We’ve been reading/discussing Orwell’s “Politics in the English Language” ((PDF download link via UTDallas)) for the past week, and it’s about time we cut it down to the essentials. Your assignment this weekend is to reverse-engineer an outline of Orwell’s work. The outline should be in standard format, just like the outlines for your first arguments. The goal of this assignment is to clearly lay out the progression of his points and lay bare the skeleton of his points.

We will be returning to our regular schedule of Tuesday/Thursday article analyses next week as well.

The Prompts (choose one):

Audience—Explain the scope of his argument as it develops and changes, using examples of appeals and the probable intended audience. Use of the Clergymen’s letter is encouraged.

• Ethos: Which audience will trust him, based on how he presents himself?
• Pathos: Which audience will be moved by his emotional appeals? How does he phrase the appeals to bring in a wider audience?
• Logos: How does he draw on each audience’s knowledge to make his point clear?

Logic—Present the major and minor premises of King’s argument, using examples of rhetorical techniques and devices as necessary. Use of the Clergymen’s letter is encouraged when you analyze his counter-arguments and rebuttals.

Ethos—Analyze King’s use of appeals to credibility throughout the Letter, illustrating how they support his argument.

The Calendar:

As always, email with questions. Good luck!

Gotta love Bones. In this scene, we get a great example of deductive reasoning followed by faulty induction:

We took an extra day to go over the outlines, so our new schedule looks like this:

Monday (10/14): Introduction to “Letter from Birmingham Jail” and Project C

We will begin an in-depth study of this turning point in our nation’s history by discussing what we know about the protests in Birmingham during 1962. I’ll review best annotation practices, then give you a copy of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail”—one of the greatest rhetorical works ever written. You should read and annotate it over the break.

Tuesday (10/13): Presentation of final drafts and discussion

We will have a short dance party in honor of our success, and bask in the glory of a job well done. We’ll discuss the issue, content in the understanding that we can all have a thoughtful conversation about this issue.

Bring your final draft stapled with the outline and rough draft.

Wednesday (10/14): PSAT!

I’ll be so lonely…

We decided on this schedule for next week. Note that I have made some changes in order to provide you adequate time to edit and research your topics.

Monday and Tuesday: Presentation of individual arguments

You will each have a few minutes to present your argument and any relevant support. As a class, we will point you in the direction of other helpful information or counterarguments.

Bring your research journal (including an outline of your argument) and sources to class.

Wednesday: Review of rhetorical techniques and editing

We will review the rhetorical techniques we’ve been discussing. I will then illustrate the use of these techniques on examples from your arguments.

I will also give you an overview of what to look for when editing a peer’s paper. We will go over constructive criticism, editing symbols, and what to focus on for this type of writing.

Bring your updated outline, research journal, and sources to class

Thursday: Peer review of arguments

You will each read two rough drafts, using the information from Wednesday as a guide. I will be circulating to answer questions and give advice. I’ll look over the edits at home, and return them Friday.

Bring the rough draft of your argument and your outline, research journal, and sources to class.

Friday: One-on-one discussion and revision

I will spend a few minutes with each of you to answer any last questions and go over the edited draft. While I am working with individual students, the rest will look over the edited drafts and begin the final draft. If there is space, we may work in the computer lab downstairs.

Bring all of your research materials and a copy of your rough draft (on a flash drive or email it to yourself).

Monday (10/12): Presentation of final drafts and discussion

We will have a short dance party in honor of our success, and bask in the glory of a job well done. We’ll discuss the issue, content in the understanding that we can all have a thoughtful conversation about this issue.

Bring your final draft stapled with the outline and rough draft.

Tuesday (10/13): Introduction to “Letter from Birmingham Jail” and Project C

We will begin an in-depth study of this turning point in our nation’s history by discussing what we know about the protests in Birmingham during 1962. I’ll review best annotation practices, then give you a copy of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s “Letter from Birmingham Jail”—one of the greatest rhetorical works ever written. You should read and annotate it over the break.

Wednesday (10/14): PSAT!

I’ll be so lonely…

I passed out a number of articles in class today, most pertaining to religion in schools. If you snagged one, read over it. Our goal in this section is to gain a solid understanding of this issue. By the end, we should all have a solid understanding of the nuances of this issue, the rationale behind many sides of the argument, and a much clearer view of our own opinions. Simply, in a few weeks we all should be able to hold an intelligent conversation about religion’s place in the public school system.

As with all of our discussions, we are not striving for consensus ((Remember “groupthink” from psychology? If not, ask your teacher.)), nor are we looking to establish a two-sided, pro/con debate; this is a complex issue ((Overview from ReligiousTolerance.org)) ((Overview from Pew Forum)), and I expect each of you to do enough research so you can thoughtfully contribute to our discussions. This means some independent study: confine your article analyses ((Here’s a non-argumentative article about headscarves in Belgium schools. While our focus will be on the American system, this is a very recent addition to the debate.)) to this subject, talk with family members, religious leaders, teachers, and such about their thoughts, read up on important court cases ((Scopes Trial)) ((Kitzmiller v. Dover Area School District)), etc.

We will continue our discussion of rhetorical devices, logical arguments and fallacies, and appeals throughout this session.

If you come across any resources, please post them below or print them out. Bring all information to class; share the wealth!