They Say I Say Instructor Notes 3e
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INSTRUCTORS NOTES
THIRD EDITION
THEY SAY / I SAY
The Moves That Matter
in Academic Writing
WITH READINGS
LISA AMPLEMAN
University of Cincinnati
W. W. NORTON & COMPANY
NEW YORK | LONDON
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iii
CONTENTS
PREFACEvii
PART 1. THEY SAY1 THEY SAY: Starting with What Others Are Saying1
2 HER POINT IS: The Art of Summarizing2
3 AS HE HIMSELF PUTS IT: The Art of Quoting3
PART 2. I SAY
4 YES / NO / OKAY, BUT:Three Ways to Respond5
5 AND YET:Distinguishing What Y! Say from What T"#$ Say%
6 SKEPTICS MAY OB&ECT:Planting a Naysayer in Your Tet'
7 SO (HAT) (HO CARES):Saying Why !t "atters*
PART 3. TYING IT ALL TOGETHER
8 AS A RESULT:#onne$ting the Parts1+
9 AINT SO / IS NOT:A$ademi$ Writing Doesn%t Always "ean Setting Aside Your Own &oi$e12
10BUT DONT -ET ME (RON-:The Art of "eta$ommentary13
11HE SAYS CONTENDS: 'sing the Templates to Re(ise15
PART 4. IN SPECIFIC ACADEMIC CONTETS
12I TAKE YOUR POINT: )ntering #lass Dis$ussions1%
13IMHO: !s Digital #ommuni$ation *ood or +ad,or +oth-1'
14
(HATS MOTI.ATIN- THIS (RITER):Reading for the #on(ersation
1
15ANALY0E THIS:Writing in the So$ial S$ien$es2+
READINGS
16I! C"##$%$ &'$ ($!& O)&*"+,21
STEPHANIE O(EN AND ISABEL SA(HILL,Should )(eryone *o to #ollege-21
SANFORD & UN-AR,The New .i/eral Arts2
CHARLES MURRAY,Are Too "any People *oing to #ollege-2%
LI0 ADDISON,Two Years Are +etter than 0our2*
FREEMAN HRABO(SKI,#olleges Prepare People for .ife3+
-ERALD -RAFF,1idden !ntelle$tualism33
MIKE ROSE,+lue2#ollar +rillian$e35
MICHELLE OBAMA,+owie State 'ni(ersity #ommen$ement Spee$h3'
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17A-$ $ *+ / R/$ /%/*+!& &'$ M/'*+$,3
KE.IN KELLY,+etter than 1uman3 Why Ro/ots Will,and "ust,Ta4e Our 5o/s3
NICHOLAS CARR,!s *oogle "a4ing 's Stupid-2
BROOKE -LADSTONE AND &OSH NEUFELD,The !nfluen$ing "a$hines5
CLI.E THOMPSON,Smarter than You Thin43 1ow Te$hnology !s #hanging Our "inds for the +etter'
MICHAELA CULLIN-TON,Does Teting Affe$t Writing-
SHERRY TURKLE,No Need to #all51
&ENNA (ORTHAM,! 1ad a Ni$e Time with You Tonight6 On the App53
MALCOLM -LAD(ELL,Small #hange3 Why the Re(olution Will Not +e Tweeted55
18'/& S'"# $ E/&,5'
MICHAEL POLLAN,)s$ape from the Western Diet5'
STE.EN SHAPIN, What Are You +uying When You +uy Organi$-5
MARY MAFIELD, 0ood as Thought3 Resisting the "oralization of )ating%1
&ONATHAN SAFRAN FOER,Against "eat
%3DA.ID 0INC0ENKO, Don%t +lame the )ater%5
RADLEY BALKO, What You )at !s Your +usiness%'
MICHAEL MOSS, The )traordinary S$ien$e of Addi$ti(e 5un4 0ood%
MARION NESTLE, The Supermar4et3 Prime Real )state'1
DA.ID H FREEDMAN, 1ow 5un4 0ood #an )nd O/esity'3
19'/&! ) *&' &'$ A$-*/+ D-$/,'5
DA.ID LEONHARDT, !ne7uality 1as +een *oing on 0ore(er 6 6 6 /ut That Doesn%t "ean !t%s
!ne(ita/le'5
ED(ARD MCCLELLAND, R!P8 the "iddle #lass3 9:;?9@
'*PAUL KRU-MAN, #onfronting !ne7uality*1
-ARY S BECKER AND KE.IN M MURPHY, The 'pside of !n$ome !ne7uality*3
MONICA POTTS, What%s illing Poor White Women-*'
BRANDON KIN-, The Ameri$an Dream3 Dead8 Ali(e8 or on 1old)*
TIM ROEMER,Ameri$a Remains the World%s +ea$on of Su$$ess1
SHAYAN 0ADEH, +ring on "ore !mmigrant )ntrepreneurs3
PE( RESEARCH TEAM, ing%s Dream Remains an )lusi(e *oalB "any Ameri$ans See Ra$ial
Disparities5
20
'/&! G$+$- G"& &" D" *&' I&,
'SHERYL SANDBER-, .ean !n3 What Would You Do !f You Weren%t Afraid-'
BELL HOOKS, Dig Deep3 +eyond L#4 I
ANNE6MARIE SLAU-HTER, Why Women Still #an%t 1a(e !t All1+2
RICHARD DORMENT, Why "en Still #an%t 1a(e !t All1+5
STEPHEN MAYS, What a/out *ender Roles in Same2Se Relationships-1+*
DENNIS BARON, 0a$e/oo4 "ultiplies *enders /ut Offers 'sers the Same Three Tired Pronouns11+
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v
ELLEN ULLMAN, 1ow to +e a CWoman Programmer112
SAUL KAPLAN, The Plight of Young "ales115
PENELOPE ECKERT AND SALLY MCCONNELL6-INET, .earning to +e *endered11'
T(O SAMPLE SYLLABI11
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vii
PREFACE
In the summer of 2005, my colleague at Fontbonne University in St. Louis, Rose
Shapiro, hane me a little green boo! that "as to be our ne" te#tboo! for the first$year "riting courses. %t first, I "onere "hy "e neee such a boo!&"e han't
ha a common te#t in the past, an each course ha a ifferent thematic focus.
(o"ever, Rose "as enthusiastic about the approach of )eral )raff an *athy
+ir!enstein. -his boo! "ill help stuents learn ho" to argue, she sai.
-hroughout the year, I reali/e that Rose "as right. Stuents began to uner$
stan that arguments happene in conversation, they incorporate uotes more
smoothly, an they consiere the so "hat1 factor in their arguments. %s I continue
to teach "ith the first eition of They Say / I Say: The Moves That Matter in Academic
Writing, I thought that it coul use more reaings an also that it "oul be helpful if
it inclue an instructor's guie.
I "as therefore thrille "hen I sa" the first eition of They Say / I Say: The
Moves That Matter in Academic Writing, with Readings. I use it to teach a course
focuse on the theme of ineuality, an stuents began to see ho" essays coul be
part of a larger conversation, "hether or not the authors e#plicitly respone to
each other. -he range of opinions in the boo! "as "elcome in the classroom, "here
conservative, moerate, an liberal stuents ebate issues such as school funing
an ta# policy.
In aition, I foun myself using the techniues escribe by the authors in my
o"n scholarly "or!, especially as I applie to an entere the h3 program at theUniversity of *incinnati. )rauate stuents also nee to construct their arguments
in response to "hat others are saying, an my "or! benefitte from using the they
say 4 I say approach.
%t the University of *incinnati, I continue to use the boo! in my teaching, an I
"as honore "hen Russel 3urst as!e me to serve as a research assistant for the
secon an thir eitions an to author the instructor's notes for both eitions. I
believe "holeheartely that acaemic "riting at any level reuires a !no"lege of
"hat they say an ho" it impacts "hat I say, an that "hen stuents unerstan
this, they "ill fin "riting arguments more manageable.
-his thir eition inclues upate topics an ne" essays on issues my stuents
often ebate among themselves on their o"n "hether college is the best option,
"hat the perils an pleasures of technology are, "hat "e shoul be eating, "hether
it's possible to achieve the %merican 3ream after the )reat Recession, an ho"
traitional gener roles are being both preserve an upene. I loo! for"ar to
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viii
e#ploring the vie"points of our many authors "ith my stuents as they begin to
practice the s!ills of listening an offering their perspectives.
-he instructor's notes inclue brief summaries of the rhetoric chapters 678759,
as "ell as aitional activities to supplement the e#ercises inclue in the boo! itself.
-hese activities inclue both "ritten an spo!en e#ercises, base on my belief that
pre"riting can inclue spea!ing. In all of the activities, stuents get to practice the
s!ills taught in the boo!.
In aition, you "ill fin short summaries of each of the essays in *hapters 7:8
20, as "ell as teaching notes, lists of relate essays, an ans"ers to the ;oining the
*onversation uestions. For these, I o not inclue ans"ers to the uestions that are
"riting prompts for stuents. %lso inclue are t"o sample syllabi so that
instructors can see various "ays of putting the boo!'s approach into practice, for a
theme course or for one "ith varie topics, an for a 70$"ee! or 7:$"ee! course.
I am grateful to )eral )raff, *athy +ir!enstein, an Russel 3urst for the oppor$
tunity to "or! on this manual. )reat than!s also go to
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1
ONE
THEY SAY
Starting with What Others Are Saying
Chapter 1 begins with an implied they say: that a claim can stand on its own. The
authors counter that good academic writing responds to what others are saying.
This chapter provides methods for addressing what they say, including templates
for introducing standard views, they say statements that the writer agrees with,
things implied or assumed, and ongoing debates. While Chapter focuses on longer
summaries, this chapter establishes what writers need to do early in a paper, such
as present the they say and ! say as a single, concise unit.
ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES
Identifying What They Say
"ave students read one #or more$ of the following: the first four paragraphs of %i&
'ddison(s Two )ears are *etter than +our p. --/ the first four paragraphs of
0herry Turle(s 2o 2eed to Call p. 343/ the first three paragraphs of 5ary 5a6field(s
+ood as Thought: 7esisting the 5orali&ation of 8ating p. 99/ the first two para
graphs of 0aul ;aplan(s The
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2
TWO
HER POINT IS
The Art of Summarizing
Chapter teaches students how to write an e6tended version of what they say.
The authors e6plain what a summary is, and some students may need help under
standing the difference between summary and paraphrase. The chapter gives
students strategies for writing summariesplaying the believing game, eeping
your own argument in mind as you choose what points to focus on, writing a satiric
summaryas well as warnings about common tendencies of those ine6perienced at
writing summaries, such as the closest clichD syndrome and the list summary. +or
students struggling with the closest clichD syndrome, you might suggest taing aloo at Chapter 19 #on 7eading for the Conversation$. 't the end of the chapter the
authors include a helpful list of signal verbs that students can turn to if they find
themselves using the same verbs over and over again.
ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES
List Summary Writing and Revision
"ave students read the description of list summaries on pages 3-E3?. Then have
them write a list summary of =avid Finc&eno(s =on(t *lame the 8ater p. 9?/
Genna Wortham(s ! "ad a 2ice Time with )ou Tonight. Bn the 'pp p. 3H3/ or another
essay you(ve discussed as a class. "ave one or two students read their summaries out
loud, and discuss as a class the flaws of this style. Then have students cut up the
summaries into separate sentences and reorgani&e them, or as them to edit the
transitions between sentences to show more e6plicitly than and or then how the
ideas relate. 0tudy the revised summaries to see how they avoid being listy. #5ay
tae at least two class periods.$
Summary Writing and Review
8ither during class or on their own, have students write a short summary #no more
than a paragraph or one doublespaced, typed page$ of Genna Wortham(s ! "ad a2ice Time with )ou Tonight. Bn the 'pp p. 3H3 or another essay you(ve discussed
as a class. %et them now if you want them to write a summary that could function
as a they say to an argument they themselves might mae. Then have students
read and respond to one another(s summaries in small groups. !f you(d lie, you too
can read them and give feedbac after class. 'nother alternative would be to have
students revise the summaries after the peer review.
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3
THREE
AS HE HIMSELF PUTS IT
The Art of Quoting
This chapter introduces the strategy of Auoting what others say. The authors warn
students that Auoting too little or too much can hurt an argument, and that it(s
important to frame any Auotations. The chapter offers a few tips for finding relevant
Auotes and gives a helpful e6ample of a dangling or hitandrun Auotation from a
paper about 0usan *ordo(s ideas. !t also e6plains a strategy the authors call a
Auotation sandwich for introducing and e6plaining Auotations, and an e6ample of
how the *ordo Auote might be better framed. !t could help your students to read
both of those e6amples out loud in class and to discuss the differences. 0omestudents may thin that taling too much about a Auotation is overanalysis, and
the final section in the chapter will help to respond to their concerns.
Options for Exercise
This e6ercise ass students to analy&e how Auotations are used in some published
piece of writing. "ere are some e6amples they might use:
5!C"8%%8 B*'5', *owie 0tate Iniversity Commencement 0peech p. JH, K1, the
=ouglass Auote
7!C"'7= =B7582T, Why 5en 0till Can(t "ave !t 'll p. 4@4, KE3, the 0laughterAuote
*7'2=B2 ;!2L, The 'merican =ream: =ead, 'live, or Bn "old> p. ?1, K9, the 7eich
Auote
ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES
!a"ing a #uotation Sandwich
Choose a sentence from an essay the class is reading or use the e6ample below. 86plain
to students what argument or claim the Auote will help develop, and as them to
develop a Auotation sandwich, starting with the claim, then the top slice of anintroduction, then the Auote #cited properly, if necessary$, then the bottom slice
e6planation. 0tudents can do this individually, or you can have them wor in groups
or do it as a class. !f they are woring on their own or in small groups, wal around
the room to see how their sandwiches are developing.
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4
often the most difficult step of this process for students, so e6amples may help them
understand what sort of intellectual wor that portion of the sandwich does.
The claim:0tudents should thin carefully about their choice of maMor if they want a
good return on investment for their college degree.
The quote:0tephanie Bwen and !sabel 0awhill: 'ccording to Census(s calculations,
the lifetime earnings of an education or arts maMor woring the service sector are
actually lower than the average lifetime earnings of a high school graduate #p. 1?$.
Follow-up activity$ "ave students try this activity with a draft they(re woring on,
first developing a claim, choosing a Auote that supports that claim, and sandwiching
the Auote properly.
When %art of the Sandwich Is !issing
The following Auotes are missing part of the Auotation sandwich. 's students to
consider how they might supply the missing part, either by adding an introductionor an e6planation, as needed:
7!C"'7= =B7582T, Why 5en 0till Can(t "ave !t 'll p. 4@J, K9, Lalinsy(s Auote
5!C"'8%' CI%%!2LTB2, =oes Te6ting 'ffect Writing> p. 3?J, K1J, *aron(s Auote
5B2!C'
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5
FOUR
YES / NO / OKAY, BUT
Three Ways to Respond
This chapter, the first in the ! 0ay section, details the three maMor forms of response:
agree, disagree, and agree, but with a difference. 'fter e6plaining that students should
feel as though they have something to say that matters, the authors recommend
stating an argument clearly and early in a paper. They discuss how interpretive
arguments #such as those about art or literature$ also fall into the they sayN ! say
mode. They also e6plain that all three types of response reAuire reasons and evidence,
and provide numerous templates to help students understand how more comple6
sentences can say ! agree or ! disagree. ' final section addresses students( concernsabout e6pressing ambivalence/ it might be helpful to have a conversation about the
difference between a comple6 argument and being wishywashy.
ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES
& Loca' Issues &rgument
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FIVE
AND YET
Distinguishing What )ouSay from What TheySay
This chapter introduces students to the term oice mar!ersin order to help them
distinguish the ! say from the they say. Ising an e6ample from social critic Lregory
5antsios, the authors show which arguments are his own and which are ones he
disagrees with. Templates help students with specific ways of signaling who is saying
what, and of embedding voice marers. This chapter also provides an opportunity to
discuss effective uses of the first person.
ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES
Eva'uating )se of the *irst %erson
"ave students loo at several essays that use the first person and evaluate #1$ how
and why the author uses ! or we and #$ if that perspective is effective. 0ome
e6amples: %i& 'ddison(s Two )ears 're *etter than +our p. --/ 5ie 7ose(s
*lueCollar *rilliance p. 4/ 2icholas Carr(s !s Loogle 5aing Is 0tupid> p.
313/ Clive Thompson(s 0marter than )ou Thin: "ow Technology !s Changing Bur
5inds for the *etter p. 39@/ Genna Wortham(s ! "ad a 2ice Time with )ou Tonight.
Bn the 'pp p. 3H3/ Gonathan 0afran +oer(s 'gainst 5eat p. 99J/ Tim 7oemer(s
'merica 7emains the World(s *eacon of 0uccess p. ?1J/ 0hayan Fadeh(s *ring
on 5ore !mmigrant 8ntrepreneurs p. ?3/ 0heryl 0andberg(s %ean !n: What
Would )ou =o !f )ou Weren(t 'fraid> p. ?9/ or 8llen Illman(s "ow to *e a
OWoman
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7
SIX
SKEPTICS MAY OBJECT
"lanting a #aysayer in $our Te%t
!n Chapter ?, students are introduced to a different sort of they say: the naysayer.
Inlie the they say, which appears early in the paper and establishes the conver
sation the writer is responding to, a naysayer appears later, after the writer has
made some of his or her own arguments and begins to imagine possible obMections to
them. The chapter e6plains that including a naysayer increases their credibility as
writers and helps what they have to say about the topic. The authors recommend
staying with a naysayer discussion for a few sentences or a full paragraph in order
to treat that point of view fairly, and they even suggest labeling naysayers. 0tudentswho worry such labeling will result in stereotyping might be encouraged to choose
those labels carefully and to Aualify their statements, as some of the templates in the
chapter show. 's students wor on including naysayers in their writing, it might
help them to play
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8
SEVEN
SO WHAT? WHO CARES?
Saying Why &t 'atters
This chapter e6plains the importance of addressing the so what> and who cares>
Auestions when maing an argument and offers specific strategies and templates for
doing so. 0tudents( papers will become stronger once they begin to address these
Auestions, as doing so shows that their arguments are part of a larger conversation
and that what they are saying matters. The authors urge students to consider who
has a stae in an argument #who cares>$, as well as what the larger conseAuences
of the argument are #so what>$. 'lthough who cares> or so what> statements
wor in many different parts of a paper, students who struggle with introductionsor conclusions might find it helpful to address these Auestions there.
Options for Exercise
These essays may serve as good e6amples for evaluating how te6ts address the so
what> and who cares> Auestions in their arguments: %i& 'ddison(s Two )ears
're *etter than +our p. --/ 0teven 0hapin(s What 're )ou *uying When )ou
*uy Brganic> p. 9J/ 2icholas Carr(s !s Loogle 5aing Is 0tupid> p. 313/ and
and so what> lists as a class. 'lternately, you could
have students e6pand their lists in small groups. +inally, you might have them draft
a paragraph #perhaps an introduction or conclusion to the draft$ incorporating theso what> and who cares> factors.
Ro'e0p'aying the One Who (ares
0tudents should wor in small groups #E9 people$. 8ach student should state a
claim, perhaps one for a draft he or she is writing. 8ach of the other group members
should thin of a group that has a stae in that argument and why the argument
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matters to them, stating both in the first person. +or e6ample, in reaction to a paper
arguing that school lunches should be healthier, one group member might say, !(m a
student, and this topic matters to me because ! want to eat french fries for lunch,
and ! don(t care if ! get tired later in the day. 'nother might say, !(m a nutritionist,
and this topic matters to me because ! want children in my community to be healthy
as they grow up. )ou can even give students the template, !(m PPPPPPPPPPPPP, and this
topic matters to me because PPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP. "ave students continue to give
suggestions until no one else can thin of another group with a stae in the issue.
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10
EIGHT
AS A RESULT
(onnecting the "arts
This chapter discusses the connective tissues of writing. The authors emphasi&e
that creating connections between sentences and ideas both increases sentence variety
and helps construct a more convincing argument. They consider transitions both within
a paragraph and between paragraphs, and they discuss four ways to connect the
parts: using transition terms, adding pointing words, developing ey terms, and
repeating yourself, with a difference.
ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES
1etween %aragraphs 2 Within %aragraphs
"art ):This activity wors best when students have a draft to wor with. 'fter dis
cussing ways of connecting the parts, have them loo at their drafts and annotate
them, noting what each paragraph is saying. Then have them write a sentence that
shows the relationship between the ideas in each paragraph.
"art *:"ave students choose a ey paragraph of the paper they want to improve
and note what transitions, pointing words, and ey terms they(ve used. Then as
them to do a sort of dissection, looing at sets of sentences to note what purpose
they serve in the paragraph. 'fter they do so, they should revise sentences to includetransitions, pointing words, or ey terms. Taing the paragraph apart can help them
see the chuns of meaning in the paragraph and how connecting words can help
those chuns fit together.
(onnective Tissue
The following is a paragraph from =ennis *aron(s +aceboo 5ultiplies Lenders but
Bffers Isers the 0ame Three Tired
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eight pronouns instead of the current eight. "e preferred each pronoun to have
two alternates, for the times when the same pronoun must refer to different
people. The first male referred to would be he, the second, hei, the third, ho. That
maes 39 pronouns. That(s Must counting the nominative case. !f you add the
possessives and accusatives, which every pronoun needs, well, you do the math.
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12
NINE
AINT SO / IS NOT
Academic Writing Doesn-t Always 'ean Setting Aside $our Own .oice
This chapter argues that students can blend formal, academic language with more
everyday, colloAuial language. The authors caution that students shouldn(t fall bac on
colloAuial usage as an e6cuse for not learning more rigorous forms of e6pression, but
they point out that a mi6ture of academic and casual language can enliven an essay
and help writers underscore points they want to call attention to. They teach one
interesting techniAue: to state something formally and then translate it into
everyday language, providing e6amples from Leneva 0mitherman and Lloria
'n&aldQa. )ou(ll want to remind students to consider genre and audience whenthining about language choices, and as the chapter notes, to remember that blending
formal and informal language is appropriate in some fields more than in others.
ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES
Two Samp'e Essays
's students to read 7ichard =orment(s Why 5en 0till Can(t "ave it 'll p. ?H4
and =avid +reedman(s "ow Gun +ood Can 8nd Bbesity p. -@?. 's a class, discuss
how these two writers incorporate their own colloAuial voices into their writing.
's students to find representative samples of language that e6emplify the writers(
own styles. This activity might be a good Mumpingoffpoint for 86ercise 1 in the boo.
3ressing 3own the 3raft
This activity wors best later in the writing process. "ave students bring in a draft
of a paper, and do the activities in 86ercise 1 #p. 1J$ with a chosen paragraph: =ress
it down, rewriting it in informal colloAuial language. Then rewrite the same paragraph
again by dressing it up, maing it much more formal. Then rewrite the paragraph
one more time in a way that blends the two styles.
'lternately, this activity could wor well in a group: each student could bring in
a paragraph, and group members could e6change paragraphs, dressing other students(wor down and up.
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13
TEN
BUT DONT GET ME WRONG
The Art of 'etacommentary
!n this chapter, the authors e6plain what metacommentary is and encourage students
to use it in their writing. 0tudents are unliely to have heard of metacommentary
before reading this boo, so an e6planation of the term would be helpful. 's the end
of the first paragraph indicates, metacommentary tells an audience how to interpret
what has been said. !t is a way of commenting on your claims and telling others
howand how notto thin about them #p. 1H$. The authors point out that other
methods discussed in the booentertaining obMections, adding transitions, framing
Auotations, answering Oso what>( and Owho cares>( #p. 139$do the wor of metacommentary, and they e6plain that metacommentary helps prevent readers from
getting confused and leads to a more developed paper. ' Auote from 2eil What is this part of
the essay doing> Why is this Auote important> The writer should answer the Aues
tions out loud, with the Auestioner taing notes. 0tudents should then switch roles.
Bnce they(ve both completed the Auestions, they should e6change the notes they
too and consider what if anything they(ve said would wor as metacommentary in
their papers.
Tit'es Wor"shop
"ave students submit the woring titles of their papers, and do a title worshop as a
class. This activity would wor best if students submit them by email or in a previous
class period so that you can create a handout with all of the titles. "ave students
read the section on titles in Chapter 1@ #pp. 133E39$, and then discuss each title,
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analy&ing what it suggests about the paper and if it gets readers( attention. "ave
students suggest alternatives or as Auestions about the paper itself. !t will help
students to see some model titles, so you might discuss the titles of some of the
essays in the boo. )ou could also introduce the twopart titles that are so common
in academic writing, which allows writers to both state the subMect of the paper in
the title and give some idea about what they have to say about it in a subtitle.
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ELEVEN
HE SAYS CONTENDS
/sing the Templates to Reise
This chapter pays particular attention to a specific stage of the writing process:
revision. The authors include a checlist of Auestions writers can as themselves to
consider global changes to their wor: #1$ "ow =o )ou 7epresent What Bthers 0ay>,
#$ What =o $ou 0ay>, #3$ "ave )ou !ntroduced 'ny 2aysayers>, #9$ "ave )ou Ised
5etacommentary to Clarify What )ou =o or =on(t 5ean>, #-$ "ave )ou Tied !t 'll
Together>, and #?$ "ave )ou 0hown Why )our 'rgument 5atters> The chapter also
includes a revised student essay by 'ntonia
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TWELVE
I TAKE YOUR POINT
0ntering (lass Discussions
This is a chapter that you may want to have students read early in the term, especially
if they are firstyear students.
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THIRTEEN
IMHO
&s Digital (ommunication 1ood or 2ad3or 2oth4
't the beginning of this chapter, the authors describe a number of debates surrounding
the use of technology and its effects on our learning. 0ome argue that the internet
and online technologies mae us smarterand better writerssince we have access to
more information than ever before. *ut others argue that such technologies mae us
dumberwe become overwhelmed by the number of sources available and often
communicate in reductive soundbites to get our message across as Auicly as
possible. Bur writing suffers as a result. 'fter summari&ing other points of view, the
authors of this te6tboo state their ! say: Though we agree that the internet hasgiven us access to previous unimaginable stores of information and greatly e6panded
our range of communicationand that it potentially broadens our perspectiveswe
thin the critics have a point in noting that many conversations on the web are not
e6changes so much as monologues in which writers pass one another without inter
secting. They also point out that students who struggle to reach audiences in one
medium will struggle in others, and they offer an e6ample of a course listserv in which
one student(s response didn(t mae clear the they say point to which he was
responding. !n the end, the purpose of this chapter is to raise various perspectives on
the issue and encourage students to figure out where they stand.
ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES
%utting the Readings into the (onversation
"ave your class read some or all of the selections in Chapter 14, and relate the argu
ments made by its authors to the many views e6pressed in Chapter 13/ for e6ample,
would 2icholas Carr agree, disagree, or both with 'ndrea %unsford> "ow about
0herry Turle> Would she agree, disagree, or both with the Lraffs( argument> !f your
students have trouble relating any essays in this unit to the views described in
Chapter 13, have them write a new paragraph e6plaining how that author is widen
ing the debate about the effects of digital communication.
1efore and &fter 3e4ates
!f you intend to read most or all of the essays in Chapter 14, you might have two class
debates about this Auestion: !s digital communication good or bador both> The
first debate could tae place before you read Chapters 13 and 14, to see what students
thin about the issue on their own or from other sources. Then, after you(ve read
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those chapters as a class, you could have a second debate on the Auestion, asing
students to bring in evidence from their reading as part of the discussion. 's them
at the end of the class period: "ow did this debate differ from the first>
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FOURTEEN
WHATS MOTIVATING THIS WRITER?
Reading for the (onersation
's the authors suggest, class discussion can fall flat if the instructor begins with a
Auestion about the author(s argument. Try using the Auestions they suggest, such as
What other argument#s$ is the writer responding to> 0ome students may struggle
with this Auestion at the beginning of the term, but Chapters 1 and - should help
them begin to identify the parts of the conversation. "ave students read the e6cerpt
by =avid Finc&eno on page 14? and see if they can identify his argument without
reading the e6planation that follows. 'lso have them read the section on 7eading
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FIFTEEN
ANALYE THIS
Writing in the Social Sciences
Chapter 1- applies the concepts of 6They Say 7 & Say8 to the social sciences. 8rin
'cerman, a political science professor, e6plains how an introduction in the social
sciences includes both they say and ! say, and she offers many e6amples and
templates of how that wors in writing in these fields. 0he describes how a literature
review e6pands the they say by summari&ing many arguments at once, and she
points out that analysis of data, whether Auantitative or Aualitative, enables a social
scientist to create an ! say. Writers in the social sciences need to define data,
e6plain where the data comes from, and then e6plain what is done with the data,according to 'cerman.
8ven if students are not social science maMors, this chapter would help them see
the 6They Say 7 & Say8concepts in action in a particular field. 's a class, you could
discuss how the terms might be applied in several different fields, especially if you
have students with varying maMors.
ADDITIONAL ACTIVITIES
Writing across 3iscip'ines
!f you have a class of many different maMors, you could as each student to bring in
an e6ample of academic writing in their field and analy&e its properties, much as
'cerman has done for the social sciences. 5any of the elements that are used in the
social sciencesliterature review, methodology, and so onwill apply in other
disciplines.
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21
SIXTEEN
IS COLLEGE THE BEST OPTION?
Should Everyone Go to College? [p. 208]
STEPHANIE OWEN AND ISABEL SAWHILL
Stephanie Owen and Isabel Sawhill answer the question of their reports title in the
negative. By telling all young people that they should go to college no matter what,
we are actually doing some of them a disservice !"#$, they argue. %he authors feel
its important that students get a return on the cost of their education, and they
analy&e previous studies to demonstrate that although college graduates tend to
earn more than their less educated peers over a lifetime, the variety of ma'ors chosen
and colleges attended means that a particular individual may not do as well as his orher peers with a high school degree. (or e)ample, Owen and Sawhill note that college
students lose the opportunity to earn money while they are in school. *lthough they
ac+nowledge that there are nonmonetary benefits of schooling !"-$, they focus
primarily on the money earned and the cost of attending college. %he selectivity of a
school, its financial aid pac+ages, and the students chances for future employment
all factor into the return on investment rate, Owen and Sawhill argue, and they offer
three solutions to improving the value of bachelors degrees for every student more
transparency about schools and the financial aid process, encouragement for students
to graduate, and more good alternatives to a traditional academic path, includingcareer and technical education and apprenticeships !"/0$.
Teaching Notes
Students may not be familiar with the Broo+ings Institution, which published this
report, and from which Owen and Sawhill draw some of their data. 1ou might visit
the Broo+ings Institution website together as a class or as+ students to do so on
their own. *lso, have students investigate what 2ayScale says about the return on
investment for your particular institution, if its listed on their website.
Related Essays
S*3(O45 6.738*4,%he 3ew 9iberal *rts ;p. //0*49?S @744*1, *re %oo @any 2eople 8oing to =ollegeA ;p. /Cas Been 8oing on (orever . . . but %hat 5oesnt @ean
Its Inevitable ;p. -C/1,%he 7pside of Income Inequality ;p. -#e identifies and
rebuts seven misperceptions about a liberal arts degree, noting that employers are
not loo+ing for vocationally trained graduates but rather individuals who can thin+
critically and communicate effectively. >e argues that lowincome and firstgeneration
college students especially should thrive in a liberal arts setting. 7ngar also says that
a liberal arts education does not ma+e 7.S. graduates less competitive in a global
economy. 5espite the high costs of college, he says, the net cost of attending a small
liberalarts college can be lower than that of a large public university !"#G$. >e
advocates for such small, residential colleges and encourages close interaction
between faculty members and students !"#$.
Teaching Notes
>ave a conversation about 7ngars @isperception 3o. - and the terms liberaland
conservative. Some of your students might associate them only with political stances,
so it might be useful to discuss the meaning of the term liberal artsin this conte)t.
Related Essays
S%?2>*3I? OE?3 *35 IS*B?9 S*E>I99, Should ?veryone 8o to =ollegeA ;p. /M*49?S @744*1, *re %oo @any 2eople 8oing to =ollegeA ;p. /Cowever, the two disagree about when that education should happen
@urray says that it should happen in FNth grade, and 7ngar urges all students to
consider a liberal arts education in college. >e would also disagree with @urray that
those who are lower on what @urray calls the ability ladder !"#$ wont get much
out of college. 7ngar says that it is often the people who are newest to certain ideas
and approaches who are the most original and inventive in the discussion and
application of those ideas !"#M$.
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Are Too Many People Going to College? [p. 2!]
CHARLES MURRAY
In *re %oo @any 2eople 8oing to =ollegeA =harles @urray argues that the answer
is yes. *lthough he thin+s that a liberal arts bac+ground is important for cultural
literacy, he says that this education should instead happen at the elementary and
high school levels. In his view, a liberal arts degree is not the best option for most
high school seniors. Only those with the strongest academic abilities will en'oy the
hard wor+ required for such a degree, while others would benefit more from voca
tional training. @urray argues that there are a number of career choices requiring
vocational training with high salaries, and he gives an e)tended hypothetical e)ample
of a student who would ma+e a better living as a good electrician than as a mediocre
business manager. In addition, the physical campus setting of a college is less relevant
when the internet ma+es library databases and distance learning possible. @urray
concludes that the B.*. serves as a class distinction in a classriven !"C/$ country,and he argues that businesses shouldnt use it as a benchmar+ for hiring.
Teaching Notes
*s+ students about their response to @urrays assertions that every percentile down
the ability ladder . . . the probability that a person will en'oy the hardest aspects of an
activity goes down !"#$ and that seen dispassionately, getting a traditional edu
cation over four years is an odd way to en'oy spending ones time !"#0$.
Related Essays
S%?2>*3I? OE?3 *35 IS*B?9 S*E>I99, Should ?veryone 8o to =ollegeA ;p. /Mow does *ddison ma+e clear that her topic is really importantLand that it
should matter to readersA
*ddison shows that her topic matters when she points out that students at
community colleges are able to dream in ways that they might not have been able
to otherwise. In paragraph -, she points out that her own e)perience corroboratesthe saying, ?nter on empty and leave with a head full of dreams, and she worries
that lowincome students in an application essay wor+shop might not +now that
community colleges can help them because, as she says in the ne)ttolast paragraph,
they offer a networ+ of affordable future, of accessible hope, and an option to dream.
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Colleges Prepare People #or Li#e [p. 2"#]
FREEMAN HRABOWSKI
In =olleges 2repare 2eople for 9ife, an opQed originally published in the Baltimore
Sun,(reeman >rabows+i argues that high schools and universities should help
students choose the school that best fits their needs then more students would
succeed in college and be prepared for leadership roles that contribut;e< to the
public good. >e begins with two opposing they say e)amples, an editorial cartoon
arguing that =ollege is for suc+ers, and those who argue that people who attend
college succeed economically. %he reality is far more nuanced, >rabows+i argues,
and he points out that both viewpoints have flaws. Instead, he says, students should
consider what college would serve them best, and institutions of higher education
should state clearly the financial costs. *s a longtime president of the 7niversity of
@aryland, Baltimore =ounty, >rabow+si offers e)amples of how his school tries to
help students succeed in college and beyond.
Teaching Notes
Because >rabows+i doesnt e)plain who Ealter Sondheim is, you might want to tell
students that he was a civic leader in Baltimore, holding positions such as school
board president, director of the 7rban 9eague, chairman of the Baltimore >ousing
*uthority, and participant in the development of the Inner >arbor. %he fountain
>rabows+i describes is on the waterfront in Baltimore.
Related Essays
S%?2>*3I? OE?3 *35 IS*B?9 S*E>I99, Should ?veryone 8o to =ollegeA ;p. /Mrabows+is main point echoes the essays title 1es,
colleges prepare people for 'obs, but more critically, they prepare people for life
!"C$. Other good answers will come from paragraph Ehen we focus so heavily
on monetary inputs and outputs, we ignore the question of what it truly means to be
educated, such as contributing to the public good or %oo often, our current system
fails to help students identify the institutions best suited to themLbased on their
academic preparation, aspirations and resources.
/.KIn what way does >rabows+i use a they sayQI say format to structure his
argumentA Ehat other points might he have included in his I say responseA
>rabows+i begins with two opposing points of view for his they say the first
is that =ollege is for suc+ers because students are ta+ing on unmanageable debt
and . . . they too often graduate unprepared for the world of wor+ !"#$, and the
second is that college is necessary in order to succeed and earn a lot of money. >eresponds that both points of view have flaws and advances his own arguments in
paragraphs C and -. Students may consider that he might also have addressed
students who dont ta+e on as much debt by attending community college first, or
what sorts of courses students might need to ta+e in order to contribut;e< to the
public good.
.K>rabows+i stresses the role of college in preparing leaders who help their
communities. Ehat counterarguments could you present to his emphasis on college
as a place to learn how to help othersA
Some counterarguments might include naysayers who point out the e)pense ofcollege and say that in such a highpriced endeavor, a student should be focused on
him or herself. Others may point out that not all 'obs are about serving or helping
others in a direct way, or that those who dont go to college can still live a life that
involves helping others and advancing the civic good.
C.K>ow do you thin+ >rabows+i might respond to =harles @urrays argument !on
pp. /CN-C$ that not everyone should go to collegeA
>rabows+i would li+ely disagree with @urray, saying that @urrays argument
treats colleges as monolithic. *s >rabows+i argues, institutions of higher learning
include a diversity of missions !"-$, and if students have the information available
to them to help them ma+e a good decision, they will find the right fit. %owards the
end of the essay, >rabows+i argues that higher education must continue to partner
with school systems to prepare more students for college. *t sta+e isnt 'ust a
clearer path to financial stability, but the path to limitless possibilities !"#M$.
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-.K>igher education as we +now it is about to come to an end. %hats the opening
line of an article by two other college presidents. 8o to theysayi$log.co%and enter
8ive =olleges @ore =redit in the search bo). >ow does this articles argument
compare with >rabows+isA Ehich piece do you find more persuasive, and whyA
=ollege presidents Barry 8lassner and @orton Shapiro present a they say
argumentLthat higher education as we +now it is about to come to an endLand
then present an I say, that predictions about the impending demise of classic
higher education have been wrong thus far. *t the same time they do wonder how
to best provide students with a balance of the practical s+ills theyRll need for the
world that awaits them and the abstract wisdom that will help them adapt when
that world, and they themselves, change. %hey have similar concerns as >rabows+i,
but a slightly different focus, saying they will be loyal to the professors who are an
important part of the educational e)perience. Students will li+ely find both essays
persuasive because they ma+e similar arguments, though they might note that
8lassner and Shapiro do spend more time on the they say argument in the beginning,which serves to strengthen their argument.
0.K%his piece appeared as an oped essay in the Baltimore Sun, a newspaper read
primarily by people living in that city and its surrounding areas. In what ways did
>rabows+i tailor his essay to this particular audienceA >ow might he revise it to
address a national audienceA
>rabows+i includes many references that Baltimore residents would be aware
of, but others would not. (or e)ample, he concludes with a description of a fountain
describing local leader Ealter Sondheim !see %eaching 3otes above$, and he names
many organi&ations and efforts connected to his university system in @aryland, as well
as emphasi&ing the governor and state assemblys roles. Students might suggest
adding additional research about colleges and universities outside @aryland to
address a national audience, perhaps e)amples of some of the diverse missions of
those C,HMM colleges and universities !"-$.
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33
$idden %ntelle&tualis' [p. 26!]
GERALD GRAFF
In >idden Intellectualism, 8erald 8raff argues that schools should encourage
students to write about sub'ects that interest them. >e concedes that passion about
a sub'ect does not necessarily mean that students will write well about it, but he
argues that if students write about cars, sports, and fashions in a reflective, analytical
way, they will benefit from the practice. >e offers his own e)perience as an e)ample,
pointing out the ways in which analy&ing sports set him up to thin+ and argue as an
academic. 3onacademic sub'ects li+e sports can be more intellectual than school,
he argues, and they create a sense of community that schools often fail to do.
Teaching Notes
*s+ students in what sub'ects they consider themselves e)perts. >ave they written
about those sub'ects in schoolA If not, what sub'ects would they want to use as essaytopics, and whyA
Related Essays
S*3(O45 6.738*4, %he 3ew 9iberal *rts ;p. //0e clearly went on to become a
scholar, so something must account for his intellectual development, and there is
little reason to distrust his own appraisal.
/.K8raff argues in paragraph # that the intellectual world is much li+e the world of
team sports, with rival te)ts . . . , rival theories . . . , and elaborate team competitions.
=an you thin+ of any e)amples from your own e)perience that support this assertionA
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34
In what ways do you thin+ the real intellectual world is different from the world of
team sportsA
If students have trouble responding to this first question, you need do no more
than point out the rivalries represented by the readings in this chapter or any of the
readings chapters in this te)t. *ny time they do research for college, they will encounter
competing viewpoints. *t the same time, students will li+ely feel that there are
significant differences between the world of team sports and the intellectual world.
@ost obviously, a career in team sports is generally over at a relatively young age,
while the life of the mind e)pands indefinitely. @oreover, the life of the mind is open
to 'ust about anyone.
.KImagine a conversation between 8raff and @i+e 4ose !pp. /H/NC$ on the intel
lectual s+ills people can develop outside the realm of formal education and the benefits
of these s+ills.
*lthough @i+e 4ose focuses on the +inds of intelligences people display outside!rather than inside$ of academia, he would agree with 8raff that street smarts are
important. 8raff would nod in agreement with 4oses statement that Ehen we
devalue the full range of everyday cognition, we offer limited educational opportunities
and fail to ma+e fresh and meaningful instructional connections among disparate
+inds of s+ill and +nowledge !"/$. %he authors might brainstorm about ways to
bring bluecollar wor+ers +nowledge into the classroom.
C.KSo whatA Eho caresA 8raff does not answer these questions e)plicitly. 5o it for
him write a brief paragraph saying why his argument matters, and for whom.
2ossible paragraph 8raffs argument matters because entering students oftenfind it difficult to become part of the intellectual life of college, and it matters if one
is truly to benefit from formal education. Such students start off either bored or
intimidated by academic te)ts, but at the same time they deserve a chance to develop
the intellectual s+ills that they will need in college and later in their careers. Instructors
need to find ways of doing this, and 8raff believes his model is one such possibility.
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!lue(Collar !rillian&e [p. 2&2]
MIKE ROSE
In this essay, @i+e 4ose profiles his mother 4osie and his uncle 6oe, who serve as
e)amples of his argument that those without formal education have important +inds
of intelligence. >e points out that although we assume less time in school means that
a person is less intelligent, those who wor+ in manual labor use critical thin+ing,
math, reading, and writing s+ills. %hese wor+ers also acquire a social intelligence for
wor+ing with others to solve problems, and their education happens as they learn
daily on the 'ob. 4ose argues that we should be aware of the many +inds of intelligence
necessary to be a s+illed wor+er and to ma+e sure we dont offer limited educational
opportunities !"/$ to them.
Teaching Notes
%his essay does not mention higher education in much depth, despite the fact that4ose teaches at a large public university. *s+ students how this essay relates to some of
the others in the chapter, or to e)tend 4oses argument what would he say about
the relevance of college to the bluecollar wor+ers he describesA
*s+ students to find e)amples of 4oses appeal to readers emotions !especially
in the descriptions of his mother and uncle$ how do they react to the use of pathosA
Related Essays
S*3(O45 6.738*4, %he 3ew 9iberal *rts ;p. //0ow would you summari&e 4oses overall argumentA Ehat evidence does he
offer as supportA >ow convincing is his argumentA
4ose argues that intelligence should not be associated solely with formal
education, as he says in paragraph G. Instead we should challenge our understanding of
the relationship between mind and body and ac+nowledge the ways in which blue
collar wor+ers use various +inds of intelligence on the 'ob. >e supports this argu
ment with numerous e)amples of bluecollar 'obs that require thin+ing, reading, and
interpreting, and he also notes in paragraph #- that he has studied the cognitive
demands of a range of bluecollar and service 'obs, establishing himself as an
e)pert on the topic. Students opinions of the argument will vary.
.KEhere does 4ose mention differing views, and what is his reason for bringing
them upA Ehat are these other views, and who holds themA
4ose mentions opposing views in paragraph G when he details assumptions
about the lower intelligence levels of bluecollar wor+ers. >e points out how
4evolutionaryera thin+ers saw mechanics as illiterate and therefore incapable of
participating in government and says that he has overheard management call
wor+ers dummies. In paragraph /H, he ac+nowledges that some of the uses of
writing that occur in bluecollar wor+ are abbreviated, routine, and repetitive, and
they infrequently require interpretation or analysis. In each case, the opposing
views help establish his own argument. %he entire essay is predicated on the they
say argument that bluecollar wor+ers are not intelligent, and he points out the
ways in which readers may assume that he is giving too much credit to the reading
and writing tas+s of bluecollar 'obs. >e rarely assigns these points of view to particular
groups of people, though, implying that they are pervasive in our culture. >e does,however, single out managers in paragraph G. *s+ students who might be most
li+ely to denigrate the intellectual levels of those who do physical wor+ or to thin+
that a college education equals intelligence.
C.K>ow do you thin+ 4ose would respond to =harles @urrays argument !pp. /CN
-C$ that many students lac+ the intellectual potential to succeed in collegeA
%he two authors would li+ely agree that different +inds of intelligence are valuable,
since @urray spent some time analy&ing possible futures for a student who would
succeed as an electrician. Indeed both authors value bluecollar wor+. 4ose would
li+ely challenge @urrays definition of intellectual potential, though, as he might
argue that @urray fails to consider some s+ills students may have as he says in
paragraph / when we devalue the full range of everyday cognition, we offer
limited educational opportunities and fail to ma+e fresh and meaningful instructional
connections among disparate +inds of s+ill and +nowledge. 4ose might say that
despite @urrays concerns about class conflict in our society, he may be reinforcing
social separations by assuming such students will not succeed.
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!owie State )niversity Co''en&e'ent Spee&h [p. 28"]
MICHELLE OBAMA
In this commencement address from @ay /M#, (irst 9ady @ichelle Obama uses the
history of Bowie State 7niversity, founded in #0-, to argue that students need to
have a relentless focus on getting an education in the face of obstacles !"/C$. She
describes the original days of the school in an *frican Baptist church and its
commitment to the education of *frican *merican teachers, and she contrasts the
struggles of those early students with apathetic young people ;who< 'ust cant be
bothered !"#$ with obtaining an education. She praises particular students in the
graduating class who overcame challenges and encourages the entire audience to
ta+e action in their community to improve schools. In her view, education means
economic independence and political empowerment !"#$, 'ust as it did for the
original Bowie State students.
Teaching Notes
*s+ students what they would e)pect a commencement address to include, and have
them identify +ey elements of that genre in @ichelle Obamas speech.
Related Essays
S%?2>*3I? OE?3 *35 IS*B?9 S*E>I99, Should ?veryone 8o to =ollegeA ;p. /Mas Been 8oing on (orever . . . but %hat 5oesnt @ean
Its Inevitable ;p. -C/1,%he 7pside of Income Inequality ;p. -#rabows+i in paragraph
of her speech. Ehat parallels, if any, can you find between her speech and >rabows+is
oped !pp. /-GN0$A
Ehile Obamas speech draws more attention to Bowie State 7niversitys
mission as a historically blac+ institution, both argue that those who are committed
to getting a good education can contribute to society and enrich the public good.
Both also state that the community serves to support those individuals who desire a
good education.
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39
SEVENTEEN
ARE WE IN A RACE AGAINST THE MACHINE?
Better than Human: Why Robots Willand MustTake Our Jobs[p. 299]
KEVIN KELLY
In Better than Human: Why Robots Willand MustTake Our Jobs, e!in elly
ar"ues that ad!an#es in automation, in#ludin" #o"niti!e tasks done by #om$uters,
%ill hel$ us& 'lthou"h some may %orry that robots %ill take (obs a%ay )rom humans
*an im$li#it they say throu"hout the essay+, elly ar"ues that %e arent "i!in"
-"ood (obs to robots& Most o) the time %e are "i!in" them (obs %e #ould ne!er do&
Without them, these (obs %ould remain undone *./0+& To $ro!e his $oint, he )irst
$oints out that thou"h the industrial re!olution eliminated some )arm %orkers (obs,it #reated hundreds o) millions o) (obs in entirely ne% )ields *./+& We are no% in a
ne% %a!e o) automation, a##ordin" to elly, be#ause ma#hines are smarter, easy )or
anyone to $ro"ram, and #hea$& He uses a )i"ure demonstratin" that there %ill be
(obs humans #an do but robots #an do e!en better *./1+, (obs that humans #ant
do but robots #an *./2+, and ne% (obs #reated by automation *.34+& In dis#ussion
o) the )inal 5uadrant, the (obs that only humans #an doat )irst *.31+, elly ar"ues
that ha!in" robots take #are o) $arti#ular tasks lets us ask What are humans )or6
*.37+8 in his !ie%, %e %ill be )ree to ima"ine ne% $ossibilities )or the human ra#e&
Teaching Notes
Ha!e students !isit e!in ellys %ebsite, %%%&kk&or"9#ooltools, and ask them to
#onsider the %ays in %hi#h his a$$roa#h to tools e#hoes his ar"ument in this essay&
Related Essays
I;HOoo"le Makin" ?s =tu$id6 A$& /C
BROOD >
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elly is o$timisti# about the )uture o) our %ork li!es i) ma#hines take o!er
#urrent (obs& He thinks that our ne% %ork %ill be#ome somethin" %e #an hardly
ima"ine *./+, and he $oints out that %e bene)it )rom robots $re#ision and
#a$abilities, notin" that they do some thin"s better than humans& Most o) the time
%e are "i!in" them (obs %e #ould ne!er do& Without them, these (obs %ould remain
undone *./0+, elly says&
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&Ki#holas ;arr *$$& /330+ is less o$timisti# than elly about the )uture im$a#t
o) te#hnolo"y& Who do you )ind more $ersuasi!e, and %hy6
;arr notes that the Internet is a ma#hine desi"ned )or the e))i#ient and
automated #olle#tion, transmission, and mani$ulation o) in)ormation, and its le"ions
o) $ro"rammers are intent on )indin" the -one best methodthe $er)e#t al"orithm
to #arry out e!ery mental mo!ement o) %hat %e!e #ome to des#ribe as -kno%lN
ed"e %ork *.3+& This sentiment e#hoes statements in ellys essay, but ;arr is
%orried about the Internet takin" o!er too mu#h kno%led"e %ork be#ause our o%n
ability to think dee$ly diminishes as a result& =tudents o$inions on %ho is more
$ersuasi!e %ill !ary, but those intri"ued by the $ossibilities o) te#hnolo"y or those
%ho desire to outsour#e as$e#ts o) their thinkin" mi"ht )a!or ellys ar"ument&
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Is Google Making Us tu!id" [p. 313]
NICHOLAS CARR
In Is >oo"le Makin" ?s =tu$id6 i#holas ;arr ar"ues that the Internet a))e#ts our
#o"niti!e #a$a#ities, diminishin" our ability to #on#entrate and to learn& He be"ins
%ith an allusion to the mo!ie2001: A Space Odysseyto eL$lain his o%n re#ent inability
to #on#entrate )or lon" $eriods o) time, %hi#h he blames on the amount o) time he
uses the %eb& ;arr a#kno%led"es the ad!anta"es o) the internet, in#ludin" the !ast
amounts o) a!ailable in)ormation, but he "i!es ane#dotes )rom others %ho stru""le
to $ay attention and e!iden#e )rom a study o) online resear#h habits to demonstrate
that %e #ant read as dee$ly as %e on#e did&
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3&KWhat $ossible ob(e#tions to his o%n $osition does ;arr introdu#eand %hy do
you think he does so6 Ho% e))e#ti!ely does he #ounter these ob(e#tions6
;arr in#or$orates ob(e#tions to his $osition in a )e% $la#es& In $ara"ra$h )our,
he notes that the internet o))ers immediate a##ess to & & & an in#redibly ri#h store o)
in)ormation, and he 5uotes ;li!e Thom$son, another author in this #ha$ter& =tudents
%ho ha!e read ;ha$ter 7 #are)ully %ill noti#e that he makes a #on#ession but stands
his "round, notin" that the boon #omes at a $ri#e *.+&
oo"le, %hose
)ounders ho$e to turn their sear#h en"ine into an arti)i#ial intelli"en#e, a H'
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the ed"es o) a #om$uter s#reen, either, be)ore ;arr eL$lains ho% its im$a#ted ne%s
media& In $ara"ra$h 3, ;arr uses a re)eren#e to Frederi#k Winslo% Taylor to transition
to a se#tion on >oo"le& =tudents %ho read ;ha$ter P may remember *about the Martin
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The In#luen$ing Ma$hines [p. 330]
BROOKE GLADSTONE ANDJOSH NEUFELD
In a #ha$ter )rom this "ra$hi# book illustrated by Josh eu)eld, Brooke >ladstone
ar"ues that %e $ay attention to those %ho think like us and that the internet intensi)ies
these tenden#ies& =he %orries that )uture di"ital te#hnolo"y %ill also diminish our
$ers$e#ti!e& =he 5uotes i#holas ;arrs essay in this #ha$ter to demonstrate that
te#hnolo"i#al #han"es a))e#t our brains, but she says shes not %orried about these
#han"es and o))ers some eLam$les )rom the history o) #ommuni#ations to demonN
strate that te#hnolo"ies %e #onsider old and harmlesslike tele!ision, radio, the
$rinted %ord, and %ritin"%ere on#e seen as threatenin"& =he #on#ludes %ith the
%ork o) Eou"las 'dams, author o) The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy, %ho ar"ues
that %hether %e #onsider te#hnolo"y ne% or unnatural de$ends on our a"e
%hen it is introdu#ed&
Teaching Notes
'sk students ho% many o) them ha!e read "ra$hi# teLts#omi# books, "ra$hi#
no!els, #artoons, and so onand dis#uss the elements o) the "enre&
Related Essays
DGI D
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3&KWhat they say has moti!ated her ar"ument6 Ho% do you kno%6
The they say )or the se#ond hal) o) her ar"ument is i#holas ;arr, $arti#ularly
his essay, Is >oo"le Makin" ?s =tu$id6 >ladstone 5uotes ;arr, restates his $oint o)
!ie%, and then asks, Eoes that #ree$ you out6 In the neLt )rame, she says, '#tually,
Im not #ree$ed out&
&K>ladstone 5uotes or $ara$hrases a number o) %riters a#ross time& =ome
su$$ort her $osition and some do not, but she is !ery mu#h in #on!ersation %ith
many thinkers on the sub(e#t o) te#hnolo"y& ;hoose )our and eL$lain %hat they
#ontribute to her ar"ument&
>ladstone #ites ;ass =unstein to eL$lain the so %hat6 )a#tor o) her ar"ument,
that %e set u$ our internet eL$erien#e so that %e hear the o$inions o) those %ith
%hom %e a"ree& =he 5uotes i#holas ;arr eLtensi!ely to set u$ a they say )or the
se#ond hal) o) her teLt, that te#hnolo"y a))e#ts our brains& Many o) the others
e%ton & Mino%, an issue o) Graapho!e, eil ostman, The Sa!itaria!, ;onrad>esner, Barnaby Ri#h, Tibor Braun, and latodemonstrate her ar"ument that )or
#enturies %e!e had #on#erns about te#hnolo"y and its e))e#ts on our thinkin", but
%e!e turned out all ri"ht& =he 5uotes Eou"las 'dams at the end o) this eL#er$t to
demonstrate that our a"e determines %hether %e see te#hnolo"y as normal, ne%
and eL#itin", or a"ainst the natural order o) thin"s&
&K=ee the hint >ladstone adds on $& 3& Ho% does it )un#tion as meta#ommentary6
*=ee ;ha$ter /4 )or a reminder about ho% %riters use meta#ommentary&+
The hint says that %hen you hear a "rou$ o) "uys #alled -Masters o) the ?ni!erse,
run It a##om$anies a "ra$hi# that sho%s )inan#ial analysts sayin" that they dontneed to %orry about the real estate bubble& =tudents %ho read ;ha$ter /4 %ill kno%
that this meta#ommentary hel$s to #lari)y that the analysts isolation makes their
#on#lusions dan"erous& The ima"e itsel) establishes a so %hat )a#tor: not ha!in"
a##ess to $oints o) !ie% %ith %hi#h %e disa"ree #an lead to disastrous #onse5uen#es
like the sto#k market #rash and re#ession o) 344P&
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marter than %ou Think:
Ho& Te$hnology Is 'hanging Our Minds #or the Better [p. 3!0]
CLIVE THOMPSON
In =marter than ou Think, ;li!e Thom$son ar"ues that humans %ork %ith #omN
$uters on many tasks, %hi#h makes us radi#ally smarter than %ed be on our o%n
*.34+& He be"ins %ith an eLtended eLam$le o) the "ame o) #hess, notin" that no% some
$layers are stron"er %ith the hel$ o) #om$uters, a #ollaboration he #alls #entaurs&
Thom$son says that %e!e outsour#ed bits o) #o"nition *.3/+ throu"hout the history
o) edu#ation, and he "i!es as e!iden#e his o%n eL$erien#e %orkin" on this teLt, demonN
stratin" ho% !arious di"ital tools hel$ed him de!elo$ the #ha$ter& He also $oints out
that the emer"en#e o) $rint #ulture e#hoes our te#hnolo"ies today: ea#h time %ere
)a#ed %ith be%ilderin" ne% thinkin" tools, %e $ani#then 5ui#kly set about dedu#in"
ho% they #an be used to hel$ us %ork, meditate, and #reate *.4+& Thom$son introN
du#es a naysayer in the $erson o) i#holas ;arr and others interested in brain #hemNistry, but notes that serious neuros#ientists a"ree that %e dont really kno% ho% our
brains are %ired to be"in %ith *.1+& His )inal eLam$le, also about #hess, leads to his
#on#ludin" $oint: %e #an rely too mu#h on te#hnolo"y and be#ome lay, but i) %e !alue
learnin" and take it seriously, #om$uters #an only enhan#e our intelle#t&
Teaching Notes
=tudents %ill likely be un)amiliar %ith Marshall M#
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The )irst #on#e$t, in)inite memory, des#ribes the %ays in %hi#h our ele#troni#
de!i#es #an routinely re#ord more in)ormation than any tool be)ore them *.3+,
eLtendin" our memory o) our o%n li!es and thou"hts& Eot #onne#tin" means that
todays tools make it easier )or us to )ind #onne#tionsbet%een ideas, $i#tures,
$eo$le, bits o) ne%sthat %ere $re!iously in!isible *.3+, and eL$losi!e $ublishin"
des#ribes the %ide !ariety o) %ays in %hi#h %e #ommuni#ate today, e!erythin"
)rom Wiki$edia to dis#ussion threads on Insta"ram& He thinks that tools like these
u$end our mental habits in %ays %e ne!er eL$e#ted and o)ten dont a$$rehend
e!en as they take hold *.31+&
3&KThom$son starts $ara"ra$h 34 by sayin" Our tools are e!ery%here, linked %ith
our minds, %orkin" in tandem& What do you think6 Eoes his statement re)le#t your
o%n eL$erien#e %ith te#hnolo"y6
=tudents %ill likely a"ree %ith this statement i) they ha!e smart$hones or use
#om$uters re"ularly& Those %ho ha!e less a##ess to te#hnolo"ies like these mi"htsay that they li!e their li!es di))erently than the %ay Thom$son des#ribes or mi"ht
e!en raise the 5uestions o) a##ess and #lass&
&KIn $ara"ra$hs 1, Thom$son #ites i#holas ;arr, %hose !ie%s about te#hN
nolo"y di))er )rom his& Ho% does he res$ond to ;arrand ho% does a#kno%led"in"
!ie%s he disa"rees %ith hel$ su$$ort his o%n $osition6
Thom$son mentions ;arr as $art o) his dis#ussion about the tenden#y to%ards
obsessAionC %ith our brain #hemistry *.+& He reiterates the ar"ument ;arr makes in
Is >oo"le Makin" ?s =tu$id, that the internet has diminished his ability to think
dee$ly& Thom$son #on#edes that many o) these )ears are %arranted *.+, and hea"rees that #are)ul, sustained attention to tasks is im$ortant& But he #ounters that
the s#ien#e o) brain study is underde!elo$ed at this $oint in time& He $oints out that
;arr #ites a sin"le study, and notes t%o other studies to demonstrate that the )ield
has mu#h room to "ro%& =tudents )amiliar %ith ;ha$ter 7 may say that in#ludin" the
o$$osite $oint o) !ie% enhan#es Thom$sons #redibility as an eL$ert on the
#on!ersation and sho%s his e))orts to treat readers %ith res$e#t&
&K=o %hat6 Has Thom$son #on!in#ed you that his to$i# matters6 I) so, ho% and
%here does he do so6
Thom$son thinks that this shi)t in thinkin" aided by the internet and otherdi"ital tools matters be#ause it enables us to $arti#i$ate in $ubli# #ulture& On a
so#ial le!el, this eL$ands our ability to understand the $eo$le %e #are about, he
says& On a #i!i# le!el, it hel$s dis$el traditional $oliti#al $roblems like -$luralisti#
i"noran#e, #atalyin" $oliti#al a#tion, as in the 'rab =$rin" *.3P+& =ome students
%ill be #on!in#ed by this reasonin"8 others may )eel like #hess tournaments and the
a#ti!ities o) te#hnolo"y %riters dont a$$ly to their eL$erien#es&
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(oes Te)ting *##e$t Writing" [p. 3"1]
MICHAELA CULLINGTON
In Eoes TeLtin" '))e#t Writin"6 Mi#haela ;ullin"ton $resents di))erent !ie%$oints
on %hether teLtin" a))e#ts %ritin", in addition to her o%n )ield resear#h& =he #on#ludes
that teLtin" does not si"ni)i#antly a))e#t student %ritin"& Be"innin" %ith a sort o)
literature re!ie%, ;ullin"ton notes that tea#hers and $ro)essors blame the %eaknesses
o) their student %ritin"in#ludin" s$ellin", $un#tuation, and trouble %ith eL$ressin"
emotionson teLtin"& =he also $resents resear#h on those %ho think teLtin" hel$s
students be#ome better %riters and #ommuni#ators& In her o%n resear#h, ;ullin"ton
sur!eyed se!en students, inter!ie%ed t%o hi"hNs#hool tea#hers, and analyed student
resear#h $a$ers to see i) teLtin" a))e#ted student %ritin" beyond the ane#dotal
eL$erien#e& =he )ound that students do not belie!e teLts$eak is a$$ro$riate in )ormal
%ritin" assi"nments *./2+, and she o))ers additional resear#h to ba#k u$ her
obser!ations, as %ell as her o%n $ersonal eL$erien#e& =he a#kno%led"es that somestudents may use teLts$eak in in)ormal, -%armNu$ %ritin" *./0+, but she )ound
no e!iden#e o) it in )inal dra)ts&
Teaching Notes
resent students %ith a teLt messa"e, a T%eet, a haiku, and an a$horism, and ha!e
them #om$are and #ontrast these "enres&
Related Essays
=HDRR
T?R
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3&K;ullin"ton a#kno%led"es the !ie%s o) 5uite a )e% naysayers, in#ludin" tea#hers
%ho belie!e that teLtin" has a ne"ati!e e))e#t on their students %ritin"& Ho%and
%here in her essaydoes she res$ond to this #riti#ism6 Is her res$onse $ersuasi!e
and i) not, %hy not6
;ullin"ton res$onds to the naysayers by $ointin" out that their e!iden#e is
limited, based on (ust a )e% $ersonal eL$erien#es rather than on a si"ni)i#ant amount o)
resear#h *.2+& =he o))ers eL$ert 5uotes to demonstrate that many other tea#hers
)eel that teLtin" #an a#tually hel$ students #ommuni#ate, and she does her o%n
resear#h& Many students may )ind this res$onse $ersuasi!e, but others may note
that she too uses $ersonal ane#dotes as e!iden#e and that her sam$le )or the sur!ey
o) students is small, as she hersel) admits&
&KWhat kinds o) sour#es does ;ullin"ton #ite, and ho% does she in#or$orate their
ideas in her essay6
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she has #ontrol o!er the $a#in" o) the #on!ersation and #an edit %hat she %ants to
say& =he #an a!oid a%k%ard en#ounters, es$e#ially at the ends o) #on!ersations, and
%ork to #ra)t hersel) as a di))erent $erson throu"h teLtin" and an online $ersona&
&K'##ordin" to Turkle, %e hide as mu#h as A%eC sho% in teLt messa"es and email,
$resentin" oursel!es as A%eC %ish to be -seen *.P+& Is this so di))erent )rom %hat
%e do in most o) our %ritin"6 Ho% do you $resent yoursel) in your a#ademi# %ritin",
and ho% does that $resentation di))er )rom %hat you do in teLt messa"es or email6
=tudents %ho think #are)ully about the 5uestion %ill realie that they #reate a
$ersona or !oi#e )or the many "enres they %rite in, in#ludin" a#ademi# essays& Thou"h
its a !ery di))erent !oi#e than the one they use )or teLts or emails, in a#ademi# %ritin",
students think about their audien#e and $ur$ose, in many #ases $resentin" themN
sel!es as they think a tea#her %ants them to be& Other students may also note that
a#ademi# %ritin" is about #ommuni#atin" in)ormation, (ust as in a teLt messa"e or
email& =tudents %ill likely a#kno%led"e that kno%in" in ad!an#e %ho the audien#eo) their %ritin" is %ill a))e#t ho% and %hat they %rite&
&KIs di"ital #ommuni#ation "ood or bador both6 Read ;ha$ter /, %hi#h sumN
maries both sides o) that dis#ussion& Whi#h side *or sides+ do you #ome do%n on6
Where do you think Turkle stands6
;ha$ter / notes that our $ur$ose & & & is not to try to settle these debates, but
to in!iteyouto think about ho% di"ital te#hnolo"ies a))e#t your %ork as a reader
and %riter& =tudents %ill ha!e !aried rea#tions to the ar"uments there, but many
%ill say that di"ital #ommuni#ation "i!es them more #ontrol, as 'udrey in this teLt
does& Others %ill note that its sad %hen theyre %ith other $eo$le but e!eryone is$ayin" attention to a s#reen instead o) ea#h other& D!en those %ho )eel a le!el o)
#ontrol %ith te#hnolo"y may a"ree %ith ;ha$ter /s $oints about the lo%er 5uality
o) online #on!ersations& Turkle )eels that %hile teLtin" does hel$ us relie!e $arti#ular
stresses, some o) %hi#h stem )rom te#hnolo"y itsel), it may dis#onne#t us )urther
)rom those around us, e!en as it makes it harder )or us to ha!e the s$a#e to think
our o%n thou"hts *.3+&
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I Had a +i$e Time &ith %ou Tonight, On the *!!, [p. 3$3]
JENNA WORTHAM
In I Had a i#e Time %ith ou Toni"ht& On the '$$, Jenna Wortham ar"ues that
online messa"in" ser!i#es hel$ us )eel #loser to those %e #ant see on a daily basis&
=he o$ens %ith an ane#dote about intera#tin" %ith her boy)riend des$ite li!in"
more than ,444 miles a$art *.3+, and she notes that online #ommuni#ation )eels
like #asual #on!ersation *.1+& Thou"h she says it #an be hard to (u""le all the
!arious %ays to #ommuni#ate *.7+, she thinks the ser!i#es are %ell %orth it and
$ro)iles a )e% a$$s desi"ned s$e#i)i#ally )or #ou$les& Wortham des#ribes the $erN
s$e#ti!e o) =herry Turkle, a naysayer %ho %orries that online intera#tions diminish
our ability to #ommuni#ate e))e#ti!ely in $erson, but she res$onds to that ob(e#tion,
notin" that the $er!asi!eness o) te#hnolo"y in my li)e has hei"htened my desire )or
a#tual oneNonNone meetin"s *./7+& 's Wortham #on#ludes, usin" di"ital tools to
#ommuni#ate a#tually brin"s us #loser to one another&
Teaching Notes
=ur!ey students to see %hat a$$li#ations they use most o)ten to #ommuni#ate, and
%hy they use them& erha$s e!en ha!e some demonstrate $arti#ular methods o)
#ommuni#ation and analye their ad!anta"es and limitations&
Ha!e students read and res$ond to the e% Resear#h ;enter re$ort mentioned
in $ara"ra$h /0, ;ou$les, the Internet, and =o#ial Media, by 'manda
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thin" *./2+ o) #ommuni#ation in $erson, but she thinks that #ommuni#atin" throu"h
a$$s a#tually in#reases her desire to see $eo$le in $erson&
3&KWortham be"ins her $ie#e %ith a short narrati!e about a lay a)ternoon %ith
her boy)riend& Why is this an e))e#ti!e %ay to be"in this essay6 Ho% else mi"ht it
ha!e be"un6
The introdu#tory method sur$rises the reader be#ause s9he may not eL$e#t at
)irst that the lay a)ternoon Wortham des#ribes ha$$ens bet%een t%o $eo$le more
than ,444 miles a$art *.3+& The t%ist %orks a"ainst the readers initial eL$e#tations,
and a $ersonal ane#dote may dra% them in as %ell& =tudents may note that Wortham
#ould ha!e started by summariin" a they say ar"ument, $erha$s =herry Turkle,
%ho a$$ears later in the essay as a naysayer&
&K=o %hat6 Who #ares6 Where in this $ie#e does Wortham eL$lain %hy her ar"ument
matters6 Has she $ersuaded youand i) not, %hy not6
Wortham eL$lains that addin" the Internet to the miL #an stren"then a relationN
shi$ o!er all *./P+, establishin" that her ar"ument matters be#ause it im$ro!es our
relationshi$s& =tudents %ill likely be $ersuaded by this ar"ument, thou"h some may
say that their o%n eL$erien#es "o a"ainst her ar"ument and that she #ould ha!e
a#kno%led"ed additional naysayers&
&K=herry Turkle %rites *$$& 203+ that youn" %omen o)ten $re)er to deal %ith
stron" )eelin"s )rom the sa)e ha!en o) the et and that it $ro!ides an alternati!e to
$ro#essin" emotions in real time& What do you think Wortham %ould say to that6
Wortham %ould a"ree %ith those statements and not see them as a $roblem,thou"h Turkle has #on#erns about them& Wortham notes that !ideo #hat ser!i#es #an
be a%k%ard *.3+, and she says that I!e had some o) my most emotionally intimate
and honest #on!ersations %ith )riends and romanti# $artners on mobile de!i#es *.3/+&
=he %ould a"ree that intera#tin" in $erson is best, but online #ommuni#ation methods
#ome a%)ully #lose in a $in#h *.3/+&
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mall 'hange: Why the Re.olution Will +ot Be T&eeted [p. 3$$]
MALCOLM GLADWELL
In =mall ;han"e: Why the Re!olution Will ot Be T%eeted, Mal#olm >lad%ell
res$onds to ar"uments that so#ial media #an )a#ilitate re!olution and s$ur other
)orms o) so#ial a#ti!ism& He $oints out that re!olutions in Iran and Moldo!a %ere
not dri!en by T%itter and Fa#ebook, thou"h it may ha!e seemed so at the time, and
he ar"ues that so#ial media dri!es %eakNtie rather than stron"Ntie a#ti!ism&
WeakNtie a#ti!ists do not kno% most o) the $arti#i$ants in a mo!ement and take
$art only i) there is little risk in!ol!ed& =tron"Ntie a#ti!ists, like those in the /074s
#i!il ri"hts mo!ement, ha!e #lose )riends or )amily %ho are intimately in!ol!ed %ith
the #ause, and they $arti#i$ate e!en in hi"hNrisk situations& >lad%ell also ar"ues that
e))e#ti!e a#ti!ism re5uires a hierar#hy rather than a laterally or"anied so#ial
net%ork su#h as a Fa#ebook "rou$, and he #on#ludes that a net%orked, %eakNtie
%orld $arti#i$ates in small, lo%Nrisk #auses rather than lar"er, hi"hNrisk #auses&
Teaching Notes
In $ara"ra$h /0, >lad%ell details three Fa#ebook "rou$s, analyin" their memberN
shi$ totals !ersus their a!era"e donations& 'sk students to u$date his statisti#s or
analye another set o) "rou$s on Fa#ebook to see i) his ar"ument about stron"Ntie
and %eakNtie a#ti!ism holds true&
Related Essays
;lad%ell dis#usses the ar"uments $romotin" so#ial media as a key #om$onent
in so#ial a#ti!ism startin" in $ara"ra$h 2& He says, The ne% tools o) so#ial mediaha!e rein!ented so#ial a#ti!ism& With Fa#ebook and T%itter and the like, the traditional
relationshi$ bet%een $oliti#al authority and $o$ular %ill has been u$ended, makin"
it easier )or the $o%erless to #ollaborate, #oordinate, and "i!e a !oi#e to their #on#erns&
He dis#usses re!olutions in Moldo!a and Iran and 5uotes a )ormer senior =tate
Ee$artment o))i#ial %ho belie!es so#ial media #an be used to )i"ht terrorism& He
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56
brin"s u$ these o$$osin" !ie%s *his they say+ a)ter an eLtended des#ri$tion o) the
Wool%orths lun#h #ounter sitNins& He be"ins to re)ute these !ie%s in $ara"ra$h P&
3&KWhat is >lad%ells !ie% o) the relationshi$ bet%een so#ial media and so#ial
#han"e6 What are the main ar"uments he $resents to su$$ort his $osition6 Ho%
does his dis#ussion o) the Wool%orths lun#h #ounter sitNin o) /074, %hi#h he threads
throu"h his arti#le, )it into his ar"ument6
>lad%ell belie!es that so#ial media alone #annot tri""er or )a#ilitate lar"eNs#ale
so#ial #han"e, es$e#ially hi"hNrisk, s%ee$in" so#ial mo!ements& He eLamines the
di))eren#es bet%een stron"Ntie and %eakNtie a#ti!ism *see 5uestion + and ar"ues
that su##ess)ul lar"eNs#ale re!olutions re5uire hierar#hi#al or"aniation, not lateral
net%orks& He uses the lun#h #ounter sitNins as an eLam$le to su$$ort his ar"ument
that re!olution is $ossible %ithout so#ial media, but also to sho% that the kinds o)
#onne#tions a#ti!ists need and the le!el o) or"aniation re5uired #ontrast shar$ly
%ith the abilities o) so#ial media&
&KHo% does >lad%ell de)ine a#ti!ism6 Ho% does he distin"uish bet%een stron"N
tie and %eakNtie so#ial a#ti!ism6 DL$lain this distin#tion and its rele!an#e to
>lad%ells ar"ument&
>lad%ell ar"ues that those %ith stron" ties to a #ause, su#h as those %ho ha!e
#lose )amily or )riends in!ol!ed, are more likely to #ontinue to $arti#i$ate as a
re!olution or other mo!ement dra"s on or be#omes di))i#ult& He #ontrasts that
#ommitment to $eo$le %ho ha!e only %eak ties to others in a mo!ement8 these
a#ti!ists are less likely to take on )inan#ial or $ersonal risk, as he says in $ara"ra$h
/P& This distin#tion is one o) his ma(or ar"uments in su$$ort o) his #laim thatre!olutions like the #i!il ri"hts mo!ement had stron"Ntie a#ti!ists, %hile so#ial
media a#ti!ism $romotes only %eakNtie a#ti!ism&
&KRead Eennis Barons blo" $ost on theysayi%log.co&.Ho% do his !ie%s #om$are
%ith >lad%ellsho% are they similar, and ho% do they di))er6
Baron and >lad%ell both a"ree that so#ial media has not had a $arti#ularly
stron" in)luen#e in the Middle Dastern u$risin"s o) the $ast )e% years8 )or eLam$le,
they both in#lude the detail that Iranian T%itter users %ere mostly outside the
#ountry& They di))er in that >lad%ell does not see so#ial medias $otential as a tool
)or #han"e, %hereas Baron ar"ues that su#h te#hnolo"ies do si"nal ra$idN)ire #han"e&
Baron also asserts that the same te#hnolo"ies #an be used by "o!ernments to su$$ress
re!olution, usin" the kind o) hierar#hi#al or"aniation >lad%ell details in his arti#le&
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57
EIGHTEEN
WHAT SHOULD WE EAT?
Escape from the Western Diet [p. 420]
MICHAEL POLLAN
In this essay, which opens the concluding section of In Defense of Food: An Eaters
Manifesto(2008), Michael Pollan argues that a focus on single nutrients (what he
calls nutritionism) impedes an accurate, comprehensive understanding of healthy
eating. he only solution to !mericans" eating pro#lems, he argues, is to $stop eating
a %estern diet.& 'reating lowcar#ohydrate or lowfat foods does nothing to improve
the %estern diet, and #oth the food and medical industries #enefit from competing
scientific theories a#out nutrition. Instead, Pollan suggests that we avoid processedfoods when possi#le and consider how a healthier environment might lead to healthier
food options. e concludes the chapter #y reminding readers of his credo* $+at food.
ot too much. Mostly plants.&
Teaching Notes
ave students visit Pollan"s we#site, www.michaelpollan.com, and analy-e how he
positions himself in the conversation a#out healthy eating.
Related Essays
+/+ !PI, $%hat !re ou 1uying %hen ou 1uy rganic3& 5p. 6287
M! M!9:I+;
Joining the Conversation
C.D%hat does Michael Pollan mean when he refers to the $%estern diet&3 %hy does
he #elieve !mericans need to $escape& from it31ecause this chapter appears partway through his #ooA In Defense of Food: An
Ea