CLOSE-READING ACTIVITY
DIRECTIONS:
 Read the assigned article then answer the following questions. Annotations in articles is encouraged, but not required.
 Assignments due by midnight to Turnitin.com every Tuesday and Friday. Originality reports over 10% will be investigated.
 Number and label your answers, using the ALL CAPS titles below, as follows.
1.
ESSENTIAL TRUTH ARGUMENT: a paragraph about the author’s essential truth (not a controversial opinion, but a universal truth
about human nature or the human experience that you can tell is important to the author because of what s/he has written).
State the essential truth, provide a half-and-half statement with embedded evidence from the text to support your claim, then
warrant your evidence. Ex: Regardless of deep-rooted cultural norms, people have a natural instinct to deviate and rebel. History
has taught us, time and time again, from, “the Jews (who) fled oppression in Egypt (to) Europeans (who) sailed across uncharted
seas toward the Americas,” to more recent events, such as slaves taking the Underground Railroad toward freedom and men
and women marching in the name of Civil Rights and equality, that, “if man is forced into an environment that is inconsistent
with his nature” he will rebel. James Martin’s references to historical mass exoduses and his insinuation that these migrations
were inevitable demonstrates a belief that people always have been, and, therefore, always will be, naturally rebellious.
2.
CONTROVERSY FREEWRITE: a controversial issue that is either central to the discussion or an underlying issue, perhaps due to
the time and place of publication. State whether this controversy is central to the discussion or an underlying issue. Then
explain what the controversy is/was, when and where this is/was an issue, what people have said on both sides, and how you
feel about it, including possible solutions. If you know little about the issue, do some informal research before answering,
making sure to indicate where you found your information (only need citations for direct quotes). Ex: While Ann Heston’s letter
to the editor is not necessarily about deforestation itself (she is actually writing to the author to comment on the incompetence
demonstrated in a previous article), deforestation is a controversial issue that is at the heart of their communication because it is
the topic of the article to which she is referring. I didn’t know a lot about deforestation before I started this assignment, but I
found some information on the National Geographic website. Huge sections of forest (about the size of Panama) are
intentionally and unintentionally cleared/killed each year by humans and animals alike. Unintentional deforestation, such as
wildfires and overgrazing, isn’t really up for debate, but there intentional deforestation is currently a hot topic. On one side of the
issue are farmers who need the space for crops and grazing animals, loggers who chop down trees for paper and wood products,
and developers who clear the way for building houses, highways, and other structures. On the other side of the issue are
environmentalists who worry about the negative effects of deforestation, including loss of plant and animal habitats, climate
changes, and global warming. I guess I don’t really think much about deforestation, but I would probably side with the farmers,
loggers, and developers because people need food and shelter and I enjoy the lifestyle provided by the resources in the forests.
However, I do see why we need to be careful about when and where we cut trees down. One suggested solution to the problem
is to eliminate clear-cutting so that smaller sections of forest are removed at a time and to increase the planting of new trees.
This might make it a little more difficult and more costly to have what we want from the forests, but it’s a feasible compromise.
3.
ANALYSIS THESIS STATEMENT: a thesis statement for a possible analysis essay that presents the author’s name + adjective +
rhetorical strategy 1 + rhetorical strategy 2 + rhetorical strategy 3 + strong verb + function. Write this quickly; keep it simple,
don’t worry about vocabulary choices just yet and simply list the strategies at the end of the statement. Ex: Joan Donovan’s
positive arrangement, style, and language encourages housewives to fight for equality.
4.
REVISED ANALYSIS THESIS STATEMENT: alternate, more original, interesting revision of analysis thesis (revise arrangement,
make new word choices, etc.). This revision should NOT simply list the strategies like you did in the original. Also, while you
want to make different vocabulary choices, that cannot be the ONLY change you make. Ex: Joan Donovan’s sanguine persona
and crafty infusion of personal anecdote into an almost satirical political statement emboldens 1954 housewives to take a stand
in their fight for equality.
5.
ARGUMENT THESIS STATEMENT: a thesis statement for a possible argument essay that presents a dependent clause +
independent clause with a strong stance on the issue + three reasons for your stance. Write this quickly; keep it simple, don’t
worry about vocabulary choices just yet and simply list the strategies at the end of the statement. Ex: Although most Americans
would say they live in the greatest country in the world, the United is not better than other countries because too many
Americans are unhealthy, uneducated, and unaware of global issues.
6.
REVISED ARGUMENT THESIS STATEMENT: alternate, more original, interesting revision of argument thesis (revise arrangement,
make new word choices, replace reasons with umbrella category, etc.). This revision should NOT simply list the strategies like
you did in the original. Also, while you want to make different vocabulary choices, that cannot be the ONLY change you make.
Ex: Although Americans tend to tote their superior standing among the world’s nations, the United States is a breeding ground
for indolence and, therefore, is simply not the greatest country on Earth.
7.
NEW VOCABULARY LIST: list of 5 new words you learned as a result of this assignment, NOT ONLY through your reading, but
ALSO through your thesis revisions and research (if you do any). List each word plus a synonym or short definition of each.