Shaun's UVU English Classes: 2011

Thursday, September 22, 2011

Starting Points

Star Trek

The end of innocence: The cost of sexualizing kids

Tuesday, September 13, 2011

Rhetorical Analysis example snippets

Here are some snippets to discuss regarding the upcoming Rhetorical Analysis. Remember to write 2 full pages minimum, cite any references from your article, and include a works cited (MLA) or references (APA) page.

Purpose: The purpose of the first paper, “Impact of Peanut Allergy on Quality of Life, Stress, and Anxiety in the Family”, written by R.M. King, R.C. Knibb, and J. O’B. Hourihane is to relate study findings. This study was performed to assess how a family’s quality of life is affected when a child in the family has a peanut allergy. This is made evident by the title of the article, as well as sentences like this, “Food allergy can have a significant impact on the psychosocial aspects of quality of life, extending beyond the immediate clinical effects of the patient’s allergic condition”, and this, “This study…sought to measure the differences in the perception of quality of life between both parents and older sibling of the child with peanut allergy…” (King 2008). The readers are left to conclude that the main purpose is to relate the study findings causing the readers to take this information into consideration when they are confronted with this issue.

Audience: The audiences of the first paper are doctors and clinicians, specifically those who deal with peanut allergy afflicted children and their families. For example, sentences like, “…clinicians need to be aware of the differing affects of peanut allergy on the whole family”, show that this paper is directed at clinicians (King 2008). The fact that this was published in a peer reviewed magazine for allergists, Allergy, is another clue telling the reader that doctors are targeted as well. The authors of the article seek to educate this group of people, enabling them to be better equipped in handling the issues having a child with peanut allergy inflicts on a family.

Significance: The significance of the paper is that they go about the study in a unique, child friendly, way. The participating children filled out a questionnaire and along with that, “Each child received a disposable camera…and notebook, and was asked to record how their condition impacted their quality of life over a 24-hour period” (Avery 2003). For every picture they took they were asked to write down what they were feeling.This study gave the children a sense of control and creativity while being a fun project for them to do. It was much more child friendly than having them only fill out a questionnaire. It is important to have the subjects at ease, making an accurate natural result. Doing this is much like finding out how the lion lives by sneaking into the tundra with your camera to document it in its natural habitat.

Strategy: Wennergren grabs the attention of the reader right away.He does this with the title of his paper. It causes the reader to be sucked in, wanting to find out how the author will support his unconventional hypothesis. He briefly lays the background of conventional wisdom, “to avoid the allergens in question”. In the first paragraph he states that, “such advice has been removed from the Swedish guidelines since evidence supporting them was insufficient”. His article is only two pages in length, thus enabling it to be passed around and read quickly. He spreads his message in the time it takes to ride an elevator.He does this to get his message out rapidly among doctors where time is precious.It is an effective way to start a serious dialogue.

Claims & Support: All of the claims made in the first paper are thoroughly backed up. Regarding the kinds of stress these families may experience they cite, “Girls with peanut allergy had significantly higher scores for anxiety over physical injury than boys with peanut allergy” (King 2008). This assertion is supported showing the physical injury anxiety scores for girls, “5.07” and boys, “2.27” (King 2008). Their claims seem logical and solid because they lay out the information in tables, making the study findings easily accessible.

Bias

There does not seem to be any particular bias in the first paper. The effort is made to present all sides of the issue. For example, potential problems with proxy studies are pointed out, “Proxy ratings have been shown…to…exaggerate the impact of psychological distress”. While still making concessions like, “mothers may have a more realistic view of the true impact of peanut allergy on their allergic child than other family members” (King 2008). Being open about any pitfalls when pointing out why their study is needed makes the attitude of bias seem nonexistent.

The third paper is naturally biased towards the author’s hypothesis. However, he does not support it in such a way that he detracts from his message.He does not use language that is alarmist by reporting that the sky is falling. He is careful to propose that his hypothesis “may be” correct, staying open to the possibility that there might be another cause that is not yet known (Wennergren 2009). Biased arrogance does not manifest itself even after he lines up numerous studies to support his theory. This can be seen in his conclusion where he states, “Early introduction rather than avoidance may be a better strategy for the prevention of food allergy” (Wennergren 2009).

Thursday, September 8, 2011

Claim, Support, Connection

This site does a good job of explaining how to construct or analyze solid claims:
http://www.vanderbilt.edu/AnS/english/mwollaeger/cdw.htm

Monday, September 5, 2011

News clips

News clips for class discussion. Identify and discuss various rhetorical aspects, including strategy, creating significance, quality of claims/support, bias, audience awareness, clarity of purpose, etc.

Dolls:
http://www.theonion.com/video/bratz-dolls-may-give-young-girls-unrealistic-expec,14303/
http://www.theonion.com/articles/new-homely-doll-to-improve-selfimage-of-young-girl,2739/

President Obama's recent popularity:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/07/opinion/sunday/what-happened-to-obamas-passion.html?pagewanted=all
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/04/magazine/what-the-left-doesnt-understand-about-obama.html?src=me&ref=general

Redox Signaling Molecules:
http://web.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.uvu.edu/ehost/pdfviewer/pdfviewer?sid=925139e7-e131-4128-8dd8-bad47fc094a4%40sessionmgr112&vid=1&hid=127#
http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=aph&AN=55024404&site=ehost-live

Root Cause of Happiness:
http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2002-12-08-happy-main_x.htm
http://books.google.com/books?id=ng7RJW-udoQC&printsec=frontcover#v=onepage&q&f=false

Tuesday, May 10, 2011

Tuesday, April 19, 2011

Final paper grading criteria

I emailed these out, but here it is again as a reward/reminder for anyone who comes looking.

Also, this bonus short, entertaining article about showing your bias on facebook: http://scsours.xanga.com/746005960/rules-for-facebooking-this-election-season/

Final Researched Argument Grading Rubric

A. Depth, Complexity, Claims
100: Fairly shows multiple sides of the topic & goes into useful depth. Reasonable claims adequately supported.
-5 to -25 per weakness in these areas.

B. Organization, Strategy, Significance
100: Clear, effective organization. Clear application to audience.
-5 to -25 per weakness in these areas.

C. Citations, Format, Editing
-15 per missing/inappropriate source (for the 5 academic ones)
-10 per formatting error
-5-30 for typos, confusing phrasing, etc.

Discussion Points:

As you get peer review (whether in class, from roommates, or your mother), ask for particular attention to be given to these points:

Depth: your topic may have many key points worth mentioning. You don’t have to go into depth on each one. If you don’t, say so so readers won’t get bent out of shape over it. Make sure readers feel like they learned something useful from your paper.

Complexity: does your topic have multiple sides? Areas that could be misunderstood? Show all sides fairly. You may take a stance, but support that stance with reasoning & other support so readers understand how you reached it. You may wish to identify the evaluation criteria you use to support your stance (financial, environment, etc.).

Claims: Identify your major points and make sure they’ve been clearly explained and persuasively supported. Make sure your claims are reasonable!

Organization: Your paper should be easy to follow. Use transitions. Headers can help readers see where you’re going. Make a logical grouping and progression between ideas.

Strategy: Catch your audience’s interest and keep it, and keep them cooperative and open to your ideas.

Significance: help readers care about your topic. Even if they already care, remind them with examples, statistics, reasoning, etc.

Citations: cite sources correctly according to APA or MLA conventions. Use them to skillfully support your claims. Retain control of your paper by not quoting them too much.

Formatting: APA or MLA format.

Editing: Fix typos, make sure your sentences are easy to understand.

Monday, January 10, 2011

Paper topic list

Not sure about your topic? Peruse this list of good ideas, then choose one that meets the following guidelines:

Has complexity. Either multiple sides to cover fairly, or at least multiple options to compare.
You can find academic sources on the topic.
Clear and manageable focus - narrow enough to allow you to go into some depth.
Be sure to ask a question that will guide your research.

how we teach & learn

origin of the earth

how technology changed theater

how does religion affect happiness

how has the constitution evolved

how do ipods affect child development

teen pregnancy

birthing methods

effects of smoking

eating disorders

coaching methods/psychology: positive reinforcement

motivation

warm up or stretch first

how children learn

human growth hormone

e-sports

business of video games

3d technology

religion: mormon fundamentalism

teaching math effectively

mysterious new years animal die offs

fitness - calorie counting

bigfoot - ratifying evidence

nanotubes

college habits started in elementary school

hollywood vs real police tactics

herbal vs other types of tea

books vs ebooks

cancer prevention

texting and driving

prayer in public schools

juvenile discipline

electronic cigarettes addiciton

prescription drug prices

housing markets/bailout

credit card fraud

tuition costs

abortion

poverty

environment

rights of man: just life and liberty?

rome: from republic to empire

tea parties

free market

net neutrality

alternative/eastern medicine

quality of life

softball

what is biotechnology

superstition

bob marley

charter vs public schools

nursing homes vs home health care

fast food and obesity

pc slang: 'retard'

universal health care

causes of ms

illegal immigration

minimum wage

global warming

methane

legalize marijuana

snowboarders not allowed at some resorts

steroids

immunizations & autism

treatment of those with criminal record

social media impact on families

media and desensitization of youth

787 vs a380

t-notes why and how

world resource limitations

addiction

athleticism: men vs. women

breast cancer prevention

teacher tenure vs. athlete tenure

bridge over utah lake

environmental careers

recycling nuclear waste

land use/planning

logging

environmental justice

animation

weather science

catastrophies

disney/pixar

grading differences between teachers

space exploration

parental strategies: food as reward?

US economy

drugs and the brain

secondary ed in utah

title ix

bcs

does college prepare grads for real world

formative causes of violent crime

financial pitfalls for youth

aviation safety/technology

need for space exploration

gun safety & regulation - does limitation create safety

wilderness survival

stem cell research

america's food systems - regulation

harry potter vs twilight (see vampiresvampires.com)

teen pregnancy

electric cars

nuclear power

taxation of electricity as auto fuel

trucks as personal transportation

trucks improved safety designs

treatment of special needs kids

underage drinking

cyber bullying

college grading

food stamps

obama admin: where do we go from here

chinese influence on us economy

new healthcare laws

flattening of the world

specialized/accelerated education

world harmony re: religious tolerance

challenge the way you think

drugs/antidepressants in utah

racism & education

drug addiction rehab through endorphins

How to tell if an article is academic

May have a really long title
Multiple authors
Credentialed authors
"Boring" format - no flashy color and graphics
Has an abstract
Formal style
Published in professional journal
Longer than a few pages (make sure yours is at least 5 pages)
Little if any detectable bias
Uses other academic articles as sources

Friday, January 7, 2011

MLA & APA format for Research History paper

Both formats:

Double spaced
Times New Roman 12 point font
1" margins
Header at .5"

MLA:

Header: last name, page number, flush right. Only page number on first page.
Title block: your name, my name, English 2020, date
Paper title centered

Example:

Janie Doe

Shaun Roundy

English 2020

January 5, 2011

The Origins of Pig Latin: Nonsensical Fun or Political Subterfuge?

Paper starts here.

APA:

First-page header:
Running head: MY PAPER TITLE 1
Other-pages header:
MY PAPER TITLE 2
Cover page, in upper half, centered: paper title (up to 2 lines), your name, Utah Valley University

Example:

Running head: ORIGINS OF PIG LATIN 1

The Origins of Pig Latin: Nonsensical Fun or Political Subterfuge?

Janie Doe

Utah Valley University

Paper starts on next page.

How to make a great topic for 2020

Keep in mind that your final paper should show complexity, as in showing opposing viewpoints and treating all sides fairly. Show the ups and downs of whatever options you discuss. That's how you can stay away from the "report" which (in my personal definition) can be information that only has one answer.
Examples:
"How does electricity work?" - um, it's pretty well accepted so unless there's a viable new theory, avoid or modify this research question.
"How does nuclear power compare to coal power?" - better, but it's pretty common knowledge by now, so this paper wouldn't contribute much new knowledge.
"How do nuclear and other power sources compare economically?" - much better. You're making it more complex now with additional sides to compare, and by getting more specific (economical aspect), you can probably get into more depth, and that has some complexity, too - upfront costs, operational costs, and future costs.
"What are the newest energy-producing technologies?" - potentially great. I know a guy with a machine that creates more electricity than it uses. There's fascinating stuff out there. Or maybe you could mention advances in solar technology that makes it more affordable and tell how that changes the playing field. On the other hand, this could also result in a list of energy sources and not get into any interesting depth.

I hope that helps! We'll keep working on this as we go along.

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

Week 1: topics list/paragraph/question

For Friday/Tuesday (depending on which section you're in), bring:
A. 5 topics to pick from to research this semester (get a step ahead by writing these topics as questions).
B. 1 paragraph explaining the basic idea of your favorite of the 5 topic choices.
C. 1 research question stating what you'd like to learn in your research.

Example:
1. Is dark chocolate really that good for you?
2. Which wild plants are edible in Utah?
3. Does energy medicine really work?
4. What really makes people happy?
5. Which alternate source of energy is most promising?

Paragraph on #3: people spend a lot of money on "alternate" therapies like acupuncture, massage, reiki, and other modalities. Do they work? Do they work on some things and not others, or in some instances and not others? Many of these come from Eastern medicine which has been practiced for thousands of years, so there must be something to it, but has it been tested? Has it been proven?

Research Question: Does energy medicine work? If so, how?

Note that topic idea #2 would result in a list of plants. This is more like a report where answers can be gathered from a single source rather than an exploration where some new knowledge will be created by your paper. Also there's pretty much only one side to this question. Either something is edible or it's not. It's hard to show complexity in this issue. If you really want to write about edible plants in Utah, try widening the scope to ask something like which wild plants can be used for medicinal purposes, do they have any down sides, and such.