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Summary and Response Assignment Objectives: Locate and evaluate sources using databases Incorporate source ideas using a summary and a personal response Document using MLA formatted Works Cited page Instructions: In this assignment, you will research and summarize two articles on recycling: one that you think your opponent would find most convincing; and another that you personally find most convincing. You'll also get to explore whether you have an easier time being neutral when you agree or disagree with what you are summarizing. You will get a chance to respond to both articles, but it is important that you separate your summary from your response: In other words, you need to represent both articles fairly and neutrally before you respond to them. Finally, for this assignment you will practice in-text citations, signal phrases, and create Works Cited page entries. Suggested length: three paragraphs of approximately 600 words total. To do this assignment, complete the following steps: 1. Review the MLA Lesson offered earlier this week. 2. Identify a likely opponent. To do that go back to the list of “imaginary friends” in the PowerPoint presentation also attached here Imaginary_Friends.docx Choose an imaginary friend who will likely have the position on recycling that is opposite of yours. You may rely on the earlier Discussion assignment, or you may choose a different opponent. 3. Use a database to locate an article on recycling that represents a position of your opponent. Follow the Library Resources link on your course navigation panel. Use one of the databases or search engines recommended on the Research Help page, for example Opposing Viewpoints in Context, to locate the article. 4. Summarize the article. Remember that a summary needs to be objective, so, even though the article you are summarizing disagrees with your own opinion, you still need to explain what it says in a neutral, unbiased way. Don’t forget to include signal phrases (“Miley writes that…” or “Macklin defends the view that…”) to make it clear to readers that you are giving an author’s opinion, not your own. You can download this worksheet to get you started and then develop your summary to 7-10 sentences. 5. Find an article that represents your own point of view on recycling and summarize it in a second well-developed paragraph. Again, stay objective. 6. In the third paragraph, explain which of the two articles in your opinion has more effective argumentation and why. Be wary of your bias - we tend to find the argument we agree with more convincing than an argument defending a position we disagree with. Is your opinion of the article effectiveness influenced by your bias, or do you find the argumentation (structure, evidence, appeals, etc) objectively stronger? You can also comment on the weaknesses of another article that explain why you did not find it effective. In the same paragraph, briefly explain which of the two articles you had a harder time writing objectively about. 7. Review your summaries for unintentional plagiarism. Review videos on MLA in-text citations and Works Cited (MLA Lesson) and MLA pages in the textbook - Chapter 10. Look for missing signal phrases or citations, missing quotes, or a paraphrase that is too close to the original text. Also, compare your own in-text citations to the examples (in the videos, tutorials, and the textbook) to be sure the in-text formatting is correct. 8. For the two articles you summarized, create a Works Cited page that follows the guidelines in the MLA Works Cited video and in Chapter 10 of Practical Argument. List of Imaginary Friends Marla is a 74 year-old woman, long divorced, who has been politically active in feminist and peace movements. A motivated self-learner, Marla did not attend college because she married young and was busy raising her children. She is an atheist, a breast cancer survivor, and an avid reader who does not own a television. She has three children and five grandchildren. Until her retirement, she worked as a secretary for a nonprofit organization that provides legal assistance to low-income renters. Juan is a 51 year-old, married father of two teenage sons. He owns a small but successful chain of local restaurants. He drives a Hummer and owns a large house in an upscale suburb, and he runs and works out at a gym several times a week. He is a veteran of Desert Storm, the 1991 U.S. invasion of Iraq. He used the GI bill to complete his AA degree in business. He is also an avid hiker and skier who loves the outdoors. In the last election, he voted Republican. Anna is a 19 year-old student at Montgomery College. She is a devout Christian and was homeschooled until she began college at MC. Prior to moving to Montgomery County, she lived in a rural area of Virginia where most people own guns to protect against wildlife, and she never visited a large city until she was fifteen. Her older brother graduated from the University of Maryland with a degree in Environmental Science and now works for the National Park Service. For the past three years, she has volunteered at a recreation center for at-risk inner-city youths. Bear is a 34 year-old single woman who was raised on a communal organic farm but who followed her love of technology into the computer industry after earning a B.S. in computer science. Because she entered the field before the dot-com boom, her stock options made her extremely wealthy, and she has invested wisely. She started as a video game programmer and rapidly went through a series of promotions until she began her current position as a lobbyist for her corporation. Lately, however, Bear has begun to question the materialism of her life and is considering leaving her job to become a high school math teacher near where she grew up. Lou is 24 years old, single, and a Peace Corps volunteer. After high school, he tried one semester of college, but, although he got fairly good grades, he decided it wasn’t for him. He means to go back eventually, but so far he hasn’t. His current philosophy of life is to have as much fun as possible and worry about the future as little as possible. He pays little attention to politics and has never voted, even though he is eligible. Through the Peace Corps, he has worked in several developing countries. He maintains long-distance friendships and family relationships through Facebook and Skype, and he enjoys playing video games. PowerPoint Presentation Argument defined Argument in its most basic form is making a claim and supporting it with reasons and evidence. That’s it The goal of any argument is to bring a change in the audience’s initial position on an important issue. Claim (Thesis) Claim is a statement of your position or a call for action. Claim has to be arguable. This means readers must be able to intelligently disagree with it. Claim does not state a fact or an observation – none of these are arguable. Claim does not state a personal liking or preference. A strong claim is direct, clear and assertive. A claim that is a call for action may use verbs like must, should, need or have to. Reasons Reasons are statements that support your claim. Reasons answer the question “Why + claim” For example, your claim might be “People should not use electronic cigarettes.” The reasons will answer the question “Why shouldn't people use electronic cigarettes?” You will need several reasons to support your claim. When you develop the reasoning in your argument, you can use different approaches or appeals. Appeals Appeals are approaches to reasoning. An appeal to logos is an appeal to rational mind, logical thinking, common sense. It is the most relevant appeal in an argument. An argument that is illogical or does not make sense is weak. An appeal to the readers’ emotions is an appeal to pathos. You can appeal to pathos, for example, by developing empathy with the audience, by making your readers feel hopeful or by presenting frightening facts. It is important to develop a healthy balance between rational and emotional components. An argument that relies on emotions too much will appear overly emotional and therefore weak. An appeal to ethos is developing credibility as an arguer. This includes using relevant sources for support, providing accurate documentation, acknowledging possible biases. There is another appeal – an appeal to kairos. This means considering the time and place of the argument, in other words considering the rhetorical context of the argument. You appeal to kairos by selecting an issue that is relevant for your audience today. In other words, it is about the right time and the right place for the argument. Evidence Reasons needs to be backed up with evidence: data, information that supports your reasoning. Evidence can also include opinions of experts. Refutation A strong argument will always include refutation. This is where you bring up the position of your opponents and counterargue it or explain why your position is still more valid. Not acknowledging the opposing view makes you look uninformed and weak. Types of Argument Two basic types are: Traditional or classic or adversarial and Consensual or Rogerian Traditional is adversarial Traditional/classic or adversarial argument is made to confirm a position or hypothesis or to refute an existing argument. It is also known as Aristotelian argument because it is based on the teachings of the Greek philosopher Aristotle. Rogerian is consensual Rogerian argument is consensus-building argument. It aims to develop common grounds among readers and come to a solution or compromise. It is called Rogerian because it is based on American psychologist Carl Rogers’s studies in psychotherapy. As any psychotherapist will confirm, success is when everybody wins and the conflict is resolved. Therefore, Rogerian argument is non-threatening, uses neutral language, carefully considers interests and values of all the parties, and brings them to an acceptable solution. Variations Traditional - Adversarial You can encounter traditional argument in public debates, courtroom arguments, political addresses, and advertisements. All these resent a strong and clear position on the issue and work to convince the audience to accept the position as valid. One-on-one everyday argument is usually adversarial. Variations Rogerian - Consensual You can encounter Rogerian approach in Negotiation and mediation in court and politics; between individuals or larger groups Academic inquiry when the position is formed through questioning of viewpoints and evidence Internal argument – arguments with ourselves, weighing pros and cons and trying to make a decision or arrive at a solution.