Develop main points with appropriate and convincing supporting materials where you explain your answer with references to specific passages in both articles. Demonstrate a clear and coherent writing style that uses effective diction and sentence skills.

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Bush Remark Roil Debate over Teaching of Evolution

​The following two pieces both address evolution. The first article is written by Elizabeth Bumiller, and the second article is written by Lisa Fullam. One presents an argument while the other offers an explanation. Read them both carefully and write a 500 word essay where you decide which essay is an argument and which essay is the explanation. Please follow the conventions of MLA and submit the paper the way you submitted your research paper. Your essay should have

• A clear thesis statement
• Develop main points with appropriate and convincing supporting materials where you explain your answer with references to specific passages in both articles
• Uutilize appropriate and effective organization of content
• Demonstrate a clear and coherent writing style that uses effective diction and sentence skills
• Demonstrate correct mechanical skills including spelling and punctuation
​

What is important about this debate or discussion, according to your point of view? Why is it important that various perspectives agree or disagree about this technique or concept? According to your point of view, what is the near or distant future regarding this technique or concept?

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SOPHISTICATED REPORT / LITERATURE REVIEW

-Introductions focus, prepare, and map.

-Definition and explanation of technique or concept: In your own words, define briefly a writing technique or concept.

-Brief summary of academic discussion: Provide an efficient overview of two perspectives on the technique or concept.

-Identify agreement or disagreement: In one or two sentences, focus readers on how the sources see the technique or concept similarly or differently.

-Body paragraphs develop and support.

Specifically describe and explain sources’ perspectives: Briefly SOPHISTICATED REPORT / LITERATURE REVIEW

-Summarize with reference to specific quotations the argument or idea of each source, highlighting connections and disconnections to aid in transition.

-Conclusions reinforce importance, predict, and broaden.

-Explanation of relevance: What is important about this debate or discussion, according to your point of view? Why is it important that various perspectives agree or disagree about this technique or concept?

-Prediction: According to your point of view, what is the near or distant future regarding this technique or concept?

-Explanation of Larger Context: How can you connect this essay’s focus to a larger issue in writing, specifically academic writing, thinking, or debating?

To what extent is a fantasy of ‘elsewhere’ significant in ’s Hamlet and Kyd’s The Spanish Tragedy?

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Hamlet and The Spanish Tragedy

The Forest of Arden is described as ‘that shadow-land elsewhere’ (Introduction, As You Like It, p. 1). To what extent is a fantasy of ‘elsewhere’ significant in Shakespeare’s Hamlet and Kyd’s The Spanish Tragedy? The quotation used in the question refers to As You Like It; you are not required to write about that text.

Focus should be: the temporal ‘elsewhere’ i.e. the idealised elsewhere of a real or imagined past in relation to the characters of Hamlet and Bel-Imperia.

Required references are:
-Kyd, T.: Gurr, A. & Mulryne, J.R. (eds), The Spanish Tragedy (New Mermaids)
-Thompson, A. & Taylor, N. (eds), The Arden Shakespeare Hamlet (Revised edn)
-The Cambridge Companion to English Renaissance Tragedy – Tanya Pollard’s chapter, ‘Tragedy and revenge’, AND/OR Gregory Colón Semenza’s ‘The Spanish Tragedy and metatheatre’
-“The Spanish Tragedy” and “Hamlet”: Infernal Memory in English Renaissance Revenge Tragedy ZACKARIAH C. LONG English Literary Renaissance

Guidance:
‘Elsewhere’ suggests a location placed in relation to another locale, so you will need to consider that relationship and its purpose. The quotation includes the word ‘shadow-land’, and it would be a good idea to consider the implications of that. This is an invitation to consider the literary purpose of either real or imagined locations, and you should make sure you avoid simply describing settings and locations. Does ‘elsewhere’ have symbolic intent? Perhaps ‘elsewhere’ is not a literal place at all, but one created in the mind. You are free to develop any argument and take whatever approach to the EMA that seems to you to answer the question best. Whatever your approach, you will need to provide evidence from close textual analysis, and from critics, to substantiate your conclusions.

In your answer, you must also demonstrate significant evidence of independent study through reference to critical sources and/or other sources from outside the directed teaching material.

Remember that your prime aim in your answer must be to cast light on the details ‒ things such as language, literary techniques and genre conventions – of the two set works that you are discussing. Before you start writing, therefore, make sure that you know both of the set works you have chosen well,. Devote roughly equal space to each of your set works.

People say that love Conquers all. Is this statement true, or just a cliché? How powerful is love? Are there instances where love has brought people together as well as times when hate has driven them apart?

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Romeo and Juliet Act 1 scene 1-5

People say that love Conquers all. Is this statement true, or just a cliché? How powerful is love? Are there instances where love has brought people together as well as times when hate has driven them apart?

In a 2-paragraph essay using the No Fear copy of William Shakespeare’s “The Tragedy of Romeo and Juliet” Act 1 Scene 1-5 as evidence please argue the following question about the theme of the play. Is Love stronger than Hate?

How does race/culture/gender/sexuality shape the ways the characters interact with each other, both onstage and in offstage actions we learn about? What types of symbols or objects in the drama reflect the characters’ racial/cultural/gender/sexual identities? How does race/culture/gender/sexuality function as a persistent force in your dramatic piece?

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Applying a Lens to Your Drama Analysis Discussion

Purpose:

Practice analyzing a play through the lens of Culture, Gender, or Sexuality by examining critical questions.

Tasks:

Part 1. After reading and viewing the Looking through a Cultural Lens and Looking Through a Gender- or Sexuality-Based Lens pages, answer up to three questions related to your chosen theory/theories (see below) to discuss your dramatic selection. Be sure to provide evidence (passages from the play, script, or film) to support your answers.

How does race/culture/gender/sexuality shape the ways the characters interact with each other, both onstage and in offstage actions we learn about?
What types of symbols or objects in the drama reflect the characters’ racial/cultural/gender/sexual identities?
How does race/culture/gender/sexuality function as a persistent force in your dramatic piece?
What stereotypes or assumptions relating to race/culture/gender/sexuality are present in the drama, and how do the characters react to them?
How does the drama reflect the experiences of people who face racism/bigotry/sexism/homophobia?
Use specific details from the text to support your answers.

Part 2. Use one or more of the Research Resources for Your Drama Analysis Essay in this Unit to add depth or insight into the critical lens(es) that you are using. Choose a pertinent quote or paraphrase that you find applicable to your chosen text and theory, and, in your own words, explain how it connects. Approach this as preparation for your essay in this Unit.

Part 3. Respond to at least 2 of your classmates’ posts. Your initial post should consist of at least 2 complete and well-written paragraphs, and your replies should be thoughtful and substantive.

Choose one of the short stories that we have read so far. Discuss why and how the story connects with one or two of the themes discussed in Unit 1.

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Short Story Analysis using Literary Devices Discussion

Purpose:

This post will be an exercise in finding textual examples of Literary Devices that prove what we are saying about the meaning or overarching theme(s) of the story.

Tasks:

Part 1. Choose one of the short stories that we have read so far. Remember that “Everything that Rises Must Converge” was only provided as a model; you must choose one of the other stories to write about:

“The Paper Menagerie”

Part 2. Discuss why and how the story connects with one or two of the themes discussed in Unit 1:

  • Love (filial, maternal/paternal, romantic, or platonic)
  • Alienation/Otherness
  • The American Dream/Nightmare
  • The Quest for Identity/Coming of Age
  • Conformity/Rebellion

Use specific details from the text, including the use of irony, metaphor, and symbolism, to support your point. Approach this as preparation for your essay in this Unit.

Explain what you did to revise certain weaknesses in your projects. What tools or resources did you use? Discuss YOUR strategies in writing and revising. Explain how they helped or hindered you in the writing process. Demonstrate what you have learned in regards to your writing process and what you have learned in regards to being an effective writer.

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Final Reflection

Critically self-assess your work: reflect upon your strengths and weaknesses as a writer and reflect upon your writing process.

Provide CONCRETE examples of your strengths and weaknesses in your projects.

Explain what you did to revise certain weaknesses in your projects. What tools or resources did you use?

Discuss YOUR strategies in writing and revising. Explain how they helped or hindered you in the writing process.

Demonstrate what you have learned in regards to your writing process and what you have learned in regards to being an effective writer.

Demonstrate knowledge of key aspects of writing: revising, editing, peer review, pre-writing, etc.

Avoid extensive summary; instead provide an analysis of your writing and projects

Which words or phrases stand out to you? Which images or ideas are most meaningful or important to the poem? Which words or concepts are confusing to you? Which ideas or words would you like to learn more about?

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Introduction, Thesis and Outline for a Poetry Analysis

Task:

Choose one of the Poetry Selections from this Unit – you can certainly choose a poem you have already posted about in one of the Unit 2 forums, but you don’t have to. Be sure to consider what you learned from Unit 2.1 Discussion – Poem Hypertexts and Semiotics when making this decision.

You will closely read (and reread) your chosen poem, considering its structural elements, patterns of figurative language, and other literary elements. Bear in mind that, much as we discovered about ads in the advertisement analysis forum, poems are carefully and purposefully crafted–consider that every choice in terms of structure, rhyme (or lack thereof), wording, and tone are deliberate and work to leave an intentional impression on the reader.

Use the page Starting Your Poetry Analysis to help guide your consideration of how and why the elements of a poem come together to create effect and meaning. Carefully read the example pages that use Frost’s poem “The Road Not Taken” as an example for explication (Close Reading, Sample Analysis and Key Elements).

Use this page as a framework for creating an analytical outline. Your finished outline should look something like this. Include the following elements:
First, an introductory paragraph that offers focused, key background information on the poem and what you are focusing on about it.
At the end of the Introduction section, compose a well-crafted thesis statement: one or two sentences that explain what you want to say overall about the poem. Ideally, this thesis should focus on the “how” and “why” of the effect of some of these choices. Consult this page about thesis statements.
Next, include topic sentences that could be used for body paragraphs that focus on specific ideas and elements from the poem that provide evidence and support for your overall idea about the poem (thesis).
Under these topic sentences, include relevant, brief quotations from the poem, indicating the line numbers in parentheses.
Finally, include a brief conclusion that sums up what these ideas all add up to.

Grading Criteria:

Your thesis statement is logical, well-supported, original, and is not merely a description or summary but “makes a claim that others might dispute” (See The UNC Writing Center: Thesis Statements – http://writingcenter.unc.edu/handouts/thesis-statements/ )
Your outline represents a logical roadmap for a potential analytical paper, including well-chosen support for your thesis
Your use of language: your writing should be clear, well-organized, and free from spelling and grammar errors.

Purpose: Practice close-reading and annotating a poem using multimedia.

Tasks:

Part 1. Choose one of the Poetry Selections for this Unit.

Part 2. Copy and paste the text of the poem. Now, go through the poem carefully, word by word, and consider the following:

Which words or phrases stand out to you?
Which images or ideas are most meaningful or important to the poem?
Which words or concepts are confusing to you?
Which ideas or words would you like to learn more about?

Part 3. Now you get to begin your internal “treasure hunt!” Highlight the words or phrases that meet the criteria listed above in the poem and create clickable hyperlinks (right-click to “insert hyperlink” if you are composing in a Word or Google document; use the “links” key picture like this if you are composing in the textbox in our discussion forum). Please use links to open-web materials only–avoid links that involve a paywall, subscription, or login.

Part 4. Underneath your created hypertext poem, write a reflection of at least 100 words on how and why you chose what to link to and what kinds of links to include. Discuss what you learned as you made this project.

What is freedom? What concrete general and specific examples of freedom could you give to your reader from the text? From society? From history? What symbols represent freedom? What are some examples from our textbook?

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 Write a definition paper by examining the concept of freedom.

The theme of freedom is found to varying degrees in many selections in our textbook as well as other texts, television shows, films, history, and contemporary society. Though there are many examples, some examples from Portable Literature include:

  • “The Storm” by Kate Chopin
  • “The Things They Carried” by Tim O’Brien
  • “The Yellow Wallpaper” by Charlotte Perkins Gilman
  • “Dulce Et Decorum Est” by Wilfred Owen
  • “Harlem” by Langston Hughes
  • Trifles by Susan Glaspell

Your task is to write a definition paper by examining the concept of freedom. Freedom is an abstract term, so it is your job to make it concrete for the reader.

What is freedom?
What concrete general and specific examples of freedom could you give to your reader from the text? From society? From history?
What symbols represent freedom?
What are some examples from our textbook?

Also, when you define an abstract concept, you should also include what it is not. What is the opposite of freedom? What are other words that mean the opposite of freedom? What are some concrete specific examples from the text? From history? Which characters from our textbook were not free?

You will follow the Toumlin model, and you may do so by looking at other templates from various assignments. You will have the following:

Paragraph 1– Introduction and claim/thesis

Paragraph 2– Insert question (What is freedom?) Define freedom. Use a dictionary definition and cite the source. Cite words that are similar to the word freedom. Offer two or three general examples of freedom. Cite 3 reasons of what freedom is along with explanations of each reason.

Paragraph 3- Offer what the opposite of freedom is. Use specific examples to show what freedom is not.

Paragraph 4- Refute the opposing definition of freedom. Offer more information of what freedom is. Perhaps offer symbols of freedom. Give specific examples. Use a quote. Explain the importance of the quote.

Paragraph 5– Conclusion

With the prospects for artifically enhanced bodies, workers, and companions, what are the sensible and ethical approaches to these technologies? Write a 4-5 pp. research paper in which you both explain the controversy over a specific contemporary application in one of these fields and argue the extent to which you endorse it.

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The People of Sand and Slag

PROMPT
The three short stories we are reading imagine a futuristic world in which the protagonists’ bodies and minds have been altered or augmented, robotically or biologically, in some way, challenging us to examine what it means to be human. With the prospects for artifically enhanced bodies, workers, and companions, what are the sensible and ethical approaches to these technologies? Write a 4-5 pp. research paper (1000-1250 words) in which you both explain the controversy over a specific contemporary application in one of these fields and argue the extent to which you endorse it. You may argue for zero restrictions and control or extensive oversight, or something in between. Be sure you focus on a particular application so that your essay delves deeply into the subject matter as opposed to treating an entire field too broadly and therefore superficially.

TOPICS
Here are some applications and debates you might look into: AI outsmarting humans, labor competition, remote warfare, programmable partners, programmed social biases, transhuman (artificially enhanced humans), video editing (fake videos), facial recognition (privacy, profiling, fraud), tracking devices (privacy, Big Brother), bio-enhancements (super humans), gene modification (designer babies), cloning, bioengineered foods or 3-D printed consumables. I know there are many others!
Choose a narrow topic so that you go into sufficient detail. Artificial intelligence alone is way too big a topic; instead, examine one particular application of artificial intelligence that ignites debate.

CRITERIA
Locate an Argument/Thesis: Write a thesis that is a declarative statement that expresses your opinion (in other words, do not ask a question, do not announce what you will argue, and do not make a statement of fact; be sure your thesis is something that can be argued against). You may make a statement about a) the benefits or risks about the tech, or b) what we should do, or c) a conditional statement (if/then), or d) a qualified statement (add an although or despite clause, for example), or e) offer a solution to the problem as you see it, f) and/or follow your statement with a “map” of reasons you believe what you do.

Purpose: Your purpose is to state and support your opinion with reasons and evidence so that your reader is convinced of your position. All essays need to have these fundamentals: claim, reasons, evidence, and relevance (you must establish why any of this matters). Your argument should say something about humanity in the context of present-day discussions about robotic and bio-enhancements, referring to our class reading and your research for support. Reflect on the messages of these articles and stories as they comment upon our natures, curiosity, fantasies, and anxieties about what the future holds and what we humans will do with these technologies.

Organization and Development: There are a variety of ways to organize the paper (we will discuss this later), but you should include a description of the controversy/debate, present the opposing side’s arguments objectively, rebut those arguments and offer reasons and support for your arguments.
Evidence/Quoting/Synthesis Criteria: You must refer to one of our stories and quote at least one of our assigned articles, in addition to quoting from a minimum of 2 outside sources that you find (that’s a total of at least 4 sources: 1 fiction, 3 non-fiction–see below) You may consult a popular source (online or print magazine), but you must also include a peer-reviewed article on the topic (consult our library databases or Google Scholar–you’ll receive instruction on this).

Integrate the sources so that they assist you in establishing the issue, describing the technology, and/or offering perspectives with which you agree or disagree. Remember to give in-text and works cited credit for any paraphrased ideas/words, too. Use MLA documentation style for in-text citations. (Links to an external site.) This should correspond with the Works Cited page that should also be in MLA format. The required number of quotes and correct in-text citations are worth 10 points.