Work Period for Essay - Friday, November 7

You have this period to work on your essay. Please have a first draft completed for my review on Monday.

The Body and Conclusion for the Essay and Quotations In and Out of Context - Thursday, November 6

Today I showed you part of a video used with science and geography students called, "the Story of Stuff with Annie Leonard". My point in showing you parts of this was to illustrate how quotation or paraphrase of someone can be taken out of context and used to make the case for something totally unrelated.

In this case, Ms. Leonard's thesis is critical of the consumer, materialistic society we live in. She explains that we use too much (especially Americans), shop too much and dispose of everything, leading to incredible waste and a polluted planet which exploits the world and its poorest people.

To read a critical review of the video, see the link below...

http://www.andybrain.com/qna/2007/12/07/annie-leonards-the-story-of-stuff-review-and-analysis/

My point was not to argue about the content as done in the review above. My point in class was to focus in on one political comment she made in which she suggested that after 911, President Bush's solution was not to ask people to pray or grieve, but to shop. She used this to show that the government is "in the pocket" of "big business"; that even in our darkest hours of national peril, the evil conspirators who rule the world just want us to buy things and be consumers for nothing more than our own greed and for those who profit from our greed.

On the surface, this quote seems pretty callous on the part of the President, but after some searching I found the comments that Ms. Leonard was referring to. They are posted verbatim as President Bush delivered them at a Washington mosque.

http://archives.cnn.com/2001/US/09/17/gen.bush.muslim.trans/

It would seem that the President, in the aftermath of 911, was concerned about how some Americans might treat other Americans of Muslim faith.

Here is some of what he said from the transcript above:

"In our anger and emotion, our fellow Americans must treat each other
with respect. Women who cover their heads in this country must feel
comfortable going outside their homes. Moms who wear covering must not be
intimidated in America. That's not the America I know; that's not the America I value.

I've been told that some fear to leave; some don't want to go shopping for
their families; some don't want to go about their ordinary daily routines
because, by wearing cover, they're afraid they'll be intimidated. That should
not and that will not stand in America.

Those who feel like they can intimidate our fellow citizens to take out
their anger don't represent the best of America. They represent the worst of
humankind. And they should be ashamed of that kind of behavior.

And it's a great country; it's a great country because (we) share the same
values of respect and dignity and human worth. And it is my honor to be
meeting with leaders who feel just the same way I do. They are outraged;
they're sad. They love America just as much as I do. "

Further research revealed only one other instance in the initial days following 911 that shopping was discussed as an issue. The President was commenting that people should go about their business and not be afraid to shop, travel, or do as they pleased because to do so would mean the terrorists would win.

In either case, the President clearly was not encouraging people to shop for the sake of shopping. And there is considerable evidence that he not only encouraged but engaged in prayer and grieving after 911. Ms. Leonard's interpretation is without question a manipulation of the President's words and motives.

This example illustrates the reasons why I encourage you on a daily basis to challenge everything you read and hear, as bias is everywhere and sometimes it is subtle. As well, while this example uncovers a clear leftist bias and manipulation of the facts, politicians of all political stripes, their operatives, and the media engage in these kinds of activities all the time. A good historian and indeed an active citizen questions motives, checks and cross references facts, and is suspicious of all. Stay vigilant.

The Essay

In the second half of the class, we examined the body and the conclusion of the essay.

Below is a summary of my instruction...

The purposes of the body paragraph are (in order of appearance):

1. State a topic sentence (The topic sentence isolates one supporting argument and connects it to the thesis.)
2. Provide supporting details (These are the sentences which form the substance of your position. They are logical and defensible explanations of the topic at hand.)
3. Make a transition between topics (This sentence bridges the gap from the present topic to the next topic.)

Finally, we discussed the conclusion.

The purpose of the conclusion is to communicate a clearer, more in-depth version of the thesis. Remember, the writing process involves thinking. When you are writing your conclusion, you have taken the time to get your point of view into one clear, simple, yet comprehensive thought (the thesis). You have organized your thoughts and explained why you believe what you believe. So, at this point you can focus back on that thesis and explore it more fully for the benefit of the reader.

My apologies...without a doubt, this is the least clear of the descriptions that I have given you. My main point is for you to understand that the conclusion is not merely a clip and paste of the introduction -- it is the most original and profound part of your writing. As you practice it and I get a chance to give you feedback on it, you will come to understand what I mean on a practical level.

Reviewing the Introductory Paragraph - Wednesday, November 5

Today we reviewed the introductory paragraphs for your papers. Please remember to make sure that the people or events that you use as supporting evidence for your thesis logically and clearly support the position you are taking.

On Thursday, we will look at the goals of the body paragraphs and the conclusion.

Fine Tuning Your Research - Tuesday, November 4

Yesterday, we discussed the purposes of the research paper's introductory paragraph:

1. Provide a general opening/introductory statement
2. Clearly and succinctly state a thesis.
3. Provide a clear list of supporting arguments for the thesis.

An essay assignment can come to you in two ways:

• A question (Ex. What was the key cause of the American Revolution?)
• A directive (Ex. Identify the key cause of the American Revolution.)

In either case, you want your thesis to provide a clear and direct answer to the question posed (or the directive given).

So... go back to your question:

If the colonial period represented the "incubation period" and the War of Independence represented the "birth" of the United States, then what role did your specific time period have in its development? And in support of your analysis, what specific events and people led the way in that development?

... and lets see if you have enough research and reading done to develop a introductory paragraph with three pieces of supporting evidence.

The introductory paragraph is due on Wednesday. I will read them over at that time and we will go on.

Research and Planning - Friday, October 31

Today you worked on your research as assigned. On Monday, I will discuss with you some aspects of essay writing and also talk to you about the specific requirements for your presidential election studies.

A Little Interruption... Wednesday, October 29

Today we were supposed to be working on the research for our papers as assigned. However, as on occasion happens, we get a bit sidetracked.

We discussed some of the latest happenings as we near the November 4 election day. In particular, we talked about biases and fairness...

If Sara Palin is being criticized for the cost of her wardrobe, why are the men of the campaign not questioned about their costs?

We discussed whether or not there is a different standard for women than for men in the media and the latest issue which has received so much attention -- the hanging in effigy of Sara Palin and whether or not the reaction to having Barack Obama pictured the same way would be also protected as free speech or not.

Below are a couple of links addressing this matter:


http://www.reuters.com/article/sarahPalin/idUSTRE49Q79N20081027

http://www.sundriesshack.com/2008/10/27/sarah-palin-hung-in-effigy-and-the-ap-has-no-opinion/

If we can assume that there will be people who will vote against John McCain because he is older or against Sara Palin because she is a woman or against Barack Obama because of his race, or if we can assume hanging one candidate in effigy is somehow more acceptable than hanging another in effigy, it is clear that (at least sometimes) fairness and impartiality has little to do with election results or the choices people make.

Much the same way as historical neutrality is a sham, so is an unbiased electorate. It is human nature to be subjective. Perhaps that helps to explain why many of the "news" stories of the campaign have less to do with public policy matters and issues and more to do with personality and choices made in private lives. The general populace claims to be opposed to such coverage, yet they consistently pay attention to these things. Voters generally criticize politicians for not talking about the issues... The fact of the matter is politicians want to get elected -- and it may be that to do so, they are simply giving the public what they demonstrate they respond to.

Consider this an issue that may be part of the next blog test.

After the Revolution and Before the Civil War - Tuesday, October 28

Today, you were given your readings which will serve as a point of departure in your study of the time period for which you are responsible after the American Revolution and prior to the Civil War.

In the next days, I will lay out specifically the parameters of this assignment. For now, know that you are going to write a three page essay which looks at the significance of the time period for which you are responsible.

This assignment serves as the culmination of our work to date. You will be practicing your skills in historical criticism and analysis. That is to say that you will be examining, with a critical historical eye, the specified time period for the purposes of determining the following:

If the colonial period represented the "incubation period" and the War of Independence represented the "birth" of the United States, then what role did your specific time period have in its development? And in support of your analysis, what specific events and people led the way in that development?

Also, just a reminder about the presidential election study... it will be due November 18, two weeks after the election is over. Remember, you can find the required structure for the study on the Thursday, September 16th edition of the blog.