Notes Allowance for In-Class Essay

For your in-class essay next Monday, you may bring one page of notes, double-sided (handwritten or typed). These notes should relate to the creation/destruction of the female companion for the creature.

While you are not required to create this page of notes, it is strongly recommended, as you will be expected to include examples from the book in your essay.

You may not use the book itself while writing the essay. You may also not write out a sample essay on the notes; your notes should be about the book and include examples but not entire paragraphs.

Lastly, you will not be expected to use MLA citations for the in-class essay, but if you choose to directly quote, you should use quotation marks and incorporate the quotes naturally into your sentences.

The notes must be turned in with your essay.

In Class Essay

The In-Class Essay:

Aim and Organization

AIM:

To successfully prove a clear, specific thesis. The thesis should, obviously, address the prompt given in class. Following directions here, as always, is crucial to receiving a passing grade.

ORGANIZATION:

An in-class essay is organized into five paragraphs. The first paragraph is the introduction, then comes three body paragraphs, then a concluding paragraph. No more—no less!

You will want to make a brief outline before you write your essay.* Make sure the body paragraphs appear in a logical order, not simply the order they came to your mind in. Build on the information as you go.

Introductory Paragraph: Make sure not to take too much time writing in introduction. This paragraph should be about five sentences long (give or take a sentence or two). Provide a clearly arguable, well-qualified, thesis.

Body Paragraph One: Don’t forget to provide clear examples to back up your argument, as well as a topic sentence at the beginning of the paragraph.

Body Paragraph Two: Don’t forget to provide clear examples to back up your argument, as well as a topic sentence at the beginning of the paragraph. And remember, Body Paragraph Two should follow Body Paragraph One in terms of building logically upon it.

Body Paragraph Three: Don’t forget to provide clear examples to back up your argument, as well a topic sentence as the beginning of the paragraph. And remember, Body Paragraph Three should follow Body Paragraph Two in terms of building logically upon it.

Concluding Paragraph: Re-state your thesis. Summarize what has been successfully argued in the essay. End with a thoughtful and strong statement. This paragraph, like your introductory paragraph, need not be longer than five sentences, but should also not be shorter.

Grammar and formatting: Make sure to check your grammar and spelling as you go along. There is a bit more room for error in an in-class essay, but your essay must be readable and legible (so make sure your handwriting is clear). Double-check your essay for errors before you turn it in. You may choose to double-space or single space an in-class essay (depending on what your teacher requests).

*You will be required to turn in your brief outline with your essay for your this class. See “Sample Outline” below for details.

SAMPLE OUTLINE FOR IN-CLASS ESSAY

Par. 1: THESIS: Write out thesis statement here.

Par. 2: TOPIC SENTENCE/MAIN IDEA: Write out topic sentence/main idea for Paragraph 1 here.

Par. 3: TOPIC SENTENCE/MAIN IDEA: Write out topic sentence/main idea for Paragraph 2 here.

Par. 4: TOPIC SENTENCE/MAIN IDEA: Write out topic sentence/main idea for Paragraph 3 here.

Par. 5: CONCLUSION: Final thought to leave reader with.

*Remember, this is just a sample outline—yours can differ slightly. Also, you obviously will want to fully develop your intro, body paragraphs, and conclusion—so while you are providing the main idea of these paragraphs here in the outline, you will flesh them out with evidence/support in your actual essay.

Counterarguments

When you write an academic essay, you make an argument: you propose a thesis and offer some reasoning, using evidence, that suggests why the thesis is true. When you counter-argue, you consider a possible argument against your thesis or some aspect of your reasoning. This can be a persuasive and (in both senses of the word) disarming tactic. It allows you to anticipate doubts and pre-empt objections that a skeptical reader might have; it presents you as the kind of person who weighs alternatives before arguing for one, who confronts difficulties instead of sweeping them under the rug, who is more interested in discovering the truth than winning a point.

Not every objection is worth entertaining, of course, and you shouldn't include one just to include one. But some imagining of other views, or of resistance to one's own, occurs in most good essays. And instructors are glad to encounter counterargument in student papers, even if they haven't specifically asked for it.

The Turn Against
Counterargument in an essay has two stages: you turn against your argument to challenge it and then you turn back to re-affirm it. You first imagine a skeptical reader, or cite an actual source, who might resist your argument by pointing out

• a problem with your demonstration, e.g., that a different conclusion could be drawn from the same facts, a key assumption is unwarranted, a key term is used unfairly, certain evidence is ignored or played down;
• one or more disadvantages or practical drawbacks to what you propose;
• an alternative explanation or proposal that makes more sense.

You introduce this turn against with a phrase like One might object here that... or It might seem that... or It's true that... or Admittedly,... or Of course,... or with an anticipated challenging question: But how...? or But why...? or But isn't this just...? or But if this is so, what about...? Then you state the case against yourself as briefly but as clearly and forcefully as you can, pointing to evidence where possible. (An obviously feeble or perfunctory counterargument does more harm than good.)

The Turn Back
Your return to your own argument—which you announce with a but, yet, however, nevertheless or still—must likewise involve careful reasoning, not a flippant (or nervous) dismissal. In reasoning about the proposed counterargument, you may:

• refute it, showing why it is mistaken—an apparent but not real problem;
• acknowledge its validity or plausibility, but suggest why on balance it's relatively less important or less likely than what you propose, and thus doesn't overturn it;
• concede its force and complicate your idea accordingly—restate your thesis in a more exact, qualified, or nuanced way that takes account of the objection, or start a new section in which you consider your topic in light of it. This will work if the counterargument concerns only an aspect of your argument; if it undermines your whole case, you need a new thesis.

Where to Put a Counterargument
Counterargument can appear anywhere in the essay, but it most commonly appears

• as part of your introduction—before you propose your thesis—where the existence of a different view is the motive for your essay, the reason it needs writing;
• as a section or paragraph just after your introduction, in which you lay out the expected reaction or standard position before turning away to develop your own;
• as a quick move within a paragraph, where you imagine a counterargument not to your main idea but to the sub-idea that the paragraph is arguing or is about to argue;
• as a section or paragraph just before the conclusion of your essay, in which you imagine what someone might object to what you have argued.

But watch that you don't overdo it. A turn into counterargument here and there will sharpen and energize your essay, but too many such turns will have the reverse effect by obscuring your main idea or suggesting that you're ambivalent.

Transitions Exercise

Transitions Exercise

Go here.

Frankenstein Play Response Paper

Please write a one to two page (double-spaced) response to the play. Your response should contain the following elements:

PART 1: A SUMMARY OF THE WORK

 

To develop the first part of the report, do the following:

• Identify the author and title of the work, as well the director.
• Write an informative summary of the play, no longer than one paragraph.
• Condense the content of the play by highlighting its main points and key supporting points.
• Use direct quotations from the play to illustrate important ideas (optional).
• Do not discuss in great detail any single aspect of the work, and do not neglect to mention other equally important points.
• Also, keep the summary objective and factual. Do not include in the first part of the paper your personal reaction to the work; your subjective impression will form the basis of the second part of your paper. 
•  

PART 2: YOUR REACTION TO THE WORK

 

To develop the second part of your report, do the following:

• Focus on one or more of the following questions:
• How is the play related to ideas and concerns discussed our course?
• How are the play's themes related to problems in our present-day world?
• Did the play increase your understanding of a particular issue? Did it change your perspective in any way?

This report will not require a Works Cited page, but you should use MLA formatting for any in-text citations.

Please note that you will turn this paper in by Wednesday, 10/31, at the beginning of class.

Debate Structure

Hi everyone, here is the order of events for the debate. If you have any questions about these, please email me and ask.

Note: You will need to turn in your group's paper with your three main arguments, your examples for those arguments, your three anticipated arguments that the other side may hold, your rebuttals to those arguments and your examples to support your rebuttals. It should be typed and double spaced, and should have each of the group members names at the top. Please use complete sentences.

Note: Each person on your team will need to speak at one point during the debate. Feel free to divide this up however you like, provided each person shares at least one full argument or one full rebuttal.

Debate Order

Side 1 presents its three main arguments, with examples - 5 minutes

Side 2 presents its three main arguments, with examples - 5 minutes

Teams have 3 minutes to prepare rebuttals

Side 1 presents its rebuttal to Side 2's arguments - 3 minutes or less *may not present new facts

Side 2 presents its rebuttal to Side 1's arguments - 3 minutes or less *may not present new facts

Teams have 3 minutes to prepare rebuttals

Side 1 final rebuttal and closing argument - 3 minutes or less *may not present new facts

Side 2 final rebuttal and closing argument - 3 minutes or less *may not present new facts

Winning team gets ten participation points extra! And there will be a food prize.

Also, please read through these logical fallacies to make sure you aren't committing any in your argument. They are *really* common, especially in politics!

The Jury will base their decision on the following:

1) Arguments

Are they logical? Are they the strongest arguments for the team's perspective?

2) Rebuttals

Did they successfully address the other team's POV?

3) Teamwork

Did they work together well as a team?

4) Use of Examples

Are they "murder weapon" examples?

Rough Draft Workshop

DIRECTIONS: Please answer in complete sentences and take time and care in responding, as you will be graded on your answers. You do not need to write down the questions. You should address all questions within a given section. Give the notes to the Paper Author when finished. They will hand it in to me next week at the beginning of class on the day your final paper is due, and you will both get credit for the assignment.

Important: please do not spend your time during workshop correcting grammar. If you note a problem with grammar, you can spend any extra time at the end of workshop (if you have it) correcting grammar. Otherwise, please just let them know they have an issue, and they can correct it later.

1) Is the essay's thesis clear? Point out any areas where it could be clearer. Is it arguable? Is it well-qualified (specific)? Even if the thesis seems to be specific enough, suggest a way for the writer to make it even more specific and narrow (i.e. do they list the topics they plan to discuss in the body paragraphs in as precise a language as possible?).

2) Does the writer incorporate research from two scholarly sources into the essay? Do the sources seem to be strong and relevant for the thesis at hand? Do not ask the writer to tell you about them, but judge them based solely on what is in the paper. Write what you know about the sources below and give any suggestions for what you need to know more about. Also please note if they seem to be forcing irrelevant sources onto their paper.

3) Does the writer incorporate plenty of examples from their fairy tale and the outside sources examples in the essay? They should! Are those examples on topic and support their thesis?

4) Does the writer provide convincing, sufficient analysis for each and every one of their examples? Remember, analysis is as important than the quote itself. Make suggestions for improvement below, and be specific. The analysis should of course connect back to the thesis.

5) Is the paper organized? Do the main topics of the body paragraphs seem to build logically upon one another? Give at least one suggestion for improvement.

6) What are some ways in which the author might expand their ideas further? Are there any logical connections they could be making that are missing from the essay? Is their critical thinking going deep enough, or are they staying at a surface level with their interpretations of the text? Give suggestions for at least two places in the essay where they can go deeper.