Week of 11/28

Monday, 11/28
Research
Outlines

Tuesday, 11/29
Research

Wednesday, 11/30
Papers

Thursday, 12/1
Papers

Friday, 12/2
Papers
JOURNALS DUE

Thursday Plan

I'm sorry I am not here to answer questions, I didn't expect to be out today. I will be checking notecards first thing Friday morning, so make sure you have them finished. Use today to finish notecards. IF you are finished already, your next step is the works cited page. The directions to doing it are in the next post. If you were to finish that, your next step is to start thinking about your paper and the organization of it. The directions in doing the outline are on the following link. You are welcome to go ahead and work on your outline once your works cited page is complete. I will talk more about that on Friday, but you can start a rough outline now if you wish.

Works Cited

Below is a link to a sample works cited page. A works cited page is a simple document that provides a list of the sources you used in your paper. The format of the works cited page consists of copying your source cards in their EXACT format onto a word processing document. There are a few
very important things to note about this document.
1. The works cited page should be in alphabetical order by the FIRST WORD OF THE ENTRY. In some cases, that will be the author last name. In others, it may be the title of the article. WHATEVER WORD COMES FIRST ON YOUR SOURCE CARD, THAT IS WHAT SHOULD COME FIRST ON THE WORKS CITED PAGE.
2. The first line of each entry is LEFT JUSTIFIED. The second (and third and fourth and so on, if there are more) OF EACH ENTRY should be indented (by pressing "tab").
3. Do not include the URL (I know it says to, and apparently they have added it back, but we aren't doing that this time).
4. Double space the entire document (no extra lines between sources).
5. Put the words "Works Cited" at the top, centered.

https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/12/

Toulmin Model

Here are some links to the Toulmin model information.

http://writing2.richmond.edu/writing/wweb/toulminprint.html

http://commfaculty.fullerton.edu/rgass/toulmin2.htm

https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/588/03/

http://writing.colostate.edu/guides/guide.cfm?guideid=58

The basic breakdown is this: Stephen Toulmin noticed that good, realistic arguments consist of six parts:

Data-- facts or evidence used to prove the argument
Claim-- statement being argued (thesis)
Warrants-- general, hypothetical logical arguments that bridge between claim and data
Qualifiers-- statements that limit the strength of the argument
Rebuttals-- Counter-arguments or statements indicating circumstances when the general argument doesn't hold true
Backing-- statements that serve to support the warrants


Outline Form for Toulmin Model
I. Introduction of the problem or topic
   A. Hook (gets reader's attention)
   B. Introduce problem or topic
   C.  Introduce our CLAIM or thesis, possibly with qualifiers
II. Offer data to support argument
III. Explore warrants to show how data is connected to claim
    A. Warrant #1 (Reason 1)
    B. Warrant #2 (Reason 2)
IV. Offer factual backing to show that logic used in the warrants is good in terms of realism as well as theory
    A. Backing for Warrant #1
    B. Backing for Warrant #2
V. Discuss counter-argument
VI. Rebuttal (Reason #3)
VII. Conclusion -- implications of the argument, summation of points, or final evocative thought to ensure the reader remembers the argument

Databases

http://www.chslibrarymedia.com/databases

Research Beginnings

Today's task is merely to acquaint yourself with possible topics. The main thing you need to remember is that your research paper serves to address a RESEARCHABLE QUESTION. Therefore, you need to first select an issue, then come up with a researchable question for that particular issue.

Example:
When I start to think about research topics, I ask myself what issues I am particularly interested in right now. I quickly dismiss the cliche topics such as capital punishment, abortion, etc.. I consider what I have read lately, what issues in the news have piqued my interest. I remember that the current refugee situation (specifically Syrian, but also all around the world) has always held interest for me. It is a very current hot topic, so there should be scads of information about it. 

I choose the very, very broad topic of "Refugees". Now, I need to both narrow that down AND come up with a researchable question. This question may get more narrow as my research goes on, but today I need to end class with something. 

Using the search website below, I am going to find viewpoints on refugees.

http://ic.galegroup.com/ic/ovic/AdvancedSearchPage?u=tel_s_tsla&p=OVIC

Then I will narrow the topic down and search through these sites.

http://ic.galegroup.com/ic/ovic/ViewpointsFullListPage/ViewpointsFullListWindow?failOverType=&query=KE+refugees&prodId=OVIC&windowstate=normal&contentModules=&display-query=KE+refugees&mode=view&displayGroupName=Viewpoints&limiter=AC+y&u=tel_s_tsla&currPage=1&displayGroups=&totalSearchResultCount=&source=fullList&p=OVIC&action=e&catId=&activityType=AdvancedSearch&scanId=CSH

After perusing these different links, I think that my researchable question is going to be, at least in the beginning, "Do National Governments have an obligation to Refugees?"

Spoiler alert, as I continue in research, I will narrow this down further to "Does the United States have an obligation to Syrian Refugees?" 

For today, you need to click on this link
http://ic.galegroup.com/ic/ovic/?p=OVIC&u=tel_s_tsla

Be sure to click "view all" beside each broad topic. You will see a list of between 20 and 75 topics. Find one that interests you, click on it, then look on the right side of the page at the "On the Page" list. You want to click and look at "viewpoints" links, "academic journals" links.

Look around (a LOT) and hone in on some topics and researchable questions. At the end of the period today, I need you to turn in the index card with your broad topic and researchable question. It HAS to be a topic with two clear sides to it.... two DEBATABLE sides. You don't have to pick a side right now. You will actually research BOTH sides before you choose the side you are going to argue. As you look and pick, make sure that there is enough information for you to get a 6-8 page research paper (with 10 sources) on it.

Satire

The best one is probably The Onion. Check it out, look under the tab you are most interested in (Video, Politics, Sports, Local, Business, Entertainment, Science and Technology). Read some articles. I will have questions on tomorrow's test for you regarding some satires that you read.

This one is a little edgier, you may want to read a few on it.

Google Political cartoons and check out some examples. Did and do a little research if you don't understand what is being satirized.

For fun, google presidential debate spoofs. Check out some videos on there (for fun).

Week of 10/24

This unit is ALMOST OVER!!!! I can't believe how fast Macbeth went and, frankly, it made me a little sad. :) I enjoyed reading it with you guys.

Monday, 10/24
Dead Poet's Society

Tuesday, 10/25
Dead Poet's Society

Wednesday, 10/26
Swift (not Taylor)

Thursday, 10/27
Satire

Friday, 10/28
Test
JOURNALS DUE

Week of October 17

Little bit of everything this week!

Monday, 10/17
Interview skills
Paperwork

Tuesday, 10/18
Senior Interviews practice

Wednesday, 10/19
Senior Interview

Thursday, 10/20
Sonnets

Friday, 10/21
John Donne

Macbeth Essay

You have three options for the Macbeth essay. You can see that they are worth different amounts of points, and this is because one option is significantly more challenging than the others and will take more work and thought. Please read carefully and make certain to follow the criteria for the essays. Essays must be typed and should be emailed to me at adavis@clevelandschools.org.

Choose one of the three options below and write a thorough essay on the topic. You should include at least three textual references in your paper, and work them SUBTLY into it. In other words, don't just throw a quote out there. Work the quote in and then follow up. Explain it. Also, you need to reference it, which you can do by using parenthetical references (Act I, scene 4, line 284). Quotes DO NOT have to be full lines or sentences! If you are writing your essay and establishing Lady Macbeth as the epitome of evil, you might use the phrase "his fiend-like queen" (Act V, scene 7, line 32). *I made that reference up. I don't have it memorized.

Option #1-- worth 95 points
One of the strongest human drives seems to be a desire for power. Write an essay in which you discuss how a character in Macbeth struggles to free himself or herself from the power of others or seeks to gain power over others. Be sure to demonstrate in your essay how the author uses this power struggle to enhance the meaning of the work.
***Important notes: First of all, you need to decide if you are going to show someone struggling to free him/herself from power or seeking to gain power. Secondly, you need to decide which character you are going to use. Due to the last part of the prompt, you need to establish what you believe to be the meaning of the work, THEN use the character's power struggle to enhance that meaning.

Option #2-- worth 90 points
Works of literature often depict acts of betrayal. Friends and even family may betray a protagonist; main characters may likewise be guilty of treachery or may even betray their own values. In a well- written essay, analyze the nature of betrayal in Macbeth and how it contributes to the meaning of the work as a whole.
***Important notes: This is a two-fold question. First of all, you need to understand what the meaning of the work as a whole IS. Secondly, you are going to use the nature of betrayal (with several examples) and how that contributes to the meaning.

Option #3-- worth 105 points
This one is a little bit of a choose your own adventure. Using the word you traced, compose an essay that illustrates movement, progression, change, or revelation. It might be that you show how Macbeth changes through the play by looking at the different ways he uses the word "blood". It might be that you explain how Lady Macbeth's is revealed by the light/dark motif and the word "night". This is as broad as your creative minds.
***Important notes: Make certain that you use textual references all the way through and that you are PROVING something in your essay.

Don't ask about length of these essays. I don't give requirements as far as paragraphs or page lengths. The answer to the "how long" question is simply "however long it needs to be to do the job thoroughly".