READING TWO & THREe

1. READING TWO & THREe Chapters 1-3

2. What is rhetoric? • The book says, “related to an intended effect” (10). • I say, the tools the writer uses to convince you of his/her purpose. • In other words, HOW the writer says what he says.

3. Reading Rhetorically • What does it mean to read rhetorically? • Read with attention • Recognize the methods the author uses to accomplish his/her purpose • The difference between Reading and Reading with Care.

4. Analyzing Rhetoric • Using “Questions Rhetorical Readers Ask” on page 11, analyze the following videos: • BP Tourism:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3Q2tjWBIXEc • Natural gas (Farmers):http://www.ispot.tv/ad/7Z4c/americas-natural-gas-alliance-farmers • Okay, but what tools does a writer have in his/her toolbox? How does a writer convince you to agree with him/her (or value what he/she values)? • Remember, even fiction writers try to convince you of the believability of their stories and the realness of their characters. • Once we understand a writer’s rhetoric, we can more easily understand—and analyze—his arguments.

5. BA 2: Synthesis Tips For Success

6. Introduction • Give each article’s title and author. • Article titles should appear in quotation marks. • Give a brief summary of the articles. What is the major focus? One sentence at the most! • Topic: Choose a sub-topic to address. Do not attempt to address the entire, broad topic. • No: Spanking • Yes: Psychological roots of spanking, long-term effects of spanking, spanking and social implications • The last sentence should be your thesis.

7. Thesis • Your thesis will seek to point out commonalities in the texts, even if those commonalities are differences. • Examples: • While each article addresses the social implications of spanking on young children, Articles A and B suggest that spanking isolates children from their peers, while Article C goes further to suggest that spanking may cause shyness and anxiety in children under five. • Each of the three articles addresses the long-term effects of spanking, but each offers different ideas about how those effects present themselves in later life. Article A and B attribute greater aggression to spanking, while Article C attributes greater self-control. • In each article, the author attempts to uncover the psychological roots of spanking through research. While Articles B and C focus their research on hard data, Article A interviews real couples about their feelings and experiences with spanking.

8. Topic Sentences • The first paragraph of each sentence should be a topic sentence that focuses your sentences around a central idea. This central idea should focus on similarities and differences. If listed, your topic sentences would resemble an outline. • Break up your thesis into its parts. (You will have as many paragraphs as your thesis has parts.) • Paragraph 1: [State a similarity.] All three authors believe that spanking greatly affects a child’s ability to be social among his/her peers. • Paragraph 2: [Add a caveat.] Both Author A and Author B believe spanking may cause children to feel isolated among their peers. [Take this caveat further.] However, Author B states her position much more explicitly. • Paragraph 3: [Add a second caveat.] Author C goes on to suggest that spanking may exacerbate shyness and anxiety in young children who already exhibit those tendencies. • Now, you do one.

9. Paragraphs • Address authors according to their last names. • Each paragraph should attempt to address more than one article. • Write in present tense. • Use a professional, academic tone. • No “I” or “you” or “we.” • No “I think” or “I believe.” Simply state your opinions as facts. • No: “I think the author states her position.” • Yes: “The author states her position.”

10. Conclusions • Conclusions sum up your main points, but stated in a new way. • Give a few sentences that reinforce those similarities you mentioned earlier. • While each author makes subtle differences in his/her arguments about the social implications of spanking . . . • Then, look to the future. • Present a new (but related) idea. Don’t open a new can of worms. • . . . each agrees that children who are spanked should be monitored closely for changes in social behavior and that parents should discontinue spanking if these changes occur. [Then briefly present the course of action these authors suggest. One or two sentences.]

11. Quotations • Include quotations and/or specific examples to support your claims. Each time you make a claim, back it up with evidence from the text. • Choose a dynamic quote: one that says it better than you could say it. • Or paraphrase if you could say it just as clearly or dynamically or succinctly as the writer. • Never begin or end a paragraph with a quote. • Address your quote in the sentence directly following. Tell why this quote (and not some other) supports your idea. • You might even address the actual words the author uses. • Here, the author’s use of the words “always” and “in every occurrence” suggest that Author B believes spanking to a strong factor in social isolation. • Or you might address the author’s rhetoric. • In this example, Author A attempts to sway the reader’s opinion by offering hard data in the form of percentages. Hard data is often more convincing because it reflects pure numbers, rather than emotions.

12. Citations • Check 14b of your handbook for when to cite, if you’re unsure. • Author A contributes social anxiety to “frequent and prolonged spanking” (Last name Page). • Notice how my words flow directly into Author A’s words. My words begin the sentence! • Notice how I’ve only chosen part of the quote (the most dynamic part), not the entire quoted sentence. No stand-alone quotes! • Cite after the end quotation marks and before the period. • Cite every single time you state a fact from one of the articles, even if you’re not quoting directly. Remember, paraphrasing deserves a citation. • Author A reasons that spanking has greater negative social implications on young children if it is combined with more aggressive or regimented parenting styles (Last name Page).

13. Works Cited • Title it: Works Cited • Include an entry for each article. You will have 3 entries, one for each article. • Alphabetize according to last name. • Lee, Stan. “Spanking in Adulthood.” The Basics of Disciplinary Psychology. New York: Simon and Schuster, 2010. 110-26. Print. • Our textbook: • Last name, First name. “Article title.” First-Year Writing: Writing in the Disciplines. Boston: Pearson, 2013. Specific pages of article. Print.

14. A Final Word . . . • Remember, you must do more than simply summarize or report the articles. • Focus on the relationships. How are they similar and different? • You might uncover a debate. • You might organize the authors into different “camps” of thought. • Do the authors disagree entirely, or do they agree, but with a caveat? • What are the subtle differences in their arguments? • You might identify pattern in the structure of the article. • You might find similarities/differences in the way they present their arguments (the rhetoric they use). • Kinds of examples (hard data, case studies, historical examples) • Tone (humor, serious, sarcastic)

15. Resources • Good examples of BA2: pages 583-5 in your textbook • Verbs That Describe What Texts Do: page 54 in your textbook • MLA citations: Chapter 16 in your handbook • When to cite: Chapter 14 in your handbook • Integrating quotations: Chapter 13 in your handbook • Questions Rhetorical Readers Ask: page 11 in your textbook

16. Looking Ahead • Due 9/20: BA3: Annotated Bibliography • examples: 586-91 • Due 9/27: Draft 1.1: Literature Review • examples: 609-12; 616-18 • FOR NEXT CLASS: • Readings in Raider Writer • Read: Introduction to Literature Reviews on the RW home page. • Read: Literature Review Topics. • Choose a topic.