Documented Argumentative Essay You’ll need Paper Pen(cil)

1. Documented Argumentative Essay You’ll need Paper Pen(cil)

2. Remember This? • The iThinkthesis is the culminating product of this year-long experience. The iThinkthesis is an academic paper based on original, extended research. You will collect this research as the year progresses. • In May, you will write the iThink academic paper. This paper will be a documented argumentative essay that proposes the label for your time period and then supports your decision through the research that you’ve done and recorded using the iThinktrackers and the discussions you’ve participated in from the iThinktanks. • Who knows, your iThinkthesis could propose the label that will be used in textbooks for centuries to come. Your children and grandchildren could be reading about this time period under the label you create! But first…we think on paper

3. Scholars identify and establish a literary period by examining the • culture, society, history, and literature • of a nation, region, or other cultural or geopolitical unit • for a protracted period. TakeNote

4. Brain Dump: Distinguishing Trends Historic • Sept. 11, 2001 • 3 more • 3 minutes Economic • The 99% • 3 more • 3 minutes Cultural • Christmas consumerism • 3 more • 3 minutes Societal • Single parent households • 3 more • 3 minutes TakeNote

5. Now Literature Scholars analyze literary • Genre—Zombie? War romances? • Form—Newspapers? Manga? • Content—Pictures? Talking animals? • Style— l8r, g8r? Rhyming poetry? • Theme • With great power comes great responsibility? • A woman’s place is in the home? TakeNote

6. iThinktanks Now consider what was discussed during each of the iThinktanks: • Identity and Culture • Art and Entertainment • Politics and Economy • Health and Environment • Advancements and Inventions TakeNote

7. One Step at a Time • You will be scored on your planning and revision of this essay; keep everything! • We’re still thinking about the name for this time period (1980-Present) • It shouldn’t be painfully obvious • It shouldn’t be the same as everyone else’s • Why “The Technology Era” isn’t good • Review your brainstorming • As you are thinking of them, write them down • Let’s keep thinking…. TakeNote

8. Standards Wait, there are more …

9. Standards 36 points!

10. Keys to Effective Prewriting • Choose the name for this time period (1980-Present). • Gather reasons and details to help form and support your position (claim, thesis). • Write a position statement (central claim, thesis statement) that focuses your thoughts. • Choose a significant objection to address in the middle part of your essay. • Create an outline or organized list to plan your essay. TakeNote

11. A Source List • RI.07 and RI.09 • Integrate and evaluate multiple sources • presented in different media or formats • as well as in words • Draw evidence from literary or informational texts • It’s important that your sources have • Variety • Validity • Relevance TakeNote

12. Source List—Example • Create a source list… • Personal Experience • Primary Sources (firsthand) • e.g. journals, presentations, interviews • Secondary Sources (secondhand) • e.g. TV documentary, magazine articles, most websites TakeNote

13. Types of Research • Facts: bits of information that can be proven to be true. Use facts to lay the foundation of the issue. • Example: Major League Baseball has instituted strict standards for testing pro baseball players for the use of steroids (Smith). • Statistics: facts that include a numerical value. Use statistics to provide examples that help to illustrate the controversy. • Over a five year period, steroid use among high school athletes in New Jersey rose from 3 percent to 6.2 percent. (“Roid Rage”). TakeNote

14. Types of Research • Quotations: the exact words of people involved in the topic. Use quotations to let experts and authorities speak for themselves. • “Pro sports have…forgotten the reason for competition—the love of the game, the pursuit of excellence. Instead of our high school athletes learning from drug-using pros, the pros ought to learn from our kids.” (Colton) • Anecdotes: brief stories that make a point. Use anecdotes to demonstrate an abstract idea in a concrete way. • When the high school had trouble with creatine use five years ago, strict school policies were implemented. At first athletes and parents complained about the invasion of privacy, but now they support the policy for healthy, fair competition. TakeNote

15. Stating Your Position • An effective position statement names the issue and takes a specific stand or opinion about it. TakeNote Issue As a society, we expect and demand our needs be met almost immediately Specific Stand This lack of willingness to wait for anything is creating or enhancing a self-centered society. Position Statement Our society’s inability to exercise self-restraint and the conditioned expectation to ‘have’ on demand is creating the iMe Era.

16. The “Why” Chart—ExampleApplying the reasons and supporting details from your research • Write your position and three (or more) reasons that answer the question “why?” (These are like topic sentences.) Then add details that support each reason. Position: Random drug tests should be used for high school athletes. TakeNote

17. The “Why” Chart—My Example Position: We are currently a self-centered demanding society.

18. The “Why Not” Chart • By evaluating and addressing the objections to your proposed name, you will demonstrate to your reader that you fully understand the issue at hand. • Position: Random drug tests should not be used for high school athletics. TakeNote • Identify at least three objections to your issue. Then choose the strongest one to counter in your essay. *

19. The “Why Not” Chart—My Example Position: Currently, we are not a self-centered demanding society.

20. Countering the Objection—Example • Countering an objection allows you to take the best argument of the opposition and use it to further your own position. • Objection: Drug testing is a violation of student privacy. • Yeah, but… • A respectful approach that seals records will ensure privacy. • Random testing eliminates bias. • It is acceptable to trade some privacy for safety. TakeNote

21. Countering the Objection—My Example • Objection: In times of natural disasters, the American people rally together to help those in need by sending money, necessary products (e.g. clean water, food, blankets), and sometimes by going to that location to help. Ex. Hurricane Katrina • --It took the government x-amount of time to send help. • --We didn’t stay until everything was fixed. There are still people living in trailers and large tracts of New Orleans in devastation. • -- • Using the strongest opposition to your proposed name, come up with at least three reasons that minimize or refute it.

22. Outlining Your Essay • Position Statement: • Reason #1: • Evidence: • Source: Fact, Statistic, Quotation, or Anecdote • Paraphrase or summary or quote • Explanation of the evidence • Explain why this evidence is relevant to your topic and position statement (so what?) • Reason #2: • Evidence: • Source: Fact, Statistic, Quotation, or Anecdote • Paraphrase or summary or quote • Explanation of the evidence • Explain why this evidence is relevant to your topic and position statement • Continue… TakeNote

23. Homework • Decide on a label for this time period • Create a source list • Gather your sources and bring them • Create your why and why not charts • Counter the objection • Outline your essay • Prepare for iThinktank #6 • No particular topic • Something new and helpful to you TakeNote