For Unit 4 of our course, which focuses on the practices of constructing arguments through public writing, you'll be posting both your drafts and your homework assignments to this blog. A couple of things to note:
- When you post, please make sure to tag your first name by using the "labels" function. That way, I can easily search to see everything that people have turned in.
- Remember that everyone will be able to see whatever you post here, so act and write accordingly.
- Finally, I encourage you to play around with the features of the blogging platform. You're free to incorporate different sorts of media in your drafts and your homework assignments as long as you are also responding the instructions in each particular prompt.
I hope this (final) unit of our course will be both a productive and an interesting shift from what we've been working on so far.
Best,
RW
http://www.ewtn.com/library/papaldoc/l10exdom.htm
ReplyDeleteP.S. I'm sure this is in the wrong spot, but I haven't been added as a contributor yet, unless I'm missing something. so I'll put it here for now.
This was the piece I used for my argument analysis paper. It is public writing, as most of the pieces that we’ve looked at have been. It’s a public address written by Pope Leo X during the protestant reformation. He was trying to convince the public to remain part of the Catholic Church and not succumb to the revolution. Since it was written in the 16th century, communication of something like this was limited, so I’m not sure how that worked. But, he used proper language to communicate to everybody. The piece takes a bit longer to read because he goes into very specific details, unlike some sort of poster, and he was very convincing for most readers. This helped him create the change he was trying to make.
http://bigghostlimited.com/throwback-friday-my-beautiful-dark-twisted-fantasy-revisted/
ReplyDeleteTrey Hopkins-
This is a blog piece from a blogger I wrote about earlier in the semester, "Big Ghost Chronicles". In this particular blog entry Big Ghost is giving his review on Kanye West's album "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy". In the review Big Ghost states his opinion that Kanye West is a genius. He starts out with a thesis stating many of Kanye's traits that he has been labeled with by the public such as being "egotistical" or "delusional" and "cocky". He goes into logical and emotional support by telling about Kanye's success after dropping the "College Dropout" when he was doubted and questioned by many before the album.
Zach Olson
ReplyDeletehttp://time.com/money/2802147/does-money-buy-happiness/
This writing is about rich countries being happier than poor countries. The argument is that the more you make money, the happier you will be. The writer says that there was a poll taken of the whole world saying that richer countries are happier than poorer countries, which is not entirely true because not every wealthy person is happy. He then goes on to say that people do get happier after they reach on income of at least $75,000, but you cannot see as much of a change. There are more things that should be considered into this statement, but the poll is the main fact behind the main argument.
http://www.nature.com/scitable/topicpage/genetically-modified-organisms-gmos-transgenic-crops-and-732
ReplyDeleteThis article explores the pros and cons of GMOs, coming to a conclusion that when used properly, GMOs can be very effective, but each GMO must be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. The author gives the example of the Bt corn controversy, in which the corn was genetically modified to allow for the reduction of insecticides needed in the corn. However, this also caused the population of monarch caterpillars to significantly decrease because the recombinant gene was toxic to the caterpillar, who consumed the corn. On the other hand, the article also talks about how there are some positive uses for GMOs, like using them to increase yields of certain crops, or to allow some plants to grow in conditions that would have been previously undesirable. Thus, the author used logos effectively in her argument, considering the fact that she used ideas from both sides of an otherwise controversial topic to make her opinion of testing each individual GMO more desirable. She was also able to make her ethos effective because she used multiple sources from reputable scientific journals.
https://twitter.com/Adam_Coughlin/status/528790025136136192
ReplyDeleteDisclaimer: I understand that sometimes these things are very sappy and lame but just stick with me.
This is just one little twitter post that goes into a story of how a kid was struggling with life and didn’t have many friends. It gives the warning signs to depression, which is actually a growing problem in today’s youth. It explains that you never know how one little action could give a positive effect on another. Many of us don’t believe that seeing this will cause a change, but it does. This generation is on social media ALL of the time, almost constantly. There is always someone trying to convince the rest of us to jump on some bandwagon and to retweet a post to get some words out. The language they use is so important to connect with the audience as well as the medium. Social media can sometimes be used for good as well as entertainment.
Marty Brown
ReplyDeletehttp://espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/11328963/lebron-james-cleveland-cavaliers-not-planning-enter-free-agency-2015
This article talks about the dispute between people who consider Lebron not signing long term with the Cavs as not being invested with the organization. The article concludes by saying that the reason why he only signed a two year contract is because the TV rights are up for a new deal so the salary cap will likely get raised meaning max deal will also increase. He cites that he is in tune with what is happening in the league. This counts as an argument because although he is right about the TV and max deals being done in two year it doesn't guarantee that he will return other teams will likely be throwing a lot of money at him to try to sway him away from Cleveland. The likelihood of that happening is slim but you never know. The article then goes into talking about the other players on the team that he will inherit. He talks about the strengths they have and how he will be have to help teach them.
Now for the reading,
The reading was about what makes an argument an argument, you either want to convince someone of something or explore and issue, or to win. You first have to see if a position can be argued by checking the three points listed on page 153, seeing whether it addresses a problem, seeks to convince, that has no clear cut solution, then you need to make a claim with a working thesis. look at your assumptions and see how they look back at the thesis. then decide on what argument to use depending on your argument. Then you will need to establish credibility by citing or using a personal experience. you will also need to establish common ground and make things fair by establishing yourself as an open minded writer. you also can use visuals to create credibility.
http://m.espn.go.com/ncb/story?storyId=11818848
ReplyDeleteMy example of public writing is an article from ESPN.com providing reasons why the author thinks the University of Kentucky basketball team may be overhyped going into this next season. As is fairly well known within the college basketball community, UK's team is loaded with prized recruits and talent and are ranked number one going into the season. The author here claims that these large expectations for the team this season may be too much, and that this team may not be as good as people think they will be.
This argument appeals to a rather large audience-there are many people across the country who do not like UK basketball and would love to hear an argument that they are not as good as their expectations. The argument intends to change the reader's mind and convince them the Wildcats are overrated. The author demonstrates fairness and credibility by also giving reasons why the UK basketball team is fairly rated and will be an excellent team. But as for his main claim that they are overhyped, he provides many logical examples and statistics to support his claim.
http://subwaydomer.com/2014-articles/the-navy-hangover-2.html
ReplyDeleteThis is a blog that recaps Notre Dames latest football game. There are a few different arguments being made in this piece. The two main arguments are that Notre Dame suffered a big loss with one of their best defensive players being injured for the year, and that the sloppy play in their last game will not carry over into the next game. The author is trying to convince the reader that even though they had a big injury and did not play well he claims that everything will be fine and Notre Dame will play up to their potential in their next game. The author know that most of the people that will read this blog are likely Notre Dame fans so he establishes his credibility by showing his knowledge about the team. He does this by giving statistics and even adds a little graphic at the end of the post.
http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2014/11/05/painless-ways-i-save-money-in-every-category-of-my-budget/ "It pays to save money on the things you don’t care about, so you can spend it on the things you enjoy. To me, that’s what frugality is all about. It’s not about depriving myself. It’s about being able to spend my hard-earned money without worrying about wrecking my budget." Is the authors thesis. She is trying to convince the reader that being frugal is money saving, not time wasting or stingy. She uses clear evidence to make her point, such as examples to show how she saves and how much she saves. This type of argument is a convincing argument.
ReplyDeleteScheperscynthia12@gmail.com
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/09/18/the-us-is-losing-a-generation-to-poverty.html
ReplyDeleteThis article speaks on the declining poverty rate that is still leaving millions in poverty and it is feared to be passed on to future generations. The poverty rate is still higher than it was during the recession, however the poverty level has not lowered and more and more people are in desperate need of help that they are not granted. The author expresses that its possible for these families to work everyday and still not have the money they need to live efficiently. This author keeps an open mind when explaining this topic. He talks about the positive things coming from a rise in the poverty rate, however he is pointing out that there are still issues at hand. He uses logical appeal when using statistics and studies of the rise and fall of the poverty rate and when speaking about the large amount of U.S. citizens still in poverty. He uses emotional appeal by talking about how this poverty can deprive kids of food, school supplies, and other necessities of ever day life. This makes the reader feel sympathy towards these children and their families. These appeals tie to the thesis of the article which is the poverty were in now is doomed to be burdened upon the next generation and maybe beyond that. This poverty is affecting the children of the U.S. and may continue to do so to many more. The author does a good job portraying the intensity of the poverty and the fear of it spreading to future generations.
http://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-the-shawshank-redemption-1994
ReplyDeleteThis article is a movie review about the film Shawshank Redemption. It is trying to affect people who have not seen the movie. Many times people look at movie reviews before they watch a movie that is new to them. This article is encouraging readers to watch Shawshank Redemption for many reasons. It explains that the movie has deeper meanings than most films. It is based off of hope, friendship, and continuity of a lifetime. The article is trying to encourage us to watch the movie. It tells how we are brought into the family of the cast members by the narrator, Morgan Freeman. Most importantly the movie relates to us from a standpoint of friendship. Andy’s friendship with the inmates and Red.
http://educationnext.org/the-international-experience/
ReplyDeleteThis is the article has 2 authors and deals with the United States education system. The argument is that the U.S should adopt a foreign education system because they are more effective. The authors use a small portion of the article to express their own opinions, and save the rest for lots of backup information from professional scholars. The authors use appropriate language that engages the audience to the writing. I dont know what to say about the timing of this article since it doesn't really focus on an event. But they do include in the article that urgent action is necessary.
Emrakh Aliyev
BLOG POST 11/09/2014
ReplyDeleteWhen it Comes to Love, Do you See Hearts or Dollar Signs?
According to Dave Ramsey's blog article "The Truth About Money And Relationships," money problems are the biggest cause of relationship fights and divorces. (The Truth About Money And Relationships, par 1) This is because there is a lack of communication between husband and wife, boyfriend and girlfriend, when it comes to money. It's a very touchy subject that people feel shouldn't be discussed and that's when problems arise. Above all you should marry someone out of love and the hearts you see around them, but also do not neglect looking for the dollar signs and making a clear negotiation before continuing the relationship. "Men and women are different in how they view money." (The Truth About Money And Relationships, par 4) This is where the problem arises. With lack of communication, they have no means of sorting out the differences and reaching an agreement on how the money is handled and spent. One may be the one who deals primarily with the finances, but this doesn't mean the other partner should be left out. Money is something that needs to be completely equal in the relationship.