PDF LEARNING LOG PROMPTS

Bashforth Spring 07 Page 1 of 2

LEARNING LOG PROMPTS

The prompts for your Learning Log are designed to help you engage in the class readings as well as prepare you for discussions, quizzes, freewriting and other "participation points" activities. Therefore, these writing exercises should be completed prior to class discussion. For example, on the first prompt you will want to read the chapter then perform the analysis all before coming to class.

Additionally, working through each prompt will help your essay writing progress more smoothly as your Learning Log explorations engage critical thinking skills and analyses directly related to the course work and objectives. While none of the prompts have a word count requirement, you are expected to explore each fully in order to receive maximum credit. The Learning Logs are worth 100 points (equivalent to a Major Essay).

1) Genre of Argument, ch. 1

(2/2)

Read "Advertising in America: Where Did We Go Wrong?" (CR: pp. 391-394, Wings 12th ed. 43-46) and then write an analysis of the essay addressing each of the nine questions found in GA on p. 18.

2) Critical Reading (TH:131-146):

(2/7)

Read Jay Chiat, Illusions Are Forever (TH: 137-138), then complete Activity 8-3, Q. 1-5, on

page 139.

3) Genre of Argument, ch. 2

(2/9)

Read "Blindsided by the Media" and "Call it Whatever- Just Don't Call it News" (CR: pp. 381390, Wings 12th ed, .33-37; 38-42) a) Identify the thesis or claim & b) state each in three ways: as a simple thesis, as an expanded thesis, and as an expanded thesis statement using the word although. Make a claim for which one is most and least effective for each essay.

4) Genre of Argument, ch. 8

(2/12)

Using "The Nature of History" (CR: pp 31-33, Wings 10th ed. 70-72 ) from our Classical Argument example, complete a function outline of this essay. (See guidelines in GA pp. 250 ? 252)

5) Reading Response

(2/19)

Respond to McClay's (CR 49-50) claim: "there can be no meaningful patriotism in a society whose most privileged young people know nothing, remember nothing, respect nothing, cherish nothing, feel responsible for nothing, and are grateful for nothing." Then, imagine how Vita Wallace might have responded to him (GA 145-148). Would she have agreed or disagreed with McClay? What about Ilana Wexler? (Speech at Democratic Convention see link CW: Assignments Page) What would McClay and Wallace each have to say about Sussman's ABC news article, "Building Better Voters" (CR 58-59)?

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6) Genre of Argument, ch. 6

(3/2)

Please review/re-read the following 3 essays from LLs #1 &2 (CR pp. 381-394, originally from Wings 12th ed., pages 33-37; 38-42; 43-46.) Using your GA and perhaps your TH chapter(s)

as a guide, write an analysis of the types of support each writer uses. Can you identify the writer's

warrant (GA: pp. 84-85) ? Are there underlying assumptions in the essay (TH: 142) If so, what are

they? What other support strategies are used, e.g. statements from experts? examples? statistics?

personal experience? How (and where in the essay) do these authors anticipate the need for

additional reasons because of opposition from their audience, i.e. how do they both foreshadow and

create the counterargument? (See Kazin, CR: 51-57 for a great example of foreshadowing)

7) Genre of Argument, ch. 10

(3/5)

Read the first draft and the revised draft of "Professor Punk" in your GA textbook, pp. 338 - 346,

then answer the Exercise questions 1&2 on p. 347, making sure your response has concrete details

(i.e. actual words and phrases from the text) from both the original and revised versions essay along

with thorough explanations to support your analysis.

8) Website Exploration and Analysis

(3/14)

After reading the military recruiting scandal material (CR:219-221c) and the "Join

Propaganda and Protest" group of articles (CR 222-231), please spend some time exploring the

Army's recruitment website at . . How does this site use different

rhetorical approaches to "sell" the army's message to different groups? For instance, is the

message to men different from the message for women? How are people of color included in this

pitch? Be brave, go in to one of the sites chat rooms, either as yourself or maybe with an

"assumed persona," and see what the recruiters tell you.

9) Purpose, Audience, Function

(3/16)

Following your reading of Ignatieff's "I Am Iraq," (CR pp.261-263) answer the following questions: Whom does the author imagine his audience to be? Does the author have a counterargument? Does the original publication information help you better answer this question?

10) Read Wings essay CR: 395-397 a) Identify and state the thesis. b) List each point supporting the thesis. c) List each point supporting the counterargument.

(3/19)

11) Read Wings essay pp. 398-401. a) Identify and state the thesis. b) List each point supporting the thesis. c) List each point supporting the counterargument.

(3/26)

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