Moving from Marginal to
Adequate and Beyond:
Sharing our best practices for
moving students forward
Mary Adler, CSU Channel Islands
mary.adler@csuci.edu
The Prompt
Americans now spend nineteen billion dollars a year on veterinary care for their pets,
up from eleven billion just seven years ago. Add to that the cost of pet food and
other supplies, and the number rises to forty-seven billion, nearly three times as much
as the federal government spends on welfare grants. Poodles get root canals, cats
undergo chemotherapy, rabbits are treated with radiation, prairie dogs get oxygen
therapy in intensive care units. People spend enormous amounts to pay for special
diets for their pets while cities create parks for off-leash puppy play dates. For a
price, we can take our dogs for day care or psychotherapy and buy them a $200
cashmere sweater and a leopard-skin bed. Clearly, our love affair with our pets has
gotten out-of-control.
Adapted from Burkhard Bilger, “The Last Meow” (The New Yorker)
Explain Bilger’s argument and discuss the extent to which you agree or
disagree with his analysis. Support your position, providing reasons and
examples from your own experience, observations, or reading.
SEE HANDOUT PAGE 3
3
Introductions 4
In Burkhard
Bilger’s “The
Last Meow,” an
article in the New
Yorker Bilger
states that our love
affair with our pets
has gotten out-ofcontrol.
In the article “The
Last Meow” by
Burkhard Bilger,
he states that “our
love affair with
our pets has gotten
out of control.”
3
Introductions 4
And I agree.
He goes on to say
that in the past
seven years
Americans have
increased their
veterinary care
by eight billion
dollars.
3
Introductions 4
Americans now
spend nineteen
billion dollars a
year on
veterinary care
for their pets.
Although pet care
is very important,
I agree with
Bilger that this
has gotten out of
hand.
3
Introductions 4
And up to fortyseven billion
dollars on
supplies and pet
food.
I really couldn’t
imagine someone
spending $200 dollars
for another human
being on a sweater, so
it really makes me
wonder how someone
could spend that much
money on something
that can’t even say
thank you.
3
Introductions 4
People spend enormous
amounts to pay for
special treatments like
root canals, cats
undergo chemotherapy,
rabbits are treated with
radiation, prairie dogs
get oxygen therapy in
intensive care units.
My dog is
perfectly fine
without a
cashmere
sweater, because
he has fur to keep
him warm . . .
just like every
other dog.
3
Introductions 4
Now day animals
aren’t just looked
an animals but
part of family
and to some best
friends.
Many times
throughout my
life I have
encountered a
situation like the
ones that Bilger
states.
Your thoughts
What are your ideas for how to move
students from marginal to adequate?
They say I say
Move to personal critique
Middle of template good
Goods ways into quotations – good transitions to
get out
Highliters – commentary – also, take essay 3 colors
analysis, evidence
Use text express what the student wants to say –
make your case – it’s about your argument not
Develop a Rhetorical Précis
HANDOUT PAGE 6-8; Reading Rhetorically, pp. 62-63
1.
Name (of author, genre, and title, date) 
argues/claims/asserts/suggests  that (major
assertion or thesis of the piece).
In the article “End Homework Now” (2001), Etta Kralovec
and John Buell claim that the practice of assigning
homework is not an effective teaching method because its
negative effects outweigh its benefits.
Sentence 2
Explain how the author develops & supports the thesis
(what kinds of evidence is given?).
Kralovec and Buell support their claims by providing
examples of how homework disrupts families,
overburdens children and limits learning and by dispelling
myths about the benefits of homework and providing
alternative practices that would lead to improvement in
student achievement.
Sentence 3
Author’s purpose is  in order to (do what?)
The authors’ purpose is to make the reader question a
practice that is a trademark of the U.S. education system
and decide whether it is conducive to creating a
“smarter” student.
Sentence 4
In the article “End Homework Now” (2001), Etta Kralovec
and John Buell claim that the practice of assigning
homework is not an effective teaching method because its
negative
effects
outweigh
itsOR
benefits.
Describe
intended
audience
author’s relationship
Kralovec
and Buell
support their claims by providing
with audience.
Example:
examples of how homework disrupts families, overburdens
Theyand
seemlimits
to belearning
speaking and
to thebyentire
educational
children
dispelling
myths about
teachers,
students
and parents.
thecommunity:
benefits ofadministrators,
homework and
providing
alternative
practices that would lead to improvement in student
achievement. The authors’ purpose is to make the reader
question a practice that is a trademark of the U.S.
education system and decide whether it is conducive to
creating a “smarter” student. They seem to be speaking to
the entire educational community: administrators,
teachers, students and parents.
Examining essay components
Students read each of their introductions (or use samples)
to their small group.
The groups pick one that they felt was most effective.
The group lists reasons why it was effective.
Generate this list on the board. As they share reasons, ask
for examples.
Students take 15-20 minutes to revise their introductions in
light of the classes’ list.
Students share what they changed & why.
Examine Use of Sources
Source: Stacey Anderson, CSU Channel Islands Composition Program

Student highlight words or ideas that came from
another source.
 Teach the difference between summary, quotation and
paraphrase.
 Students label S(summary), Q(quotation), or
P(paraphrase).
 Consider the balance of sources used in the paper.
What is strong? What could be changed?
Other ways students can
highlight?