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Students will be able to:
- identify the thesis, summarize the text, recognize rhetorical devices such as parallelism, and comprehend metaphorical language.
- describe, evaluate, and question the purpose, audience, organization, and style of assigned readings, as well as determine a writer’s background, historical period, and cultural niche for discussion of bias, diversity or shifting perspectives.
- carry out a research plan which entails identification of research questions, location and evaluation of sources, selection of quotes, and avoidance of plagiarism.
- demonstrate control of college-level writing skills by crafting and revising cogent, lucid arguments. The student’s writing will exhibit logical, clear thinking, control of meaning, maturity of style, and appropriate tone.
- employ thesis statements, topic sentences, supporting data, introductions, and conclusions. They will effectively incorporate source material located during research.
- demonstrate appropriate skill in common writing conventions, including standard written American English, and correct MLA documentation and formatting.
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Introduction
Each of you has selected one of the subjects that will become the basis for your final project. Now it's time to figure out what you need to know to make an informed decision about the issue at hand.
Fox, Armentano, and Tvert took a strong position up front when they named their book Marijuana is Safer. How did they reach that conclusion? Research. But how did they know what to look for? That's where a set of effective research questions can make the difference. This week's focus is on how to develop effective research questions and research strategies.
Primary and subordinate questions
Take a look back at the introduction in Marijuana is Safer. Notice how many questions can be formulated just by considering what was written in that intro. Look for the "one might wonder" and "one might ask" phrases, which are very obvious clues, but also consider the way information has been presented and how it represents a question that was asked. For instance, there is a paragraph in which the authors note that "people...tend to overestimate the drug's actual harms" (xvi). A claim like that can only be made if someone has asked a question about how marijuana is perceived by the public.
There are differences between a BIG question, such as "how will I vote on this proposition?" and the subordinate questions that must be answered in order to answer the big one. In this discussion you will practice writing a big question and then developing a list of potential subordinate questions that need to be researched. In task 1c you selected one of the allowed propositions. Now you'll work on developing the questions that will guide your research. This is a great time to work together with those who have chosen the same proposition.
3a Discussion Prompt
Write a primary research question and a list of at least 5 subordinate questions that would need to be answered in order to answer the primary question. Then work with each other to refine and expand the list of potential subordinate questions.
You will see 5 replies to the 3a discussion thread. Please work in the one that matches your project subject.
CAUTION: You must come up with original subordinate questions. This means the earlier you post, the easier your initial post will be. If you wait until Thursday to make your first post, make sure you check to see what subordinate questions have already been posted. DO NOT duplicate those questions.
3a Example
Name
Class & Task ID
Date of submission
Proposition: The Medical Marijuana Regulation, Control, and Taxation Act
Tentative position: The proposal does not go far enough. Marijuana should be legalized for medical and recreational use.
Primary Research Question: Should marijuana be legalized for medical and recreational use?
Subordinate Questions:
Why is it illegal? Are they social, economic, health related, or something else?
What are the costs of policing current marijuana laws? Are the benefits of policing worth the costs?
What are the effects of current marijuana laws? Do the effects match the expectations?
What are the health risks associated with marijuana use? How do marijuana health risks compare to other legal substances such as cigarettes, alcohol, and medications?
How does marijuana compare to other legal substances that are potentially harmful or addictive?
3b Discussion Prompt
What is your most common goal when beginning a research project? What is your typical research process? Has your process been effective in the past? Is it likely to be effective in the future? Why? Why not?
When you have responded to those questions, discuss with one another the differences and similarities of your current research processes and how they might require change to accommodate university-level writing projects.
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This is the assessment rubric I will use to evaluate the discussions this week.
GD (Graded Discussion)
Assessment Rubric |
Possible |
Earned |
3a |
3b |
| Timing |
| First post no later than Thursday |
1 |
1 |
2 |
| Frequency |
| At least 3 well-developed posts in each discussion. |
3 |
3 |
6 |
| Quality |
* 5-7 pts per high-quality post
* 3-4 pts per medium-quality post
* 0-2 pts per low-quality post |
21 |
21 |
42 |
| Total Earned |
50 |
| Comments: |
For grading quality I choose the 3 best posts made in a discussion. The more posts you make, the more chances you have of crafting 3 that are excellent.
Each post should be at least one well-crafted paragraph and add value to the discussion. This can be done in a variety of ways:
* provide evidence of understanding assigned materials;
* engage with the ideas of others in the class;
* integrate ideas from experts (yes, research);
* include well supported interpretations;
* demonstrate a clear understanding of the facts; etc.
* All posts should be clearly written and carefully edited to eliminate grammar, spelling, and punctuation errors.
Quality criteria
*High quality (5-7 pts.) = Purposeful development; clear evidence of understanding reading assignments; extends the boundaries of the discussion but remains focused on topic; may demonstrate synthesis of ideas from multiple sources; there are few or no grammar, word use, punctuation or other errors.
*Medium quality (3-4 pts.) = Moderate development; shows evidence of reading assignments; may lack depth or show some lack of comprehension; there may be grammar, word use, punctuation or other errors, but they do not interfere with the meaning in the post.
*Low quality (0-2 pts.) = Limited in scope, development, and correctness; may simply agree or disagree with another in the class; little if any evidence of having read the assignments; may be numerous grammar, word use, punctuation or other errors. Note: posts that simply agree or disagree will earn little, if any, credit. |
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