Arguing a Position Assignment Sequence
Kristen Golden
December 2, 2015
Arguing a Position Assignment Description
Purpose: For this paper, you will select a visual text that you believe challenges a social
norm of a particular culture, and argue for how it is successful in its depiction. While it does
not have to be a culture that you take part in, it should be one that you are fairly familiar
with so that you can create a convincing argument. You will provide good reasons for your
position and demonstrate how your position differs from others.
Audience: Your goal is to help your professor and classmates navigate your visual text in
order to understand how it challenges a social norm (your argument). Your final paper will
be polished.
Visual Text selection
I encourage you to find an image that is both visually interesting and engaging in a larger
conversation that is of interest to you. With the visual acting as a primary source of
evidence, you must include a copy of it with your paper. Some ideas to consider (though
you are not limited to this list):
 Mural
 Graffiti
 Album cover
 Art piece
 Movie poster
What I’m Grading On:
 Your ability to write a clear and appropriately qualified thesis.
 Your ability to provide good, plausible reasons for your thesis or main claim.
 Your ability to provide enough appropriate evidence to support your reasons.
 Your ability to structure your argument for an audience unfamiliar (or too familiar) with
your chosen visual text and culture. You’ll want to introduce and define significant
people, places, and things, if necessary.
 Your ability to consider and respond to alternative positions and perspectives.
 Your ability to revise your work based on my feedback and peer review. Revise, read
aloud, and rewrite.
 Your ability to edit your work according to academic conventions, and provide
appropriate documentation for sources. Edit and proofread in order to meet academic
style and grammar requirements.
 Your ability to meet the assignment requirements.
- Your essay must be at least four pages (to the bottom of the fourth page), and no
longer than six pages. One-inch margins, 12-point standard font, double-spaced, no extra
spaces in document.
- First draft is due 11/10/15 at the beginning of class. Bring three copies to class. The late
penalty applies starting at 11:05a, and email submissions are not acceptable.
- Conferences will be 11/12/15 and 11/17/15. Required.
Final draft is due 11/19/15, again at the beginning of class.
Day 1
Rational: Relaxed transition between units that introduces the possibility of varying, well
founded arguments that can be made regarding the same subject.
 11:00 – 11:10  Instructions
o 2 mins – hand in Essay #2
o 8 mins – explain rules of the game + get into teams of 3 or 4 (depending on
attendance)
 Hand out blank sheets for drawing + blank slips for writing their fake
titles + paperclips
 Pick a topic from the baggie – wait till everyone has one, then look.
 45 seconds to draw their topic and rewrite their topic on a blank slip
 Hand in drawing + title attached with paperclip
 We will show each drawing, on the doc cam, one at a time
 When the drawing goes up, you have one minute to decide on a
possible topic, write it on a slip, fold the slip in half, and hand it in.
 I will then show all of the possible topics (the real one + the fake ones)
 Each team will pick the one that they believe is the correct one
and write their number choice on a piece of paper.
 Scoring for the photo
 1 pt for guessing the right answer
 1pt per team that picks your answer
 11:10 – 11:50  Drawful
 12:00 – 12:05  Responding to questions about the game
o Interpreting the drawing: Think about the process of how you interpreted
the meaning of a drawing.
 Look for symbols  think about the different meanings these symbols
can have  piece the various symbols together until you have a clear
understanding of the possible meaning (an interpretation)
 This is the same process you will undergo for the next essay.
o Creating your own argument for meaning of the drawing:
 Taking the symbols presented to you, and the various meanings
associated with them, you crafted an interpretation (an argument). If
your argument was successful, then others may have falsely believed
your interpretation to be true.
 Once an image is created, the viewer is able to interpret it as
they wish, but a strong argument requires evidence + analysis
in order to sway the reader.
o Final results – many arguments can be made for the same visual
 But a strong argument will be founded on evidence within the visual
text and an interpretation based on thorough analysis of this
evidence.
 12:05 – 12:10  Discuss responses to questions
o Analyzing a visual – all of the components
 12:10 – 12:15  HW = Ch. 10, Pgs. 119-124 & 135-137 (Key Features)
Day 2
Rational: Presenting the assignment description while unpacking key terms for the genre
and for the specific assignment.
 11:00 – 11:10  Key Features, in relation to the reading
 11:10 – 11:20  Assignment Description
 11:20 – 11:40  Unpack terms: culture (American/Capitalist/Popular Culture),
subculture, social norms, stereotype ( + examples )
 11:40 – 12:10  Example of how to select a good image for the assignment at hand
o 10 min - Visual of Banksy: Tease out the terms as a class
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First impression (summary): A cameraman is trying to document the flower, yet
tears it from the soil in the process
Analyze different pieces of the visual for meaning:
 His position (crouched over – seems like he is trying to be careful)
 close distance between camera and the flower (trying to capture every
detail)
 Color of the flower – only thing in color. Significance? Brings the eye in
 Color of the rest of the piece – without the flower, everything else is black
and white. Significance?
 Placement of graffiti – on a public wall, along real soil (makes it seem as
though this is happening right in front of our eyes – holds the viewer
accountable)
 The piece is graffiti – public statement  Call to action put on everyone.
What social norm is being challenged? Documenting life to “preserve it”, yet
destroying it in the process
What culture is this social norm a part of? Capitalist culture (focusing on profit
instead of conservation); popular culture (the need to document everything);
o 20 min - Visual of Banksy: Have them group up and tease out the terms
 10 min – in group do the same evaluation of the piece
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Day 3
First impression (summary): a worker is cleaning/removing graffiti from a wall
Analyze different pieces of the painting for meaning:
 Graffiti – horses, buffalo, cavemen (similar look to cave drawings –
historical connotations – connections to our ancestors/our past)
 Colors – graffiti is done in natural colors (sense of nature/natural)
 White cloud – erasing the graffiti (removing color/detail  sanitizing?)
 Worker’s stance/gaze – focused on what he is doing (present), not on the
image itself (past)
 Machine being used – industrial looking (machine – man made – is
removing artistic expression that is man made)
What social norm is being challenged?
What culture is this social norm a part of?
10 min – discuss as a class
Rational: Introduce students to elements and principles of visual analysis, which they will
need to consider for their essay, as well as provide an example of the work they will be
doing.
 11:00 – 11:20  Formal Visual Analysis power point
 11:20 – 11:40  Vintage Cuban Travel Posters example
 11:40 – 11:50  TED talk “Selfies: A Visual Analysis” - Elizabeth Urbanski
 11:50 – 12:05  Free write on Ted talk. To be turned in.
o “What is Urbanski arguing in this TED talk?”
 Taking a selfie is not something new, but rather we have a new form
of capturing the selfie (instant photo).
o “What formal visual analysis elements does she use to translate these texts?”
 write down examples
o https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=strZ8Z_8Xdg
 12:05 - 12:10  Quick class discussion in relation to the free write
 12:10 – 12:15  Relevancy + HW
o While she is talking about a lot of pieces of art, she:
 translates how to apply the elements and tools to visuals
 how to translate what you are seeing into words
o HW – bring in three visuals that you are considering for your essay. We will
be using them next class. (They can be in black and white)
Day 4
Rational: Looking at the organization of a visual analysis example, in order to promote the
benefit of using a MEAL structure. Also, using classmates as a sounding board for visual
image selection.
 11:00 – 11:20  Analyze an image together
o 10 min - Last Travel Poster – analyze together. Write ideas on the board
 Elements
 Principles
 Group ideas logically for a paragraph
o 10 min - Then show them how to organize the different ideas (doc cam)
 Refresher on MEAL - Tease out MEAL in example
 Organization for the whole paper
 11:20 – 11:35  Group Activity: Discuss Image Options
o 15 minutes to share Image Options
 11:35 – 11:50  Select an Image
o 15 minutes to begin analyzing the image
 11:50 – 12:10  Share your selection with the class + the social norm that it
challenges
 12:10 – 12:15  HW
o Make an outline for your paper using MEAL + detailed analysis of the visual
Day 5
Rational: Looking at a visual analysis example, from start to finish, in order to analyze the
organization and rhetorical moves taking place; this will inform how they move forward in
their own first draft.
 11:00 – 11:05  Intro - Close Reading power point
 Allowed to utilize two images if you would like, but they must be
challenging the exact same social norm, within the same context
(culture), and be created by the same artist.
 If you choose to go this route, then you will be responsible for
analyzing the visuals in their own right, as well as in comparison to
each other.
 11:05 – 11:35  Close Reading of Midol ads
o Have students volunteer to read - pause after each paragraph for questions/
to discuss rhetorical moves taking place.
 11:35 – 11:40  Close reading of Old Spice ad
o Compare/Contrast to the Midol ads
 11:40 – 11:45  Take 5 minutes and list the main idea of each section of your paper.
 11:45 – 11:50  Pair up and discuss the organization of your outline
o Why did you choose the current order of ‘main ideas’? (why did you choose
the current organization?)
o Does the organization of ideas make sense?
 11:50 – 12:10  Draft one of the body paragraphs of your outline
o HW: carry on with writing your first draft. It is due in a week.
Day 6
Workshop an image in order to present a clear argument, an outline of elements that will
support said argument, and draft a body paragraph that will be read to the class.
Rational: This will allow students to not only work collaboratively on a similar, yet low
stakes exercise, but provide a setting that they can either explain their own thought
process, or learn from their classmates thought processes.
 11:00 – 11:05  Refresh on elements and principles of a visual analysis
o Elements
 Line, Value, Shapes, Forms, Space, Color, Texture
o Principles
 Balance, Contrast, Movement, Emphasis, Pattern, Proportion, Unity
 11:10 – 11:35  Workshop, Groups of three (10 points of class participation)
 Visual + Background will be given
 6 groups
 6 visuals, 3 different artists (2 groups per artists – try to assign the
same image to groups that are not close by)
o 10 min - Analyze the image
 What social norm is being challenged?
 What culture does this social norm typically belong to?
 Provide detailed summary and analysis of elements and principles
o 5 min - Create an outline for presentation
o 10 min - Draft one paragraph
 utilize MEAL
 11:35 – 12:10  Present
o 5 min per group
 Place image on doc cam
 Relay the social norm that the image is challenging and the culture
this relates to
 Share the paragraph you wrote as a group.
Day 7
Tone and Rhythm
Rational: This class will act as a segue between higher order concerns, such as thesis and
organization, and lower order concerns that need to be addressed in the revision process
(such as proof reading and tone).
 11:00 – 11:35  Tone
o 2 min – why is this relevant?
o 8 min – TED talk “A one-woman global village” - Sarah Jones
o 5 min – discussion on what tone is, in relation to TED talk
o 5 min – PowerPoint “what tone is this?” discussion
o 15 min – Group activity (revise quote from snakes on a plane)
 11:35 – 12:10  Rhythm
o 2 min – why is this relevant?
o 8 min – TED talk “The orchestra in my mouth” – Tom Thum
o 5 min – discussion on what rhythm is, in relation to TED talk
o 10 min - PowerPoint on echoing devices
o 10 min – Group activity (come up with an example of two different echoing
devices)
 12:10 – 12:15  Wrap up with sentence structure + Homework
o 2 min - “This sentence has five words” poem  to highlight how varying
sentence structure can have a big impact on a piece of writing
o 2 min – Review of what we did today
o 1 min – HW (Final revisions on first draft. Bring three copies to peer review
on Tuesday)
Day 8
Peer Review
 11:00 – 11:10  Go over Peer Review handout and explain what each question is
asking of them
o If any group (of 3) wraps up early, because they chose to go ahead of
schedule, then they should begin working on a revision plan.
 11:10 – 11:30  1st paper
o 10 min – Readers will read the paper and respond to the PR handout; Writer
will look over paper and come up with questions that want to bring up with
the group/during conferences
o 10 min – Discussion of paper
 11:30 – 11:50  2nd paper
 11:50 – 12:10  3rd paper
Day 9
Individual Conferences
Day 10
Individual Conferences
Appendix
Day 2 Images
Park City Sundance Cameraman & Flower – Banksy
Cave Painting Removal Graffiti - Banksy
Day 6 Images
“What if?” Banksy
“What if?” Banksy
The Jolly Flatboatmen: Twerking Like A Boss – Shawn Huckins
Boatmen On The Missouri: Will Twerk For Food – Shawn Huckins
“The Kiss” – Eduardo Kobra in Manhattan, New York
“Genial is riding a bike” – Eduardo Kobra in Sao Paulo, Brazil
Day 8 Peer Review Sheet
Arguing a Position Peer Review Sheet
Writer: _________________________________________
Reader: _________________________________________
1. Locate one moment where you believe the writer is doing something really well. Explain why
you believe this is effective.
2. Does the essay construct a clear thesis?
a. What social norm is the visual challenging? Within what culture?
3. Does the essay provide plausible reasons for the thesis (argument of what social norm is being
challenged)? What are they? Are they convincing?
4. Does the structure of the argument help the reader navigate the text?
a. Is there a moment where more explanation/information would help with clarity?
5. Does the organization of the essay help the reader navigate the text?
a. Did the author successfully utilize a version of MEAL, MEAEAL, etc.?
b. Is there a section that would benefit from this structure, or from developing one of the
MEAL components?
6. Does the essay consider, and respond to, alternative positions/perspectives? If so, what are
they? If not, where might the argument be strengthened by addressing alternative positions?
7. Share one piece of advice for the writer: