Lesson Plan Über Alles

Spring Classes

From 2-13 to 6-11

English 1A 4603 

English 1A 6315

English 1C 4628

English 1C 4629

Spring 2020 SLO Report

SLO Spring 2020 Report

Assessment Data & Analysis 

Combined Raw Data:

With data taken from 6 instructors and 11 English 1C sections, the 2020 English 1C SLO data can be broken down in the following:

 

SLO 1 (Compose an argumentative essay that shows an ability to support a claim using analysis, elements of argumentation, and integration of primary and secondary sources):

 

179 successes at 86.06% and 29 failures at 13.94%.

 

SLO 2 (Identify and assess bias, credibility, and relevance in their own arguments and in the arguments of others, including primary and secondary outside sources):

 

177 successes at 85.10% and 31 failures at 14.90%.

 

SLO 3 (Write an essay that is correct in MLA format, paragraph composition, sentence structure, grammar, spelling, and usage):

 

182 successes at 87.50% and 26 failures at 12.50%.

 

Analysis of the Data (what helped students succeed and what challenges affected failures?):

 

Areas of Success:

 

Most English 1C students showed a baseline acquisition of grammar and mechanics because that baseline was emphasized adequately in their English 1A classes. 

Some instructors found that being flexible in essay due dates helped students who needed extra time developing and polishing their essays, and that the flexibility did not encourage most students to turn in their essays late. 

 

Another instructor found that having mandatory rewrites for essays that scored below a C grade helped students improve their SLO requirements. Additionally, poorly cited essays had mandatory revisions to make sure citing and integrating sources met the SLOs 1 and 2. 

 

One instructor observed that the dual-enrollment class with North High School afforded students the opportunity to get help with their planning and revision with their high school teacher and that encouraging students to work with their essay with an outside helper was both a source of great encouragement and confidence-building.  

 

Areas That Prove Challenging:

 

The Spring 2020 Semester proved stressful for the students due to the unusual circumstances, so some instructors, myself included, were more flexible than ever with assignment due dates.

 

One instructor observed that teaching students how to assess bias, a component of SLO 2, needs more practice. This is a good point because assessing bias in an age of social media, dubious “news” sources, and weaponized misinformation needs more emphasis in these times more than it ever has. 

 

There are also new websites that allow students to type in a highly customized essay prompt and for a fee get a writing response to that prompt. As we have discussed in previous meetings, there are also websites that use sophisticated algorithms to reconfigure words and phrases in order to “trick” plagiarism-detection software. 

 

In sum, our three biggest challenges as instructors are addressing plagiarism, assessing bias in sources, and integrating and citing sources.   

 

Action Plan for Each SLO:

Follow-Up on Actions from Previous Report:

 

 

Here is Nuventive Link for 1C SLOs. (Herc8julia or 0000605)

 

Here are training links for what was called TracDat. 

 

Your two downloads are under downloads. 

 

Hi Jeff!

 

I hope all is well with you and your family. I remember you saying you'd prefer to work on the SLO report for English 1C over the summer instead of during the fall semester, so I am sending you the data and instructions (however, if your plans have changed, you still have until Friday, September 11, 2020 to enter the report). I would have sent everything sooner, but the data collection process was understandably delayed, and I had to send out reminder emails.

 

There are two documents attached: The Excel sheet features the numerical data, and the Word doc features all comments that were received from faculty. (Many of the sections were taught by part-time faculty, who are not required to provide comments or analysis.) A few sections are missing, but I told Scott that I think eleven sections will give us enough data, given the unusual circumstances of the semester. If we do eventually receive data for the missing sections, you and/or I can update the report at a later date, if necessary.

 

Below is the form letter with instructions (I'm sure you will recognize it from previous semesters). 

 

Thank you so much! Take care and stay well.

----------------------------------------------------

The data and comments are attached as separate documents for your reference.

 

When drafting your report, please complete the following for each SLO:

1.   In the “Assessment Data & Analysis” section for each SLO, enter:
2.     The combined raw data for your course: You can find this information in the above chart in the rows at the bottom of the chart labeled “TOTALS” and “% RATE”.
3.     An analysis of the data. This part of the report is especially important. What do you think was helpful in supporting the students who succeeded on this SLO? What factors may have influenced the students who scored low on this SLO? Please be as articulate as possible.
4.     Add an action plan for each SLO that reflects what you’ve written in the data & analysis sections. Please be specific – exactly which practices should be continued or changed?
5.     Follow up on any actions from last year’s report. Have a look at the actions from the previous cycle of assessment and add follow-ups to the actions entered there. The main thing to do is say whether or not the action happened, how it went, and if the action seems to have had an impact.

 

If you need assistance using Nuventive (formerly TracDat), you can find training videos for the current version at http://www.elcamino.edu/academics/slo/tracdattraining.aspx There is also usually a workshop offered early in the semester for entering reports so faculty can receive flex credit for their work. Stay tuned for an announcement regarding any workshops/webinars that might be offered.

 

Of course, please let me know if you have any questions about the report or the process in general.

 

Thank you for your time and your work!

 

Mora 

 

Mora L. Mattern

Assistant Professor, English Department

SLO Co-Facilitator, Humanities Division

Office: HUM 221H

310-660-3593 ext. 3190

mmattern@elcamino.edu

 

Spring 2019 SLO Report and Data Analysis

 

Tracdat

 

Compiling data from 8 sections of English 1C from Spring 2019 Semester, the El Camino English Department is analyzing 186 student essays for success at achieving our three SLOs. Here is the breakdown:

 

SLO #1, the Essay Concept, had 168 successes for a 90% success rate.

SLO#2, the Argument Evaluation, had 158 successes for an 85% success rate.

SLO#3, Essay Mechanics, had 156 successes for an 84% success rate.

 

Highlighted Comments for the successes and failures of the SLOs in 2019

 

The good news is that students are performing well in areas of sustaining an argument and organizing an essay. Further, students show a high competence with the writing process of a typical critical thinking class, which includes making a claim and using warrants and analysis. Moreover, students prove to be skilled at identifying logical fallacies. 

 

The students do have their challenges, however. 

 

One instructor voiced a common concern in observing that “students’ papers had grammar and sentence structure errors far below 1C expectations.” Another instructor had a similar comment. Both instructors pointed out that a lot of these grammar problems were ESL-related, a problem beyond a critical thinking instructor’s control. Regarding the SLOs themselves, one instructor is concerned that numbers 1 and 2 have too much overlap, especially with the component of analysis. She wrote, “I had a difficult time distinguishing between the first and second SLOs for English 1C. Critical thinking involves analysis, which is part of the first SLO, but the second SLO specifies particular critical thinking concepts that also involve analysis.”

 

 

One instructor made the astute observation that the students who are challenged grammatically are the same students who are deficient in assessing bias, credibility, and relevant sources. With 18 of 24 students meeting SLO#2, one instructor wanted to see improvement in this area. He wrote, “This is the class’ weakest area of performance. I think students sometimes lack confidence in critiquing the assertions of assumed experts, which is definitely something I need to address more energetically in a class focused on critical thinking.” Another instructor noted that errors in Works Cited format would be alleviated by assigning an annotated Works Cited, due well before the essay, so that students don’t procrastinate and make errors on this final page. 

 

 

Perhaps we might want to change SLO #2 so that the emphasis is to integrate credible, relevant sources appropriate for a college-level critical thinking essay. 

 

Highlighted Comments from SLO Report 2020

Due to the stressful time we're living in, I know a number of students were unable to give their full attention to their studies. I also think we had to rush through a number of units/drop one that might have helped students get a better handle on issues of logic.  These students had already passed 1A, so they were all decent writers and had their mechanics under control.  Also, the large attrition rate in the class due to Covid-19 probably left more students IN the class that were NOT having to deal with work/sick family members/financial burdens and so they were more likely to succeed as a demographic.

Well, this was an unusual and really difficult semester. I am happy that so many students were able to hang in there and complete the course successfully. I think two things I did helped students meet the SLOs in this class this semester. 1. Any time a student missed an assignment, I messaged them the next day. I indicated that I noticed they missed an assignment, I encouraged them to turn it in, and I offered help. I often do this, but this semester I was much more intentional about it. 2. I accepted late work with no penalty. I usually have a late penalty and close certain assignments so they cannot be submitted late. Once COVID-19 disrupted things, I stopped doing that. Surprisingly (to me, anyway), most students continued to meet due dates. Those who submitted work late, were only late by a day or two, maybe a week here and there. They mostly kept up and SO many of them were very appreciative of a little grace on my part and a little extra time. Only one student fell way behind and was submitting work really late. It has really changed how I view "late" work. But, really the credit for their success goes to them.

I wrote a long response to this question on my previous submission for English 1C 4629. Pretty much the same holds true here--having flexibility with accepting late work and contacting students when they missed assignments helped to keep a high level of participation. One additional practice I failed to mention on my other submission is that when students scored below a C on essays, I suggested they revise and resubmit them. I did not make it mandatory, but most did resubmit and the work was much improved. In a couple of cases I did require them to resubmit before I would grade the essay. This was primarily in cases where students did a poor job of citing sources (as in they just didn't cite sources at all) or if they really did not address the assignment appropriately. One additional element that contributed to their success was the help of their high school teacher. This is a dual-enrollment class of all North High Students. Their teacher at North was with them in the fall and had built a relationship with them. This semester I was their online teacher, but he was also there--in person at the beginning, and virtually after school closed. He messaged them, too. I gave optional credit and a little bit of extra credit to have him read over drafts of essays after I had initially given feedback, but before they submitted their final draft. Having another person checking in with them really helped, I think. I'm impressed that these high school seniors really hung in there despite it all.

This is the second dual-enrollment class comprised of North High students. Everything I wrote for my English 1C 4629 class applies as well as what I wrote for my other dual enrollment section (English 1C 4639) This class had 100% success in meeting the SLOs. Though it is a smaller group, skills-wise and in terms of motivation this group entered English 1C much better equipped to be successful. I think this has to do with the fact that this class was a hybrid course in the fall. Students met with the teacher twice a week. That isn't necessarily why they performed so well, but rather because they CHOSE the hybrid option. These students wanted an efficient learning experience, flexibility in their schedules, and they were confident in their ability to be self-motivated and self-disciplined. It turns out they knew themselves pretty well. They were an outstanding group and I'm so proud of them!

By the end of the semester, most students' overall essay organization and grammar skills were at least acceptable. Demonstrating the ability to create and analyze a theoretical framework, such as in assessing bias in sources, was definitely the most difficult in each assignment. This likely would have been the case without the pandemic as well, though that certainly may have had an influence. More practice is likely needed.

Fall 2020 1A Map Course

Module 12: Course Map Revisited for 14 Points

 

My Canvas asynchronous online Fall 2020 English 1A Semester has been completed. Because the Fall Semester Canvas courses are not yet available, I wrote the course on my Spring 2020 English 1A 6420 course.

 

I plan to transfer the Modules to my Fall English 1A Canvas courses when they become available. This Course Map was taken from my Modules completed on the 6420 course. 

 

16-Week Semester Course Map for Jeffrey McMahon’s English 1A  Composition Class

 

Instructor: Jeffrey McMahon

 

Sixteen-Week Semester

 

Class Mission (Enduring Understandings)

 

Hello, I'm Jeff McMahon, your English 1A instructor for this semester. I want to help you be successful in your college writing, not just for this class, but for any other college and non-college endeavors. This class has four research papers of about 1,200 words in length that require 4-5 sources to be integrated in your essays using signal phrases, MLA in-text citations, and MLA Works Cited pages. 

 

Work You Must Do in This Class

 

Four Essays (Summative Assessments)

 

You will write 4 typed, 1,200-word essays in MLA format. Each essay will need 3 credible sources for your Works Cited. These essays will be uploaded on turnitin. Late essays are accepted for a week after the deadline and are marked down a full grade.

 

Two Building Block Assignments (Formative Assessments) for Each Essay

 

You will write two building block assignments for each of the four essays. You will use these assigned paragraphs as building blocks for your essays. 

 

Discussion Material

 

Your building block assignments will be accompanied by Discussion Forums in Canvas. These nongraded forums will allow you to share your paragraph ideas with other students, stimulate ideas for pre-writing, and give you source material that you can use for your essays (using signal phrases and MLA in-text citation). 

 

Going Through the Course in Modules

 

You will navigate this course in sequence on Modules, which is on the Canvas Learning Management System. I have divided your Modules into 16 units, with every unit representing a week in our 16-week semester. 

 

Grading Based on 1,000 Points 

 

4 Essays (called Summative Assessments) are 200 points each.

 

2 Building Block Assignments (called Formative Assessments) for every completed essay are 25 points each. 

 

Total Points: 1,000

 

Module 1: Essay 1 (Summative Assessment) Is Following Your Passion a Dangerous Idea?

 

Course Level Learning Objectives: Find appropriate essay structure for an argument that explores the question: Should you follow your passion to choose a career? Present this argument using the Toulmin Essay Model with counterargument-rebuttal.

 

Learning Resources for Essay 1 (Summative Assessment):

Cal Newport’s blog post “The Passion Trap” 

Cedric Chin’s book summary post“So Good They Can’t Ignore You”

Cal Newport’s blog post  “On Passion and Its Discontents” 

Janie Kliever’s article “Don’t ‘Follow Your Passion’” by Janie Kliever

Terri Trespicio’s article “Why ‘Find Your Passion’ Is Bad Advice” 

Cal Newport’s YouTube video “Follow Your Passion Is Bad Advice”

Following Your Passion Is Bad Advice  

 

Lesson 1: You will be presented with the Essay 1 Overview with instructions on integrating summary and quotations for MLA in-text citations in an argumentative essay. 

 

Lesson 2: You will learn the Essay 1 learning objectives and format instructions. 

 

Lesson 3: You will learn instructions for writing the introduction, thesis paragraph, and mapping components of Essay 1. 

 

Lesson 4: You will learn instructions for writing counterargument-rebuttal, overall essay outline, effective conclusion, and effective title for your essay. 

 

Lesson 5: You will go over instructions for your first Building Block Assignment (Formative Assessment), an introductory paragraph for Essay 1. As part of Lesson 5, you will use your introductory paragraph as a Discussion Activity in Canvas.

 

Discussion Activity #1 in Canvas:

 

Write a personal paragraph about your struggle to find a career that you are passionate about on one hand and is practical for your long-term financial needs on the other. Or write a paragraph about someone you know who started a career with minimum interest and passion but over time as the person became more skilled at this career the person’s passion sprung from the added skills and expertise. 

 

Sharing the Above Discussion Paragraphs with Each Other

 

You can use each other’s material in the Discussion Material for your Essay 1, either in your introductory paragraph or as supporting material in your body paragraphs, provided you use correct signal phrases and MLA in-text citations. The purpose of this sharing is to generate ideas for your essay and to broaden your sense of how the “Follow Your Passion” adage affects people’s career success. 

 

Module 2: “Following Your Passion” Debate Continued & Integrating Sources

 

Course Level Learning Objective: We will continue to explore the alleged “Follow Your Passion” myth, we will study the use of parallelism in writing thesis statements with mapping components, and we will learn how to integrate sources into a research paper using signal phrases and MLA in-text citations. 

 

Lesson 1: We will study “Master the Six Parts of Signal Phrase,” Part 1. 

 

Lesson 2: We will study “Master the 6 Parts of Signal Phrases,” Part 2. 

 

Lesson 3: We will study the use of parallel construction in writing a thesis statement with mapping components in a video I have made. 

 

Lesson 4: We will evaluate Cal Newport’s claim that “follow your passion” is a trap that will hurt your career path.  

 

Module 3: Writing Counterarguments & Rebuttals in the Follow Your Passion Debate.

 

Course Level Objectives: Use appropriate counterargument-rebuttal paragraph sentence structures and learning how to be more persuasive by entertaining opponents’ views.  

 

Lesson 1: We will study different counterargument-rebuttal paragraph templates in the context of the “Follow Your Passion” debate.

 

Lesson 2: We will go over instructions for your Building Block Assignment 2 (Formative Assessment):   Write a counterargument-rebuttal paragraph before your conclusion paragraph to gain credibility with your readers by showing them you have considered opposing views to your thesis or claim. 

 

Lesson 3: We will go over the complete checklist for your completed essay, which is due next week.

 

Module 4: Writing a Comparison Essay of Jim Crow 1.0 and 2.0

 

Course Level Objectives: Use appropriate comparison/contrast essay design for an exploration of Jim Crow 1.0 and 2.0; learn appropriate paragraph transitions for comparison/contrast essay;  sentence structures and learning how to be more persuasive by entertaining opponents’ views. 

 

Learning Resources for Essay 2 (Summative Assessment 2)

 

Video the “The New Jim Crow Museum”

Video of Childish Gambino’s “This Is America”

“Writing Definitions” from the Purdue Online Writing Lab

 

Lesson 1: Overview of Essay 2, a comparison/contrast of Jim Crow 1.0 and 2.0. 

 

Lesson 2: Getting Started on Essay 2 with a lesson on writing an extended definition for your introductory paragraph. 

 

Lesson 3: Writing a thesis, finding an appropriate essay structure, and source material for Essay 2. 

 

Lesson 4: Instructions for Building Block Assignment 1 (Formative Assessment 1 for Essay 2) with required resources. This assignment will ask you to do the following: Write an introductory paragraph with a single-sentence definition followed by an extended definition to show a clear understanding of Jim Crow.

 

Discussion Activity #2 in Canvas:

 

In a paragraph, compare Jim Crow as you see it presented in Dr. David Pilgrim’s “Jim Crow Museum” video and Childish Gambino’s “This Is America” video. 

 

Sharing the Above Discussion Paragraphs with Each Other

 

You can use each other’s material in the Discussion Material for your Essay 2, either in your introductory paragraph or as supporting material in your body paragraphs, provided you use correct signal phrases and MLA in-text citations. The purpose of this sharing is to generate ideas for your essay and to clarify your definition of Jim Crow 1.0 and 2.0. 

 

Module 5: Defining Jim Crow 1.0 and 2.0

 

Lesson 1: We will break down the “Jim Crow Museum” and “This Is America” videos to better our understanding of Jim Crow 1.0 and 2.0. 

 

Lesson 2: We will go over a lexicon of important terms to better our understanding of Jim Crow 1.0 and 2.0. 

 

Lesson 3: We will explore Jim Crow 2.0 as The War on Drugs as explained by Michelle Alexander, author of the best-selling The New Jim Crow (what I am calling Jim Crow 2.0).

 

Lesson 4: We will go over instructions for Building Block Assignment 2 for Essay 2 (Formative Assessment):  Write a thesis paragraph that outlines your body paragraphs in a clear design of block or point-by-point comparison.

 

Module 6: Jim Crow 1.0 and 2.0 Continued 

 

Lesson 1: We will unpack the historical significance of Dr. David Pilgrim’s Jim Crow Museum. 

 

Lesson 2: We will show you your options of supporting a comparison/contrast thesis with either a point-by-point or block paragraph design.

 

Lesson 3: We will do an unpacking of “This Is America,” Part 1. 

 

Module 7: Jim Crow 1.0 and 2.0 Continued

 

Lesson 1: We will do an unpacking of “This Is America,” Part 2. 

 

Lesson 2: We will do an unpacking of “This Is America,” Part 3.

 

Lesson 3: We will go over a complete checklist to maximize your success for Essay 2 (Summative Assessment). 

 

Week 8: Jeff Henderson’s Memoir Cooked: My Journey from the Streets to the Stove

 

Course Level Objectives:

In a nutshell, the story of Jeff Henderson is a story about morality, meaning, and happiness. It is the story of a man whose initial misguided quest for happiness blinds him from his moral responsibilities. He only achieves real happiness after he experiences excruciating suffering, faces a moral reckoning, is forced to give up his old life, and becomes determined to become a moral person in his quest for professional excellence. 

However, none of us likes to be lectured to about the principles of happiness and morality. We shut down, put up a shield, and we repel all trite words of wisdom. We are haters of homilies and truisms. 

But we are more inclined to listen to stories. We are natural storytellers. We have since our Hunter and Forager ancestors been drawn to powerful stories that provide us a guide for more strength, self-protection, and happiness. 

Jeff Henderson’s memoir is such a story, so the purpose of this assignment is to dig deep into Henderson’s story and, with the help of Arthur C. Brooks’ essay, pull out the memoir’s core wisdom and then put those moral lessons into our own words. Jeff Henderson’s life story helps us live a better life story for ourselves. So that wraps up the thematic purpose of this essay assignment.

In the world of essay writing when we breakdown something into parts, we call this exposition a cause and effect analysis or simply cause and effect. 

In this essay assignment, you are using a cause and effect essay structure for your claim or thesis about Jeff Henderson’s transformation and as a design structure for your essay. 

Learning Resources:

Jeff Henderson’s memoir Cooked: My Journey from the Streets to the Stove

Arthur C. Brooks' essay "Love People, Not Pleasure"

To get more acquainted with a cause and effect essay structure and the kind of causation signal phrases you will be using, you might want to look at Urban English & Writing video “Cause and Effect Essays.”

Another helpful video is by EssayPro called “How to Write a Cause and Effect Essay.”

Another useful video is the David Taylor video that shows how cause and effect analysis helps establish the “So what?” if your essay. It is titled “How to Write a Cause-Effect Essay.”

Lesson 1: Cooked Essay 3 (Summative Assessment) Overview.

Lesson 2: Getting Started and Outlining Essay 3. 

Lesson 3: Breaking Down Arthur C. Brooks’ “Love People, Not Pleasure”

Lesson 4: Instructions for Building Block Assignment 1 (Formative Assessment) for Essay 3: Write an introduction paragraph for your Cooked essay that frames Jeff Henderson’s moral crisis in the context of  Arthur C. Brooks’ essay “Love People, Not Pleasure.” 

Discussion Activity #3 in Canvas:

 

In a paragraph, write about someone you either know about personally or in the news who has a moral crisis that parallels Jeff Henderson’s. You can use this paragraph as an attention-getting introduction. 

 

Sharing the Above Discussion Paragraphs with Each Other

 

You can use each other’s material in the Discussion Material for your Essay 3, either in your introductory paragraph or as supporting material in your body paragraphs, provided you use correct signal phrases and MLA in-text citations. The purpose of this sharing is to generate ideas for your essay and to clarify the significance of Jeff Henderson’s moral crisis, which he recognizes before his transformation. 

 

Module 9: Cooked Essay 3 Continued

 

Lesson 1: Breaking Down “Love People, Not Pleasure,” Part 2

 

Lesson 2: Building Block Assignment 2 (Formative Assessment) for Cooked Essay:  Write a thesis paragraph that answers this question: “How did Jeff Henderson go from a criminal to a world-class chef and exemplar of moral goodness?”

 

Discussion Learning Activity #4: 

To answer this question requires analysis: You are analyzing the causes and effects of Henderson’s behaviors as he evolves from Old Jeff to New Jeff. Since you are analyzing the causes of Old Jeff and his state of moral turpitude and contrasting Old Jeff with the causes that led to New Jeff and his state of professional excellence and societal responsibility, you are breaking down Jeff Henderson’s story into parts. 

Sharing the Above Discussion Paragraphs with Each Other

 

You can use each other’s material in the Discussion Material for your Essay 3, either in your introductory paragraph or as supporting material in your body paragraphs, provided you use correct signal phrases and MLA in-text citations. The purpose of this sharing is to generate ideas for your essay and to clarify the causes behind Jeff Henderson’s transformation. 

Lesson 3: From Nihilism to Embracing a Moral Code in Jeff Henderson’s Moral Evolution

Lesson 4: Jeff Henderson’t Rise & Fall (& Eventual Rise Again)

Module 10: Jeff Henderson’s Cooked Continued

Lesson 1: Jeff Henderson’s Denial Results in His Fall

Lesson 2: Jeff Henderson’s Redemption Journey Begins with the Fall

Lesson 3: Jeff Henderson Has to Choose Between “Team Meaning” & “Team Self-Pity.”

Module 11: Jeff Henderson’s Cooked Continued

Lesson 1: Jeff Henderson’s Flourishing & Fortitude & Sample Thesis Statements

Lesson 2: Review of Causes & Effects of Jeff Henderson’s Transformation

Lesson 3: Complete Checklist to Maximize Success on Essay 3 (third Summative Assessment)

Module 12: Is Social Media Addiction a Bug or a Feature?

Course Level Objectives:

Arguing a 2-Sided Debate:

Is the psychological degradation and addiction from social media use described by Sherry Turkle, Adam Alter, Jaron Lanier, and Tristan Harris a bug or feature? Can we exercise common sense and moderation in our social media use, or does the very nature of our interaction between social media and ourselves have addiction and psychological dissolution “baked in”? If this psychological degradation is a feature, what are we to do? Isn’t social media a “necessary evil” to some degree? Or can we save ourselves by going “off the grid,” as it were?

Using a Toulmin or Refutation Essay Model in MLA Format

In a 1,200-1,500-word MLA-formatted essay with a minimum of 5 sources for your Works Cited page, develop an argumentative thesis that addresses the claim by many that our social media accounts compromise personal excellence, degrade our core humanity, strip us of our metacognition and self-agency, and essentially transform us into “thirsty,” social-media addicted zombies. This is an argumentative essay, so you can either use the Toulmin or Refutation Essay Model. If you use the Toulmin model, be sure to have a counterargument-rebuttal section. 

Exploring the Enduring Theme of Self-Agency Vs. Loss of Free Will:

Since most of us use social media, often for business or social interactions, we should understand the way social media companies, the “attention merchants” as they’re often called, target our brains using cutting edge knowledge of human addiction, their ability to get inside our heads, and get us hooked on their product. The more self-awareness we have about our vulnerabilities in the face of social media the better chance we have of preserving our dignity when so much dignity can be lost in an age when social media attention-seeking has become rampant. 

One of the main focuses of this assignment is the matter of addiction. Are we all getting addicted to social media, or only a select few who already have a propensity for addiction in the first place, brought on by general anxiety disorder and depression? Or does social media afflict all of us with a certain amount of general anxiety disorder and depression? Is moderation of our social media habits even possible? Can we be responsible social media users, or is social media by its very design ensnaring all of us in its pernicious jaws? 

Learning Resources:

Sherry Turkle’s Ted Talk video “Connected, But Alone”

Tristan Harris’ Ted Talk video “How a Handful of Tech Companies Control Billions of Minds Everyday”

Jaron Lanier video “How Social Media Ruins Your Life”

Adam Alter video: “Why Our Screens Make Us Unhappy.”

Netflix Black Mirror episode “Nosedive”

Andrew Sullivan’s landmark essay on social media addiction, titled, “I Used to be a Human Being

Lesson 1: Essay 4 Overview

Lesson 2: Getting Started and Outlining an Argumentative Structure for Essay 4

Lesson 3: How Social Media Hijacks the Brain & Steals Free Will

Discussion Learning Activity #5: 

Write a paragraph about you or someone you know who went down a rabbithole of stolen time from social media addiction. Explain the temptations of social media and its addictive consequences, the harm to your college studies and relationships, for a couple of examples.  

Sharing the Above Discussion Paragraphs with Each Other

You can use each other’s material in the Discussion Material for your Essay 4, either in your introductory paragraph or as supporting material in your body paragraphs, provided you use correct signal phrases and MLA in-text citations. The purpose of this sharing is to generate ideas for your essay and to clarify the debilitation of social media addiction. 

 

Module 13: Social Media Addiction Essay Continued

 

Lesson 1: Building Block Assignment 1 (Formative Assessment) for Essay 4: Write an introduction paragraph and thesis paragraph for your social media essay that sets up the rest of your paper.

 

Discussion Learning Activity #6: 

Post a tentative thesis statement in Discussions on Canvas.  

Sharing the Above Discussion Paragraphs with Each Other

You can use each other’s material in the Discussion Material for your Essay 4, either in your introductory paragraph or as supporting material in your body paragraphs, provided you use correct signal phrases and MLA in-text citations. The purpose of this sharing is to generate ideas for your essay and to clarify your thesis about social media addiction. 

 

Lesson 2: Refutation Essay Model

 

Lesson 3: Interlude: Should You Try to Agree with Your Professor When You Write an Argumentative Essay?

 

Lesson 4: Tristan Harris Argues that the Tech Lords Manipulate Billions: Breaking Down the Video.

 

Module 14: Social Media Addiction Essay Continued

 

Lesson 1: Building Block Assignment 2 (Formative Assessment) for Essay 4: Write a counterargument-rebuttal paragraph before your conclusion paragraph to gain credibility with your readers by showing them you have considered opposing views to your thesis or claim. 

 

Discussion Learning Activity #7: 

Post a counterargument-rebuttal paragraph in Discussions on Canvas.  

Sharing the Above Discussion Paragraphs with Each Other

You can use each other’s material in the Discussion Material for your Essay 4, either in your counterargument-rebuttal paragraph or as supporting material in your body paragraphs, provided you use correct signal phrases and MLA in-text citations. The purpose of this sharing is to generate ideas for your essay and to clarify your thesis about social media addiction. 

 

Lesson 2: Jaron Lanier Argues for the Idea That Social Media Addiction Is a Feature

 

Lesson 3: “Never Get High on Your Own Supply”

 

Lesson 4: Why Can “Normal” People Succumb to Social Media Addiction?

 

Module 15: Social Media Addiction Essay Continued

 

Lesson 1: You Are Swimming Inside a Fishbowl of Social Media

 

Lesson 2: Feedback is the Fuel of Social Media Addiction

 

Lesson 3: Devices Change Who We Are

Lesson 4: Counterarguments That Social Media Addiction Is a Feature

 

Week 16: Social Media Essay Addiction Continued

 

Lesson 1: Checklist for Maximizing Success in Your Essay 4 (Fourth & Final Summative Assessment). 

 

Week 1: English 1A Essay 1 Overview

Week 1: English 1A Essay 1 Overview

 

Introduction

Considered one of the greatest comedians of all time, George Carlin once said in an interview that he knew he would be a comedian when he was in the fifth grade. He was the class clown, he knew how to get laughs, he was naturally cynical, and his talents did indeed eventually sync with his career aspirations.

If only the rest of us could be so fortunate. Probably over 99.99 % of us must undergo the terrifying and difficult task of trying to find a career that suits who we are at the core of our being. All of us want to find that balance, that sweet spot if you will, between our need for a handsome income to pay the bills and a job that speaks to our spiritual and emotional needs. None of us want to be a cog in a machine or work some dead-end soul-crushing job for the rest of our lives. 

A popular adage for young people is "Just follow your passion." Really? Just follow our bliss and greatness will follow? Is this really true? It sounds so simple.

Computer science professor and best-selling author Cal Newport questions this advice, and his skeptical position is the topic for our first essay assignment. 

 

Essay #1 for 200 Points and Due on September 14: Is Following Your Passion Bogus Career Advice?

 

The Assignment:

 

In a 1,200-1,500-word essay (about 5 double-spaced pages with a 12 Arial font) that adheres to current MLA format and provides a minimum of 4 sources for your Works Cited page, write an argumentative essay that defends, refutes, or complicates Cal Newport’s claim from his online article “The Passion Trap” that the career advice to follow your passion is dangerous and should be replaced by the craftsman mindset. Be sure to have a counterargument-rebuttal section in your essay.

 

Two Small Building-Block Assignments, both worth 25 points each:

 

Write an introductory paragraph for your essay. Due date: August 31. 

 

Write a counterargument-rebuttal paragraph for your essay. Due date: September 7. 

 

Suggested Essay #1 Outline:

 

Writing an Introductory Paragraph

 

I recommend one of four approaches for your introductory paragraph. 

 

Approach #1: Write a paragraph in which you write an extended definition of what Cal Newport means when he critiques “The Passion Trap.” Then transition to your thesis paragraph in which you agree, disagree, or both agree and disagree with Newport’s claim. 

 

Approach #2: Write a personal paragraph about your struggle to find a career that you are passionate about on one hand and is practical for your long-term financial needs on the other. Then transition to your thesis. 

 

Approach #3: Write a paragraph about someone you know who started a career with minimum interest and passion but over time as the person became more skilled at this career the person’s passion sprung from the added skills and expertise. 

 

Approach #4: Write a paragraph about someone you know who pursued his or her passion and how this resulted in a Big Nothing Burger, a complete flop, because the person’s pursuit of passion was done blindly. 

 

Paragraph 2: Your Thesis: Support or refute Cal Newport’s contention that the advice to “follow your passion” is not only useless but dangerous and will hurt your career goals. In your thesis give 4 reasons for supporting your argument. 

 

Paragraphs 3-7 are your supporting paragraphs.

 

Paragraph 8 is your counterargument-rebuttal, in which you anticipate your opponents’ most compelling argument against your thesis and give rebuttal to their main point. 

 

Paragraph 9 is your conclusion, an emotionally powerful restatement of your thesis. 

 

Your final page is a separate page. It is a Works Cited page. It is done in MLA format. It is okay to use an MLA Works Cited generator such as Citation Machine, Scribbr, EasyBib, or Purdue Owl. 

 

Other Recommended Sources for Your Essay:

 

In addition to addressing Newport’s “The Passion Trap” for your essay, you are encouraged to consult the following: 

 

One. “So Good They Can’t Ignore You” (book summary) by Cedric Chin

 

Two. “On Passion and Its Discontents” by Cal Newport

 

Three. “Don’t ‘Follow Your Passion’” by Janie Kliever

 

Four. “Why ‘Find Your Passion’ Is Bad Advice” by Terri Trespicio

 

Five. “The Career Craftsman Manifesto” by Cal Newport

 YouTube video “Follow Your Passion Is Bad Advice” by Cal Newport. 

 

Following Your Passion Is Bad Advice  

1A Modules Fall 2020

1A Fall 2020 Modules

 

Week 1: Is “Follow Your Passion” Legit Career Advice?

 

Welcome/Introduction/Course Overview

 

Mention this is a how-to-manual or even a self-help book.

 

Mention there are two building-block assignments that partially complete each of the 4 essay assignments. 

 

Mention the course objectives. 

 

Overview of Essay 1

 

Essay 1 Objectives

 

Signal Phrases Part 1

 

Signal Phrases Part 2

 

Include YouTube video on in-text citations. 

 

The Passion Dilemma for College Students

 

Cal Newport’s Notion of the Craftsman Mindset

 

Introductory Paragraph Strategies

 

Week 2

Cal Newport’s Notion of the Passion Trap

 

Complex Origins of Career Success

Making vivid introductory narratives with concrete nouns and specifics over generalities. 

 

Week 3

 

The appeal of simplistic mythologies in the case of Steve Jobs 

 

Counterarguments and Rebuttals

 

Essay Design with MLA format

 

Correct format for Works Cited page 

 

Checklist for your first essay

 

How I will grade your first essay

 

Week 4: Why Does Jim Crow Remain One of the Most Formidable Ongoing Challenges of American History?

 

Essay 2 Overview

 

Essay 2 Objectives

 

Jim Crow, Part of America’s Original Sin

 

Jim Crow’s Legacy and Relevance for Today

 

The Origins of David Pilgrim’s Jim Crow Museum

 

David Pilgrim’s Rejection of Defeatism and Self-Pity

Week 5

 

Jim Crow 2.0 in Childish Gambino’s video “This Is America”

 

Various Interpretations of “This Is America”

 

Key Similarities and Differences Between Jim Crow 1.0 and 2.0

 

Writing an Extended Definition of a Meaningful Term (Jim Crow)

 

Writing an Introductory Paragraph That Defines Jim Crow

Week 6

 

Writing a Thesis Paragraph That Outlines a Comparison/Contrast Essay

 

Block Or Point-by-Point Paragraph Design for Comparison/Contrast Essays

 

Transitions for Comparison/Contrast Essays

 

Week 7

 

Michelle Alexander’s Notion of Jim Crow 2.0 Supports “This Is America”

 

Jim Crow 2.0 and Ignoring Victims of Violence (Casual or Nonchalance of Violence as seen in the George Floyd killing and protest videos such as two men talking to each other on Twitter feed.

 

Mass Incarceration

 

New forms of kleptocracy (see Jordan movie Get Out and Ta Nehisi Coates)

 

Compartmentalizing Racism in Jim Crow 2.0 (adulation of celebrity doesn’t square with racist ideas). 

 

Jim Crow 2.0 and Jordan Peel’s movie Get Out

 

Checklist for Essay 2

 

Grading Breakdown for Essay 2

Week 8: How Does a Genius Reinvent Himself?

 

Overview of Essay 3

 

Essay 3 Objectives 

 

Description of Introductory Paragraph Assignment

 

The Futility of Pleasure According to Arthur C. Brooks

 

Pleasure, Addiction, and the Loss of a Moral Compass

 

More Viable Alternatives to the Hedonic Treadmill

Week 9

 

Jeff Henderson’s Genius Origins

 

When We’re Rising, We’re Falling; When We’re Falling, We’re Rising

 

Cause and Effect Analysis and Essay Design

 

Cause and Effect Paragraph Transitions

Week 10

 

Jeff Henderson’s Battle of the Soul (Nihilism vs. Reckoning)

 

Jeff Henderson’s Humble Pie

 

Jeff Henderson’s Fall in Life Is Actually a Form of Rising

 

Write a cause and effect thesis paragraph (assignment)

 

Week 11

 

Jeff Henderson’s Life After Prison

 

Reinvention

 

Seeing the truth of the past

 

Moral healthy entails an ideal larger than personal success

 

Suggested Essay Outlines

 

Checklist for Successful Essay

 

Grading Breakdown

 

Week 12: Is Social Media Addiction a Bug or a Feature?

 

Social Media Essay Overview

 

Social Media Essay Objectives

 

Social Media Introduction and Thesis, Assignment

 

Social Media Counterarguments and Rebuttals, Assignment

15 Characteristics of the Chimera

15 Characteristics of the Chimera

 

Let’s define the chimera for our chimera essay. 

 

Cause and Effect Analysis of the Chimera (Obsession) Essay

 

English 1C Summative Assessment 3 (Essay for 200 points): 

 

How do chimeras turn us into sleepwalking zombies who fall prey to solipsism, addiction, and determinism (loss of free will or free agency)?

 

The Assignment: 

 

Develop a cause and effect thesis for a 1,200-word essay that explores the way Dexter Green falls prey to the chimera, the pursuit of the Ultimate Trophy, in the short story “Winter Dreams” by F. Scott Fitzgerald. His chimera is The Great White Princess Judy Jones. What are the causes and effects of Dexter’s quest for the Ultimate Trophy?

 

If you prefer some alternatives to “Winter Dreams” for your chimera essay, you can replace the short story with one of the following:

 

Hasan Minhaj’s comedy special on Netflix, Homecoming King, in which Minhaj pursues “The Great White Princess.” What were the causes and effects behind Minhaj’s obsession with “The Great White Princess”?

 

The 1995 Todd Haynes film Safe in which a suburban housewife, Carol White, goes on an obsessive search for Safety and Purity. What are the causes and effects of Carol’s search for Safety and Purity?

 

The 2018 Netflix film Private Life, starring Paul Giamatti and Kathryn Hahn, in which they play a frustrated couple who fail at their repeated attempts at conceiving a baby. What are the causes and effects of the couple’s obsession with having a baby? In what ways is having a baby a chimera for this couple?

 

The 1941 film Citizen Kane in which Charles Foster Kane amasses wealth and material objects as a substitute for his obsession with what he lost in his childhood: unconditional love (“Rosebud”). What are the causes and effects of Charles Foster Kane’s obsession? 

 

The 2017 Jordan Peele horror film Get Out in which the white supremacy cult in the movie don’t see African-Americans as human beings but rather as chimerical beings, part superhuman, part subservient, part inferior, and part resource to be exploited and used for their own sinister purposes. 

What is a chimera?

 

Let us look at 15 characteristics:

 

One. A chimera is a seductive mirage that gets inside our head and feels so real to us that we love it more than life itself. 

 

Two. As we pursue this chimera with greater and greater intensity, we at the same time reject the people around us. In this regard, we are like addicts who prefer our drug to people. 

 

Three. A chimera is never real. It is always a mythical creature that fills our minds, yet it becomes for the person harboring the chimera the Ultimate Reality that casts all other considerations aside. 

 

Four. Sometimes we can be afflicted with a chimera and know it, want to be cured of it, but feel helpless to do anything about it. In this regard, we are dealing with the realm of an incurable obsession. 

 

Five. As our obsession with the chimera progresses, we deteriorate: We retreat into solipsism. For a short definition of solipsism, let us say we are afflicted with solipsism when the delusions of our imaginary self cut us off from reality.

 

Six. When our brains are hijacked by a chimera, we follow an addiction cycle as acute as any narcotics addict in which we have highs and lows, ascents and crashes, a sort of bipolar life journey.

 

Seven. Some people pursue the chimera with no self-awareness, what is sometimes called metacognition. An absence of self-awareness or metacognition makes free will or free agency impossible.  

 

Eight. Sometimes a chimera hijacks our brains without warning. It’s an unexpected obsession that hijacks the brains of even productive, sane human beings.

 

Nine. The chimera is often a substitute for some unfulfilled basic human need like love, companionship, meaning, connection, belonging, maturity, independence, freedom, creativity, etc. 

 

Ten. As the chimera grows over time, the person’s original sense of self fragments, decomposes, and becomes smaller and smaller as a new persona grows, typically an angry persona that resents not getting what it wants.

 

Eleven. When people do acquire a chimera, they find they are not only disappointed but confused because the actuality of the acquisition pales compared to the obsession-fantasy of their imagination. 

 

Twelve. Often people replace one chimera with another, over and over as their lives are defined by cycles of self-destruction without any self-awareness. The motivation for constantly seeking a chimera is probably an empty life, a life without meaning, or what Viktor Frankl calls in his book Man’s Search for Meaning “the existential vacuum.” The chimera is a feeble attempt to fill that vacuum.  

 

Thirteen. The chimera is an inflamed passion that grows like a weed inside our brains and strangles our powers of reason. The endgame of a chimera is insanity. 

 

Fourteen. Some people are freed from the bondage of their chimera only after long-term excruciating suffering that creates a crisis of such intensity that these people are forced to exorcise the chimera demon from their brain and start their lives from scratch and create a sound foundation that won’t allow for the invasions of subsequent chimeras. 

 

Fifteen. Many people live disconnected from reality and navigate their lives inside a hall of many mirror-like chimeras, which define their existence as a perpetual illusion and somehow they muster a facade of being productive members of society even as their souls rot deep inside. 

1C Formative Assessment #2 for Cult of Authenticity Essay

1C Formative Assessment #2 for Cult of Authenticity Essay

 

Assignment Description

 

For your Cultural Authenticity essay, present a counterargument-rebuttal paragraph in which you present an opposing view to your argument and give this opposing view, a counterargument, and a rebuttal. 

 

The counterargument-rebuttal paragraph (which can be more than one) usually comes before your conclusion paragraph. 

 

Why is the counterargument-rebuttal necessary for an argumentative essay? Because for an argumentative essay, providing compelling support paragraphs to make your claim or thesis persuasive is not enough. You also need a counterargument-rebuttal section to show your argument has been “tested” by the “fire of opposing views.” 

 

To earn credibility in an argument, good writers anticipate how opponents will disagree with their claim, so they actually provide an anticipated disagreement with their own thesis. Often they will write this counterargument-rebuttal section after their supporting paragraphs (and before their conclusion). 

 

Writing a Counterargument-Rebuttal Paragraph:

 

For an argumentative essay, providing compelling support paragraphs to make your claim or thesis persuasive is not enough. You also need a counterargument-rebuttal section. 

 

To earn credibility in an argument, good writers anticipate how opponents will disagree with their claim, so they actually provide an anticipated disagreement with their own thesis. Often they will write this counterargument-rebuttal section after their supporting paragraphs (and before their conclusion). 

Instructions for This Assignment

 

One. To write an effective counterargument-rebuttal, good writers use a variety of sentence structures that set up the counterargument and the rebuttal. 

Two. To learn how to write an effective counterargument-rebuttal, good writers use a variety of sentence structures based on templates:

 

Study the Templates for Counterargument-Rebuttal Section of Essay 

 

Some people may object to my point X, but they fail to see Y.

 

Some people will take issue with my argument X, and I will concede their point to some degree. However, on balance, my argument X still stands because______________________________.  

 

It is true as my opponents say that my argument fails to acknowledge the possibility that Y, but I would counter argue by observing that ___________________. 

 

I would be the first to agree with my opponents that my argument can lead to some dangerous conclusions such as X. But we can neutralize these misgivings when we consider __________________________. 

While the author’s arguments for meaning are convincing, she fails to consider . . . 

 

While the authors make convincing arguments, they must also consider . . . 

 

These arguments, rather than being convincing, instead prove . . .

 

While these authors agree with Writer A on point X, in my opinion . . . 

 

Although it is often true that . . . 

 

While I concede that my opponents make a compelling case for point X, their main argument collapses underneath a barrage of . . . 

While I see many good points in my opponent’s essay, I am underwhelmed by his . . . 

 

While my opponent makes some cogent points regarding A, B, and C, his overall argument fails to convince us when we consider X, Y, and Z. 

 

My opponent makes many provocative and intriguing points. However, his arguments must be dismissed as fallacious when we take into account W, X, Y, and Z. 

 

While the author’s points first appear glib and fatuous, a closer look at his polemic reveals a convincing argument that . . . 

 

Using the Above Templates Is Not Plagiarism

 

I strongly suggest you use these templates. Using them is not a form of plagiarism. You are taking structures that are commonly used by professional writers and filling in the blanks for your own purposes.

 

Partial Example of a Counterargument-Rebuttal Paragraph:

 

My opponents will disagree with my argument that social media is intrinsically addicting because they will point out that anyone can find extreme cases of dysfunctional people getting addicted to anything. However, these critics are in egregious error, for they fail to see that _____________________________________. 

 

Three. Be sure to provide compelling and accurate counterarguments. 

Do not use weak or misrepresented arguments to make your rebuttal easier. The stronger the counterargument, the stronger your rebuttal, and the strength of your rebuttal determines how persuasive your argumentative essay is. 

 

Four. Be sure to have sufficient detail for your counterargument-rebuttal paragraph. Aim for 150-200 words. 

 

List of Requirements for This Assignment

 

One. Your counterargument-rebuttal has a suitable sentence structure that conforms to one of the templates I’ve provided. 

Two. Your counterargument-rebuttal addresses a legitimate concern that your opponents reasonably have. 

Three. Your rebuttal diminishes or outright refutes your opponent’s counterargument. 

Four. Your paragraph has sufficient detail evidenced by a length of about 150-200.

Five. Your paragraph should be uploaded as an attachment to either turnitin or Unicheck, depending on which platform has a contract with the college. 

 

Learning Objectives for Formative Assessment #2, Writing Counterargument-Rebuttal Paragraph for Your Cult of Authenticity Essay

 

One. Write a counterargument-rebuttal paragraph before your conclusion paragraph to gain credibility with your readers by showing them you have considered opposing views to your thesis or claim.

 

Two. Use the correct counterargument-rebuttal sentence structures available to effectively present such a paragraph. 

 

Three. Use your rebuttal of your opponents to strengthen the persuasiveness of your thesis.

 

Resources for This Assignment

 

Cabrini Center for Student Success PDF

Harvard Writing Center

Mesa Community College

Mistersato 411 video “How to Write a Counterargument”

How to Write a Counterargument

 

How I Break Down Your Grade for This Assignment of 25 Points

 

One. Clarity and usefulness of your counterargument-rebuttal paragraph for making your claim more persuasive, 10 points. 

Two. Have sufficient details to establish a meaningful, authentic approach to the subject. A writer never wants to just “go through the motions,” that is to say, deliver a perfunctory effort. Deliver the degree of authenticity and meaning this subject deserves, 10 points. 

 

Three. Write full sentences and avoid sentence mechanics, spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors. Be especially mindful of avoiding comma splice and sentence fragments, 5 points.  

 

Read Your Feedback on Assignment Comments

 

When you receive your score, you will be notified through Canvas, and the comments will be delivered on the Assignments Comments page through SpeedGrader.

1C Formative Assessment #1 for Cult of Authenticity Essay

1C Formative Assessment #1 for Cult of Authenticity Essay

 

The Assignment: Write 2 Paragraphs:

 

Introductory Paragraph

 

Argumentative Thesis Paragraph

 

Instructions for Introductory Paragraph

 

I recommend one of two approaches for your introductory paragraph. 

 

Method #1: Summarize the main ideas in the article by Gustavo Arrellano titled “Let White People Appropriate Mexican Food.” 

 

Method #2 Summarize the main ideas in the YouTube video “Cultural Appropriation Tastes Damn Good.”

 

Instructions for Argumentative Thesis Paragraph

 

Then transition to an argumentative claim in which you show support or repudiation of Arrellano’s main ideas. 

 

While I take offense at the inflated prices of some of these appropriation restaurants and the lack of credit given to the original sources, I agree with GA’s claim that _______ because ________. 

 

Writing an argumentative thesis or claim. 

 

When I started teaching 35 years ago, everyone called the central argument a thesis, but in the last 10 years the term claim is gaining more and more popularity. 

 

Your claim is the central focus of your essay. Your claim is what “your essay is about.”

 

Your claim answers a central question.

 

In this case, your claim is answering this question:

 

Are weight-loss quests futile or not?

 

Why it’s advantageous to add mapping components to a claim: They outline your essay. 

 

Developing an argumentative claim with mapping statements or your argument’s reasons gives you a roadmap and tells you where you’re going. 

 

Example: Should Community College be Free?

 

Sample Claim

 

While free college education would help a small percentage of low-income students who already have a baseline of writing and math skills, for the most part the argument for free community college is not persuasive when we consider that free things tend to lead to entropy (decline, chaos and worthlessness, Tragedy of the Commons), free college doesn’t solve the problems of baseline acquisition that would allow students to complete their graduation in a timely manner, free tuition would take away from budgeting for instructors and infrastructure, and free college would only lower the already abysmally low graduation rate.

 

Notice the above claim has mapping components that outline the body paragraphs:

 

Paragraph: Free things tend to lead to entropy (decline, chaos and worthlessness, Tragedy of the Commons)

 

Paragraph: Free college doesn’t solve the problems of baseline acquisition that would allow students to complete their graduation in a timely manner

 

Paragraph: Free tuition would take away from budgeting for instructors and infrastructure

 

Paragraph: Free college would only lower the already abysmally low graduation rate.

 

In the above examples, you might find that more than one paragraph is needed to support a mapping component, but the organization is still the same. 

 

Second Example: Should I put spyware on my twin daughters’ computers?

 

Sample Claim:

 

While I would be tempted to put spyware on my daughters' computers as a way of repelling predators, I would not do so, as some people advocate, for several reasons. One, the spyware might lull me into a false comfort and impede me from communicating with my daughters about the dangers of indiscreet internet activities; two, if I violated my daughters' trust, I may compel them to turn away from me, and they would find more insidious ways to do internet communications that jailbreak my spyware; third, a prison-like security environment in my daughters' internet landscape strikes me as the kind of overkill that overprotective fathers use who alienate their children. 

 

Notice the above claim has mapping components that outline the body paragraphs:

 

Paragraph: One, the spyware might lull me into a false comfort and impede me from communicating with my daughters about the dangers of indiscreet internet activities

 

Paragraph: Two, if I violated my daughters' trust, I may compel them to turn away from me, and they would find more insidious ways to do internet communications that jailbreak my spyware

 

Paragraph: Third, a prison-like security environment in my daughters' internet landscape strikes me as the kind of overkill that overprotective fathers use who alienate their children. 

 

List of Requirements for This Assignment

One. You present two paragraphs, an introduction and an argumentative thesis.

Two. Your introduction summarizes the major points of the article by Gustavo Arrellano titled “Let White People Appropriate Mexican Food”or the YouTube video titled “Cultural Appropriation Tastes Damn Good.” This paragraph will be about 150 words. 

Three. Your second paragraph, your thesis paragraph, answers the question: How persuasive is Gustavo Arrellano in his claim that the greatness of Mexican food is based largely on rejecting the Cult of Authenticity?  This paragraph should be about 150 words or so.

Four. The reasons that you provide in your thesis provide an outline for the subsequent body paragraphs.

Five. Your paragraph should be uploaded as an attachment to either turnitin or Unicheck, depending on which platform has a contract with the college. 

How I Break Down Your Grade for This Assignment of 25 Points

One. Your introduction gives a clear and accurate explanation of Gustavo Arrelano’s argument. 10

Two. Your thesis paragraph presents your argument with reasons that outline your body paragraphs 10. 

Three. You have sufficient details to establish a meaningful, authentic approach to the subject. A writer never wants to just “go through the motions,” that is to say, deliver a perfunctory effort. Deliver the degree of authenticity and meaning this subject deserves, 5 points. 

Four. Write full sentences and avoid sentence mechanics, spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors. Be especially mindful of avoiding comma splice and sentence fragments, 5 points.  

Read Your Feedback on Assignment Comments

When you receive your score, you will be notified through Canvas, and the comments will be delivered on the Assignments Comments page through SpeedGrader.

Resources for This Assignment

 

Gustavo Arellano article “Let White People Appropriate Mexican Food--Mexicans Do It All the Time” (same article from the original source, The Orange County Weekly) 

 

See YouTube video: “Cultural Appropriation Tastes Damn Good.”

 

Cultural Appropriation Tastes Damn Good

1C Formative Assessment #2 for Chimera Essay

1C Formative Assessment #2 for Chimera Essay

 

The Assignment: Write a Cause and Effect Thesis Paragraph

 

Write a thesis paragraph that answers this question: “How does the chimera get inside someone’s head, grow into an all-consuming obsession, and entail relentless self-destruction?” 

To answer this question requires analysis: You are analyzing the causes and effects of the chimera as it is evident in one of the stories, movies, or comedy special. 

Instructions for This Assignment

 

One. Begin by asking these questions: “What made Character X’s brain such a potent breeding ground for receiving a chimera and then allowing the chimera to flourish? In other words, what were the causes behind Character X being so eager to embrace his or her chimera?

 

Two. Then you are asking, how does this chimera manifest in various symptoms? In other words, what were the effects of this chimera?

 

Three. Develop a cause and effect thesis paragraph that breaks down a chimera into its parts, you are analyzing its powers of self-destruction. 

 

For example, here is a cause and effect thesis addressing the problem of political tribalism in America. 

 

The isolation of people in their social media bubbles, the hyper-partisan hostility that festers in those bubbles, and the cognitive bias that cherry-picks evidence so that people confirm their prejudices is creating a Cold Civil War, creating a climate that makes it impossible for civic disagreement, and is creating a climate so that “owning the libs” or “owning the Right” is more important than achieving a common understanding. 

 

You are creating a similar structure for your Chimera Essay. 

 

Sample thesis structure:

 

Character X fell prey to the chimera because of ____________ and _________, and this resulted in ______________, ______________, and ____________________. 

List of Requirements for This Assignment

One. Your thesis paragraph answers the question: How does the chimera get inside someone’s head and lead to self-destruction?  

Two. Your paragraph should be between 150-200 words in length.

Three. The reasons that you provide in your thesis provide an outline for the subsequent body paragraphs.

Four. Your paragraph should be uploaded as an attachment to either turnitin or Unicheck, depending on which platform has a contract with the college. 

How I Break Down Your Grade for This Assignment of 25 Points

One. Thesis paragraph that powerfully explains the causes behind chimera and provides body paragraph outline embedded in the causes, 10 points. 

Two. Have sufficient details to establish a meaningful, authentic approach to the subject. A writer never wants to just “go through the motions,” that is to say, deliver a perfunctory effort. Deliver the degree of authenticity and meaning this subject deserves, 10 points. 

Three. Write full sentences and avoid sentence mechanics, spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors. Be especially mindful of avoiding comma splice and sentence fragments, 5 points.  

Read Your Feedback on Assignment Comments

When you receive your score, you will be notified through Canvas, and the comments will be delivered on the Assignments Comments page through SpeedGrader.

Resources Needed for This Assignment:

Content Resources:

 

Your main sources are the following:

 

The short story “Winter Dreams” by F. Scott Fitzgerald.

 

Optional Sources If You Don’t Choose “Winter Dreams” (Choose One)

 

Hasan Minhaj’s comedy special on Netflix, Homecoming King, in which Minhaj pursues “The Great White Princess.” What were the causes and effects behind Minhaj’s obsession with “The Great White Princess”?

 

The 1995 Todd Haynes film Safe in which a suburban housewife, Carol Wife, goes on an obsessive search for Safety and Purity. What are the causes and effects of Carol’s search for Safety and Purity?

 

The 2018 Netflix film Private Life, starring Paul Giamatti and Kathryn Hahn, in which they play a frustrated couple who fail at their repeated attempts at conceiving a baby. What are the causes and effects of the couple’s obsession with having a baby? In what ways is having a baby a chimera for this couple? What kinds of problems does this couple think the baby chimera will solve?

 

The 1941 film Citizen Kane in which Charles Foster Kane amasses wealth and material objects as a substitute for his obsession with what he lost in his childhood: unconditional love (“Rosebud”). What are the causes and effects of Charles Foster Kane’s obsession?

 

The 2017 Jordan Peele horror film Get Out in which the white supremacy cult in the movie don’t see African-Americans as human beings but rather as chimerical beings, part superhuman, part subservient, part inferior, and part resource to be exploited and used for their own sinister purposes. 

1C Formative Assessment #2 for Groupthink Essay

1C Formative Assessment #2 for Groupthink

 

The Assignment: Develop an Analytical Thesis for Groupthink Essay

 

For your thesis, you are not so much arguing that Groupthink affects the actions in one of the stories or the documentary you’re analyzing because the Groupthink is self-evident and does not require an argument.

What is required however is showing how the story or documentary fleshes out the distinguishing characteristics or symptoms of Groupthink. These characteristics will determine your body paragraphs.

It won’t be practical to address all 8 Groupthink symptoms in your essay. To be realistic and practical for a 1,200-word essay, focusing on 4 or 5 symptoms will be more appropriate for your purposes. 

Instructions for This Assignment

Match 4 or 5 of the Groupthink symptoms with elements of the story you choose. Whether you’re analyzing “The Lottery,” “Country of the Blind” or the documentary FYRE, you’re essentially matching parts of one of those stories with 4 or 5 Groupthink symptoms. 

For example, your body paragraphs might address the following:

One. The group feels invulnerable to the possibility of being wrong.

Two. The group ignores dissent and negative feedback to rationalize its stupid behavior.

Three. The group dismisses outside opinion as dissenters by painting them with negative stereotypes.

Four. The group has Mind Guards who block all dissent. 

Five. People in the group are so terrified of being expelled that they engage in self-censorship. 

Example of an Analytical Thesis That Addresses Groupthink in One Sentence:

Considered the ugliest car of all time, the Pontiac Aztec is a dumpster fire of design that owes its astonishing ugliness to corporate Groupthink, which prevailed in the Aztec’s design through the committee’s delusion of invulnerability, the committee’s suppression of dissent, the committee demeaning outside voices, the committee relying on Mind Guards to keep everyone in lockstep, and the committee terrifying everyone into a state of self-censorship. 

Example of an Analytical Thesis That Addresses Groupthink in Two Sentences:

Considered the ugliest car of all time, the Pontiac Aztec is a dumpster fire of design that owes its astonishing ugliness to corporate Groupthink, which destroyed much needed critical thinking. The triumph of Groupthink over critical thinking was evident in the following: the committee’s delusion of invulnerability, the committee’s suppression of dissent, the committee demeaning outside voices, the committee relying on Mind Guards to keep everyone in lockstep, and the committee terrifying everyone into a state of self-censorship. 

List of Requirements for This Assignment

One. Your thesis paragraph should show the clear link between Groupthink and your selected story or documentary. 

Two. Your thesis paragraph should outline your body paragraphs.

Three. Your paragraph should have sufficient detail evidenced by a length of about 150-200.

Four. Your paragraph should be uploaded as an attachment to either turnitin or Unicheck, depending on which platform has a contract with the college. 

Learning Objectives for Formative Assessment #2, Writing Analytical Thesis Paragraph for Your Groupthink Essay

One. Develop a deeper understanding of Groupthink and your selected story or documentary.

Two. Develop a deeper grasp of the consequences of Groupthink. 

Three. Learn how an analytical thesis outlines your body paragraphs.

How I Break Down Your Grade for This Assignment of 25 Points

One. Clarity and usefulness of your thesis paragraph for framing your story or documentary analysis, 10 points. 

Two. Have sufficient details to establish a meaningful, authentic approach to the subject. A writer never wants to just “go through the motions,” that is to say, deliver a perfunctory effort. Deliver the degree of authenticity and meaning this subject deserves, 10 points. 

Three. Write full sentences and avoid sentence mechanics, spelling, grammar, and punctuation errors. Be especially mindful of avoiding comma splice and sentence fragments, 5 points.  

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Your Reources for This Assignment:

 

For Groupthink:

 

One. “Groupthink” in Psychology Today gives a succinct definition.

Two. “Groupthink” in Communication Theory elaborates on the important distinguishing characteristics (The 8 Symptoms of Groupthink), many of which you can use as paragraphs for your essay. 

Three. YouTube video by Khan Academy: “Conformity and Groupthink”

Conformity and Groupthink

 

For “The Lottery”

 

One. “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson: This is a “horror story” about a town that follows an unquestioned tradition of sacrificing one of its citizens every year to encourage a healthy harvest. Groupthink prevents the citizens from questioning their barbaric practice. 

 

Two. Zeynep Aydin article “Analysis of ‘The Lottery’ by Shirley Jackson”

 

Three. Course Hero YouTube video: “The Lottery by Shirley Jackson”

 

“The Lottery by Shirley Jackson”

 

Four. SixMinuteVideo “Understanding ‘The Lottery’ by Shirley Jackson”

 

Understanding the Lottery by Shirley Jackson

 

For “The Country of the Blind”:

 

“The Country of the Blind” by H.G. Wells. This is an “adventure story” about a man who discovers an underground city of blind people who have created what is in their minds a sort of utopia, and this explorer has an opportunity to spend the rest of his days in this utopia and marry the city’s most beautiful goddess, but under one condition that will change his life forever. Groupthink prevents the citizens from questioning the willed ignorance that girds their false utopia. 

 

Alparslan Nas has written “‘The Country of the Blind’ by Wells: The Author Deconstruction.”

For Netflix documentary FYRE: The Greatest Party That Never Happened:

 

One. The 97-minute Netflix documentary FYRE: The Greatest Party That Never Happened. This documentary is about one of the most colossal flops in recent history in which the people behind a slick marketing campaign can’t execute a concert as promised, and Groupthink prevents key players from standing up and saying what they can see all along: “We got a trainwreck on our hands.”

 

Two. In the New York Times, Wesley Morris has written an insightful review, “‘Fyre and “Fyre Fraud’ Reviews: Behind the Scenes of a Music Festival Fiasco.”