Interpretation and Argument
Mitchell 76-101 CC
English 76-101 CC
Interpretation and Argument
MWF 1:30-2:20; HBH 237
Instructor: Tom Mitchell
Office: FMS 315-C
E-mail: tmitchel@andrew.cmu.edu
Office Hours: by appointment
Borderline Ethics: Immigration, Patriotism, and Nationalism from a Philosophical
Perspective
Though we accept the division of the world into nations as the natural state of things,
closer inspection reveals this partitioning to be a modern phenomenon, one which is
increasingly being challenged by global flows of humans and capital. In recent decades,
a number of philosophers and political theorists have begun to interrogate a liberal
democratic state’s right to control immigration: Should borders be open? Would that
solve much in terms of world poverty? While it makes sense to most of us that helping
family and friends in need is a priority over helping strangers, does the same logic hold
for helping compatriots before foreigners? What are the redeeming and problematic
characteristics of patriotism?
In this section of 76-101 we will explore a range of perspectives about the moral
legitimacy of state immigration control. As we explore this topic, we will build critical
reading and writing skills and a vocabulary that are transferable to situations outside of
the classroom and to our respective disciplines. The three major writing assignments are
sequenced so that they build upon each other. We will move from explaining how one
author constructs an argument, to then putting multiple authors together in conversation
through an argument synthesis. Finally, we will enter the ‘conversation’ by developing
our own informed and socially responsible position on the issue, forming an argument,
and thereby making a contribution to the field.
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Table of Contents:
Goals …………………………………………. PAGE 3
Objectives ……………………………………. PAGE 3
Required and Suggested Materials ………….. PAGE 4
Overview of Assignments …………………… PAGES 4-5
Grading, Feedback, and Attendance Policies .. PAGES 5-7
Tutoring Resources ………………………… PAGE 7-8
Classroom Policies …………………………
PAGES 8
Grading Policy and Scale …………………… PAGE 8-9
Guidelines for Written Work ……………….. PAGES 9-10
Guide to MLA Citation …………………….. PAGES 11-12
Guide to Proper Use of Sources …………… PAGES 13-14
Glossary of Reading Heuristics ……………. PAGES 14-15
Argument Summary Assignment Guidelines PAGES 17-18
Argument Synthesis Assignment Guidelines .. PAGES 19-20
Contribution Assignment Guidelines ……….. PAGES 21-23
Synthesis Proposal Guidelines………………. PAGE 24
Contribution Proposal Guidelines ………….. PAGES 24-25
Guidelines for Peer Review ………………….PAGE 26
Peer Review Checklists …………………….. PAGE 27-28
Revision Statement Guidelines …………….. PAGE 29-30
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Goals (or, How This Course Is Relevant to Your Entire Academic Life)
The ultimate goal of this course is to improve your perceptive analysis (through critical
reading of arguments) and effective writing at the college level. This main goal can be
divided into a series of smaller goals:
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Understand a writing assignment as a finished product and as a series of processes
that includes the research, analysis, and synthesis of knowledge and various
perspectives.
Understand the common aspects of a written text that determine its genre, such as
purpose and audience.
Recognize the conventions, or common manifestations of these aspects, of several
academic genres.
Respond with the appropriate conventions in your own academic writing.
To learn about the thematic content such that you develop an understanding of the
potential consequences the issues this content suggests.
Objectives (or, What You’ll Accomplish in This Course)
I hope the course readings are interesting to you and will make you think about how you
communicate in the 76-101 classroom and beyond. At a minimum, however, the course
readings provide the topics on which you’ll hone your analytic and writing skills. The
following objectives emphasize the connection between perceptive analysis and effective
writing:
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Articulate the thesis of each reading in the same way that you must articulate the
thesis in your own written work.
Analyze the selection and effectiveness of support from other sources in the
course readings, and support your own ideas by drawing on course readings and
other approved sources.
Describe and analyze different types of organization in the readings—from
transition sentences to introductions and conclusions—and compare these with
the organization you use in your own written work.
Analyze the readings in terms of the common aspects that determine genre, such
as purpose and audience, and consider these aspects in your own written work.
Practice analysis in oral and written form through class discussions, group work,
and individual conferences.
Provide constructive feedback to your peers on their written work, and address
issues identified by your instructor and peers when revising your own written
work.
Self-diagnose areas for improvement in your own writing.
Correctly use MLA style (or, with permission, the preferred citation style of your
college or department).
Use standard written English’s conventions of grammar, spelling, and
punctuation.
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Required and Suggested Materials


You need to have a binder or notebook to use for in-class assignments and a place
to store returned assignments. Keep all graded and returned assignments until the
end of the semester. Please bring all readings that we have done to date to class
each day. You may be required to refer back to them for different projects and
being able to reference specific passages is key to classroom participation.
A stapler. I suggest you get a small stapler that you can put in your backpack. I
would like all papers and assignments stapled before you give them to me.
Required Books: None
Suggested Books:
I will be providing .pdf files of some chapters from They Say, I Say (Graff and
Birkenstein, 2006). It can be easily purchased on Amazon and can be a useful resource.
Diana Hacker’s A Pocket Manual of Style. (Boston: Bedford/St. Martin’s, 2000) can also
be useful.
Main Readings
Available through Blackboard in the “Readings” section,
https://blackboard.andrew.cmu.edu. All of the relevant citation information may be found
in the .pdf files.
Written Assignments (total of 400 points)
The summary paper (3-4 pages), in which you interpret one author’s argument and
explain it in your own words. You will draw on the original text to support your
interpretation of what the most important claims are, how they are supported, and what
assumptions the author makes. Worth 90 points.
The synthesis paper (5-6 pages), in which you select five or six authors to illustrate what
you think are the two or three most significant perspectives on an aspect of language
policy in the US that authors from the course discuss, noting the similarities and
differences between and within groups and drawing on the original texts to support your
interpretation. Worth 100 points.
The contribution paper (7-10 pages), in which you articulate and argue for your own
perspective on language policy in the US, noting your similarities to and differences from
other perspectives and drawing on original texts to situate your perspective. Worth 110
points.
Class participation. I expect you to contribute proactively in small groups as well as in
full class discussions. This is a discussion class, so consider your readings just as
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important as any written homework you have. This means listening and responding to
your peers’ ideas and sharing your own ideas. Daily assignments for readings on days
with no essay assignment are figured into your participation grade. Worth 45 points.
Revision Statements, in which you detail how you will improve your rough draft based on
peer feedback and your own considerations. Figured into the revision portion of the final
draft’s rubric.
Synthesis and contribution paper proposals. You must submit a proposal for the
synthesis and contribution papers. Worth 15 and 20 points, respectively.
Response papers (1-2 page(s) each). I often assign response papers on the readings.
These shorter papers prepare you for the type of analysis that you will do for the major
papers—and they keep your writing skills sharp! Worth 5 points each.
Potential contribution topics and outside scholarly article write up: A pre-proposal
exercise that will get you thinking about your final paper. Worth 2.5 points each.
Grading, Feedback, and Attendance Policies
To pass this class, you must complete and turn in a rough and final draft for each of the
three major papers and give a presentation of your final paper at the end of the semester.
If you do not hand in a rough draft for each major assignment, I will not grade a final
draft. You will receive a zero on the assignment. And if you do not have a graded final
draft for each assignment, plus a final presentation, you will fail the course.
I cannot read your mind, so please communicate any difficulties you are having that are
preventing you from doing your best work. If you anticipate a problem, let me know. It is
always easier to work something out ahead of time.
Feedback
I strive to provide helpful and timely feedback on your written and oral work and to make
my grading and feedback transparent. Check your grades on Blackboard throughout the
semester so you can keep track of how you’re doing and make sure I’ve entered your
grades correctly. Always get in touch if you aren’t sure how I determined a grade or what
I meant in written feedback. If you aren’t satisfied with your written work or class
participation, I’m happy to meet with you to discuss strategies that you can use to
improve.
Attendance and punctuality.
Your successful completion of the required oral and even written work depends on your
punctual attendance. If you are absent, you should email me the reason as soon as
possible. You are allowed three absences (excused or unexcused) without penalty—
once you miss that third class (excused or unexcused), your grade in the class will begin
to drop by a half-a-letter grade per absence. This means that even if you have four
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excused absences, a fifth absence will result in the grade penalty. Plan ahead if you think
you might miss class for religious holidays or for other scheduled events. In other words,
do not miss class unless you absolutely must. In the workplace, you will be given a finite
number of sick days per year that you will use when circumstances demand that you must
miss work. The university classroom is your workplace. This attendance policy is
basically your “sick day” allotment.
Attending class means being awake and participating during class. If you sleep during
class, you will be counted as absent.
Arrive on time. You won’t get an A in this class if you can’t get here on time. Lateness
not only disrupts the class but also shows a good deal of disrespect for your peers and for
your instructor. For every three days you are late to class, you will be marked for one
absence. If you are more than 15 minutes late to class, you will be marked absent for that
day.
To be prepared for class discussion, you should always have all the readings we have
done so far with you for every class.
Turning in rough and final drafts and revision statements. For each major paper, you’ll
turn in a rough draft, a revision statement, and a final draft. Although I don’t assign a
grade to your rough draft or revision statement, I won’t grade your final draft if you
haven’t submitted a rough draft or revision statement. Your revision statement counts
towards the revision points on the rubric.
Turning in late written work. All written assignments must be submitted by the beginning
of class on the due date, even if you’re absent. Daily response papers must be turned in
by the start of class on the due date to receive any credit. If you miss class, it must be
turned in by email by the start of class to receive credit. There are no exceptions, so
please do not ask if you can turn it in by the end of the day. I will be happy to read and
comment on late papers, but no credit will be given.
For the major assignments, lateness will be handled in the following ways:
Rough drafts, final drafts, and revision statements. For every day that a rough draft,
revision statement, or final draft is late, your final draft will lose three points. I do not
give grades for rough drafts, but handing them in late can be very detrimental to your
grade. Drafts must fall within the required page number range in order to be counted on
time. Drafts that are shorter or longer than the required number of pages will be
considered late until a draft of the appropriate length is turned in.
If you have an excused absence, communicate with me and we will set up an appropriate
due date. Normally, this date will be the day you return to class. There are lots of small
assignments, so I typically find it best to keep students from getting behind in this way.
Ideally, you will be able to turn in the assignment before the missed class.
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***For all assignments, problems resulting from printing malfunction or issues in the
computer cluster are not acceptable excuses. Assignments should be completed early
enough to avoid such issues.
Getting an extension. Extensions for the major paper rough and final drafts are
negotiable, but I typically will not grant them unless they you ask for one with a
compelling reason at least one week in advance of the due date.
Committing plagiarism. I believe in the excellence and integrity of Carnegie Mellon’s
students and academic programs. I also believe your good ideas become better when you
test them against others’ ideas. For this course, feel free to discuss your ideas about the
reading and written assignments with other students. However, blatantly taking someone
else’s words, ideas, or concepts and using them without citing your source is plagiarism.
So is presenting part or all of another student’s work as your own. In the world of
writing—especially academic writing—this is a serious crime and is treated as such.
Anyone who uses non-documented material from another source most likely will receive
a failing grade for the entire course and will be referred to the appropriate dean’s office
for further disciplinary action.
Accommodating learning disabilities. If you have a learning disability that could impair
your work in this course, please contact Equal Opportunity Services on campus
<http://hr.web.cmu. edu/dsrg/students.htm>. I can accommodate your learning style
based on EOS’s recommendations. Please let me know what your learning needs are at
the beginning of the semester—don’t wait until the workload becomes overwhelming to
acknowledge that you need different accommodations!
Accommodating religious observance. If you have a conflict between a religious holiday
and a class meeting or assignment, please contact me in advance so we can make
alternate arrangements. Please be aware that such absences count towards the 4 that you
are allotted for the semester.
Tutoring Resources
While I am available by email and by appointment to help you with your assignments in
the course, I am not your only resource. Please take advantage of the support systems that
are provided by the university.
Peer tutoring is available (walk-in and by appointment). Learn more at
http://www.cmu.edu/academic-development/peer-tutoring/index.shtml
Location: Cyert Hall, Suite B5
Phone: 412-268-6878
Nonnative English speakers can receive additional support at the Intercultural
Communication Center. This can be a valuable resource. They provide support for
reading and writing in English. This service is by appointment only. Learn more at
http://www.cmu.edu/icc/
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Location: Warner Hall 308
Phone: 412-268-4979
Email: eslhelp@andrew.cmu.edu
Classroom Policies
Personal conduct. In a small class like this, discussion is one of the primary means of
inventing and developing ideas. We should take risks with our thoughts, and we should
expect respectful treatment from each other. Under no circumstance should a student use
harassing or abusive language. Any student who fails to observe this basic value may be
referred to the Dean of Student Affairs for disciplinary action. Consult The Word online
for an explanation of Carnegie Mellon’s policies regarding inappropriate non-academic
behavior <http://www.studentaffairs.cmu.edu/theword/university/nonacademic.cfm>.
Technology bans. To foster a respectful environment, the use of cell phones, laptops, and
recording devices is not allowed during class without my prior permission.
Food and drink. Feel free to bring a snack with you to class as long as it won’t be
distracting to others or prevent you from participating in class.
Grading
A
Superior work. Ideas are well planned and articulated with convincing detail.
Sentences are written so that they both linguistically and logically connect
together. An academic audience has been taken into consideration and
assumptions have been explained with that audience in mind. Any errors in
mechanics are not noticeable.
B
Really strong work with all assignment tasks met. There’s evidence of great
effort and thought in this assignment, although there may be a minor problem
with the argument’s development or overall organizational structure. Minor
editing problems at most.
Note: The differences between a B and an A concern issues of originality,
excellence, thoroughness, and attention to detail. Although B grades may include
comments on sentence level editing, doing this type of editing would not be
sufficient to raise a B to an A.
C
Acceptable in its representation of the task and in some ways above average, but
the work is lacking elements that would boost it above the ordinary. There may
be a glaring conceptual or execution problem. Details may be somewhat limited,
and concepts may be ambiguously defined.
D
Below average work. These assignments do not move beyond broad
generalizations and do little to explain core ideas. The central focus may not be
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well articulated, and the prose may seem to ramble. These papers may not
represent the task as it has been explained in class.
R
Work is not of acceptable quality and does not meet the task requirements.
Point Ranges for Letter Grades
90-100= A
80-89= B
70-79= C
60-69= D
below 60= R
Grading Policy and Scale
Guidelines for Written Work
General Guidelines on Submitting Assignments
 All files submitted electronically must include your last name and the assignment
in the file name – e.g. Mitchell_CarensRevision.doc. Papers should be stapled
and have page numbers.
 All digital files need to be in Word2003, not 2007 .docx.
 All papers, including daily assignments, must be typed, double-spaced, with 1”
margins. Do not try to play games with fonts or spacing. I prefer Times New
Roman.
 Assignments must be submitted BOTH in electronic (to the folders designated on
Blackboard for specific assignments) and paper forms. Electronic form alone is
unacceptable. Papers not submitted in both forms by the beginning of class on
the day the assignment is due will be counted late. Everyone will be allowed
one slip with regard to this- if you submit in one form but not the other, it will be
excused once. (Note: this does not mean that you an turn in an assignment late- it
must be submitted in one form or the other on time).
 Carefully edit and proofread all texts to eliminate problems in grammar, spelling,
and punctuation.
 Spell-check your documents. A hint in this regard: typos typically occur in the
last minutes when you are making final revisions to a text. Be sure, therefore, to
always do a final spell check on at least the section of the document in which you
have been making changes.
 Any time you cite an essay, film, or book in your main essays, you will need to
include a Works Cited section of your essay that provides complete and accurate
bibliographic information of the material mentioned in your essay. If you’re not
sure how to cite sources, please consult the Citation Guidelines in this course
packet.
Documents that do not meet these and other assignment-specific requirements will
not be graded. They will be returned to you and when resubmitted will be treated as
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late submissions. Pay attention to these details for handing in your final drafts.
Superficial errors do not signify poor thinking, but they can indicate, for some
readers, a lack of precision and a nonchalance toward the task. When you write
papers for your courses within your major, your professors will expect high quality,
readable prose. Use this class as a stepping stone toward that end. You’ll have to
plan your writing process to make time for proofreading—printing a just-written
paper 10 minutes before class time will probably not yield terrific results.
All assignments should have a heading that is single spaced and left justified that includes
the student’s name, my name, the assignment, and the date. They should be
followed by a title that is centered. For example:
Bob Jones
Instructor: Tom Mitchell
Wiley Response Revision
1-20-07
Problems in Implementing Language Policy
In “Language Planning, Language Policy, and the English-only Movement,” Terrence
Wiley argues that language policies create divisions...
Written Homework Assignments
Throughout the semester, you will be asked to write brief responses for a particular
reading. It is hoped that these responses will help you prepare for the three major writing
assignments, and I strongly urge you to keep all responses to prepare for the major
essays. Moreover, the exercises outlined for these responses are excellent for you to use
for all of the readings in our class, as well as for readings in your other courses. Keep a
reading notebook to jot down your ideas as you are reading; these ideas will be useful for
planning your papers.
These responses should be written clearly, with complete sentences and appropriate
paragraphing. You will be graded on how well you answer the response questions, how
well you support your generalizations with examples or details from the text. All of these
assignments should include citations from the text to support your claims.
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Guide to MLA Citation
76-101: Spring 2007
This page introduces you to a citation method, one used most often in the
discipline of English. Though many specific disciplines do have other methods of
citation, this method will serve you for most of your college career. Above all, remember
that any set of rules for citing sources is meant to give credit when credit is due—that is,
when you are using words or ideas that are not your own. It is much more important to
understand the purpose of citation than to memorize any specific set of rules. The rules
may change depending upon what class you take, but the intention behind it will not.
Consider this quotation from Kaufer, Geisler, and Neuwirth’s Arguing from
Sources about why we should cite sources (for this text’s full citation, see page 26 of the
course packet) :
Documentation allows your readers to retrace your reasoning. By knowing what has influenced your thinking,
readers can evaluate whether you’ve been fair to these influences and, at the same time, whether you’ve made
your way beyond them. More important, perhaps, your citations can give readers efficient search paths of their
own, helping them select texts (possibly including your own) to develop their own lines of argument. Thus,
through your citations, you provide for future authors what previous authors have provided for you. Citing
sources ensures that the cycle of literacy (from reading to authoring) you have been practicing throughout this
book will perpetuate itself indefinitely (277).
In this class, we’ll be using what is called the MLA format for “parenthetical
citation.” Documentation for a source occurs within the text itself. This handout is
meant to introduce you to the basics of the MLA format. For more information, you can
consult The MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers or, for an in-depth summary,
check out the online writing lab at Purdue University:
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/handouts/print/research/r_mla.html. For our purposes, the
following items should help you with citing sources from our class:
1. Barrabus argues that Americans take “for granted that everything people of
African descent do, think, or say, is racial in nature” (98). [Note the positioning
of the quotation mark—it’s before the parenthesis and the period after them. You
don’t need to put the author’s name in the parenthesis because you just mentioned
him in your sentence.]
2. If it is not clear from context which author the quote is from, then include the
author’s last name at the end of the quote. It has been argued that Americans
take “for granted that everything people of African descent do, think, or say, is
racial in nature” (Barrabus 98).
3. If you are using more than one text by the same author, then use the title of the
essay or book instead of the name of the author.
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4. The rules are the same for paraphrasing. Barrabus argues that Americans think
everything done or said by African Americans has to do with race (98).
5. Other cases can come up, although they probably won’t in class. Use common
sense, remembering that giving proper credit is more important than following
some set of rules correctly.
6. You must include an alphabetized bibliography (by author’s name) at the end of
every paper on a separate page. Order your texts as the example below.
Book: Leeming, David. The World of Myth. New York: Oxford University Press,
1991.
Journal: Greenberg, Harvey R. “Fembo: Aliens’ Intentions.” Journal of Popular
Film and Culture. 15:4, 1998. 165-71.
Article from a book. Jennings, Ros. “Desire and Design—Ripley Undressed.”
Immortal, Invisible: Lesbians and the Moving Image. Ed.
Tasmin Wilson. New York: Routledge, 1995. 193-206.
Article from the Internet: Smith, Robert. “Nicaragua: The Struggle Intensifies.” [full
internet address here].[date you accessed the article here].
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Using Sources Properly in Freshman English
Carnegie Mellon University
We refer to sources in our writing for a number of reasons—to ground the claims we
make, to acknowledge perspectives that correspond with our own, and to give the
information necessary for our readers to locate those sources. In 76-101, we use sources
to show that our ideas do not exist apart from a community of writers but rather that our
ideas emerge within an ongoing conversation.
If we do not draw on sources properly in our writing, then at best, we misuse them. At
the worst, we plagiarize.
The official Carnegie Mellon University definition of plagiarism is
Plagiarism includes, but is not limited to, failure to indicate the source with
quotation marks or footnotes where appropriate if any of the following are
reproduced in the work submitted by a student:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
A phrase, written or musical.
A graphic element.
A proof.
Specific language.
An idea derived from the work, published or unpublished, of another
person.
Online source: http://www.cmu.edu/policies/documents/Cheating.html
It can be difficult to assess what makes an idea yours or someone else’s. In fact, it is
difficult to imagine how to think about an idea apart from the language we use to
articulate it.
Because citing sources properly can be more difficult than putting quotations into your
writing or just rearranging some words, we need to consider examples of proper uses of
quotations and paraphrases.
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Examples
These examples were created for a talk given at the Heinz School of Public Policy about
Academic Integrity.
The source text:
“Cynicism is epidemic right now. It saps people’s confidence in politics and public
officials….If the assumption is that nothing is on the level, nothing is what it seems, then
citizenship becomes a game for fools and there is no point trying to stay informed.”
--David Broder, “War on Cynicism,” Washington Post, July 6, 1994
An appropriate use of a quotation:
Along with steadily declining turnout in national elections…some observers detect that
citizens are “tuning out” of politics more generally. “Cynicism is epidemic right now,”
writes worried Washington Post columnist David Broder (1994): “It saps people’s
confidence in politics and public officials….If the assumption is that nothing is on the
level, nothing is what it seems, then citizenship becomes a game for fools and there is no
point trying to stay informed.”
An inappropriate use of quotation:
Along with steadily declining turnout in national elections…some observers detect that
citizens are “tuning out” of politics more generally. “Cynicism is epidemic right now,”
writes worried Washington Post columnist David Broder (1994): “It saps people’s
confidence in politics and public officials….If the assumption is nothing is what it seems,
then citizenship becomes a game for fools and there is no reason to stay informed.”
An appropriate use of paraphrase:
Along with steadily declining turnout in national elections…some observers detect that
citizens are “tuning out” of politics more generally. One reason for this is offered by
David Broder (1994), who proposes that Americans participate less and less in political
life because they no longer see citizenship as an authentic activity. It’s simply a series of
motions that people go through while the real action takes place elsewhere, presumably
behind the scenes and in suspect ways.
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76-101 Glossary of Reading Heuristics
What’s a Heuristic in the Context of this Course?
In Young, Becker, and Pike’s Rhetoric, Discovery, and Change, they define a heuristic
as a set of questions or concepts that help to generate ideas. These heuristics are schemes
for invention: one of the five traditional canons of rhetoric. (The other four are memory,
arrangement, delivery, and style.) As Young, Becker, and Pike point out, this definition
is really a description of how structure works—structure is generative and constraining.
We will use these terms as a common vocabulary for reading others’ arguments and for
writing our own arguments. These heuristics are transferable strategies for reading
analytically—take them with you to history class, business, and even engineering.
(1) Agent, Action, Goal, Result
The agent is the character that performs the action.
The action is the event or what happened.
The goal is the intended or hoped-for outcome of the action.
The result is the actual consequence of the action.
(2) Claim, Grounds or reasons, Warrant (or Assumption), Evidence or backing
The definitions that follow are from Toulmin et al’s Introduction to Reasoning.
A claim is a statement or an assertion that is “put forward publicly for
general acceptance.” It contains “the implications that there are underlying ‘reasons’ that
could show them to be ‘well-founded’ and therefore entitled to be generally accepted” (p.
29).
Reasons, or grounds, are “statements specifying particular facts about a situation.
These facts are already accepted as true, and can therefore be relied on to clarify and
make good the previous claim, or—in the best case—to establish its truth, correctness, or
soundness, in turn” (p. 37). Evidence, or backing, is a concrete, observable statement
of fact that supports a reason (see the example below). NOTE: ARGUMENTS CAN BE
MADE WITHOUT GIVING EVIDENCE. But evidence helps to give a concrete
specificity to argumentation.
Warrants are “statements indicating how the facts on which we agree are connected to
the claim or conclusion now being offered. These connecting statements draw attention
to the previously agreed general ways of arguing applied in a particular case, and so are
implicitly relied on as ones whose trustworthiness is well established” (p. 45). In other
words, warrants explain why the reasons we give are important and relevant to the claims
we make.
Example: An example of these three items can be found on page 46 of An Introduction
to Reasoning:
A: I should choose the ice cream today! (Claim)
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Carnegie Mellon University
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Interpretation and Argument
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Q: Why do you say that?
A: Jack chose yesterday, and Jill the day before. (Grounds) Jill sent me an email that says they’ve already chosen . (Evidence or backing)
Q: So?
A: Everyone should have a turn at choosing. (Warrant)
(3) Qualifier
Within an argument, a qualifier is typically some kind of language that indicates the
weight of a claim or that expresses the limits or circumstances of that claim. Sometimes
qualifying an argument is also called linguistic hedging.
Example claim: Based on my research, there is no police corruption in the township of
Nottingham.
(4) Issue, Problem, Solution
“An issue is a topic that sparks controversy within a community of speakers, readers, and
writers. More specifically, an issue is a topic that creates a tension in the community, a
discontent or dissatisfaction with the status quo. If the tension is commonly
acknowledged by the community and judged important enough to command its attention,
the topic that created it is recognized as an issue. Members of the community attach a
social value to seeing the issue resolved. Not all topics warrant such favored attention.
But when they do, they become issues” (Arguing from Sources, p. 3).
“A problem case is a concrete situation whose existence raises discontent or
dissatisfaction for a community. Members of the community share the goal of wanting to
see these cases resolved, of wanting to see their dissatisfaction relieved. However, they
can’t agree on the best way to resolve these cases—they can’t agree on solutions. Or
they can’t agree on what’s causing the problem in the first place—they can’t even agree
how to define the problem. Often, they can’t agree on either. Their disagreement is what
sustains the issue” (Arguing from Sources, p. 6).
Oftentimes, the solution is really more like a resolution of the overarching issue and its
problems. Ultimately, this solution presents itself as an argument’s overall claim or
thesis.
(5) Main, Faulty Paths
A main path in an argument is the line of reasoning that the author develops and
ultimately connects to the argument’s primary claim.
A faulty path is a false or misleading line of reasoning that the author acknowledges in
the process or developing a different perspective. A faulty path can also be called a
counterclaim or a devil’s advocate statement.
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Carnegie Mellon University
Fall 2009
Interpretation and Argument
Mitchell 76-101 CC
Argument Summary Assignment
The Assignment
Summarize the argument of Joseph Carens’ “Aliens and Citizens: The Case for Open
Borders.” You may have had assignments in the past that asked you to summarize the
material. Those assignments most likely wanted you to report back or paraphrase the
essay’s information, almost verbatim, to prove that you had read the assigned book, book
chapter, or essay. This paper is not that sort of assignment, so don’t be fooled by the
name.
An academic summary is really an argument analysis—it is the first step toward entering
an academic conversation because it requires us to rearticulate another author’s point of
view. What summarize means for this class is picking out what is most important in
the argument and explaining it in your own words, articulating the significance of
the argument itself. The key to this assignment is not trying to account for every point
the author makes, but rather to focus on isolating the kernel of his argument and to
explain how he gets there. Essentially, you are constructing an argument about the
author’s argument.
Your assignment is to explain what is at stake in Carens’ argument, or what he is
ultimately arguing and why it is significant. There are several ways to read him, but not
an infinite amount—so be careful and thoughtful about your analysis of his argument.
The Procedure
Generating ideas.
 What is the argument? First, you must select the most important parts of his
argument. You can do this by identifying the issue the author addresses, the
problem he defines, and how he resolves that problem. Your thesis statement
should explain his “bottom line” argument and then should indicate why he
feels this perspective is important. What did he choose to focus on to make
his argument?

How does Carens make his argument? Second, you must analyze and explain
the crucial parts in such a way as to demonstrate how each part fits together in
the larger framework of the argument. It’s not enough to merely repeat what
the author says, changing the words slightly. Your task is to explain how he
establishes and defines the issue, problem, and solution in his argument—
using the claim/evidence/warrant vocabulary can help you get at this “how”
question by examining evidence and the assumptions that build his argument.
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Carnegie Mellon University
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Interpretation and Argument
Mitchell 76-101 CC
Supporting your argument.
It is important to provide textual evidence from the article to support your argument. Use
direct quotes and paraphrases to support what you think the author’s major claims are.
Remember to be selective about what evidence you use and always ask yourself, “Is this
integral to his main point?” In this sense, you should also be careful not to let your
supporting material take over your argument and subsume your own explanation of his
essay—if you were to do this, you may as well hand in a copy of the text you’re
summarizing. And remember. . . you have only 3-4 pages to make your argument
summary.
NOTE: Be sure to consult the citation guide that was included with the course packet.
Considering your audience.
Of course, for this essay, your immediate audience is your instructor. However, assume
your hypothetical audience is composed of people interested in ethics of immigration
control who have not read the text, might need help to understand it, or perhaps have a
different view of the argument than you do.
Common Misconceptions
It might be useful for you to know some of the popular misconceptions or pitfalls some
students have had in the past with this assignment.

Thinking the argument summary is not an argument of your own interpretation.
Your interpretation enters the scene when you select the information that you
consider to be central to the author’s argument. You also express your opinion
when you explain how his argument hangs together logically. Believe it or not,
every student does not represent him in the same way.

Writing an argument summary about open borders rather than about Carens on
open borders. In other words, your bottom-line claim in this summary should not
be about the issue at hand but about what Carens argues about it.

Organizing the argument summary chronologically, according to the
organizational structure in the author’s essay. Since part of your task is to select
the most important claims in her argument, it’s imperative to realize that you will
order those claims according to importance rather than chronology.
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Carnegie Mellon University
Fall 2009
Interpretation and Argument
Mitchell 76-101 CC
Synthesis Essay Assignment Guidelines
Write a paper (5-6 pages) that explores an issue raised by the texts we’ve read so far. The
ultimate goal of the paper is to explore a particular question related to immigration
control, patriotism, and nationalism by explaining the possible approaches to the
question.
Ultimately, your task is not only to show how and why the most polarized opinions
diverge, but also to demonstrate how the authors who agree about the big picture have
differing perspectives on a more “micro” level.
This synthesis can only come from close re-reading of the texts with your specific
(and carefully chosen) research question in mind; in other words, you must revisit each
text focused on finding evidence for the author’s position on the question you are asking.
You will need to support your claims with quotations from the text. While an author
might not make an explicit claim about the issue you are analyzing, you will have to
show how the author’s words allow you to extrapolate his/her position.
The Procedure
1) You will first need to write a research question that will allow you to explore an
issue raised by the essays we have been reading. Your first priority is to work out
what issues are at stake in your topic, and what questions come up around it that your
essay will attempt to work out, and answer. We will discuss ways to figure out a
narrow question that will give you manageable and useful project. One good way to
generate ideas is to think of a question that one author would want to ask another
author. [Example from free speech class: In the context of the US university, what is
the effect of the relationship between speech and action on the idea of free speech as
an absolute right?]
2) Develop a thesis sentence for your introduction that explains why, in your opinion,
the positions on your chosen issue are unresolved. The research question is typically
rephrased (from question to statement), with the added information of what is
fundamentally causing the “split” among the authors (what is driving their
disagreement). [Example: Underlying the disagreement about whether or not free
speech should be an absolute right is essentially a differing understanding of the
relationship between speech and action: those who equate speech with action, and
insist on the materiality of language, advocate limiting speech in certain situations,
whereas those who disagree with such an equation endorse unrestricted speech as
essential to a rational, individual existence.]
3) You’ll need to explain the 2-3 major approaches to handling the problem, using a
minimum of 5 sources from the syllabus. Charney and Neuwirth define an approach
as “a belief, goal, or method that a large group of authors adopts for handling similar
problems” (349). The major approaches are the main divisions in your synthesis tree.
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Carnegie Mellon University
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Interpretation and Argument
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You will need to, then, need to find a way of “labeling” or “naming” each of the
approaches. You might want to use labels employed by some of the authors from the
syllabus to name the major approaches (such as the labels Carens uses), but
depending on your research question, you might have to find your own way of
naming positions in the debate. Ultimately, however, your job isn’t only to define or
explain these major approaches, but to explain why these approaches are pitted in
debate with one another and what is ultimately at stake.
4) You need to explain the positions within each approach. By explaining these minor
divergences you are not merely telling your reader that these positions exist. Rather,
you are explaining why these positions diverge. **This is the most difficult and most
important part of the paper.
5) Finally, you will conclude your paper by revealing where you stand on the issue at
hand. The perspective you take in explaining this issue will naturally reflect your own
alliances. Your final task, then, is to develop these alliances in a conclusion by
outlining the steps in your logic that show your alignment with or departure from an
approach. You will necessarily summarize the content of the paper as you explain this
alignment. This does not need to be a final or absolute verdict, but simply an
indication of how your own opinions are taking shape in light of your analysis of the
issue.
As you explore your particular question, ideally you will discover something new
about the larger issue. This “something new” could
 refer to a point that has been overlooked by other writers
 present a way of bringing opponents closer together
 introduce a new development that might cause parties to rethink their positions
The perspective you offer on the debate will naturally reflect your own opinion, but
the main purpose of this paper is not to argue your own opinion but to persuade
others on the source of a controversy. Ideally, the Argument Synthesis paper should
function as a point of entry for the Contribution paper.
NOTE: Do not be surprised if you find that you must reshape your question(s) as you
begin to work through the different arguments you’ve read. Likewise, expect to spend
time re-reading material as you think through this project. Most good questions evolve
over time as you work with the readings, and you’ll want to do a lot of re-reading for this
assignment.
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Carnegie Mellon University
Fall 2009
Interpretation and Argument
Mitchell 76-101 CC
Contribution Essay Assignment Guidelines
At this point in the semester you have read a number of articles that discuss the
relationship between ethics and immigration control. For most of you, these articles have
triggered opinions, desires to make an argument within this conversation.
Up until this point you have had to stay in a position of analysis not one of argument.
You have looked at issues from many standpoints and thought complexly about the issues
and problems that may arise from any one stance. Now it is you opportunity to make an
argument, to contribute to the conversation that has been going on in the articles you have
read. In this paper you will be required to choose an object/text/case study and analyze it
using the ideas from readings and class discussions. To be clear, your argument should
not be theoretical; it must be about some aspect of an actual object. However, you
are not making an argument about your single text. Rather, you are using the
media text to help you to make an argument about the issue.
Possible texts/case studies include: news coverage of a particular immigration debate and
its effect on a nation, the homepage of a website that is relevant to course content, a
political speech or transcript from a House hearing, a film/television representation of
immigration or patriotism, etc. You need to choose something that has a textual
component (that is either in print or can be printed).
Before you begin
**Remember, you are using the media text to help you to make an argument about the
issue; you are not just making an argument about your single text.
In order to write this essay you need to do the following:
 Choose an issue. What topics in class continually interest or trouble you?
 Choose a text/case study.
 Write a question about the issue. What will you prove? If there is no question
there is no argument. Your argument needs to help an audience of people answer
a question in a particular way.
 Take a stand. What do you want your audience to think about the issue when
they finish reading your paper? It will help you not to think in terms of sides. This
project is not about what side you are on; this project is about what you know,
what you will think about the issue at the end of the paper.
 Choose your evidence. What ideas will you use to support your idea? Which
texts will you use? What types of evidence will you use? You need to cite at
least 5 of the texts from class and up to 3 texts from your own research. This
paper is no different than the others. You need to have support for you ideas from
others who are thinking about the same issue.
 Opposition. What do other people think? You must include a section in this paper
that addresses concerns and viewpoints from other perspectives. Anticipate
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


critiques, acknowledge other ways of thinking, and then refute them. Thinking
ahead of your opponents will give you the upper hand.
Choose a purpose/audience. Your reason for writing this is the audience that you
are communicating with. You need to decide who you are writing for, because
that will dramatically shape your paper. You will also need to write an audience
memo and hand it in with your paper to help me read it correctly.
Proto-thesis. Begin brainstorming theses. This thesis needs to be focused and
argumentative, and it needs to point to the direction the argument will take and
the evidence that will be employed to make the argument.
Get started. Choose the quote from the readings that will be important to your
argument. Retype it, and then write for 20 minutes without stopping. This will
help you to get some of your BIG ideas down onto paper and give you a staring
place for this paper.
Formatting
This paper needs to be:
 Have page numbers and author’s last name in either the header or the footer.
 7-10 pages long
 Have a works cited page with at least 8 entries
Organization
*NOTE: In this paper you are required to use subheadings to organize your ideas for the
reader (and yourself).
Title:
(The title needs to help the reader know what it is they are getting
themselves into. It should be interesting.)
I.
Introduction: 2-3 paragraphs. This section needs to:
a. explain what the issue is,
b. give general background information on the issue,
c. define the important terms,
d. explain the direction the analysis will take by listing and explaining the
research question(s), and
e. contain a thoughtful, well-written thesis (it can go at the end of the 1st
paragraph or directly following the research question).
II.
Literature review: 1-2 pages. This section gives your reader the background
for the argument that you are about to present. What are people already saying
about the issue? This includes:
a. Those you agree with and will draw on in the body of your argument.
b. Those you disagree with and will be refuting.
III.
Argument: 3+ pages. (You will need to use multiple sub-headings in this
section.) In this section you will develop the argument as you have planned it
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in the introduction with the help of the class texts (readings, movies, etc.).
Remember, there should be nothing in the body that isn’t hinted at in some
fashion in the introduction. No surprises please.
a. Support and develop your thesis drawing on the class readings and any
other approved texts.
b. There must be sufficient evidence to support your argument. You may
want to think of your argument in parts (sub-claims). Explain and argue
for the parts and then explain how they combine to make one really
important point.
IV.
Conclusion: 2-3 paragraphs. A strong ending helps to tie up loose ends and
make final connections inside the paper and between the paper and the “real
world.” Remember who your audience is. The conclusion needs to help them
make their decision. This section needs to:
a. sum up the essay and draw general conclusions,
b. provide the reader with food for thought based on your analysis, and
c. provide the reader with something to do when they finish reading the
paper, more to think about, something to act on, more to read, etc.
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Carnegie Mellon University
Fall 2009
Interpretation and Argument
Mitchell 76-101 CC
Synthesis Proposal Assignment
We modeled the process for this assignment in class. Now you have to do it on your own
in a bit more detail. This assignment is worth 15 points. It needs to have the following
elements:

A research question that addresses a significant issue from the course readings. (4
points)

The answer each author (who you will use) would give to your specific question
and the best quotation from their article that illustrates their position on your
question. (8 points) Note: This is a key part of the assignment. Do not just give
the author’s main claim, make sure the answer is directed at your specific
question.

A visual representation (synthesis tree) that clearly shows how the authors are
split with regard to the question. This should include descriptive names for each
position/stance (3 points)
Contribution Proposal Assignment
Please complete this assignment in full. Please number each element according the
numbers provided here. Worth 20 points.
(1) Briefly, in one or two paragraphs, introduce me to the issue that you are focusing
on. Contextualize your case study by providing necessary background. Whereas in
shorter papers, the issue might have to be articulated in a sentence or two, here you have
a bit more space to flesh things out. Within this introduction, you must also articulate
how you see this case study allows you to contribute to the conversation represented
by the texts of our course. (5 points)
(2) Come up with a research question based on a “problem” that you wish to resolve by
exploring the issue in detail. Again, this could be a paragraph that leads up to a question
or several questions. **What do you hope to answer by doing this investigation? What is
the most interesting aspect of this issue that remains unanswered? (1 point)
Examples from the free speech class:
Case study: In the case of military blogs, how should the balance between ideals of free
speech and their possible morale-lifting aspects, on one hand, and protection of the troops
and sensitive information, on the other, be made?
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Interpretation and Argument
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(3) Provide me with the text/object that you are working from for your case study. This
can be on paper, or a link. (1 point)
(4) For your outside author(s), give me the reference information for the texts you wish to
use. Additionally, tell me who the author is (professionally) and what type of publication
it appears in (if this is not obvious from the title included in the reference info). This
should appear in MLA format like a works cited page. Remember, you must have one,
but no more than three, of these references. (1 point)
(5) A tentative thesis statement: this should tell me your position with regard to the
research question and it should point to the direction the argument will take and the
evidence that will be employed (“In this paper, I argue…”). Also, provide a one- or twosentence articulation about the significance of your argument (“at stake”). (2 points)
(6) At least 3 possible sub-claims upon which your argument will rest. This may be
somewhat fuzzy, but you should have a sense for the general trajectory of your argument.
What claims will you have to make which will combine to make your main claim
thoroughly supported? As a way to organize your ideas, you could try to think of what
the different section headings (metacommmentary) will be for the argument section of
your paper. Each of these will be a very concise articulation of a sub-claim. (5 points)
(7) The authors you plan to use. 5 must be from our syllabus. No more than 3 may be
from outside the course. Group them into allies and opponents and give a one-sentence
description of how they will be included. (5 points)
Example:
Rodney Smolla (ally): I will use Smolla’s theory of “blowing off steam” to argue that the
potential repercussions of bottling up hateful expression are more dangerous in the long
run than negative effects caused by hate speech on a more micro level.
Optional:
 include key quotations that will be useful in: (a) the lit review section, and (b) the
argument section.
 integrate quotations from (b) into the section headings from #6 to give an even
clearer picture of how your argument will look.
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Carnegie Mellon University
Fall 2009
Interpretation and Argument
Mitchell 76-101 CC
Guidelines for Working in Reading Response or Peer Review Groups
1. Designate a time keeper: each person gets equal time (15 minutes) in the group (with no single
person dominating the discussion).
2. When it is your turn, read your paper out loud, and listeners follow along on the copies. This
will help YOU to hear where you think your paper works well and where it needs revision.
Listeners should make marks in the margins: quick comments, questions, exclamation marks.
When the reader has finished reading, listeners-
In your own words, summarize the writer’s argument on the back of the essay. Is
there an argument being put forth? How sound is it? If you’re having a hard time
summarizing the argument, that’s a clue for the writer that he or she needs to make
the essay’s thesis much clearer.

If you are curious about something, ask the writer to explain it--your role is to act as
a reader, letting the writer know what works, what doesn’t, and what else they
should, or need to, include.
3. Discuss both the strong points of an essay and where it needs revision. Start with what is good
about the writer’s work. A guideline is to say positive things before moving on to
suggestions for revision.
4. A well-written essay will be strong in the following areas:

Attention to the assignment: Did the essay complete the assignment task?

Focus: Did the essay have a clear focus and did it stick to this central idea? Was the
writer’s main point or thesis clear and specific? Did it remain clear and specific
throughout the essay?

Examples: Did the essay have examples that proved or illustrated the writer’s
opinion, and were they appropriate to the topic being addressed? Were the examples
detailed enough?

Organization: Did the essay have an introduction that stated the area of focus? Did
the essay present ideas and details in a logical order, and were the ideas divided into
paragraphs? Were there clear transitions at the beginning and end of the paragraphs
that helped to keep the argument in front of the reader?
These are the sorts of concerns you will be focusing on during your peer review sessions.
Keep the following advice in mind:
 DO NOT spend much time commenting on proofreading and spelling errors. What’s

the point of making superficial changes when the paper’s argument isn’t well
organized or well supported?
As your group discusses your paper, write down as many comments as you can. This
is important, because when you get home, you won’t remember what everyone said
without notes. Be sure to take with you the copies of your group’s comments.
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Carnegie Mellon University
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Interpretation and Argument
Mitchell 76-101 CC
Peer Review Checklist for
Argument Summary Rough Draft
(1)
(2)
(3)
(4)
(5)
Do you know who wrote the text being summarized?
What issue is addressed by this author?
What is the main point made by the author?
Would you be able to locate the text in the library? Where would you look?
Can you clearly separate the points made by the author of the summary and the
points made by the author of the text being summarized? Mark any points about
which you’re unsure.
(6) How does the author of the text being summarized see the issue?
(7) What does the author being summarized feel is the real problem?
(8) What solution does the author of the text being summarized recommend?
(9) Judging from this summary, what did the author of the text being summarized
emphasize: beliefs or actions we should accept or beliefs or actions we should
reject?
(10)Are there any terms used in this summary that you don’t understand? Underline
them.
(11)Are there any points in the summary that made you wonder, “Why did the author say
that?” Mark them.
Peer Review Checklist for
Argument Synthesis Rough Draft
(1) What is the issue being addressed by this paper? Does the introduction prepare you
to hear about the various approaches taken in the issue?
(2) Why, according to this essay, should you be concerned with this issue? Are you
convinced by these reasons?
(3) Who are the major authors taking positions on the issue? List and number them.
(4) What is the overall state of the issue?
(5) Are there any authors whose positions you don’t understand? List them.
(6) Circle all the words you don’t understand.
(7) Does the body of the essay set the stage for each approach and the positions
associated with them? Is the progression within an approach and the ordering of
approaches clear and well motivated?
(8) Does the essay give clear and valid reasons for the strengths and faults attributed to
the different positions? What elaboration is necessary to make these reasons clearer
or more valid?
(9) Did the writer adjust his/her prose to talk about approaches and positions rather than
authors?
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Carnegie Mellon University
Fall 2009
Interpretation and Argument
Mitchell 76-101 CC
Peer Review Checklist for
Contribution Essay Rough Draft
Introductory Paragraphs
(1) Does the introduction prepare readers to understand the essay’s central question?
(2) Does it use a thesis statement to preview the writer’s response to this question?
(3) Does it give readers the right amount of background information?
Seeing the Issue
(4) Does the text give readers a sense of the issue through historical accounts and
problem cases?
(5) Does it inform readers about possible controversies associated with seeing the
issue? about the writer’s own paradigms if there is a controversy?
Defining the Problem
(6) Does the text give readers a sense of the problem’s definition? of alternative
positions whose problem definitions are considered problematic?
(7) Are the writer’s reasons clear for rejecting the alternatives?
Choosing a Solution
(8) Does the text give readers a sense of the writer’s solution? of alternative
positions whose solutions are considered faulty?
(9) Are the reasons clear for rejecting the alternatives?
Main Point
(10)Is the writer’s main point well supported and amplified?
(11)Does it meet the criteria of support required by the class?
Overall Flow
(12)Does the text unfold as a set of directions from seeing to resolving with clear
transitions along the way?
These checklists are from Kaufer, D., Geisler, C., & Neuwirth, C. (1989). Arguing from Sources.
Harcourt Brace Jovanovich.
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Carnegie Mellon University
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Revision Statement Assignment
Your goal for the Revision Statement is to write a detailed plan for how you will revise
your rough draft. The statement should explain what you’ve accomplished in your rough
draft, what’s missing from your draft (based on your experience with peer review and
self-diagnosis), and what specific changes you will implement to address the
missing/problematic elements. It is not enough to say what is wrong, you need to show
me a new and improved version (see the sample for help with this). Think of this as an
extra step in the revision process in which you have an opportunity to get feedback that
you would not get before turning in the final draft.
This plan can be organized and written as an outline, a bulleted list, or in paragraph form.
It should be roughly 1.5-3 typed pages in length, depending on the length of your essay.
Primarily your task is to identify two major areas of your argument for revision and then
explain how you plan to improve them. Ultimately, you should focus on the content and
structure of your argument rather than on superficial text issues, such as spelling and
grammar.
NOTE: If you want to conference with me about your essay, you must complete this plan
before we meet.
Procedure
Keep the following things in mind as you write your revision statement:
(1) Based on your experience with the peer review and the assignment specific criteria,
identify and then describe 2 major problems with your draft and their effects on the
overall text. These problems could have originated from your own reflections of your
writing process or from the peer review. Some problems might be
 A “murky” thesis in the introduction that falls apart as the essay progresses.
This problem usually indicates a lack of overall focus. A lack of focus could
be related to a need for you to re-familiarize yourself with the reading(s), or it
could demonstrate that you haven’t fully understood the assignment. Your
task would be to plan for refining your essay’s focus, thesis statement, and
organizational structure.
 Paragraphs that read like a list of points rather than logically connected ideas.
This problem, often sensed as a lack of “flow,” could indicate a couple of
things—first, that you’re not quite sure how or if everything is connected in
your essays; second, that you just need to add or clarify transitions between
the points you’re moving between; third, that the paragraphs themselves are
not clearly focused to reflect a logical connection between a claim, its
grounds, and assumptions. After locating this problem in specific points of
your essay and identifying where your argument breaks down, suggest how
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
you will remedy the situation. (What kinds of transitions might be necessary?
What information is missing in order to make clear connections?)
Statements that are too general and are lacking explanation. This problem
could indicate that you need to add examples or elaborate your claims with
further evidence. You might also find that with more elaboration you will
refine the claims you’ve made. Your plan for solving this problem would
include locating areas in your essay that need more specific kinds of
information and speculating toward what that information might be.
Remember, pick only the two or three major areas you want to revise, and be sure to
explain in detail how you will be revising them. Prioritize your work.
Of course, if you feel your essay is as good as it will ever be, then explain why and please
be detailed in your rationale for not having to revise any aspect of your work. Tell me
what you did well, and why it can’t be better. Generally, all work can be revised to some
degree (especially rough drafts), so if you feel good about your work, take this chance to
plan out how you can improve it.
(2) Even if you feel like going back to the drawing board, pick two places in your
argument you sense difficulties with, and develop your plan from there. What can you
use from this draft, and what will the next one be like?
(3) Feel free to ask me questions about your essay—if you want feedback on a specific
issue, let me know. Or if your peer review group said your examples are helpful, but
you’re still not sure, ask me. And if you received some feedback from your group that
you disagreed with, you can use this document to get a second opinion.
Some General Comments
You might be concerned that since I’m asking you to write a revision plan, I won’t be
providing you with the feedback that you need for your final draft. Don’t worry. The
purpose of this document is to help me organize my comments on your essay (by
preventing me from telling you what you already know). And if I think you missed
something, I’ll let you know—think of this as a chance for you to direct my attention
toward your immediate concerns, as well as for you to approach revision collaboratively
with me.
This assignment aims to make immediate use of the peer review experience for your
revision process, to make conferences with me as productive as we can make them, and,
of course, to equip you to take charge of your writing and rewriting.
30
Carnegie Mellon University
Fall 2009