Day 2 Document Time to lower drinking age?

Decoding our `epidemic' of drunkenness

August 28, 2005|By Steve Chapman, a member of the Tribune's editorial board We all know that well-intended laws can have unintended consequences. When the federal government capped the price of oil, gas got more expensive. When it raises the minimum wage, people who used to get a lousy wage often find themselves out of a job, making a wage of zero. As economist Milton Friedman once said, if you put the government in charge of the Sahara, there would soon be a shortage of sand. So it's not hard to believe an argument that has gained currency lately: When we raised the drinking age from 18 to 21, we didn't solve the problem of irresponsible alcohol consumption by young people--we made it worse.

August Busch III, chairman of Anheuser-Busch, has said the higher drinking age "results in the very behavior we are trying to fight." Barrett Seaman, author of the book "Binge: What Your College Student Won't Tell You," blames the higher drinking age for the alarming number of college students who end up hospitalized or dead from alcohol poisoning. Writing in Time magazine, Seaman says that in Montreal, where 18-year-olds may drink, students are less likely to end the evening hugging a toilet. His remedy: Roll back the drinking age so youngsters can drink in legal, controlled settings and "learn to handle alcohol like the adults we hope and expect them to be." This is an elegant, provocative theory. It also dovetails with the common-sense notion that there's something unfair and irrational about regarding 18-year-olds as adults when it comes to voting or enlisting in the military, but treating them like middle-schoolers when it comes to drinking. The whole line of argument is perfect, except for one thing: It's about two solar systems away from reality. As it happens, there is a mountain of evidence on the effects of raising the drinking age. It all shows that the change had no ill effects and, in fact, did an immense amount of good. To start with, barring alcohol sales to those under 21 didn't cause an epidemic of drunkenness among those who lost their privileges. Monitoring the Future, which conducts annual surveys of attitudes and behavior among young people, says that in 1984, when the federal government mandated a drinking age of 21, 45.4 percent of college students engaged in binge drinking, defined as five or more

drinks in a row in any given two-week period. By 2003, only 38.5 percent did so--a decline of 15 percent. The number of students who drink every day, meanwhile, has fallen by a third, while the number of students who abstain in any given month has risen by 61 percent. It may be hard to believe, but when we banned drinking by those between the ages of 18 and 21, they drank less. Sometimes, laws don't have unintended consequences--they have intended ones. College kids are not the only group showing positive results. High school seniors are far less likely to engage in binge drinking than they were in the days when 18-year-olds could legally buy beer--even though more than 90 percent say alcohol is still easy to get. Critics of the higher drinking age forget that the change also had another huge benefit: saving lives. Drinking and driving used to be the leading cause of death among teenagers, but no more. In 1984, more than 10,000 drinking drivers under the age of 21 were involved in fatal crashes. By 2003, the number was down to 8,035--a decline of 22 percent.

Limiting the supply of beer clearly stanched the flow of blood. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration estimates that the higher drinking age saves more than 900 lives every year. Since 1984, some 18,000 lives have been spared. It's true that we don't have a consistent national policy on when to confer the rights and responsibilities of adulthood. Telling someone he can fight in Iraq but not have a beer when he returns stateside is an awkward business at best. But consistency is not the sole virtue in writing laws. There's nothing illogical in tailoring policies to fit what simple experience has taught us: that teens can be trusted more with some freedoms than with others. If 18-year-old soldiers showed a propensity for blowing themselves up with hand grenades, we might raise the age of enlistment. When government policies defeat their own purposes, they deserve to be repealed. But lowering the drinking age to curb alcohol abuse is like trying to reduce crime by disbanding the police.

Day 3 Documents Comp and Lit

I Dont Want to think about Warrantsbut Mrs. Sommer is Making Me, Wah

Warrants: Warrants show how the evidence supports the claim. A warrant serves as the BRIDGE that explicitly connects the HOW and WHY. Usually, warrants are NOT STATED by the author. [but if you are a student writer, you should probably state yours, just to be safe.]

Warrants answer the following questions: o What assumptions or beliefs are built into this connection between claim and evidence? Are those assumptions and beliefs universal? o How and why does this evidence support the claim? If the warrant is weak, you probably have a logical fallacy. More about those later.

Lets try an example:[warrants are hidden reveal by highlighting]

Claim: Hybrid cars are an effective strategy to fight pollution. Data1: Driving a private car is a typical citizen's most air polluting activity. Warrant 1: Because cars are the largest source of air pollution created by individuals, switching to hybrid cars should have an impact on fighting pollution.

Data 2: Each vehicle produced is going to stay on the road for roughly 12 to 15 years. Warrant 2: Cars generally have a long lifespan, meaning that a decision to switch to a hybrid car will make a long-term impact on pollution levels.

Data 3: Hybrid cars combine a gasoline engine with a battery-powered electric motor. Warrant 3: This combination of technologies means that less pollution is produced. According to ineedtoknow.org "the hybrid engine of the Prius, made by Toyota, produces 90 percent fewer harmful emissions than a comparable gasoline engine."

Lets try this with Steve Chapmans Time to lower the drinking age? article.

Subclaim 1: Barring alcohol sales to those under 21 in 1985 didnt cause an epidemic of drunkenness among those who lost their privileges. Evidence: Monitor the Future says in 1984, 45.4% of college students engaged in binging; in 2003 38.5 did

Is the warrant stated in the article, or implied? Warrant: When we banned drinking by 18-20 year olds, they drank less.

Subclaim 2: The change also had another huge benefit: saving lives Evidence: in 1984, 10,000+ drinking teens in fatal crashes; in 2003, down to 8,035

Is the warrant stated in the article, or implied? Warrant:

Refutation: theres nothing illogical in having a law that bans adults from drinking Evidence: Teens can be trusted more with some freedoms than others Evidence: 18 year old soldiers DONT have propensity for blowing themselves up with hand grenades

Is the warrant stated in the article, or implied?

Warrant:

Logical fallacies often occur when claims and evidence are connected by a valid warrant. Since warrants are frequently implied but not stated directly, it is difficult to see why the thinking is flawed. Try unpacking these statements to find the implied warrantwrite it out below the statement. Then, say whether or not a logical fallacy exists.

1. Murray should never have been allowed to be the team captain; half the players on the team are more talented athletes.

2. Of course people are drawn to Jersey Shore; the show is completely brainless.

3. Parents should encourage their children to read about the smart, self-reliant Harry Potter; everyone wants their kids to act the way he does.

4. Don't be jealous of Sam's new car; your old one runs great.

5. I would never date Rufus; I'm three inches taller than he is.

Day 4 Document

Why Gift Cards Are Evil

They're the best insult money can buy.
By Daniel GrossPosted Tuesday, Jan. 4, 2005, at 3:45 PM ET
What do you buy when you're too lazy to find a real present? Probably a gift card. In a Christmas shopping season that lacked a must-have product, the most successful item may have been that nondescript, infinitely malleable slice of plastic. Gift cards, which came on the scene in the late 1990s at Blockbuster and Neiman-Marcus, have spread into every nook of the vast retailing sector. Wal-Mart sells them for as little as $10. Barnes & Noble offers them. Fast-food joints like McDonald's and Dunkin' Donuts are getting in on the act. So is American Express. A survey released last October by ValueLink, which creates gift cards for companies, estimated that in the previous 12 months, 64 percent of American adults (139 million people!) either bought or received a gift card, up from just 37 percent in 2002. After Christmas, Bloomberg news reported that sales of gift cards in the 2004 holiday season may have exceeded the National Retail Federation's prediction of $17.3 billion. Michael Niemira, chief economist at the International Council of Shopping Centers, has suggested that 11 percent of holiday sales may have been embedded in gift cards. And Providence College marketing professor Dan Horne, a gift card specialist, said Americans likely spend between $40 billion and $45 billion annually on gift cards.

The appeal of gift cards is obvious. They save time and mental energy for purchasers, who don't have to struggle to choose the right present. A $50 gift card from Barnes & Noble somehow seems more thoughtful than simply slipping two twenties and a bunch of wrinkled ones into an envelope. For recipients, gift cards ward off the uncomfortable and highly inefficient process of receiving and returning unwanted gifts. Every recipient of a gift card can be honestly and genuinely graciouswho doesn't like free money, after all?

Retailers love gift cards most of all. They're high-margin, low-maintenance sales that can be easily conducted online. They stimulate much-wanted traffic in the post-holiday season doldrums of January and February, especially at restaurants. And to the extent gift cards save merchants the expense and hassle of handling returns of unwanted gifts, they are a huge boon. So, what's not to like? A few things. Buy a gift card and you're essentially lending cash to the retailer today that is paid back through merchandise tomorrow, or next week, or next month. ValueLink reported that 27 percent of those in its survey blew the cards out within seven days, and another 31 percent did so within a month. Which means that about 42 percent of cards retained some cash value on them for at least a month. Wal-Mart and Neiman-Marcus can borrow all the cash they want from banks or the bond market on rather favorable terms. Do they really need us to extend short-term interest-free loans to them? And gift cards frequently carry a price for their recipients. Walking into a store with free money in your pocket is like walking into an all-you-can-eat buffet after fastingyou'll feel psychologically impelled and entitled to consume more than usual, because the short-term cost will seem lower. "When customers go into the store, they don't feel constrained to just stick to that card," said Karen Larsen, vice president of global marketing and business development at ValueLink. That's one of the reasons retailers issue gift cards in low denominations. The Neiman-Marcus $50 gift card won't go very far on its own. Ditto for the $10 card at Wal-Mart. Indeed, ValueLink said that 55 percent of those in its survey spent more than the initial value of the card they received. (In an exquisite example of how commerce blasphemously adopts sacred language, such incremental spending is referred to in the industry as "uplift.") Dan Horne says that "the evidence is that there is incremental spend of 40 percent." But he hastens to note that some shopping experiences are far more uplifting than others. A core Wal-Mart shopper with a $100 gift card might spend $110 on his next visit, providing a mere $10 of uplift. A core Barneys fashion victim, armed with a $100 gift card, might spend $200. Finally, depending on the recipient's self-esteem and level of paranoia, gift cards can seem a wee bit paternalistic and controlling. Gift cards are tailor-made for recipients who are irresponsible or deficient in taste and self-awarenessor who are simply prone to feeling that way. Give your teenager $50 and she might blow it on midriff-baring halter tops at Abercrombie & Fitch. But that J. Crew gift card can be spent only on presentable clothing. Dismayed that your boyfriend's recent reading list extends only as far as Maxim? A Borders gift

card could send a message. For the insecure male on your list, a Thomas Pink gift card could be a not-so-subtle hint that his shirts are blighted with ugly stains. So, let's review. A gift card is great. But every moment you don't use it, Wal-Mart or some other giant retailer is collecting interest on the giver's cash. When you go to redeem it, chances are you'll end up spending some of your own coin. And it probably reflects the giver's implicit criticism of your poor taste and untrustworthiness. Aren't you glad Christmas is over?

Read this excerpt from Why Gift Cards are Evil by Daniel Gross

The appeal of gift cards is obvious. They save time and mental energy for purchasers, who don't have to struggle to choose the right present. A $50 gift card from Barnes & Noble somehow seems more thoughtful than simply slipping two twenties and a bunch of wrinkled ones into an envelope. For recipients, gift cards ward off the uncomfortable and highly inefficient process of receiving and returning unwanted gifts. Every recipient of a gift card can be honestly and genuinely graciouswho doesn't like free money, after all?

Retailers love gift cards most of all. They're high-margin, lowmaintenance sales that can be easily conducted online. They stimulate much-wanted traffic in the post-holiday season doldrums of January and February, especially at restaurants. And to the extent gift cards save merchants the expense and hassle of handling returns of unwanted gifts, they are a huge boon.

So, what's not to like? A few things. Buy a gift card and you're essentially lending cash to the retailer today that is paid back through merchandise tomorrow, or next week, or next month. ValueLink reported that 27 percent of those in its survey blew the cards out within seven days, and another 31 percent did so within a month. Which means that about 42 percent of cards retained some cash value on them for at least a month. Wal-Mart and Neiman-Marcus can borrow all the cash they want from banks or the bond market on rather favorable terms. Do they really need us to extend short-term interest-free loans to them?

And gift cards frequently carry a price for their recipients. Walking into a store with free money in your pocket is like walking into an all-you-caneat buffet after fastingyou'll feel psychologically impelled and entitled to consume more than usual, because the short-term cost will seem lower. "When customers go into the store, they don't feel constrained to just stick to that card," said Karen Larsen, vice president of global marketing and business development at ValueLink.

Name ____________________________

Identify the items below (label directly on the article, AND THEN write it out here). If it is not directly stated in the text, put the idea into your own words. o Thesis (this might be tricky)

o Sub-claims that support the THESIS and evidence that supports the SUB-CLAIMS and warrants for the sub-claims
So you need to list: claim -> evidence -> warrant (remembering that warrants arent always stated)

o Concessions (there are 2)

Label in the text and then write outmake sure you identify the specific technique too (ex, statistic, connotative language, etc): o Find 3 different kinds of logical appeals

o Find 3 different kinds of emotional appeals

o Find 2 different ethical appeals.

Day 5 Documents Comp and Lit

A Tiny Little Paper 15 points (essay grade)

Write a brief analysis of Steve Chapmans Time to lower drinking age? editorial (1-2 pages typed), explaining how effective you find the article. DO NOT tell me whether you agree or disagree with ChapmanI do not care about that ! Instead, think about how well he argues his thesisyou might consider: The quality of his claims and evidence His organization/structure His voice/style

You do not need a formal introduction and conclusion or a works cited, but you do need to have the following elements: A thesis that states your overall opinion MLA format heading, spacing, etc. Clear organization topic sentences, thoughtful arrangement of ideas, etc. Use the number of paragraphs that you think makes sense! Aim for 1-2 double-spaced pages.

Due Monday

Comp and Lit

A Tiny Little Paper Revised 25 points (essay grade)

Write a short rhetorical analysis of of Steve Chapmans Time to lower drinking age? editorial (1-2 pages typed). You do not need a formal introduction and conclusion or a works cited, but you do need to have the following elements: A thesis that states your overall opinion Consideration of the following: o Overall organization of the editorial number of claims, order of information, placement of concession, transitions, etc. o Logical strategies Variety and quality of logical appeals Validity of warrants (bonus: are any of them logical fallacies?) o Emotional and style strategiesemotional appeals, rhetorical devices, etc. o Ethical appeals MLA format heading, spacing, etc. Clear organization topic sentences, thoughtful arrangement of ideas, etc.

Day 6 Logical fallacies-To be enlarged and cut up

1. "John Edwardss ideas about immigration reform are not worth considering. After all, he had a very public affair and a child out of wedlock last year."

2. My sisters Ford Focus had to be taken in 3 times for repairs when she first bought it. You should not buy a Focus.

3. Unemployment in Michigan increased last quarter. Soon after, a report came out that the crime rate had increased. Therefore, the increased unemployment caused the increased crime.

4. Lil Wayne tweeted that drinking Vitamin Water has given him more energy and helped him think clearly. I think Im going to go stock up on Vitamin Water.

5. If we pass laws against fully-automatic weapons, then it won't be long before we pass laws on all weapons, and then we will begin to restrict other rights, and finally we will end up living in a communist state. Thus, we should not ban fully-automatic weapons.

6. Jeggings are totally in style right now--everyone is wearing them. You should go to Old Navy right now and buy a pair.

7. We have pure food and drug laws to make sure there are not impurities in our food; why can't we have laws to keep movie-makers from giving us filth too?

8. How can you say that's out? I'm down ten games to twocant you cut me some slack?

9. I dont enjoy black and white movies because I like my movies to be in color.

10. "If only I had practiced a little more on my backhand, I could have won that tennis tournament."

Ad hominem Ad misericordiam Bandwagon Circular logic False authority Faulty analogy Hasty generalization Hypothesis contrary to fact Post hoc Slippery slope

Day 7 Documents *Examples should be taken out of worksheet and scrambled on separate sheet for students

LOGICAL FALLACIES (Common mistakes in thinking that may lead to wrong conclusions or distort evidence) (BAD, BAD, BAD do not use in your own writing. And if you see them in your article, be sure to point them out. They hurt an authors intended purpose!) 1. Hasty generalization When a writer arrives at a conclusion based on inadequate evidence or a sample that is too small. Ex - I liked the last Chinese restaurant that I went to, so I will like every Chinese restaurant.

2. Oversimplification Offering easy solutions for complicated problems. Ex - If we want to end substances abuse, lets send all drug users to prison for life. (even aspirin users?)

3. Begging the question Providing a reason by simply restating the claim in different words (also called Circular Reasoning). Ex - I know I can trust Amy because she says I can. Ex - Abortion is murder because it is the intentional taking of the life of a human being. (Murder is defined as the intentional taking of the life of a human being. So now the argument is Abortion is murder because it is murder.)

4. Ad hominem Attacking an individuals opinion by attacking his or her character, thus deflecting attention from the merit of the proposal. Ex - Walters may argue that we need to save the whales, but he is the type who gets emotional over nothing.

5. Either-or - Oversimplifying by assuming that an issue has only two sides, a statement must be true or false, a question demands a yes or no answer, or a problem only has two possible solutions (and one thats acceptable). Ex - What do we do about acid rain? Either we shut down all factories or learn to live with it.

6. Non sequiter Using a premise to prove an unrelated point. Ex - Jenn should marry Mateo. In college, he got all As.

7. Post hoc Assumes that because two events occur close together in time, the first must be the cause of the second. Ex - After Jennys black cat crossed my path, everything went wrong, and I failed my mid-term.

8. Dicto simpliciter - This is the fallacy of making a sweeping statement and expecting it to be true of every specific case -- in other words, stereotyping. Ex - Women are on average not as strong as men and less able to carry a gun. Therefore women can't pull their weight in a military unit.

9. False analogy - An unjustified inference drawn on the basis of similarities between two items or types of items. Ex - A school is not so different from a business. It needs a clear competitive strategy that will lead to profitable growth.

10. Ad misericordiam When someone tries to win support for their argument or idea by exploiting their opponent's feelings of pity or guilt. Ex - I did not murder my mother and father with an axe! Please don't find me guilty; I'm suffering enough through being an orphan.

11. Hypothesis contrary to fact - Arguing from something that might have happened, but didn't. Ex - If Einstein had been aborted in utero, the world would never have learned about relativity.

Day 8 Documents More Rhetorical Device Practice

1. "To me you never existed in the pantheon of baseball, you never hit more than 700 home runs, you never hit 73 home runs."

2. If it looks like a duck and it sounds like a duck, it probably is a duck.

3. I wasted time, and now time doth waste me. Shakespeare, Richard II, 5:5-49

4. John focused all of his energy on the equation, racking his brain and furrowing his brow, until the solution came to him.

5. Lance thinks he is every womens dream come true, but he is more like their worst nightmare.

6. This weekend I need to call my grandma, clean my room, write an essay, and read my entire history book.

7. The clouds looked ominousgreen-gray, churning, low specters that promised a storm.

8. I have neither time nor money nor inclination nor interest.

9. He was a bag of bones, a floppy doll, a broken stick, a maniac. (Jack Kerouac, On the Road)

10. We consumers like names that reflect what the economy does. We know for example, that International Business Machines makes business machines; and Ford Motors makes Fords; and Sara Lee makes us fat. (Dave Barry, Daves World, April 8, 2001)

Anaphora Epistrophe Antithesis Climax Zeugma Parenthesis Asyndeton Hyperbole Antimetabole Polysyndeton Day 9 Documents Quizzes Removed for security Name ________________________________

Using Rhetorical Devices

Directions: In the space provided, rewrite each of the following statements using the requested rhetorical device in parenthesis. Feel free to substitute words with stronger synonyms and omit any wordiness that interferes with the emphasis. You can restructure the sentence to give it more power. Use the underlined words as clues when given.

1. To think carefully and precise writing are interrelated goals. (Parallelism)

2. In order to make this area into a little park, we got rid of the parking lot that was there. (Antithesis) (think of powerful OPPOSITE WORDS for to make and got rid of)

3. For the dance next week, she wants to find a new dress, get a manicure, entirely make over her old look, and buy new mascara. (Climaxthink of the order of importance and difficulty of task))

4. We do not stop playing because we are old; instead, when we stop having fun, we age. (antimetabole)

5. We will search in the hills, among the rocks, in the underbrush, over the whole area. And we will find the lost child. (restatement/Anaphora)

6. When the boy arrived home from school, his shoes, clothes, and books were wet. (restatement/Epistrophe)

7. Liz likes all of these things about Justin Bieber: his music, his acting, his perfume, and his swag. (Polysyndeton rewrite WITHOUT the colon)

8. Liz likes all of these things about Justin Bieber: his music, his acting, his perfume, and his swag. (Asyndeton --rewrite WITHOUT the colon)

9. All of a sudden, my brother really likes listening to all this old music, like The Who and The Rolling Stones. But he has always listened to nothing but hip-hop before. (Parenthesistry inserting the idea of the second sentence into the first for a dramatic pause)

Day 11Quiz- in another document labeled Rhetorical Devices quiz

Not sure how to begin the rhetorical analysis of your paper? Heres some steps to follow to help with the process! Step 1- locate claims Step 2-locate warrants and concessions Step 3-locate appeals Step 4-find logical fallacies Step 5-find rhetorical devices Step 6-look for style, diction, tone and language of the piece Step 7- Based on what you found; did the author make a successful argument?

Step 8- Name three things you found effective/ineffective. (Pick one or the other)

Now you should have an idea of what aspects you would like to analyze in your paper.
Day 14 Documents

Comp 12-1 Close Reading Rhetorical EssayOutline Example

General Format:

I.

Intro A. Attention-getter B. Background info C. Thesis

Youll add as many supporting ideas as you needtheres no required number

II.

Youll need at least one textual example2 is bettermore is okay too

Topic sentence for body paragraph A. Supporting idea 1. textual example 2. analysis/explanation of example 3. textual example 4. analysis/explanation of example B. Supporting idea 1. give textual examples as needed 2. C. Add supporting ideas as needed

Example:

I.
Mention author and subject of editorial

Intro A. Given our puritanical roots, alcohol has always been a touchy subject for Americans. B. Chicago tribune columnist Chapman responds to push for lowering the drinking age. C. Although his overly complicated concession might confuse some readers, Chapman Mention specific makes a moving and well-reasoned plea to maintain our current drinking age compelling strategies used the reader to reconsider many of the myths surrounding this issue.

II.
2 textual examples

Chapmans use of language is moving and persuasive. A. Connotation makes lowering drinking age seem irresponsible 1. stanch the flow of blood 2. this image humanizes cold statistics 3. hugging the toilet bowl 4. crude but evokes protectiveness of young adults B. Metaphors reinforce purpose of drinking age

Analyzes textual examples

1. you get the ideayour teacher is too easy lazy to add more examples, but youll do better 2. etc.

Comp 12-1

Organizing your Rhetorical Essay

Here are four possible organizational strategies for your essay.

By techniquedivide your paragraphs by technique (type of appeal, types of argument, types of evidence, rhetorical strategies, etc.). WARNING: This can easily turn into a paper that is nothing but a list of the techniques you noticed. Dont forget your thesis, and dont forget to analyze. Also, if the editorial relies mostly on one kind of appeal, you wont have much to say.

By subclaimdivide your paragraphs by the arguments the author uses. For each one, explain the appeals and rhetorical devices used to support that subclaim. WARNING: Make sure youre not just summarizing the article. Each paragraph should examine how a combination of strategies work together to construct that point.

By strengths and weaknessesyour paragraphs will describe and analyze the strengths and weaknesses you found in the article. WARNING: Organization can be trickytake care in how you group your examples and make sure each paragraph has a clear focus, beyond just saying here are all the strengths or here are all the weaknesses. Andyou cant have just 2 body paragraphs!

Chronologicalwalk your reader through the editorial, pointing out and analyzing each feature in the order it appears in the original piece. WARNING: This is VERY DIFFICULT to do well (its hard to organize paragraphs around central ideas and its very easy to revert to summarizing the essay), but it can be effective if your thesis focuses on the organization of the editorial.

Regardless of which method of organization you choose, you will need at least 4 body paragraphs, probably more.

Here are examples of three possible essays based on the thesis below. For the sake of consistency, Ive planned four paragraphs for each one, but you will need to choose the number of paragraphs that works best for you (very likely more than 4).

Thesis: Although his overly complicated concession might confuse some readers, Chapman makes a moving and well-reasoned plea to maintain our current drinking age, compelling the reader to reconsider many of the myths surrounding this issue.

(organized by technique) Topic sentence: At the beginning of the editorial, Chapman gambles on a slick concession that ultimately doesnt pay off. Topic sentence: Despite a flawed concession, Chapmans use of figurative language is moving and persuasive enough to sway readers opinions. Topic sentence: Chapman backs up his forceful word choices with equally forceful statistics and examples, but risks being overly manipulative. Topic sentence: Chapman might win over even the most reluctant reader by reinforcing his logic with unavoidable rhetorical cleverness. Please note: NONE of these topic sentences say logical/ethical/emotional appeal. Such broad terms will lead you away from analyzingyoull must likely end up with paragraphs that do nothing more than list and label the examples you found.

(organized by strengths and weaknesses) Topic sentence: At the beginning of the editorial, Chapman gambles on a slick concession that ultimately doesnt pay off. (weakness) Topic sentence: His argument is not improved by word choices that manipulate and rhetoric that distracts. (weakness) Topic sentence: Chapman does manage to redeem himself to the reader by employing powerful statistics and examples. (strength) Topic sentence: Impeccable expert opinions reinforce Chapmans rational sway. (strength)

(organized by subclaim) Topic sentence: Chapmans least convincing but most pervasive argument is his discussion of the many privileges that come with turning 18.

Topic sentence: Chapman makes a more convincing point when he examines the data on alcohol-related deaths for young people. Topic sentence: Finding fault with precedents established in other countries, Chapmans insight might engage even a skeptical reader. Topic sentence: Chapman nearly undoes his careful crafted argument by devoting almost half of his editorial to those who oppose him.

Day 17Comp and Lit 2013/14 Rhetorical Essay Rubric ________________________________________ name

REQUIRED ELEMENT S

If these are not met, you will NOT receive a rewrite OR a passing grade: o Essay is submitted to turnitin.com. (If submitted late, -10 points. If not at all, no grade.) o PAPER IS YOUR original WORK. Sources for all ideas and wording are honestly identified. o Works Cited. o Essay is complete

If these are not met, you will not receive a REWRITE: o o o o o o Turned in ON TIME. Internal citations for research MLA format for spacing, heading, title, etc. Required topics Research on author. Carefully proofread and ready for publication.

Errors/Weaknesses that are below grade level Structure and organizatio n o Intro is missing key elements or does not progress logically. o Thesis is missing. o Topic sentences are missing. o Topic sentences do not state clear opinions or contain key ideas. o Paragraphs are not unified. o Transitions are missing or ineffective. o Conclusion does not restate thesis in 1st sentence or give closure.

Demonstrates developing senior writing skills

o Attentiongetter helps set up thesis o Title, author, and topic of article are clearly identified o Intro ends with thesis o Body paragraphs are divided in a logical way. o Each body paragraph has a topic sentence that states an opinion that develops a key idea of the thesis. o Each body paragraph stays on topic and ideas do not repeat from one paragraph to the next. o Transitions help connect ideas and sound natural.

Demonstrates advanced senior writing skills

o The opening is striking and original. Ideally, it introduces a motif or guiding metaphor for the entire paper. o Introduction has logical flow of ideas. o Key words are used to connect thesis to topic sentences. o Topic sentences express original insights. o Conclusion brings closure to the piecepreferably by tying back to the attention-getter in a meaningful way

o Conclusion restates thesis in 1st

sentence and gives a sense of finality.

Weight: 30

Content and analysis

o Misses some assigned topics. o Thesis is not an opinion, or does not analyze effectiveness. o Content is mostly summary and description, not analysis OR Analysis is superficial or trivial important or obvious points were overlooked. o Points out isolated examples without linking them to claims or bigger ideas o Does not use direct quotations o [Needs an overview paragraph]

o States a clear and analytical thesis that comments on article effectiveness. o Covers all of the assigned topics [claims, 3 appeals, organization] in enough paragraphs to develop thoroughly. o Clearly summarizes and identifies thesis of source text. o Uses several examples to develop thesis. Each example is developed with specific explanation and examples, including quotations. o Analysis is accurate and thorough.

o Sees patterns and makes connections that are nuanced and sophisticated. o Makes an original and narrow claim about the article. o Analysis is deep and detailed.

Weight:30 Rhetorical skills and technical language o Uses little or no language of argumentation and rhetorical analysis. OR o Terms are applied incorrectly Weight: 20 Word choice and sentence fluency o Simplistic or over-general word choicesor imprecise thesaurus-ized language. o Says author does a good job or similar o Unintentional run-ons or fragments o Awkward or wordy sentences. o Word choices are precise. o Variety of sentence structures and lengths o Sentences are concise and fluid. o Word choices are both precise and stylish. o Variety of sentence structure enhances both sound and meaning. o Uses rhetorical devices and figurative language. Correct use of technical language:
o Specific kinds of logical appeals o Specific kinds of emotional appeals o Specific kinds of ethical appeals o Links evidence to specific claims o Logical fallacies

o Use of technical language is natural and consistent in all sections. o Analyzes rhetorical devices and other syntax issues o Analyzes quality of warrants

Weight:10 Mechanics / convention s

o Frequent errors in spelling, grammar, punctuation, and/or capitalization distract from readability. o Quotations and titles are punctuated incorrectly. o Does not follow MLA formatessay format, WC, internal citations, other o WC and in-text citations dont match o Infrequent errors in spelling, grammar, punctuation do not distract from readability. o Quotations and titles are punctuated correctly o MLA format used correctly

Weight: 10

Scores: first attempt _________________________ second attempt __________________________ Day 18-Grammar Activity Fill in the blanks as I explain this awesome grammar stuff!

A group of words containing a subject and a verb and expressing a complete thought is called a sentence or an independent clause. Sometimes, an independent clause stands alone as a sentence, and sometimes two independent clauses are linked together into what is called a compound sentence. Depending on the circumstances, one of two different punctuation marks can be used between the independent clauses in a compound sentence: a comma or a semicolon. The choice is yours.
Comma (,)

Use a comma after the first independent clause when you link two independent clauses with one of the following coordinating conjunctions: and, but, for, or, nor, so, yet. For example:
I am going home, and I intend to stay there. It rained heavily during the afternoon, but we managed to have our picnic anyway. They couldn't make it to the summit and back before dark, so they decided to camp for the night. Semicolon (;)

Use a semicolon when you link two independent clauses with no connecting words. For example:
I am going home; I intend to stay there. It rained heavily during the afternoon; we managed to have our picnic anyway. They couldn't make it to the summit and back before dark; they decided to camp for the night.

You can also use a semicolon when you join two independent clauses together with one of the following conjunctive adverbs (adverbs that join independent clauses): however, moreover, therefore, consequently, otherwise, nevertheless, thus, etc. For example:
I am going home; moreover, I intend to stay there. It rained heavily during the afternoon; however, we managed to have our picnic anyway. They couldn't make it to the summit and back before dark; therefore, they decided to camp for the night. (https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/607/04/) Sample Sentences

My dog ran out as soon as the door opened. He was hard to catch as well. Steve Chapmans concession was effectively stated. Although, his claims were not well structured. Charlie likes going to the beach. It was only 60 degrees today. We ran out of milk this morning. I used orange juice in my cereal. (Have students make a sample sentence)

Day 18 DocumentsComp 12

MLA Format: the Buck Stops Here

As a college-bound senior with 3 successful years of high school English, you are expected to have a functional knowledge of MLA format. You are also expected to use correct MLA format for documentation of sources in ALL papers that you write, even if directions for the assignment do not explicitly mention MLA.

MLA format will not be re-taught in this class. If you have questions about using MLA format, try the following resources. DO NOT GUESS or make something up or leave out your citationsit is easy to find answers to your questions.

Some Resources

Your 11th grade Research Paper packet My class websiteI have links and examples there MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, 6th edition. Available at most book stores. Our class textbook, How to Write Anything. The Purdue Online Writing Lab (OWL): http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/ Many other websites have MLA guidestry Googling MLA format Your teacher! Despite all of my growling about MLA, I would like to help you get it right. If you cant find the answer, ask me and I will help!

Note: I do NOT recommend online citation makers. They are frequently inaccurate, out of date, or difficult to use correctly. It is usually faster and more accurate to look at an example instead. (If you MUST use one, EasyBib seems to be the beststill, use these with caution, and if it spits out the wrong answer, its on you.)

Some hints:

If you are trying to do a Works Cited entry for a website, chances are that you need to find the format for an article or a document on a website, not for the entire webpage. You figure out the format for your internal documentation by looking at your Works Cited page. If you guess on your Works Cited, chances are you will screw up your internal documentation too. Little details matterpunctuation marks, spacing, indentations, underlining all make a difference. In this case, sweat the small stuff. MLA format is not going away. Make peace with it and your Comp 12-1 experience will be much more pleasant.

Crash Course in MLAcovers the basics that you have ALREADY LEARNED Here is how you format each individual entry-Book: Lastname, Firstname. Title of Book. Place of Publication: Publisher, Year of Publication. Print. Okuda, Michael. Star Trek Chronology: The History of the Future . New York: Pocket, 1993. Print.

Article on website:

If there is no author, begin with the next entry and use that first word to alphabetize in your Works Cited page If another piece of information is missing, replace it: for a missing date, write n.d. for no date. For a missing publisher, put n.p. for no publisher. BUTmake sure you really look for the infomost legitimate web sites have a copyright/posting date and a publisher. If you cant find all of the info, it might not be a very good site! Dates are listed with the Day Month. Year Example: 15 Mar. 2009

Examples: Last name, First name. Article title. Name of Site. Date of Posting/Revision. Name of institution/organization/publisher affiliated with the site (sometimes found in copyright statements), Web. Date you accessed the site. Stolley, Karl. "MLA Formatting and Style Guide." The OWL at Purdue. 10 May 2006. Purdue University Writing Lab, Web. 12 May 2006. How to Make Vegetarian Chili." eHow.com. n.d. eHow Inc., Web. 10 May 2006. ( this source didnt have an author, so I skipped that, and didnt have a copyright date, so I put n.d. for no date.) Article on Online Database (like Global Issues in Context) Last name, first name. Article title. Title of Original Publication. Date published: page numbers or volume numbers. Name of database, Medium. Date accessed. Example:

Junge, Wolfgang. Nature's Rotary Electromotors. Science 29 Apr. 2005: 642-44. Science Online, Web. 5 Mar. 2009.

Heres an example of a properly formatted Works Cited page: Works Cited Felluga, Dino. Feminist Criticism. Undergraduate Guide to Literary Theory. 17 Dec. 1999. Purdue University, Web. 15 Nov. 2000

Gillespie, Paula. Rethinking GMFs. Science 19 Apr. 2008: 642-44. Global Issues in Context, Web. 5 May 2009. Harris, Muriel. "Talk to Me: Engaging Reluctant Writers." A Tutor's Guide:

Helping Writers One to One. Ed. Ben Rafoth. Portsmouth, NH: Heinemann,
2000. 24-34. Print. Punctuation. Purdue Online Writing Lab. 2003. Purdue University, Web. 10 Feb. 2003.

Format for a Works Cited PAGE:

Your Works Cited should be its own separate page All sources should be entered in alphabetical order by the first word in each entry! The first line of each entry should be aligned all the way to the left. Each line after that should be indented one TAB (one-half inch). You should use double-spacing throughout the Works Cited

Please see my website for a link for more MLA help or see me early and often with questions!

In-text citations

In your document, make sure you include IN-TEXT citations as well. These should match your Works Cited page exactly. After you list a fact, quote , idea or example from research, cite the source like this:

(Author #) if it has an author and page numbers (Author) if it has an author but NO page numbers

(Author and Author)if it has 2 authors (Author et al) if it has more than 2 authors (First Few Words of Title #) if it has NO author listed but has page numbers (First Few Words of Title #) if it has NO author listed and NO page numbers

Basically, you just use the FIRST WORD that is in the entry on your Works Cited page provided, of course, that your WC is correct.

Day 19Comp and Lit Revising Your Rhetorical Essay

FORMAT STUFF 1. MLA everything, including a Works Cited and in-text citations! a. WC for an ARTICLE (just for this paper): Author. Title. Class handout. So it looks like this: Chapman, Steve. Who Wins This Time? Class handout.
b. In-text citation for your article : (Author last name par. #) So it will look like this: (Reno para.2)

2.

I know your past English teachers taught you how to format quotations! Make sure you are careful about punctuation and formatting& make sure you avoid FLOATING QUOTES. Ack.

STYLE STUFF 3. Use some rhetorical devices. You might do this naturally, but if you dont think you do, add some in. Easy ones to try: parallel structure, rhetorical questions, restatement, antithesis.

4. Use some voice and figurative language. Perhaps reading this article was like taking a long hike in a landmine-filled meadow: full of scenic imagery but studded with logical traps.

5. Please please please dont use the phrase *author+ does a good job or does a bad job. The author expertly communicates or fails to connect or blathers on nonsensically. Use your words, people!!

6. Check verb usagemake sure verbs are action-packed. Eliminate to be verbs when possible.

7. Check nounschoose the most precise words possibleavoid thing unless you are actually discussing a mysterious object without a name.

CONTENT AND STRUCTURE STUFF 8. Dont ignore the worksheet about key words and topic sentences. This technique works! Right nowdo it!check each of your topic sentences and make sure each one contains at least one key word from the thesis.

9. Make sure your topic sentences do not contain examples. Make sure your topic sentences DO contain opinions.

10. For the last timedo you have the required number of paragraphs and the required number of sources? And did you document everything correctly? Hmmmmm?

GRAMMAR STUFF 11. Check for passive voice. Replace passive constructions whenever possible with active constructions. Passive: The idea was presented by Cullen. (subject of the sentence, idea, is NOT doing the action, to present) Active: Cullen presented the idea. (the subject of the sentence, Cullen, is doing the action, to present)

12. If Gibbs write it, it is Gibbss article. I know it looks wrong. Its not. Trust me, if there is one thing I know (and there might be just one), it is the rules for apostrophes. If there are 2 writes both named Christakis, they are the Christakises, and it is the Christakis editorial.

STUFF ENGLISH TEACHERS CARE ABOUT (so you should too) 1. Check punctuation of titlesmagazines and newspapers are italicized, article are in quotation marks 2. Do not refer to the author by first name. Introduce full name in intro, then use last name throughout. 3. Write in the present tense. Write as if you are reading the article right now. Gibbs states that NOT Gibbs stated that

Passive vs. Active Voice

In a sentence using passive voice, the subject is acted upon; he or she receives the action expressed by the verb.
Ex 1) The idea is raised by the author that parents are confused about what goes on in their childs school. Ex 2) My nap was interrupted (by my little sister).

*You can see the subject is influenced by something; idea is influenced by author, nap is influenced by my little sister

In a sentence using active voice, the subject of the sentence performs the action expressed in the verb.
Ex 1) The author raised the idea that parents are confused about what goes on in their childs school. Ex 2) My little sister interrupted my nap. *Now you can see that the subject completes the action instead of being influenced by something

Passive voice should not be used in rhetorical analysis papers because -it provides an awkward sentence structure -takes away from the emphasis that should be put on the author -puts more emphasis on other, less important parts of the sentence -draws away from the point you are trying to make: The authors work is effective/ineffective because

Actual Examples from student work

-Appropriate use of PASSIVE VOICE Toward the end of the article Zimmerman brings in the nation's capital for a heart wrenching paragraph. The paragraph reads, And the nations capital is still home

to the Redskins...when bounties were offered for killing Native Americans. As an American, the reader is stunted by the fact that our capital paid people for killing Native Americans. Zimmerman makes it clear that as an American that is something not to be proud of. -So the other way the writer could have put this, As an American, the fact that our capital paid people for killing Native Americans stunted the reader. -Not so appropriate use of PASSIVE VOICE
Chapman uses strong language to convince that an Olympic boycott would be a mistake. His masterful use of connotative language subtly pushes readers toward his side. When talking about past boycotts, Chapman claims they only punish blameless athletes and that these incredible competitors had lost the chance forever. These potent statements cause intense sympathy from the reader. No person could support a boycott that would strip aspiring champions of their life-long dreams. If innocent athletes are to be hurt, the reader begins to question if the boycott is truly worth it. Chapman continues to pull on the heartstrings when he states staying away from the event is missing the point. The point of the games is the creation of international understanding and friendship, and in ancient times, they allowed enemies to meet without hatred or bloodshed. These ideals are displayed using powerful connotative language. A phrase like understanding and friendship inspires feelings of international camaraderie in the readers heart. These feelings are important to comprehending the importance of the Olympic Games. The history, too, contributes to the significance. A phrase like without hatred or bloodshed uses two influential words with negative connotations, forcing the reader to understand t his truces importance. Chapmans word choice pushes the reader to believe an Olympic boycott is the wrong decision. Many tactics are used to prove that Chapmans arguments can be trusted . These ethical appeals are seminal in any argument, and one of the best ethical appeals is simply the authors reputation. Chapman is a Harvard graduate who has been a member of the Chicago Tribunes editorial board since 1981. His work is quite well-known, landing him appearances on television and National Public Radio. Many magazines also print his articles (Chicago Tribune website CITE THIS LATER). With this list of credentials, Chapman is certainly trustworthy. Furthermore, the author provides well-documented and reliable evidence. For example, Chapman cites the Perseus Digital Library Project at Tufts University for his information about the ancient Olympic truce. Chapmans editorial also contains multiple concessions, showing off his open-mindedness. The opposing side is acknowledged when he states its true that the Olympic Games can be exploited for the benefit of a repressive, authoritarian government. Since the opposition is given a chance, the reader then believes the author is fair and open to all ideas. Strong ethical appeals reinforce Chapmans argument against the Olympic boycott.

Day 20 Handouts Peer Editing ChecklistRemember to make sure your partners paper has all of these things! If they dont, dont check the box!

Structure and Organization

Attention getter or hook is present Thesis is present and makes sense Topic sentences connect to thesis Conclusion is present and gives a sense of closure

Content and Analysis

Makes a narrow claim about the article Deep analysis is present Examples are present for each sub-claim about the article
Rhetorical Analysis

Technical language is present! (Reference to the terms we learned!) Rhetorical devices and syntax issues are analyzed Warrants are analyzed
Word Choice and Sentence Fluency

Quality word choice Rhetorical devices and figurative language included!!!

Mechanics

No misspellings, grammar or punctuation issues Quotations and titles punctuated correctly MLA format is correct!!!