Sudden Argument #2 (Paine's America v. America Today) & Sudden Argument #1 (Creativity & Education)

Due Monday, March 16.
* Find a relevant source to strengthen the persuasiveness of your response to the "Paine & America Today" prompt.
* After your Sudden Argument #2 Google Doc or handwritten notes about the discussion, take thorough double entry notes on the source. (Remember on the right side of your notes to include both ideas about the source in relation to the prompt and ideas about the quality and relevance of the source.)
* Either in the notes on the right side or in a separate paragraph incorporate the source into a response to the prompt. Use reasoning and detail. Be thoughtful and thorough.
We'll share this work on Monday.

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Here's a link to the prompt. (Go to the last page of the document to find Question 3.)

On paper or in a Google Doc (Sudden Argument #2: America Today) write down 1) how Paine characterizes America in 1791, 2) the extent to which you think Paine's characterization of America in 1791 hold true today, 3) evidence and reasons to support and develop your position on the extent to which Paine's characterization of America hold true today.

You will use the notes to participate in a discussion based on the prompt.

And when not involved in the discussion you will take notes on your peers' positions, reasoning, and supporting evidence.

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I never created a post for the Sudden Argument #1, so here it is:

Here's a link to the prompt. (Go to the last page of the document to find Question 3.)

On paper of in a Google Doc (Sudden Argument #1: Creativity and Education) write down 1) your definition of creativity and 2) whether or not there should be a creativity class at Gloucester High School.

You will use the notes to participate in a discussion based on the prompt.

And when not involved in the discussion you will take notes on your peers' positions, reasoning, and supporting evidence.

Read and annotate "Creativity Crisis". Write notes on how reading the piece informs your response to the prompt.

Do the same as above ^^^ for a piece of creativity and education that you find on your own. 

Making a proposal: How should creativity be incorporated into learning at Gloucester High School?

Make a proposal. How should creativity be incorporated into student learning at Gloucester High School?

The proposal should be one to two pages, double-spaced, 12-point font.

You may use any supporting sources as long as they are cited (both in the text and in a works cited page). You have "Creativity Crisis," the article you found, and the articles you talked about with peers.

Think about using the argument and rhetoric strategies we have learned: narrative, counterargument, rebuttal, concession, logos, pathos, ethos, etc.

Also, think deeply about your audience. Who should hear your proposal? I had assumed school administrators and the school committee, but a few of you thought that you would first have to convince colleges to make creativity more of a factor in admissions before the high school would consider incorporating more cultivation of creativity into its courses offerings. So I'm leaving the issue of audience open for you to decide. By knowing the audience you will be able to anticipate the audiences concerns and employ an appropriate, effective, and engaging writing style.

All audiences will be distracted from your argument by word use errors, grammatical errors, etc. Read your piece aloud to yourself and edit carefully before class time on Tuesday.  

Due Tuesday (3/10) by class time.

Mini-Research Project (to build research-based argument skills)

Due Thursday, March 5.

 Directions:

1. Find an article on creativity and education that would, in some way, inform your response to the 2014 AP English Language and Composition Exam Question 3:  "Write to your school board explaining what you mean by creativity and arguing for or against the creation of a class in creativity."

2. Take double entry notes on the article. At the top, include the citation information. On the left side, include quotations, details, facts, paraphrases, summary information. Include your ideas (1) about the article in relation to the topic/question/thesis and (2) about evaluating, critiquing, analyzing the article. (See below.)

3. Use your notes to write an annotated citation that includes an MLA citation of the source, a summary of the source, an analytical evaluation of the source, and a discussion of the relevance of the source. (See below.)

EXAMPLE NOTES

Do the Math. Dir. Kelly Nyks and Jared P. Scott. Prod. Kelly Nyks and Jared P. Scott. Perf. Bill McKibben. Youtube.com. N.p., 5 Aug. 2013. Web. 30 Mar. 2014. <http://youtu.be/KuCGVwJIRd0>.

“We now know enough to know how much is too much. Any value for carbon in the atmosphere greater than 350 ppm is not compatible with the planet on which civilization developed & to which life on earth is adapted. That’s pretty strong language for scientists to use. Stronger still if you know that outside today the atmosphere is 395 ppm Co2. And rising 2 ppm every year.” “If the world officially believes anything about climate change it’s that 2 degrees is too much. Second number. Scientists have calculated how much carbon we can pour into the atmosphere and have a reasonable chance of staying below 2 degrees. They say about 565 more gigatons. That’s not a perfect chance, it’s worse odds than russian roulette. We pour 30 billion tons a year in now and it goes up 3% a year do the math and its about 15 years before we go past that threshold. So that’s sobering news.” 12:48 in the video “The third number was the important number and the new one. And it came from a team of financial analysts in the UK. What they did was sit down with all the annual reports and SEC filings to figure out how much carbon the world’s fossil fuel industry already had in their reserves. And that turned out to be 2795 gigatons worth of carbon. Five times as much as the most conservative governments on earth think would be safe to pour into the atmosphere.” “What the fossil fuel industry is doing is locking humanity into a future that we cannot survive.”14:00 “When a utility burns coal, it is the cheapest source of fuel, but they’re not paying the full price. The externalities, the additional costs to society, to human health, to the environment, are not factored in as a cost of doing business. We subsidize the fossil fuel industries. We are paying them to keep polluting.” 19:28 “CEO of Exxon Mobil Rex Tillerson gave a speech in which he said yes, global warming does exist. ‘Clearly it’s going to have an impact. So I’m not disputing that an increase in CO2 emissions is going to have an impact. It’ll have a warming impact.’ But since the only way to stop that would be to take a hit to the corporation’s profitability, he immediately tried to change the subject. ‘It’s an engineering problem, and it has engineering solutions.’ Oh really what kind of engineering solutions were you thinking? ‘Changes to weather areas that move crop production areas around; we’ll adapt to that.’ Look, in all respect but that’s crazy talk. You can’t move crop production areas around. We already have farms every place that there is decent soil on earth. It is true that Exxon has done all it can to melt the tundra but that does not mean that you can just move Iowa up there and start over again. There is no soil.” 27:24 “This industry has behaved so recklessly that they should lose their social license, their veneer of respectability. We need to take away their power and their are a lot of way we are going to do it. First tool is divestment. We are going to ask that institutions like colleges and churches sell their stock in these companies. If it’s wrong to wreck the climate then it’s wrong to profit from that wreckage.”

film based on a nationwide tour done by the famed environmentalist Bill McKibben. For most of the documentary he is giving lectures on the horrible oil corporations. He outlines a set of frightening numbers. That the world’s leaders have agreed a rise of 2º C is too much. That around 565 gigatons of carbon emissions would put us past that 2º threshold. that the largest oil refineries have 2795 gigatons worth of carbon emissions in their reserves. pass of this 2º would result in massive changes to our weather systems and an increase in the amount of natural disasters we have each year. outlines the motivation of these oil companies: money. could not be more important to our welfare on this planet. mostly discusses the frightening future these corporations are locking us into.

EXAMPLE ANNOTATED CITATION

Do the Math. Dir. Kelly Nyks and Jared P. Scott. Prod. Kelly Nyks and Jared P. Scott. Perf. Bill McKibben. Youtube.com. N.p., 5 Aug. 2013. Web. 30 Mar. 2014. <http://youtu.be/KuCGVwJIRd0>.

The Do the Math documentary is a film based on a nationwide tour done by the famed environmentalist Bill McKibben. For most of the documentary he is giving lectures on the horrible oil corporations. He outlines a set of frightening numbers. That the world’s leaders have agreed a rise of 2º C is too much. That around 565 gigatons of carbon emissions would put us past that 2º threshold. And finally, that the largest oil refineries have 2795 gigatons worth of carbon emissions in their reserves. A pass of this 2º would result in massive changes to our weather systems and an increase in the amount of natural disasters we have each year. He also outlines the motivation of these oil companies: money. He talks of their astronomical annual earnings. All of this, he argues, could not be more important to our welfare on this planet. If we continue on this path, we will face the greatest challenge the human race has ever had to face. There is no solution to a world already ruined by climate change. There are ways for us to stop it from becoming any worse. This source is reputable, as it is created by a nonprofit organization. And it is also powerful in its language and carries a persuasive message.This source works well for me because it mostly discusses the frightening future these corporations are locking us into.  The film analyzes how these companies have a disregard for the fate of the world, so it coincides with my report quite nicely.

Maps of the Issues (and Implications) of Consumerism (and Commodification) in 13 Texts

(Top row, left to right): Map for Source F (Shah), Map for Source K (Snyders)
(Bottom row, left to right): Map for Source M (Frank), Map for Source C (Banksy)

Top row (left to right): Map for Source B (Kruger), Map for Source L (Adbusters)
Bottom row (left to right): Map for Locavore essay (oops), Map for Source A (Waterson)

Top row (left to right): 2nd Map for Source F (Shah), Map for Source D (Rockwell, Jr.)
Bottom row (left to right): Map for Source K (New York Times), Map for Source G (Atwan)

Top row (left to right): Map for Source E (Johnson), 2nd Map for Source E (Johnson)
Top row (left to right): 2nd Map for source K (Snyder), 3rd Map for Source F (Shah)

Two people were assigned Source I (Standage) but neither map made it into the pictures.
If Madison and/or Julia send me a picture of your map of the Standage essay on bottled water, I'll post it here.

Synthesis Essay on Consumerism and Commodification

AP English Language and Composition

Synthesis Essay on Consumerism and Commodification

Consumerism is a term used to describe a social and economic system that encourages the ever-increasing consumption of goods and services. Commodification (or commoditization) is a related term used to describe the process of turning ideas, values, and other entities not normally regarded as a commodity (an economic product) into a commodity. 

Imagine that a school district looking to make its curriculum more relevant to life in the 21^st century has asked you to evaluate the role of consumerism and commodification in contemporary American culture. Carefully review the sources I've provided in this unit. Then synthesize information from at least five (5) of the sources and incorporate that information into a coherent, well-developed essay that identifies the key issues associated with consumerism and commodification and that examines their implications for life in the 21^st century.

Make sure that your argument is central; use the sources to illustrate and support your reasoning. Avoid merely summarizing the sources. Indicate clearly which sources you are drawing from, whether through direct quotation, paraphrase, or summary. Cite the sources using the information provided below in parentheses.

[Based on your choices in class 2/4/15]

Source A (Waterson)                                      “Endorsing Products is the American Way…” (comic)

Source B (Kruger)                                           “I Shop Therefore I Am” (photo collage)

Source C (Banksy)                                          “Bansky on Advertising” (text & shaped text)

Source D (Rockwell, Jr.)                                 “In Defense of Consumerism” (persuasive essay)

Source E (Johnson)                                         “When teens talk, companies listen” (newspaper article)

Source F (Shah)                                              “Consumption and Consumerism (researched essay)

Source G (Atwan)                                           “Packaging Culture” (introductory essay)

Source H (Amnesty International)                  “What Price for Those Diamonds?” (poster)

Source I (Standage)                                        “Our Thirst for Bottled Water” (persuasive essay)

Source J (New York Times)                             “Lots of Bottles” (graphs & chart)

Source K (Snyders)                                         “The Full MoA (Mall of America)” (essay with photographs)

Source L (Adbusters)                                      “Think Globally Before You Decide...” (satirical ad)

Source M (Frank)                                            “The Conquest of Cool” (persuasive essay)

Source O (Boihem)                                         "The Ad and the Ego" (documentary)

Source P (Goodman)                                      "The Merchants of Cool" (documentary)

Source Q (Dretzin and Goodman)               "The Persuaders" (documentary)

Source R (Koughan and Rushkoff)               "Generation Like" (documentary)

Source S (                                            )           ____________________________________

Source T (                                            )           ____________________________________

Source U (                                           )           ____________________________________

Source V (                                           )           ____________________________________

Understanding and Participating in a Societal “Conversation”:

Consumerism and Commodification

Understanding the range of positions within the “conversation”

0. Read and annotate the “Consumerism and Commodification” packet (plus one other source not in the packet*). Annotate with the prompt in mind and annotate for rhetorical strategies._______________

1. What is the purpose of each text in the packet? Persuade? Inform? Engage and entertain? How so? Write each purpose down. (If the purpose is persuasion, what is the central position of the text? If the purpose is information, what is the information about and what does the information imply or suggest?) ___________

2. In your assigned group make a map of the conversation. In the middle of the map write “Consumerism and Commodification” in an oval. Draw lines from the oval out to the title of each text. Draw a line from the title of each text to a sentence stating the purpose of each text. Visually depict the relationship between the different texts. How you do this is up to you. For example, you might draw lines between purposes that seem related, draw a series of x’s between purposes that seem to oppose or contradict each other, and use colors to indicate certain types of texts and/or strategies. Be creative. Show understanding and insight. Be awesome.  ____________

Going deeper into a single text

3. I will assign you a text in the packet to look at more closely. You will write a 150-200 word formal annotation. What does that mean? A formal annotation includes a summary, analysis, and evaluation of the text. (These annotations are important for creating annotated bibliographies, annotated works cited, and annotated works consulted pages. We’re not creating those now, but we’re practicing for later in the year.)______________

Identifying and examining implications of issues within the “conversation”

4. Annotate the “Consumerism and Commodification” prompt on the front of the packet. Identify key words and phrases. What is the prompt asking you to do? What does it mean to “identify issues”? What does consumerism mean? What does commodification mean? What does it mean to “examine the implications”? _________

5. Make a mini-map of the issues and the implications of the issues within the text you were assigned and within a source not in the packet*. For each text write the title and the purpose of the text in the middle. Connect the title/purpose to issues. Connect the issues to the implications of that issue. This will help your assigned group plan a response to the prompt._________________________

6. Get together with your assigned group. Together you will make a map of the issues and implications in the whole packet.
• First your group will work from the mini-maps you created in step 5. Write “Consumerism and Commodification” in the middle. Draw a line to each issue your group members identified in their mini-maps. Connect each issue to one or more implication. Then connect each issue/implication strand to the particular texts in the packet related to the issue/implication. _____________

• Then you’ll link up with other groups. Add to your map using other groups’ ideas about issues related to consumerism and commodification, the implications of those issues, and the texts that contain those issues and suggest those implications. _____________

Entering the conversation

7. Read and annotate the “locavore” prompt and essay you are given. Make a map of the essay. Put the author’s central argument in the middle. Connect the central argument to issues. Connect issues to implications. Connect issues/implications to support from sources. What does the map reveal about the effectiveness of the essay’s response to the prompt? _________________________

8. Use your group’s map of the issues and implications to make a map of your own that you will use as the basis for a response to the consumerism and commodification prompt. Put your central argument in the middle. Connect the central argument to issues. Connect issues to implications. Connect issues/implications to support from sources. _________________________

9. Write, self/peer assess, and revise an essay in response to the consumerism and commodification prompt. (Note: Using the locavore essay as a model we will all create narrative openings this time.)  _________________________

At the end you’ll have

0. informal annotations of each text in the packet (and one additional text not in the packet)
1. a list of statements about the purpose of each text in the packet
2. a group map of the “conversation”
3. a formal annotation (summary, analysis, evaluation) of one text in the packet
4. an annotated prompt (on the front of the packet)
5. a mini-map of the issues/implications within the text you were assigned and a text not in the packet
6. a group map of the issues/implications within the whole packet
7. a mini-map of the “locavore” essay
8. a pre-writing map to help you write your own essay
9. an essay addressing the “commodification and consumerism” prompt. (You will have at least two drafts of the essay. The first draft will show evidence of self/peer assessment.)