Brainstorm and Research Log
From the brainstorming work we did during class, think about three topics that interest you. Write them below.
1.
2.
3.
Choose one of the above topics and find an article from an academic source and fill out the form below. This will be the format used for all three of your research logs.
Name__________________________
Date___________________________
Research Log # ____________
Complete MLA format for the source used. You may use Easybib.com and Citationmachine.net, but you are still accountable to make sure the format is correct.
Brief summary (approximately 100-150 words) of the article. Remember to use attributive tags (the author’s last name) and include main points only. Do not include any of your thoughts or interpretation of the material.
Brief Reponse (approx. 100-150 words). These are you thoughts, feelings, and interpretations of the article. WHat did you feel was useful? What information was lacking? Where will you look next? WIll you stay on this train of thought, or will you shift directions?
Friday, September 30, 2011
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
What is Argumentative Writing?
Express your judgment, not your opinion. In middle school they call it "persuasion"; in college they call it "argumentation"—so what’s the difference? Expectation. Your instructor is less interested in what side you take than in how you take that side, how you analyze the issue and organize your response. Forget about whether you’re right and someone else is wrong; writing a good paper is not a competition. Instead, focus on your “line of argument”—how you develop your paper by meeting your audience’s needs, integrating solid evidence, and demonstrating a solid understanding of the topic.
The following steps will guide you through the writing process:
1) Choose your topic—carefully. Check your ideas against the following three criteria before finalizing your topic:
•Your topic must be arguable. The phrase “everything’s an argument” is not quite true—most things are, but not everything. Take the common high school editorial topic of “cliques are bad”: it’s a common opinion, sure, but who really disagrees? Your topic needs to be debatable; there has to be a clear opposing argument that others support. Ask yourself: who would oppose me? Why?
•Your topic must be contemporary and relevant. Arguments do not exist in a vacuum; they arise because people of varied beliefs interact with one another every day (or just bump heads). Your essay, even if it is about the past, should connect to values and ideas of the present. Look to current events or issues for inspiration—what’s going on in the world that’s inspiring discussion and/or disagreement? Ask yourself: does my topic matter to people right now? Why?
•Your topic must have value to you. Given the hours you’ll need to invest in the paper, your topic needs to be more than “interesting”; it has to be knowledge you want to pursue for your own personal benefit, not just a grade. However fascinating cloning may be, for example, if you’re not interested in science or ethics—two fundamental sub-issues of the cloning debate—your essay will be a chore to write. Choose a topic you care about and are invested in. You’ll write better and research deeper because of your personal investment.
2) Analyze your audience. Your understanding of your audience—yes, even your teacher—is integral in determining the development and organization of your argument, as well as the stylistic techniques you can utilize in your writing. For example, if you are writing to your instructor, consider what he/she expects from students on such an assignment—a formal tone, large amounts of evidence integrated into the paper, analysis of these ideas, right?
3) Research wisely. Google is quick and easy; everybody uses it. So does your professor, who is rather justified in his/her skepticism of website credibility—lots of the readily accessible data via Google is inaccurate and risky. Make sure your online sources are from established educational/professional sites.
Also use your library’s subject-specific databases to find professional journals covering your topic. With a narrow and focused topic, searching should be a breeze. And use the “snowball” research technique: once you find a helpful source, look at its references/bibliography to get new leads on evidence for your paper. Wash. Rinse. Repeat.
4) Dig deeper. A meaningful topic will tap into underlying values and issues of modern society. Look for the themes or big ideas of your issue. For example, consider whether or not cities should limit or ban national chain stores from expanding in their respective communities. On one hand, yes, a paper might address the positives and negatives of Wal-Mart or Subway. Yet an excellent argument will also discuss the bigger conflicts at play: convenience vs. community identity, job creation vs. environmental damage. Seeing the “big picture” adds depth to your argument.
5) Complexify your argument. There are several rhetorical “moves” or patterns writers can utilize to enhance their argument and demonstrate critical thinking about their topic. Here are short summaries of six of them:
•Cause and effect: discuss what has led to your topic becoming an issue and why the issue is affecting people.
•Qualification: “qualification” here means to limit your position to specific contexts or situations, a “yes, but…” perspective. Qualifying not only can demonstrate that you understand the complexity of an issue but can show you have a unique perspective on it.
•Examination of the opposing argument: know thy enemy. Analyzing other perspectives on your topic has three key advantages: you demonstrate a broad understanding of the issue; you can strengthen your position by comparing it to others; and you’ve given yourself plenty more to write about.
•Concede a little, as necessary: it’s perfectly okay to admit your position is not perfect; in fact, breaking down what works and what doesn’t about your topic can enhance your analysis. Anticipating and alleviating your reader’s concerns can be incredibly persuasive.
•Propose a solution: a logical and feasible solution to your issue provides authority and credibility, and it can make for a strong conclusion.
•Examine the implications: what effect will this issue have on individuals and/or the world? Discussing what lies ahead for your topic also makes for a strong approach to a conclusion.
6) Revise, revise, revise. Talk is cheap—and so are papers littered with clichés, illogical arguments, and grammar mistakes. Find a peer who disagrees with your position and have him/her read your paper. Discuss your ideas, your approaches, and your writing style with this naysayer; take the feedback and advice seriously. Read your paper out loud to yourself during later revisions. Be sure to check if you’ve cited your sources correctly. Edit for grammar and spelling only after you are comfortable with what you’ve you written and how you’ve written it.
**Information acquired from: http://www.enotes.com/topics/how-write-argumentative-essay
The following steps will guide you through the writing process:
1) Choose your topic—carefully. Check your ideas against the following three criteria before finalizing your topic:
•Your topic must be arguable. The phrase “everything’s an argument” is not quite true—most things are, but not everything. Take the common high school editorial topic of “cliques are bad”: it’s a common opinion, sure, but who really disagrees? Your topic needs to be debatable; there has to be a clear opposing argument that others support. Ask yourself: who would oppose me? Why?
•Your topic must be contemporary and relevant. Arguments do not exist in a vacuum; they arise because people of varied beliefs interact with one another every day (or just bump heads). Your essay, even if it is about the past, should connect to values and ideas of the present. Look to current events or issues for inspiration—what’s going on in the world that’s inspiring discussion and/or disagreement? Ask yourself: does my topic matter to people right now? Why?
•Your topic must have value to you. Given the hours you’ll need to invest in the paper, your topic needs to be more than “interesting”; it has to be knowledge you want to pursue for your own personal benefit, not just a grade. However fascinating cloning may be, for example, if you’re not interested in science or ethics—two fundamental sub-issues of the cloning debate—your essay will be a chore to write. Choose a topic you care about and are invested in. You’ll write better and research deeper because of your personal investment.
2) Analyze your audience. Your understanding of your audience—yes, even your teacher—is integral in determining the development and organization of your argument, as well as the stylistic techniques you can utilize in your writing. For example, if you are writing to your instructor, consider what he/she expects from students on such an assignment—a formal tone, large amounts of evidence integrated into the paper, analysis of these ideas, right?
3) Research wisely. Google is quick and easy; everybody uses it. So does your professor, who is rather justified in his/her skepticism of website credibility—lots of the readily accessible data via Google is inaccurate and risky. Make sure your online sources are from established educational/professional sites.
Also use your library’s subject-specific databases to find professional journals covering your topic. With a narrow and focused topic, searching should be a breeze. And use the “snowball” research technique: once you find a helpful source, look at its references/bibliography to get new leads on evidence for your paper. Wash. Rinse. Repeat.
4) Dig deeper. A meaningful topic will tap into underlying values and issues of modern society. Look for the themes or big ideas of your issue. For example, consider whether or not cities should limit or ban national chain stores from expanding in their respective communities. On one hand, yes, a paper might address the positives and negatives of Wal-Mart or Subway. Yet an excellent argument will also discuss the bigger conflicts at play: convenience vs. community identity, job creation vs. environmental damage. Seeing the “big picture” adds depth to your argument.
5) Complexify your argument. There are several rhetorical “moves” or patterns writers can utilize to enhance their argument and demonstrate critical thinking about their topic. Here are short summaries of six of them:
•Cause and effect: discuss what has led to your topic becoming an issue and why the issue is affecting people.
•Qualification: “qualification” here means to limit your position to specific contexts or situations, a “yes, but…” perspective. Qualifying not only can demonstrate that you understand the complexity of an issue but can show you have a unique perspective on it.
•Examination of the opposing argument: know thy enemy. Analyzing other perspectives on your topic has three key advantages: you demonstrate a broad understanding of the issue; you can strengthen your position by comparing it to others; and you’ve given yourself plenty more to write about.
•Concede a little, as necessary: it’s perfectly okay to admit your position is not perfect; in fact, breaking down what works and what doesn’t about your topic can enhance your analysis. Anticipating and alleviating your reader’s concerns can be incredibly persuasive.
•Propose a solution: a logical and feasible solution to your issue provides authority and credibility, and it can make for a strong conclusion.
•Examine the implications: what effect will this issue have on individuals and/or the world? Discussing what lies ahead for your topic also makes for a strong approach to a conclusion.
6) Revise, revise, revise. Talk is cheap—and so are papers littered with clichés, illogical arguments, and grammar mistakes. Find a peer who disagrees with your position and have him/her read your paper. Discuss your ideas, your approaches, and your writing style with this naysayer; take the feedback and advice seriously. Read your paper out loud to yourself during later revisions. Be sure to check if you’ve cited your sources correctly. Edit for grammar and spelling only after you are comfortable with what you’ve you written and how you’ve written it.
**Information acquired from: http://www.enotes.com/topics/how-write-argumentative-essay
Argumentative Assignment
The objective of the argumentative essay is to explain to the reader why the writer takes the position she/he does on a particular topic and to demonstrate why her/his judgments and arguments are valid.
For this assignment, choose either "California Blues" or "The Pets we Love--and Drug" (both found on this blogspot) to read in their entirety. As you read the article, locate the thesis of the paper. (If it is not explicitly expressed, what do you think the writer hopes to prove with his paper?) Also, look for the arguments that the author makes throughout his article to support his thesis.
After you have completed reading 1 article, copy the article and paste it into a Word Document or a Google Doc. Then, highlight or underline the thesis and the arguments found within the article. Once you've located the arguments you must write whether or not each one is using Pathos, Logos, or Ethos. You will be graded on whether or not you're able to locate a thesis (central point or idea) and how many arguments you're able to fine.
Email your completed assignments to: MrsLarson322@gmail.com In order to receive credit, your assignment must be submitted by 3pm on Thursday, September 29th.
Any questions? Please ask.
For this assignment, choose either "California Blues" or "The Pets we Love--and Drug" (both found on this blogspot) to read in their entirety. As you read the article, locate the thesis of the paper. (If it is not explicitly expressed, what do you think the writer hopes to prove with his paper?) Also, look for the arguments that the author makes throughout his article to support his thesis.
After you have completed reading 1 article, copy the article and paste it into a Word Document or a Google Doc. Then, highlight or underline the thesis and the arguments found within the article. Once you've located the arguments you must write whether or not each one is using Pathos, Logos, or Ethos. You will be graded on whether or not you're able to locate a thesis (central point or idea) and how many arguments you're able to fine.
Email your completed assignments to: MrsLarson322@gmail.com In order to receive credit, your assignment must be submitted by 3pm on Thursday, September 29th.
Any questions? Please ask.
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
The Pets we Love--and Drug
BY: Matthew Philips
Fluffy is getting old. Going on 13, she's geriatric for a Rottweiler. And like many people past retirement age, she takes a lot of pills—steroids for her bad hips and pinched nerve, a chewable tablet for her underactive thyroid, even Benadryl for her allergies. Her owner, Kelly Dowd, is happy to pay the $75 monthly. But to date, there has been no pill to treat Fluffy's most serious ailment—at 110 pounds, she's 25 pounds overweight, borderline obese.
Next month this will change when Slentrol, the first diet drug for dogs, hits the market. Developed by Pfizer and approved by the Food and Drug Administration late last year, Slentrol suppresses a dog's appetite and limits fat absorption. Although Dowd says she'll try to cut the amount of food Fluffy eats before resorting to drugs, at a cost of nearly $2 a day Pfizer believes the owners of at least 17 million dogs will be willing to try Slentrol. That could be a conservative bet: about one third of the 74 million dogs in the United States are overweight (5 percent are obese). And, increasingly, Americans are willing to open their wallets for Fluffy and friends, spending nearly $40 billion on their pets last year, double what they did in 1994.
Perhaps that's because pets have become more prominent members of the family. "We've shown an increasing willingness to spend money on our pets as they've become a bigger part of our lives," says Bob Vetere, president of the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association. This is partly because a decade ago, most pet owners were parents, but now more are owned by people with no children at all—empty nesters, gay couples and single adults. In many households, pets aren't just presents for children—they are surrogate children. "Two thirds of homes in the U.S. have a pet," says Vetere. "Twice as many [as those] with children."
Whether we worry that our pets are eating tainted, potentially lethal food—or that they're simply eating too much—we've made pet health a priority. In 2006, 77 percent of dogs were given medication, compared with 52 percent in 2004. According to APPMA, spending on pets' surgical procedures and dental care—including floss and teeth whiteners—has also risen. Pet products now make up more than half an animal-health market once dominated by products for livestock, fueling what in 2005 was a $5 billion industry. "The companion-animal sector has snowballed into this unstoppable force," says Richard Daub, who covers the industry for the trade publication Animal Pharm.
Not surprisingly, some of the world's largest drugmakers are pouring resources into their animal-health divisions in hopes of capitalizing on this emerging market. The FDA has approved more than two dozen new drugs for pets since 2002 alone. Along with Slentrol, Pfizer has a drug to treat motion sickness in dogs that's due out in August. Eli Lilly just launched a new companion-animal division, and plans to develop six drugs in the next four years, in part by reconstituting drugs developed for humans, targeting not physical but psychological ailments. Lilly's new flagship pet medication, Reconcile, approved by the FDA in January to treat separation anxiety in dogs, is the same compound as its antidepressant Prozac. "The cost of developing a new drug is so high, they're crazy not to reuse molecules developed for humans," says Nick Dodman, director of the Animal Behavior Clinic at the Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine. Based on research done by Dodman, a British firm, Accura Pharma, recently bought a patent to develop the first antiaggression drug for dogs.
Some pet owners say medication has improved their pets' lives dramatically. Mark Musin of San Francisco gives his Jack Russell, Murphy, Prozac to keep him from fixating on reflections and shadows. "Without it, he obsesses over them," Musin says.
But others see pet drugs as a quick fix that fail to address the root of a bigger problem. Pets are often cooped up indoors and left alone for much of the day, under-exercised and overfed—is it any wonder they're aggressive, anxiety-ridden and fat? "We're absolutely projecting our neuroses and bad habits onto our pets," says Dr. J. P. O'Leary, a veterinarian outside Pittsburgh who says that of the 400 animals he sees a week, half are obese and many have behavioral issues. Rather than spending the time and energy working with their pets to correct them, though, "people would rather throw a pill at it," he says. O'Leary hesitates when asked if he plans to prescribe Slentrol to clients with overweight dogs. "Only as a last resort," he says. "The problem can be solved by regulating their food and getting more exercise." That's advice plenty of humans could use, too.
Fluffy is getting old. Going on 13, she's geriatric for a Rottweiler. And like many people past retirement age, she takes a lot of pills—steroids for her bad hips and pinched nerve, a chewable tablet for her underactive thyroid, even Benadryl for her allergies. Her owner, Kelly Dowd, is happy to pay the $75 monthly. But to date, there has been no pill to treat Fluffy's most serious ailment—at 110 pounds, she's 25 pounds overweight, borderline obese.
Next month this will change when Slentrol, the first diet drug for dogs, hits the market. Developed by Pfizer and approved by the Food and Drug Administration late last year, Slentrol suppresses a dog's appetite and limits fat absorption. Although Dowd says she'll try to cut the amount of food Fluffy eats before resorting to drugs, at a cost of nearly $2 a day Pfizer believes the owners of at least 17 million dogs will be willing to try Slentrol. That could be a conservative bet: about one third of the 74 million dogs in the United States are overweight (5 percent are obese). And, increasingly, Americans are willing to open their wallets for Fluffy and friends, spending nearly $40 billion on their pets last year, double what they did in 1994.
Perhaps that's because pets have become more prominent members of the family. "We've shown an increasing willingness to spend money on our pets as they've become a bigger part of our lives," says Bob Vetere, president of the American Pet Products Manufacturers Association. This is partly because a decade ago, most pet owners were parents, but now more are owned by people with no children at all—empty nesters, gay couples and single adults. In many households, pets aren't just presents for children—they are surrogate children. "Two thirds of homes in the U.S. have a pet," says Vetere. "Twice as many [as those] with children."
Whether we worry that our pets are eating tainted, potentially lethal food—or that they're simply eating too much—we've made pet health a priority. In 2006, 77 percent of dogs were given medication, compared with 52 percent in 2004. According to APPMA, spending on pets' surgical procedures and dental care—including floss and teeth whiteners—has also risen. Pet products now make up more than half an animal-health market once dominated by products for livestock, fueling what in 2005 was a $5 billion industry. "The companion-animal sector has snowballed into this unstoppable force," says Richard Daub, who covers the industry for the trade publication Animal Pharm.
Not surprisingly, some of the world's largest drugmakers are pouring resources into their animal-health divisions in hopes of capitalizing on this emerging market. The FDA has approved more than two dozen new drugs for pets since 2002 alone. Along with Slentrol, Pfizer has a drug to treat motion sickness in dogs that's due out in August. Eli Lilly just launched a new companion-animal division, and plans to develop six drugs in the next four years, in part by reconstituting drugs developed for humans, targeting not physical but psychological ailments. Lilly's new flagship pet medication, Reconcile, approved by the FDA in January to treat separation anxiety in dogs, is the same compound as its antidepressant Prozac. "The cost of developing a new drug is so high, they're crazy not to reuse molecules developed for humans," says Nick Dodman, director of the Animal Behavior Clinic at the Tufts Cummings School of Veterinary Medicine. Based on research done by Dodman, a British firm, Accura Pharma, recently bought a patent to develop the first antiaggression drug for dogs.
Some pet owners say medication has improved their pets' lives dramatically. Mark Musin of San Francisco gives his Jack Russell, Murphy, Prozac to keep him from fixating on reflections and shadows. "Without it, he obsesses over them," Musin says.
But others see pet drugs as a quick fix that fail to address the root of a bigger problem. Pets are often cooped up indoors and left alone for much of the day, under-exercised and overfed—is it any wonder they're aggressive, anxiety-ridden and fat? "We're absolutely projecting our neuroses and bad habits onto our pets," says Dr. J. P. O'Leary, a veterinarian outside Pittsburgh who says that of the 400 animals he sees a week, half are obese and many have behavioral issues. Rather than spending the time and energy working with their pets to correct them, though, "people would rather throw a pill at it," he says. O'Leary hesitates when asked if he plans to prescribe Slentrol to clients with overweight dogs. "Only as a last resort," he says. "The problem can be solved by regulating their food and getting more exercise." That's advice plenty of humans could use, too.
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Friday, September 2, 2011
Anticipation Guide: Hamlet
Directions: Choose the number that indicates where you stand in regard to the statement the follows. (1 being Strongly DISAGREE and 5 being Strongly AGREE). Be prepared to defend and support your opinions with specific examples. After reading the text, compare you opinions on those statements with the author's implied and/or stated messages.
Strongly Disagree-----Strongly Agree
1 2 3 4 5
A) Families generally have a member's best interst in mind.
B)Power eventually corrupts the people who have it.
C) Revenge is the only way to gain true justice.
D) Having a clear goal, and the ambition to achieve it, is honorable.
E) A person's immoral choices can come back to haunt him/her.
F) One must take a stand against injustice, even if the personal cost is great.
G) A person has to confront death in order to understand life's meaning.
H) Moral courage is more difficult to accomplish than physical courage.
I) Evil often spirals out of control.
Strongly Disagree-----Strongly Agree
1 2 3 4 5
A) Families generally have a member's best interst in mind.
B)Power eventually corrupts the people who have it.
C) Revenge is the only way to gain true justice.
D) Having a clear goal, and the ambition to achieve it, is honorable.
E) A person's immoral choices can come back to haunt him/her.
F) One must take a stand against injustice, even if the personal cost is great.
G) A person has to confront death in order to understand life's meaning.
H) Moral courage is more difficult to accomplish than physical courage.
I) Evil often spirals out of control.
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