- Read an entire linked piece.
- On your blog, write a one-sentence summary of the writer's central argument.
- Write an essay (~500 words) defending, challenging, or qualifying that argument. You should not do any additional research before writing the essay; instead, the supporting evidence must come from your own knowledge or reading.
For full credit: Complete two essays per week; include context and your thesis in your introductions; include two or three body paragraphs with evidence; wrap up with a conclusion.
Week 4 readings: The last week of this assignment! Hopefully next month will be easier.
Prompt 3: "Please Read This Story, Thank You" by Linton Weeks (NPR)
Prompt 4: "Has the Sexual Revolution Been Good for Women? Yes" by Ann Patchett (Wall Street Journal)
Due Friday, March 30.
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Week 3 readings are, on the surface, easier, but hopefully the ideas will be challenging enough.
Week 3, Prompt 1: "What Does It Mean To Be Cool?" by Thorsten Botz-Bornstein (Philosophy Now)
Week 3, Prompt 2: "Does Surveillance Make Us Morally Better?" by Emrys Westacott (Philosophy Now)
Week 3, Prompt 3: "The Limits of Science" by Anthony Gottlieb (Intelligent Life)
Week 3, Prompt 4: "The Rise of 'Awesome'" by Robert Lane Greene (Intelligent Life)
Bored? Here's a bonus article to review logical fallacies (Philosophy Now).
Week 3 posts are due on Saturday, March 24.
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For Week 2, all the prompts are from the same author, Sir Francis Bacon -- an English lawyer, statesman, essayist, historian, intellectual reformer, philosopher, champion of modern science, and contemporary of Shakespeare. You can read about him at the Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy. I've selected four short essays by Bacon -- the language might be challenging, but if you go slow (and maybe read aloud), you should be able to understand his point.
Week 2, Prompt 1: "Of Marriage and Single Life"
Week 2, Prompt 2: "Of Atheism"
Week 2, Prompt 3: "Of Youth and Age"
Week 2, Prompt 4: "Of Studies"
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Week 1, Prompt 1: "TV Is Good for You" By Joel Waldfogel (Slate)
Week 1, Prompt 2: "Rick Santorum, Meet My Son" by Emily Rapp (Slate)
Week 1, Prompt 3: "Thinking vs. Feeling: The Psychology of Advertising" by Derek Thompson (The Atlantic)
Week 1, Prompt 4: "Why Good Advertising Works (Even When You Think It Doesn't" by Nigel Hollis (The Atlantic)
Please post week 1 essays on March 9.
8 comments:
Mr. P,
Does the central argument need to be detailed, ex. "The central argument of this article is that watching television is good for you because...", or can it just be simple, ex. "The central argument of this article is that watching television is beneficial for you." ?
Thanks.
Pranav
Try to be specific. By including a "because" clause, you focus on the logic of the argument and show that you understand the writer's rationale. At the same time, make sure it's one, easy-to-understand sentence.
Can we use the evidence given in the article?
You can, but more to the point, you want to respond to that evidence, using your prior knowledge.
Mr. Plonka,
Is it fine to use personal experiences as examples?
Thanks.
Yes, it is absolutely fine, even encouraged. In fact, here is the prompt from a recent AP exam: "Using appropriate evidence from your reading, observation, and/or experience, write a carefully reasoned essay defending, challenging, or qualifying ..."
Mr. Plonka, does the essay have to be a full 5-paragraph essay? Or can we have two body paragraphs instead of three?
Try for five, but the argument is more important than the form.
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