Sources:
1. Article “Professing Linguistic Historiography”
2. Podcast “Unpacking the Common Core State Standarts for English Language Art”
Segment 3 Project: Exploratory Essay
About the Project:
In this project, you will write an Exploratory Research Narrative based on the text you wrote about in your Rhetorical Analysis. Exploratory writing is one of the first ways we reflect on what we are learning from what we read and a good way to talk about connections between different parts of a conversation about an issue. The purpose of this paper is to gain initial practice in academic research, to gain initial practice in putting texts/sources into conversation with one another and listening to multiple voices in a conversation, and to gain a deeper understanding of an issue through exploration.
To be successful, the Segment 3 project must do the following:
? Include accurate and effective summaries of the new sources being explored (total of 2 new summaries from two new sources)
? Discuss the conversation being explored, demonstrating how your thinking about it has deepened as a result of your reading and research. This will involve discussing what you have learned, as well as posing questions and sharing ideas.
? Put some ideas into conversation with one another, incorporating direct quotes effectively when necessary.
? Provide some reflection on your research process and strategies used.
? Your work should also demonstrate clarity and organization and convey academic ethos by being relatively free of grammatical and mechanical errors.
How to Write This Paper:
Find two new texts or rhetorical artifacts related to one of the texts we have worked with in Segment 2 this semester. Use these texts to explore the conversation on the topic being discussed and write about the new information they present.
Write a 1300-1600-word essay in which you summarize the texts, explore the points of view presented by the texts, and reflect on how these new voices in the conversation have expanded your thinking.
This essay is not thesis driven. You will not have an argument for or against an issue. You will not be defending or attacking an author, text, or claim. Instead, this essay invites you to explain to your reader how these texts have shaped your thinking about the issue and deepened your understanding of the conversation. It asks you to contemplate what is valid or useful, but also what is problematic, about the points each text raises. Your essay can and should raise questions, and you will include questions in the paper.
Think of this paper as a research narrative in which you map your process. Explain where you began, where you went from there, what you find, and what you think about those findings.
Guiding Questions for ?in-between? aka exploratory paragraphs (aka, the good stuff)
? What new perspectives, ideas, stakes, have I learned from this source?
? How has this source shifted my perspective on the issue at hand?
? Is this text in direct controversy or opposition to another one of my sources?
? What is missing from the source that I would still be interested to know more about?
? How does this text relate to the other texts I am writing about and reading?
? What is my initial response to this source?
? Why is this source a valuable piece of information?
? How does the form of this source (ie, article, video, TV show, etc) affect the way it communicates its message with audiences?
? Is this text rhetorically similar or different to others you are finding?
**This list is not exhaustive! What are some other questions you might ask that could lead to engaging exploratory paragraphs?
Criteria for Choosing New Texts:
? The source is robust enough to provide plenty of new information
? The author/rhetoric/organization is credible/trustworthy
? This text offers new information, a new perspective, has a different rhetorical situation, etc from the original text you are starting with
? The text has enough substance (length, density) to be useful in your exploration
? You like this text enough/it interests you enough to fuel your exploration of the text
Self-Assessment and Reflection
You must submit a self-assessment and brief reflection with your Segment 3 Paper (this is true for every main assignment in the course)
See attached sheet for self-assessment and reflection for this project. Please copy and paste it at the end of your Segment 3 Paper document and submit it as one file.
Segment 3 Self-Assessment and Reflection
Do you include accurate and effective summaries of your sources? Y / N
Do you explain how your thinking about your topic has deepened as a result of your research?
Y / N
———If you meet the above requirements, you have at least 70 points———
1. You organize your ideas and points clearly and effectively
______ Needs more Evidence ______ Meets expectations _______ Exceeds Expectations
2. You provide accurate, objective and succinct summaries of your sources
______ Needs more Evidence ______ Meets expectations _______ Exceeds Expectations
3. You include discussion of rhetorical aspects of your sources
______ Needs more Evidence ______ Meets expectations _______ Exceeds Expectations
4. You demonstrate your ability to ?cultivate complexity? about your topic
______ Needs more Evidence ______ Meets expectations _______ Exceeds Expectations
Briefly Reflect on the following questions (2-3 sentences)
How did you decide which two new texts to include in your Exploratory Essay? Describe what drew you to these texts specifically. Do they have interesting rhetorical features? Do they have an interesting or different mode of delivery/medium?
What did you learn about research by writing the Exploratory Essay?
What was the most difficult thing about this assignment? What was the easiest thing?
What concept or idea do you want more clarification on?
