English 1C Resources

English 1C Resources

GENERAL RESOURCES

Documenting Sources

	Purdue University's Online Writing Lab--also available in a printer-friendly version, this page gives a quick overview of the basics of MLA documentation, from the basic format for citing both print and electronic sources to the handling of quotations in your essay.
	Research and Documentation Online--a very useful site created by handbook author Diana Hacker and Bedford/St. Martin's Press. Divided into sections covering in-text citations, works cited page, end notes format, and manuscript format. Provides a sample essay demonstrating proper MLA format (in a PDF file).

ASSIGNMENT-SPECIFIC RESOURCES

Analyzing Two Arguments on Torture
This exercise is a shorter version of what you will be doing for Essay #1. Read these two articles on the controversial issue of using torture as a means of combating terrorism, and then write a brief (approximately 2 pages) analysis of how each author attempts to persuade his reader to accept a specific position on this topic:

	"The Case for Torture" by Michael Levin.
	"Is Torture Ever Justified?" by an editor of The Economist magazine.

For an example of an effective analysis, take a look at this student's response to the assignment. Notice how she applies the concepts introduced in class and relies on specific details to illustrate her point. It's also important to keep in mind that your own analysis doesn't need to cover the same features that this student examines. You may have noticed very different things in your own readings.

"Torture Articles Analysis" by Tenaya Craig

Analyzing Arguments within a Controversy
This assignment asks you to choose one of the following topics, read the two articles on that topic, and write an analysis of the arguments made by each author:

	SUVs, the Environment and Market Freedom: Bill McKibben's "Driving Global Warming" and John Bragg's "The American Dream: Why Environmentalists Attack the SUV"
	Civil Liberties, Public Safety and the War on Terror: John Ashcroft's "Testimony to the Senate Committee on the Judiciary" and David Cole's "The Ashcroft Raids"
	Racial Profiling: Sherry Colb's "The New Face of Racial Profiling" and Roger Clegg's "Profiling Terrorists"
	Gay Marriage: Andrew Sullivan's "Here Comes the Groom: A (Conservative) Case for Gay Marriage" and Lisa Schiffren's "Gay Marriage, an Oxymoron"

Analyzing the 2008 Presidential Election
This assignment requires you examine an aspect of the current presidential election that you can analyze for its rhetorical features, i.e. how the two candidates are influencing voters. To begin this, you will need to choose specific ads, speeches, photos, web content, interviews, etc. that you can focus on. There are plenty of web sites to look at, but a few of the best starting places are these:

	C-SPAN Politics--Campaign 2008: This site features an excellent collection of ads, speeches, interviews and debate footage in the form of video clips and podcasts.
	ProCon.org 2008 Election: This site offers an objective and well-organized overview of each candidate's position on the issues. It also has an extensive collection of election-related material.
	University of Southern California Election 2008: USC's Media Relations Department put together this site to examine and analyze media coverage of the election. Consider using this site as a way to locate sources that can provide helpful commentary and analysis.

If you find other useful sites in your research, please let me know about them to share with the class.

Analyzing Evidence: The Andrea Yates Case
This exercise requires you to first read through the brief introduction and three articles focusing on the case of Andrea Yates, the Texas mother who drowned her five children in June 2001. Then you will write an analysis that identifies the types of evidence that were used in the articles and case in general to influence the public's view of Yates.

	Introduction to the Yates Case--an overview of the case itself and the questions that it brings up. Read this first before the articles.
	"Mommy Undearest"--a July 4, 2001 article by Sally Satel, a practicing psychiatrist. Satel provides some background for postpartum depression and psychosis, and how it applies to the Yates case.
	"Maternal Madness...or Sheer Iniquity? Mothers Who Kill"--an October 1, 2001 article by conservative commentator John Derbyshire that argues in favor of executing Andrea Yates.
	"Not Guilty, Insane"--a March 2002 op-ed piece by conservative commentator Charles Krauthammer that emphasizes the importance of Yates' mental state in determining her fate.

Analyzing Evidence: Oliver Stone's JFK
This assignment has two components: a small-group research project and an individual essay. After watching Oliver Stone's 1991 film JFK, our class will divide up into teams to research the evidence (or grounds) Stone uses to support his claim that Kennedy's assassination was part of a vast conspiracy. When research is completed, each team will first present its findings to the class, and then submit a written summary report along with a bibliography of sources consulted. Each summary and bibliography will be posted on this web site so that the entire class can access the information.

After the research summaries and bibliographies are posted, each student will write an essay taking a specific position on this controversy using evidence found through the group research.

There are numerous sources available on the Internet concerning the JFK assassination. However, most are of questionable worth and reliability. Keep in mind that a major portion of this project involves discerning credible evidence from dubious or false evidence, so be sure to carefully review any source using the criteria covered in Chapters 6 and 16 of Writing Arguments. As starting points, check out the print sources available through the Shasta College Library, the searchable periodical databases also available through our library, and these relatively reliable web sites:

	JFK Assassination Records of the U.S. National Archives and Records Administration--the JFK Act of 1992 required government agencies that held information about the assassination to catalog and record material as part of a master database. As of February 2003, the database contains over 268,000 records concerning the Kennedy assassination. Among the highlights of this site are the full texts of the Warren Commission Report and the Report of the House Select Committee on Assassinations. To access other records, users must rely on the search engine, refining searches as carefully as possible. Be aware that most of these records are not accessible on-line and are only available from the National Archives in College Park, MD, through mail or on-site appointment.
	Kennedy Assassination Page--authored by John McAdams, a professor of Political Science at Marquette University. McAdams is a critic of conspiracy theorists. His web is organized according to specific topics such as "The Single Bullet Theory"; "Jim Garrison and New Orleans"; "Lee Harvey Oswald"; and "Medical Evidence." McAdams also devotes a section to examining the accuracy of Stone's film. Additional feature: he has RealAudio files of Dallas Police radio transmissions during the day of the assassination.
	PBS Frontline: Who Was Lee Harvey Oswald--the companion web site for the PBS investigative biography of Oswald. If you have the bandwidth, you can watch the entire episode on-line using Windows Media Player or Real Player. The site also has a page dedicated to examining the conspiracy claims made by Stone's film, and a useful set of links.

Summary reports and bibliographies from this semester's research teams (TTh Section):

	Team #1--Jim Garrison and the Trial of Clay Shaw
	Team #2--Lee Harvey Oswald
	Team #3--The Magic Bullet Theory and Oswald's Rifle
	Team #4--Medical/Forensics Evidence of Kennedy's Death
	Team #5--Eyewitness Accounts at Dealy Plaza/Grassy Knoll

For a more absurdist look at this subject, check out these items:

	The Onion's Front Page on the JFK Assassination--the satirical (i.e. phony) newspaper's version of who killed JFK.
	JFK: Reloaded--a downloadable video game that allows you to recreate Oswald's shooting of JFK! Some gamers with way too much free time have created some alternative realities for 11/22/63.

Analyzing a Web Site
This essay involves closely analyzing a web site to identify the appeals being made by the site's various elements. Select from one of the following advocacy web sites:

	Mercy Corps International--an organization that describes itself as "nonprofit volunteer organization to alleviate suffering, poverty and oppression by helping people build secure, productive, and just communities."
	World Relief--an organization that describes its mission as "helping churches help suffering people worldwide in the name of Jesus."
	American Anti-Vivisection Society--a group that promotes "animal advocacy and educational organization dedicated to ending experimentation on animals in research, testing, and education."
	People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA)--a high-profile organization that operates under the principle that "animals are not ours to eat, wear, perform experiments on, or use for entertainment."
	National Rifle Association (NRA)--an organization that was "incorporated in 1871 to provide firearms training and encourage interest in the shooting sports."
	Million Mom March--a group that describes itself as "national grassroots movement working for sensible gun laws in America."