Week 5 Homework

So we're into our very last essay assignment, Essay 3, an argumentative research paper. For this assignment, I'm using the term "argumentative" in the classic sense: You choose a topic that you want to argue about, and you use specific evidence to support your argument. Still, keep in mind that even an essay like this benefits from deep, detailed discussions of your sources -- with extensive quoted passages carefully framed in an effective "Source Sandwich," and maybe even a consideration of how the authors of these passages are trying to appeal to their readers.

With all of that in mind, make sure you get started working on your Essay 3 first draft soon. This first draft is due next week, on Monday, 4/20, by the start of class.

And, as usual, your first draft is followed by a critique. Your Essay 3 critique, in response to another classmate's first draft, is due on Wednesday, 4/22, by the start of class. Regarding this critique, I realize that some of your classmates might be writing a reasonably long essay, which might leave you wondering, "Do I have to describe and criticize absolutely everything here? Wouldn't that make my critique too long?" My answer is this: No, you don't have to describe everything, but you do have to describe your partner's full argument back to them. And you don't have to go paragraph-by-paragraph, either. In fact, it might be most effective if you choose only 3-4 of the most important places in your partner's essay and discuss each of those on their own, and leave the rest for your partner to discover on their own.

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Now, let me also give you some reading homework:

First, please read the following article, "How Dzhokhar Tsarnaev’s immigrant path explains his guilty verdict," by Asra Q. Nomani, published in The Washington Post on April 8, 2015:
http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/how-dzhokhar-tsarnaevs-immigrant-path-explains-his-guilty-verdict/2015/04/08/8a182054-da37-11e4-8103-fa84725dbf9d_story.html.

Next, please read the following article, "The Abuse of Satire," by Gary Trudeau, published in The Atlantic on April 11, 2015:
http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2015/04/the-abuse-of-satire/390312/.

And lastly, please read the following article, "Are Americans Really Champions of Racial Equality?" by Maribel Morey, published in The Atlantic on April 12, 2015:
http://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2015/04/are-americans-champions-of-racial-equality/389826/.

-- As you read these articles, consider closely, first, what kind of articles they are. Each of them is quite different from the others in their form and style. Next, consider what the authors are talking about the might be similar. Can you see what kind of overall argument might be formed from joining these three articles in one ongoing discussion?

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And that's it for this week. As always, if you have questions or concerns, be sure to email me right away.