Wednesday, February 26, 2014

My notes from today's class - working on Essay #1



WORKING ON ESSAY #1

·       REVIEW MY POWERPOINT!

·       Your essay should be at least three full pages.

·       Use at least two scholarly sources.  This means you quote or paraphrase each source at least once and include them both on a Works Cited page.  Find GOOD sources that help support your specific claims!

·       How to use Turnitin.com’s Originality Report

·       Proofread very carefully.















TOPIC SENTENCES


Write ARGUMENT topic sentences.  Make a claim in each topic sentence.  State an opinion/a position.

NOT just facts:

FACT:  The U.S. Constitution states that everyone is created equally.

ARGUMENT TOPIC SENTENCE:  Denying same-sex couples the right to marry violates their constitutional rights.

FACT: Many people who get married don’t have children.

ARGUMENT TOPIC SENTENCE:  Some suggest that the key purpose of marriage is for procreation and, thus, same-sex unions should not be recognized as marriage.

FACT:  Some religious texts express disapproval of homosexuality.

ARGUMENT TOPIC SENTENCE:  Same-sex marriage should be banned because it violates many religious views of marriage.




Outlines, Revisited

Thesis:  in favor of same-sex marriage

ARGUMENT TOPIC SENTENCES:

·       First of all, denying same-sex couples the right to marry violates their constitutional rights.
·       Counterargument: Some suggest that the key purpose of marriage is for procreation and, thus, same-sex unions should not be recognized as marriage.
·       Counterargument:  Opponents of same-sex marriage often argue that such unions violate many people’s religious beliefs. 
·       Counterargument – Still others oppose same-sex marriage because they fear it may be harmful to children raised by same-sex parents.












Thesis:  opposed to same-sex marriage

ARGUMENT TOPIC SENTENCES:

·       Same-sex marriage contradicts with the traditional, widely accepted definition of marriage being between a man and a woman.
·       Additionally, same-sex marriage should be banned because it violates many religious views of marriage.
·       Another drawback to same-sex marriage involves the harm it may cause to children raised by same-sex parents.
·       COUNTERARGUMENT:  Supporters argue that banning same-sex marriage is a form of discrimination.  















SUPPORT - How could a writer support these claims? 

·       First of all, denying same-sex couples the right to marry violates their constitutional rights.


·       Another drawback to same-sex marriage involves the harm it may cause to children raised by same-sex parents.


REFUTATION - How could a writer refute these claims?

·       Counterargument – Still others oppose same-sex marriage because they fear it may be harmful to children raised by same-sex parents.


·       Counterargument: Some suggest that the key purpose of marriage is for procreation and, thus, same-sex unions should not be recognized as marriage.








·       First of all, denying same-sex couples the right to marry violates their constitutional rights.

o  What does the constitution say?
o  How does that apply to same-sex marriage?
o  Research:  legal scholar or judge?
o  Recent rulings on DOMA


·       Another drawback to same-sex marriage involves the harm it may cause to children raised by same-sex parents.

o  Anecdotal evidence from your own experience
o  Evidence from research/experts
o  Concession?  Heterosexual parents may also harm their children.  Existence of single-parent families, etc.












REFUTATION - How could a writer refute these claims?


·       Counterargument – Still others oppose same-sex marriage because they fear it may be harmful to children raised by same-sex parents.

o  Why fear is never a good motivator
o  Importance of love and support from any parent figure available
o  With legalization there will be less discrimination
o  Concede that kids may be teased but they can learn from it
o  Research/experts



·       Counterargument: Some suggest that the key purpose of marriage is for procreation and, thus, same-sex unions should not be recognized as marriage.

o  Concession – many marriages do result in procreation, BUT not a requirement
o  Explore the logic problem here: Older couples, infertile couples, etc. could not get married
o  Legal experts/research?



MLA FORMAT

·       Setting up the paper:
o  One inch margins
o  12 point Times New Roman font
o  Double space with no extra space between paragraphs
o  Header
o  heading

·       Citing sources in the text of the essay:
o  LOOK UP THE RULES!
o  Introduce the source and set up their credentials, briefly (if possible).  Avoid dropped quotations (quotations with no introduction).

·       Create a Works Cited page

Tuesday, February 18, 2014

Example outlines (rough)


Thesis:  in favor of same-sex marriage

 
Body Paragraphs:

 

·       Argument:  Constitutional right (benefits, 14th amendment, DOMA, etc.)

·       Argument:  Evolving definition of marriage

·       Counterargument – against some people’s religion (refute with separation of church and state)

·       Counterargument – may be harmful to children raised by same-sex parents (concede some and refute the rest)

 

Thesis:  opposed to same-sex marriage but in favor of civil unions

 
Body Paragraphs:
 

·       Argument:  challenges the traditional definition of marriage (why the definition should not evolve; why it’s not the same thing issue as interracial marriage.)

·       Argument:  may be harmful to children raised by same-sex parents

·       Counterargument: government discrimination.  (refute by proposing civil union as an alternative)

·       Counterargument: separation of church and state (refute by again arguing why this supports civil unions)

 

Same-Sex Marriage Discussion Notes


Same-Sex Marriage Discussion Notes

PRO
CON
Spousal benefits  – taxes, medical benefits, etc.
Definition of traditional marriage
Fear of change not a reason to prevent it; part of social evolution/change
Could violate religious freedom
Rights – constitutional rights
Could cause division in the country if forced
Help with adoption process – more families available to adopt
Comparing to miscegenation laws is false analogy
More financial stability
Marriage meant for procreation
Encourage acceptance –reduce hate crimes
instability
Definition of marriage is subjective
How to approach the issue in schools/ with kids, etc.
Marriage is not sacred for everyone
Abuse of marriage – people could get married just for benefits
Separation of church and state – refutation for religious arguments
Could cause workplace issues
 
Slippery slope
 
A political issue

Other issues: Civil unions?

Link to rules for capitalization in titles

http://ia.juniata.edu/citation/mla/mla-capitals.htm

Quote/ Paraphrasing Handout from English 120


Larsen/120
Integrating Quotations and Paraphrases
 MLA Documentation Style

When you take words or ideas from sources (books, articles, web sites, etc.) and incorporate them into your essay, you must acknowledge the sources within the text of your essay and on a separate works cited page. You don’t have to cite things that are common knowledge or facts that are available in a variety of sources.  Otherwise, whenever you use someone else’s words or ideas, be sure to cite your source to avoid plagiarism.  See Chapters 6, 15 and 21 in The Bedford Researcher for more information.

CITING SOURCES WITHIN THE TEXT OF YOUR ESSAY

Three ways to integrate information from a source:

  1. Direct quotation:  take word-for-word information from the source, in the form of a partial quotation (a phrase), a complete quotation (a sentence), or a block (a longer passage)
  2. Paraphrasing/Summarizing: completely reword an idea(s) from the source
  3. Combination – paraphrase part of the idea(s) and quote a key phrase(s)

Whichever method you utilize, be sure to introduce and cite the source as follows:

The first time you integrate information from a source:

You may quote and/or paraphrase the same source several times in your paper.  The first time that you quote a source, you should introduce it with an attributive tag:  the author’s full name and the title and/or brief description of his/her credentials.  After the quote, put the page number in parentheses.  If your source does not have page numbers, you do not need to include parentheses.  See Chapter 15B of BR.

EXAMPLES:

In “The Thematic Paradigm,” Robert Ray states, “The attractiveness of the outlaw hero’s childishness and propensity to whims, tantrums, and emotional decisions derived from America’s cult of childhood” (309).



According to Robert Ray, a professor of film, “The attractiveness of the outlaw hero’s childishness and propensity to whims, tantrums, and emotional decisions derived from America’s cult of childhood” (309).

As Robert Ray, a film professor, argues in “The Thematic Paradigm,” “The attractiveness of the outlaw hero’s childishness and propensity to whims, tantrums, and emotional decisions derived from America’s cult of childhood” (309).



The next time you refer to that same source:

If you have already introduced the source’s title and the author’s complete name, you may refer to that author by his/her last name in the rest of the essay, and you do not need to mention the title of the essay again:

Ray states, “Despite the existence of both heroes, the national ideology clearly preferred the outlaw” (271).
                                                                                                                                                           
How to paraphrase:

Summarize what the author says completely in your own words.  Make sure you introduce the source and cite the page number.

Original passage: 
“Supervision is often both tight and woefully inappropriate at most fast-food organizations.”

Paraphrasing:
As sociologist Amatai Etzioni points out in “Why Fast-Food Joints Don’t Serve Up Good Jobs for Kids,” the management at fast-food chains can often be very strict and, at times, unacceptable for a working environment (269).

OR, if you have already mentioned his full name and the title of his essay:

Etzioni points out that the management at fast-food chains can often be very strict and, at times, unacceptable for a working environment (269).

Tips:

  1. Follow the general pattern of BLEND, INTRODUCE, PUNCTUATE, CITE
  2. Don’t start a body paragraph with a quotation.  You should use your own words to introduce quotes.  These quotes should logically blend into your paragraph.
  3. Don’t end a body paragraph with a quote.  Quotes should be followed by statements that explain or expand on the ideas that they present.
  4. Avoid orphan quotations.  Use attributive tags.
  5. Don’t take quotations out of context or misrepresent a source’s ideas.
  6. If you quote or paraphrase information without introducing the author’s name, be sure the author’s name is included in the in-text citation (Etzioni 269).
  7. Use italics for titles of longer works, such as films and books
  8. Use quotation marks for titles of shorter works, such as articles and essays
  9. See Chapter 15b of BR for information on block quotations, use of ellipses, etc.

Resource for MLA format

http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/

Helpful Links for Citing Sources

MLA Format - You Tube Video

Purdue Online Writing Lab - MLA Documentation Style Info.

MLA Guidelines