Community Writing: Researching Social Issues Through Composition

by Collins; Paul S.

• ISBN13: 9780805838343
• ISBN10: 0805838341
• Edition: 1st
• Format: Nonspecific Binding
• Copyright: 2001-02-01
• Publisher: Routledge

Summary

Community Writing: Researching Social Issues Through Compositionemploys a series of assignments that guide students to research and write about issues confronting their individual communities. Students start by identifying a community to which they belong and focusing on problems in it, and then analyze possible solutions, construct arguments for them, decide which are likely to succeed, and consider how to initiate action. This is a primary text for first-year composition courses, covering the basics of the writing process. The assignments are recursive. Short writing assignments in each chapter build up to longer papers. Each of the assignment questions is accompanied by a guide to thinking about and writing the assigned paper, followed by a shortFocus Onreading that provides a brief account of community activism, a media case study, or a notable success story. The longer papers are accompanied by in-class peer reading groups. Each successive peer reading attempts a higher level of conceptual critique. By working together throughout the semester, students create increasingly adept peer groups familiar with all stages of each other's research. The book is carefully structured, but there is plenty of "give" in it, allowing instructors to be flexible in adapting it to the needs of their students and courses. Community Writing: * is distinguished by pedagogy based on a collaborative, process-oriented, service learning approach that emphasizes media critique and field research on community issues chosen by individual students; * answers real student questions, such as: Where do I find articles on my topic? What if evidence contradicts my hypothesis? How do I know if a source is biased?; * is web-savvy--guides students into building their own Web sites, including a unique guide for critiquing the design and veracity of other people's websites; and * is media-savvy--topics include media monopolies, spin control, dumbing down, misleading statistics, the Freedom of Information Act, "crackpot" authors, political rhetoric, and fallacious argumentation.

Table of Contents

A Note to Instructors	xi
A Note to Students	xvi
The First Day	xix
The ``Plot'' of Your Life	xviii
Interviewing a Classmate	xviii
Your Community and an Issue it Faces	1	(37)
Describing Your Community	1	(5)
Defining a Community	1	(1)
Freewriting	2	(1)
Sample Response	3	(1)
Focus On: The Communities of San Rafael	3	(3)
What Issue Concerns You?	6	(5)
The Power of Anecdotes	6	(1)
Plagiarism and the Need for Citations	6	(2)
Sample Response	8	(1)
Focus On: Granny D	8	(3)
Comparing News Accounts	11	(7)
Finding Sources	11	(1)
Citing Your Sources	12	(1)
Sample Response	13	(1)
Focus On: Stephen Glass	14	(4)
Interviewing a Community Member	18	(5)
Getting Your Interview	18	(1)
Quoting and Paraphrasing	18	(1)
Sample Response	19	(2)
Focus On: Studs Terkel	21	(2)
Paper: Describe Your Community and an Issue It Faces	23	(8)
Writing a Rough Draft	23	(1)
Introductions	24	(1)
Sample Paper	25	(3)
Focus On: Community Gardens	28	(3)
Peer Reading	31	(3)
Working With Others	31	(1)
Peer Reading in 6 Steps	32	(1)
Peer Reading Worksheet: Paper #1	33	(1)
Revising Your Paper	34	(4)
Revising for Content and Style	34	(1)
Explaining Throughly	35	(1)
Focus On: Sweatshops	35	(3)
Media Views of an Issue	38	(42)
Analyzing Articles on an Issue	38	(7)
Bias in the Media	38	(2)
The Politics of Selected Periodicals	40	(1)
Sample Response	41	(1)
Focus On: Joey Skaggs	42	(3)
Comparing Bias in Different Articles	45	(7)
The Alternative Media	45	(2)
Signs of Bias	47	(1)
Sample Response	48	(1)
Focus On: Noam Chomsky	49	(3)
Online Representation of an Issue	52	(7)
Finding Sources Online	52	(2)
Analyzing Web Sites	54	(1)
Sample Response	55	(2)
Focus On: The Drudge Report	57	(2)
Interviewing Community Members About the Media	59	(8)
Arranging an Interview	59	(1)
Conducting the Interview	60	(1)
Sample Response	61	(2)
Focus On: Internet Panics	63	(4)
Paper: How Is This Issue Portrayed in the Media?	67	(8)
Organizing the Body of Your Paper	67	(1)
Transitions	68	(1)
Sample Paper	69	(3)
Focus On: Media Watchdogs	72	(3)
Peer Reading	75	(1)
Peer Reading Worksheet: Paper #2	75	(1)
Revising the Paper	76	(4)
Varying Your Sources	76	(1)
Focus On: The Los. Angles Times/Staples Fiasco	76	(4)
Examining Solutions	80	(42)
Finding Organizations Associated With This Issue	80	(5)
Government Sources of Information	80	(1)
Finding Organizations	81	(1)
Sample Response	82	(1)
Focus On: Madelyn Hoffman and Ironbound	82	(3)
Looking for Publications by Organizations	85	(9)
Understanding Statistics	85	(2)
Understanding Charts and Graphs	87	(1)
Sample Response	88	(3)
Focus On: Rescue MUNI	91	(3)
Analyzing How An Issue Affects Other Communities	94	(8)
Finding Scholarly Articles on Your Topic	94	(3)
Using Your Own Statistics and Charts	97	(1)
Sample Response	98	(2)
Focus On: Grameen Micro-Loans	100	(2)
Interviewing an Official or Activist About Solutions	102	(6)
Spin Control	102	(1)
Finding People to Interview	103	(1)
Sample Response	103	(2)
Focus On: Yellow Bikes	105	(3)
Paper: Describe the Possible Solutions to Your Issue	108	(10)
Sorting Out Conflicting Claims	108	(1)
Concluding A Paper	109	(1)
Sample Paper	109	(5)
Focus On: Astroturf Lobbying	114	(4)
Peer Reading	118	(1)
Peer Reading Worksheet for Paper #3	118	(1)
Revising the Paper	119	(3)
Inclusive Language	119	(1)
Focus On: Modern Slavery	120	(2)
Working Toward Solutions	122	(34)
Listing Out the Pros and Cons of Various Solutions	122	(6)
Inductive and Deductive Logic	122	(1)
Making Logical Explanations	123	(1)
Sample Response	124	(1)
Focus On: Vita Needle Company	125	(3)
Arguing for A Solution	128	(5)
Logical Fallacies	128	(1)
From Hypothesis to Thesis	129	(1)
Sample Response	130	(1)
Focus On: Richard Seed	131	(2)
Writing a Counterargument	133	(5)
Fallacious Questioning	133	(1)
Avoiding Libel	134	(1)
Sample Response	134	(1)
Focus On: Helen Steel	135	(3)
Writing a Rebuttal	138	(6)
Web Page Basics	138	(2)
Creating Web Documents	140	(1)
Sample Response	140	(2)
Focus On: Supermarket PTA Announcements	142	(2)
Paper: Explain and Defend a Solution	144	(8)
Providing Enough Evidence	144	(1)
Creating a Web Site	144	(2)
Sample Response	146	(3)
Focus On: Ariel Gore	149	(3)
Peer Reading	152	(4)
Peer Reading Worksheet for Paper #4	152	(1)
Revising the Paper	153	(1)
Revising for Your Own Biases	153	(1)
Focus On: Patrick Moore	154	(2)
The Term Paper	156	(23)
The Final Paper	156	(11)
Combining Your Work	156	(1)
Revising Your Web Page	157	(1)
Sample Final Paper	158	(6)
Focus On: Dick Falkenbury	164	(3)
Peer Reading	167	(1)
Peer Reading Worksheet for the Final Paper	167	(1)
Revising the Final Paper	168	(6)
Revising for Appearance	168	(3)
Focus On: Helen Hill	171	(3)
The Next Step: Working in the Community	174	(5)
Focus On: Alexis de Tocqueville	176	(3)
Appendix 1: Further Readings	179	(3)
Appendix 2: Using the Freedom of Information Act	182	(2)
Appendix 3: Citing Your Sources in the MLA Format	184	(3)
Index	187