Class #10: Wednesday, October 12, 2016: CLASS ACTIVITY & ASSIGNMENTS

Family Activity: (30 mins)

In the spirit of equal time...I did memes for both! I know...I know...FAIRNESS!

Using today's handout from Read, Think, Write,; the NPR Fact Checker site & your Informal Writing  #2, complete the following: 

1. Each family member should identify the issue from the debates discussed in each essay. Why did she chose it? What is the "exposition?" 

2. Using the handout, decide if the candidate was using "argument," "persuasion," or "propaganda" to make his or/her point. How do you know? How does that change your perception of the original issue?

3. Then, together, as a family, using the NPR link above, you will fact check each other's issues. How do the facts interact with the opinion? Why is it important to the overall issue? Does it change your perception of the issue in any significant way?


4. We will report out. Each family will use one member's issue to run through the lesson. Participation grades for quality of answers to the questions above and ability to engage one another in productive discussion. 

ASSIGNMENTS: In order to be more productive citizens, we must learn to bring "expert research" into an attempt at crafting "argument." We must never settle for just "persuasion." More importantly, we should reject "propaganda." 

Let's return to our issue of campus sexual assault and "yes means yes." You will write a paper that creates a valid argument about the issue of affirmative consent.  

Below, you will find several resources about academic/peer-reviewed research. Learn from them, use them and get yourself enlightened: 

Learning Resources: 

1. The science of boolean searching is laid out nicely in the the presentation from Colorado State University found here. Very often, "there's no articles," is really just poor searching techniques.

2. Too often, students make mistake of looking for RESEARCH before they create a WORKING THESIS. Research is not a destination. It is a fluid process. And in the digital age, it is more fluid than ever. When I am being paid to write, I am constantly researching AS I write. Consider what you want your thesis for this paper to be. Write it out. Play with it. Doesn't need to be perfect. But remember, a thesis must be argumentative, concise and focused. Read more about writing better theses here. 

3. Now, you have a working thesis, you are ready to do some expert research. Go to the other post, watch the videos, and use the videos to guide your research on the Stockton library databases.

4. Ok, so here's what you need to come to class with Monday: a working thesis based on an argument about affirmative consent. And...an anchor piece of research that is scholarly & peer-reviewed.