This Week: June 13th and 17th

Hello, all:

During Monday's class we will have two presentations so be prepared to contribute to class discussions.

We also need to start our preparation for the next in-class examination on July 5th / July 8th. This exam will consist of an in-class argumentative essay based on Al Gore's The Shadow Our Future Throws. You MUST have this essay read by next week.

Here are the notes for this week's lecture:

Developing a thesis statement
For this course you will receive an essay topic so you do not need to make one up on your own. However, once you receive your essay topic you will need to ask important questions of the topic in order to turn the topic question into a thesis statement and begin your writing.

For example, a possible essay topic could be:
In Alan Weisman’s “Polymers are Forever,” Weisman leaves the reader with a very ambiguous conclusion to the problem of plastics in our environment by quoting the words of Dr. Tony Andray. Discuss the significance of such a rhetorical decision. Does Weisman’s conclusion help or hurt the overall effectiveness of his purpose in writing the article.
Group discussion: What is the topic asking you? How do we begin to write this essay?

HOW – how is Weisman’s conclusion ‘ambiguous?’ SUMMARY
WHY - why is Weisman’s decision effective or not effective? ANALYSIS
SO WHAT – discuss the significance or impact of this decision to the article overall. Why does it matter?

Example Thesis: By allowing Tony Andray to conclude “Polymers are Forever,” Weisman creates an atmosphere of hopelessness and despair. Weisman’s darkly ironic conclusion reinforces the same apathy that has caused so much of the damage that plastics have done to our environment. By concluding his article in such a way, Weismann negates many of the rhetorical strategies he has laid out throughout the entire essay. By analyzing Weisman’s use of narrative, intense description and quotation, I will show how these rhetorical elements, used throughout the essay, are contradicted in Andray’s concluding remarks.

Group Discussion: Why are these thesis statements strong?

Questions to ask yourself when writing a thesis statement
What is my Purpose. What do I intend to do when writing this essay?
Do you intend to change the mind or opinions of your audience by presenting a clear, concise and analytical essay? An essay that logically presents the reader with evidence to back up your claims?

Promise. Your essay MUST deliver on the promises you have made in the thesis statement. Make sure that you develop a thesis statement that tells your reader what your essay will do and not do. Feel free to announce this (without apologies) in or near your thesis.
Route Map. Not only should your thesis statement make a point, but it also point in a particular direction. The route map informs readers of the highlights of the journey they are about to make.
Examples:

Canadians with disabilities are still an overlooked minority

Canadians with disabilities need legal protection of their rights comparable to those enjoyed by Americans since George H. Bush passes the Americans with Disabilities Act in 1990. The weaker Human Rights Commission in Canada, while well-intentioned, does not give timely solutions to pressing problems.

Myths of creation reveal a great deal about the philosophy of a people.

Myths of creation, like the story of Prometheus’s theft of fire, sometimes illustrate the dangerous consequences of humankind’s attempts to create something that imitates the gods.

Technology is a threat to human life

Computer technology is dangerous to initiative because it encourages too much dependence on something external to the human mind: trust in computers is gradually replacing trust in common sense.

Writing a Route Map or Method Statement
The thesis statement explains what you are going to show in your paper, and the route map shows how you are going to get there. It explains the paper’s direction and methodology, and acts as preview of coming attractions meant to structure and limit the reader’s expectations of your treatment of the topic.
READ through examples: on PAGE 16 and 17

Exercises CH 1. GROUP WORK.

NEXT WEEK EXERCISE: As a group I want you to develop a TOPIC or ESSAY QUESTION for another group. Once that group has a topic / question they must develop a strong thesis statement for next week’s class.