Thomas Schaefer ENL 102 HONORS Taking a Look at Content (Researched Response in Context) HONORS ESSAY # 1 One of our biggest concerns with conducting research, ingesting media, listening to the opinions of others, etc. isn’t just where we receive the content from, but should we listen! Even though these ideas are strong and even compelling, are they worth our time? Quite often, because we are so time strapped, we take things at face value and never ask tough questions. Our surface-level thinking may work momentarily, but eventually we will need to be critical thinkers who are responsible for others! Because of this, we must learn to assess a situation, evaluate what is truly happening, and decide on how to respond. The Essay: In this essay, you will watch the five videos from your list, summarize the idea of the content, and respond to the message of one by entering and continuing the conversation! Here are the steps: • Define the issue. Provide background information on your subject for your readers through clear, brief summary and establishment of fact. • Take a clear position on your topic based on qualitative information. What has the author said to engage in you into the conversation, where do you wish to go with it, and how do you plan on furthering the conversation? • Support your argument with logical, authoritative, and carefully chosen emotional appeals. Your points must have depth! Your sources must have credibility and legitimacy in a variety of forms and formats. Think of how to balance qualitative and quantitative sources! • Acknowledge an opposing view and refute it. Attempt to branch the conversation rather than walk linearly. • You need to also maintain an appropriate tone throughout your essay. Gaining your readers’ confidence and respect is the best way to convert them to your viewpoint. Hints: Make sure that your stance isn’t too broad. Specificity with what they say leads to an ability to understand what you say and why you’re saying it Have a thesis statement. You need a sentence, potentially more, that gives us a direction with your attempt to enter and further the conversation. What do you think of what they’re trying to say? Why? Where can you realistically take that? I’m interested in your writing and have no partiality towards your stance or viewpoint but remember that things like audience awareness and appropriate conversation skills are needed. Research isn’t meant to simply end an idea once and for all! It is meant to further discovery and allow growth of a concept! Truth and facts are two different things! Some ideas: 1) Watch your video multiple times and take notes, just as you would with any reading 2) Don’t create an opinion on the subject matter until you’ve listened and watched a number of times 3) Find quotes or ideas that prove/disprove your opinions. These are sometimes difficult to get if we “fall in love” with the idea! 4) Be willing to criticize no matter how well put together something/someone seems. Questions to ask yourself: • Who is my audience? • What is the issue really? • What does my audience know about the issue? • What is my position really? • What is the purpose of my essay? • How should I write my introduction to engage my readers’ attention? • How should I arrange my arguments? From weakest to strongest? From least to most obvious? • What counterarguments should I mention? Where should I include them? Guidelines: Proper length for this paper is 4-6 pages. Your paper must be typed in 12-pt Times New Roman and printed out on regular 8.5x11” paper. Use 1” margins on all sides and proper MLA formatting (includes heading, page numbers, double-spaced, etc). There are 4-6 outside sources necessary for this essay. These are sources that go beyond the initial video source I have given you! These sources should be varied and unexpected! Consider: 1) No more than 1 “.com” type of Internet source 2) Using social media in some capacity 3) Something “digital”, meaning another video recording, something sound related, and/or a podcast 4) Art. Either an image, something “fine”, or even a film. 5) Something “quantitative” with substantive data from a primary source 6) A piece of government data/information Synthesis Requirement: You are expected to ATTEMPT one instance of multi-source synthesis somewhere in this essay by the Final Draft stage! Initial Video choices: 1) “This Could be Why You’re Depressed and Anxious” Johann Hari 2) “Get Comfortable with Being Uncomfortable” Luvvie Ajayi 3) “How to Build Community When You Feel Isolated” Chitra Aiyar 4) “The Council of Dads” Bruce Feiler 5) “Empower a Girl, Transform a Community” Kakenya Ntaiya Some recommended steps: Watch them all Summarize “briefly” and identify a succinct, fair thesis Form an opinion after watching and taking notes multiple times Remember that direct response is helpful to enter a conversation, but to continue we must deviate the intention!
