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10.7.08
Working with Sources
Purpose
We will look closer at the three types of resources–popular opinion pieces, popular reports, and academic scholarship–to determine the value they respectively have to one's writing.
Freewrite
You will be assigned to examine one of the four sample articles:
Individually read through the article and answer the following questions:
- Who is the author (personal and credentials)? the target audience? what is the purpose of the article?
- Would you categorize this as a report or an opinion? List specific features in the article that support your perception.
- If you were writing a text about this issue what would the text be and how might you use this text?
The instructor will collect this for a process evaluation.
Activity–Reading Academic Scholarship Critically
You will be assigned to one of five groups. In your group you and your peers will write down responses to the following:
- Discuss your initial impression about the Haas article; write these down.
- Based upon the criteria listed on p. 256 of the SMH, what makes this source credible. List a few features.
- Who is the author of the article (google her)? who is the audience? and what is the purpose of the article?
- What is the argument? How does the author support his argument?
- How is this article arranged/organized? Is this effective? Why?
- The article is probably longer and more detailed than most texts you have read. Is there anything that you feel that the author should eliminate? If so, what? And how would this change the meaning of the text? Why do you think this level of detail is expected?
- What does this type of writing provide the audience that popular magazines do not? What do popular magazines provide that academic scholarship does not?
Submit your collaborative work at the end of class for a process grade.