Friday, January 28, 2011

My Blank Is Better Than Your Blank

Your first assignment for this class is to write a 3 paragraph argumentative essay about why something you like is better than something else. Use the chart we made in class about choral groups as a guide to make a chart about your topic. We will be using this chart in class on Tuesday to make an outline. In order to prepare, read the following guides about the writing process:
After you have looked through this material, post the most useful thing you learned from it as a comment below. How will these ideas help you become a better writer? Also mention what was not helpful to you.
Remember, the chart will be due in class on Tuesday, the outline will be done in class on Tuesday, and the draft will be due on Thursday. The draft must be double-spaced, in Times New Roman font pt 12, with your name, the date, your course and section, and my name in the upper left hand corner single-spaced.
The Assignment
Think of something that you like and compare it to something that you think that it is superior to. Use facts about your topic, such as statistics, awards, or evidence of popularity to back up your argument that one thing is better than the other. Make sure that you take into account what is good about the other thing without taking away from your argument. Be passionate, but fair. In other words, I don't want an argument structured like My D*ck. (Warning: this link may be offensive to some/all students. Do not click if you are concerned about this, it's not on a test or anything.)

10 comments:

  1. The strategy that I would perfer to use is the prewriting strategy. The other two are helpful but, the prewriting strategy allows you to write, reread what you have written, and make the corrections as needed. However, all of the strategies allow you to brainstorm but there is a certain amount of facts that you can put in a paper. If I had to choose another strategy than the prewriting, I would pick the outline because it seems easier and it is straight to the point.

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  2. For me the one about Prewriting was the most helpful beacause I often find myself stuck or not knowing how to start off my essays. This strategy gave me helpful hints on how I could come up with thoughts to relate to my audience and keep their attention. It also gave me helpful hints on how to collect my ideas such as acting as if I was at an interview by answering questions about the topic. All together I found all three off the writing guides very helpful.

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  3. Cole,Jessica
    The strategy I prefer to use is the prewriting assignment. I like that assignment because I am able to brain storm, write, reread and write some more. I love all three of the strategies but the prewriting really suck with me the most.

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  4. I would have to say Starting the Writing Process would help me most. I sometimes have difficult times starting my papers, but the Writing Process really helped. Purpose for writing this assignment helped also when I asked my self questions. What didn't help was the Rhetorical elements an questions about the audience.

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  5. I would have to say the prewriting is the most helpful. It's the stage where I can go and just really think about what I am going to write about and write it. An outline is really not helpful to me because when I start jotting down things and don't actually start writing, I sometimes tend to forget so I mostly skip this stage and start my rough draft.

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  6. Michael Baldwin
    The one that would most helpful to me is the prewriting(invention). It is helpful to me because once I sit to write my mind goes blank and with these steps it would give me a good starting point. The outline stage was most not as useful for me.

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  7. I would prefer the prewriting form of preparing to write a paper. I find it helpful because I can write out all my thoughts about the topic, but it does not have to be in formal paragraphs or even make complete since. The outline form is also helpful but I think its more complicated than simply prewriting.

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  8. i like prewriting but, i would perfer to juz write or free hand. When you are able to freehand write you just flow; uncut, raw, untainted energy that is coming fresh from your mind through the pen to the paper. Then, after that passion has been expressed, then, the writer can fine tune and adjust the magic into an art.

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  9. I think the prewriting is the best thing to use. It allow you to think about things before you actually start writing. Because when you first try to sit down and write your brain does go blank. But then you have to make a thesis, outline and then you can begin your rough draft

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  10. The most helpful thing to start a paper is prewriting. Prewriting is best thing beacause it helps me to gather my thoughts and brainstorm on how Im going to write my paper.

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