Article Responses 5-8: Michael Brown

The fatal shooting of Michael Brown and the community of Ferguson's response have evoked many opinions and issues. I am providing links to several opinions, but the first link is more of an objective background. I admit that I hesitated to post these, but this is a significant event that promotes necessary conversation. Read the following articles and think about the speaker of each article. Who is the speaker/writer? What is his/her investment in the subject? What is their credibility? Which piece do you find most effective? Why? Where do you question or disagree with the writer?

http://www.cnn.com/2014/08/11/us/missouri-ferguson-michael-brown-what-we-know/
http://www.nytimes.com/2014/08/14/opinion/charles-blow-michael-brown-and-black-men.html?emc=eta1&_r=2
http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2014/08/18/3472567/the-racist-history-of-marijuana-character-assassination/
http://time.com/3111474/rand-paul-ferguson-police/
http://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/2014/08/12/jesse-jackson-ferguson-riots-column/13957197/
http://www.cnn.com/2014/08/20/opinion/melinek-michael-brown-autopsy/index.html
http://www.latimes.com/opinion/op-ed/la-oe-kaplan-ferguson-michael-brown-obama-20140819-story.html

Article Response 4

I am sure most of you have seen the film "Guardians of the Galaxy." It is definitely a fun, entertaining film. I found the following article, though, that analyzes the film on a deeper level. I though you might enjoy the article. It is also a good example of analysis, which we will be doing a lot. The superhero genre has exploded recently. I would like you to comment on the article as well as why you think superheroes are so popular right now.

"Guardains of the Galaxy: An Origin Story that Is Also a Satire of an Origin Story"

Article Response 3

The following opinion "Why the Beach Is a Bummer" is a good piece to review occasion and introduce speaker.  It is summer, and we associate summer with hanging out at the beach or pool.  The author of the piece establishes who she is as the speaker of the opinion, which also helps support her claim through ethos.  Ethos is the credibility and trustworthiness of the author.  Why does the audience believe or trust the author? After reading this opinion, how does the author present herself? Who is she and why would an audience trust her? Then, think about yourself as a speaker in an opinion piece. How would you present yourself? What are experiences and environment that have shaped your values and beliefs?

Article and Response 8: July 29

Post a link to your article and your two paragraph response.  You may read and reply to each other's articles and responses.

Article Response 2

What motivates a writer to write? To construct an argument? While fiction writers may look to their imaginations, non-fiction writers are motivated by an occasion or exigence. Something prompts them; they react to an event, issue, or situation. The shooting down of the Malaysian Airlines plane is an example of this occasion or exigence.  Here are links to two different articles that react to this occasion. One article relies heavily on logos (logic, reasoning) to support a clear, strong claim that is stated at the end. The other also uses logos, but also brings in pathos (appeals to emotion, imagination) to develop a claim that is indirectly stated. Read both articles and choose one to discuss the claim (basically a thesis) and the use of logical and/or emotional appeals. You may also react to anything else you notice about the articles and/or issue.

"Don't Blame Malaysian Airlines"

"Malaysia, the World's Unluckiest Airline, Will Now Struggle to Survive"

Article and Response 7: July 22

Post a link to your article and your two paragraph response.  You may read and reply to each other's articles and responses.

Article and Response 6: July 15

Post a link to your article and your two paragraph response.  You may read and reply to each other's articles and responses.

Article Response 1

Read the following short commentary and post a response to a question or pose your own question.

"The Transhuman Future: Be More Than You Can Be"

This is a good text to begin conversation.  It is short-overall length, paragraphs, sentences. The rhetorical stategies are pretty transparent, and the author invites thought and conversation. Rhetorical strategies include syntax of short, simple sentences, questions, modes of definition and examples, and an allusion to the famous novel Brave New World. Think about why the author uses these strategies.  How does it affect you as an audience to read all the questions in the opening? What does the author define and why does this need definition? Where does he add some specific examples and why might he include them there? Why might he end with the allusion to Brave New World? What might he want his audience to get out of reading this piece? Finally, what are your thoughts after reading this? You do not need to answer all the questions, and we are beginning conversation. Do not worry about a "wrong" answer.

Article and Response 5: July 8

Post a link to your article and your two paragraph response.  You may read and reply to each other's articles and responses.

Article and Response 4: June 30

Post a link to your article and your two paragraph response.  You may read and reply to each other's articles and responses.

Article and Response 3: June 23

Post a link to your article and your two paragraph response.  You may read and reply to each other's articles and responses.

Article and Response Week 2: June 15

Post a link to your article and your two paragraph response.  You may read and reply to each other's articles and responses.  In looking at the posted responses from last week, you are finding interesting articles and beginning conversations on both the what the writer says and how he/she says it.

Article and Response 1: June 11

Post a link to your article and your two paragraph response.  You may read and reply to each other's articles and responses.

Introduction

Introduce yourself and something you are looking forward to this summer.