any of the views, articles, or authors we’ve read thus far? How so?

d. Does it disagree, challenge, or refute any of the views, articles, or authors we’ve read thus far? How so?

e. How does the author support his or her argument and claims? Facts and statistics? Personal experience? Other texts via quotation? (cf. WR, p.26-31 for a list of rhetorical devices that authors commonly utilize)

4. Attach a printed copy or photocopy of the article to the end of your document. If you fail to do this you will not received any credit for the assignment.


Below is a list of some, but indeed not all, “approved” academic sources, databases, and search engines. Be sure to examine the quick links on the sidebar of the blog for these sites too!

• Academic Search Complete
• the BBC
• EBSCO Host
• Environmental News – Guardian UK
• Google Scholar
• J-STOR
• the OED
• the New York Times
• NPR
• Project MUSE

Note: any of the databases appearing on the Brooklyn College Library Databases website also qualify as “academically approved” sources. Go to the following website for the complete list of databases available to you as a student of this institution; this link also appears on the course blog and is listed as BC Lib Databases.

--> http://dewey.brooklyn.cuny.edu/resources/databases.jsp

Note: Wikipedia is not an approved academic source and will not under any circumstances be accepted as such. That is to say, any article derived from an unapproved source will not be counted; the assignment will receive no credit.

essay #1

This rubric has been ever so slightly revised in order to clear up the few typos I mentioned in class. So please read over it thoroughly. And, as always, email me with questions and/or concerns regarding this assignment.


• Due Date: 9/23/09
• Length: three to six typed and stapled pages
• Formatting: one-inch margins; 12pt. font, Times New Roman; MLA citation
• Grade: a standard letter grade will be given

For this assignment I ask that you choose one of the two following options; you may choose only one: (1) write a memoir/autobiography of your own life, or the life of an immediate family member or close relative; (2) write a formal essay which compares and/or contrasts at least two of the readings from segment one, these include Du Bois, Obama, and Washington.

Tips for Option 1:
• Choose to focus on one specific event, or series of inter-related events that illustrate or discuss a similar theme, issue, problem, or challenge that you and/or your family has encountered
• Tell a story of emigration, travel, quest, pilgrimage, or journey
• Share your religious beliefs and how they have affected your life
• Discuss a hobby, passion, ritual, or habit that has helped shape you as an individual
• Celebrate a family member or close friend of yours that has either passed or is alive
• Discuss a moment of particular strife or challenge; that is, offer details concerning a life-lesson, if you will

Tips for Option 2:
• Theme(s) or issue(s) that you have discovered to be common between the authors and/or texts you have chosen is a good place to begin your comparison
• To contrast, offer the ways in which the authors are different; focus on their overall argument, goals, desires, etcetera…
• Use class notes to supplement your evidence and support, if need be
• It would behoove you to read the following post, regarding formal essay/paper descriptions. I posted this early in the term. It describes how your essays and papers will be graded, based on their qualities, aspects, and characteristics.


General tips:
In your introductory paragraph:
-- Be sure to introduce the overall point(s) or purpose of the memoir or essay; that is, what is it that you are trying to share with your audience, what are you trying to argue, and why?
-- You may wish to identify who your possible audience may be in this introduction, and how this memoir or essay will affect them should they read it.
-- Remember, you are not writing this essay for me, your professor. Imagine that you will “publish” it via one form or another to an imagined audience outside of this classroom.

In your body:
-- Be sure that each paragraph is following the “course” or “path” set by the introduction; that is, ask yourself: how does each body paragraph highlight and expand upon the main idea or thesis offered by the essay’s beginning? How does each body paragraph provide further evidence in support of your argument or purpose?

In your conclusion:
-- Be sure to summarize your paper’s main point(s)
-- Also, you may wish to offer “what’s next”; that is, ask yourself, what are the implications of the memoir or essay that you have written? How can/will the things you discuss be implemented in the future? What is the next step you will take? How will this writing affect the larger, greater world?

VIP! Should you quote any reading or text we have read thus far, be sure to properly cite each source using parenthetical citation. Use the handout on citation for assistance. You may also use the MLA section within Hacker’s Writer’s Reference for further assistance with this necessary requirement. A “Works Cited” page or bibliography is not needed for this paper.

Note: You will have the option to revise this first essay, due at the time of Essay #2. The revised grade with be averaged with the first grade to obtain a mean score which will be recorded as your final grade for this paper. This revision option remain for each paper submitted for this course!

formal essay/paper descriptions

The descriptions below detail the qualities of certain “types” of papers. These are for your benefit. They were adopted from descriptions published by Princeton University and Harvard College.

The Unsatisfactory Paper. The D or F paper demonstrates that the writer does not understand the relevant text(s) at hand. There is no thesis, or the thesis is not clearly defined. Overall, this type of paper is underdeveloped, disorganized, and it does not fulfill the requirements of the assignment. This type of paper is filled with mechanical, grammatical and spelling errors, indicating that the writer did not proofread or revise their work. The result is unsatisfactory.

The Mediocre Paper. The C paper shows that the writer has a limited grasp of the text(s) at hand. The thesis is usually broad, vague, or obvious. The thesis does not advance an argument that anyone might care to debate. The paper does not show that the writer is interacting with the text(s) because it fails to offer any quotations and/or textual evidence. While there may be some organizational structure to the paper, it does not demonstrate that the writer has complete control over this structure. This type of paper meets some of the assignment’s requirements, but not all. There are some mechanical, grammatical and spelling errors. The paper may have been proofread; however there is little evidence that suggests it was revised. The result is mediocre.

The Acceptable Paper. The B paper illustrates that the student has a strong understanding of the text(s) at hand. The thesis is developed, meaning that it is narrow in scope and worth arguing. There are numerous quotations present within the body of the paper, and the writer demonstrates a thoughtful analysis of the things being quoted. This textual evidence is relevant and it advances and supports the thesis. The paper is well organized, and the reader can easily follow the flow of the paper. This type of paper meets all of the assignment’s requirements. There are no mechanical, grammatical and spelling errors. Furthermore, the paper suggests that the writer has proofread and revised the work. The A paper has all of the qualities of the B paper, but in addition this type of paper is lively, well paced, interesting, and even exciting to the reader! The thesis is fully developed and is completely fulfilled by the body of the paper. By reading an A paper, the reader gets the sense of the writer’s mind at work, engaging with the text(s) to create a piece of writing that fulfills the assignment at hand while, importantly, going beyond those requirements to offer something more. This result is acceptable.