Assignment 1 Postscript

Assignment 2 Materials

Week 4

Assignment 1 Postscript

What are you most proud of with regards to this assignment and why?
Where did you struggle most and how did you address that challenge? How will you address this struggle in the next assignment?
What feedback/comments from workshop were MOST helpful as you revised your paper? What feedback/comments from workshop were LEAST helpful as you revised your paper? (Don’t worry, you’re not “telling on” your partner by answering this question. I’ll use your answers to this question in future classes as we work to refine and improve our workshop skills!)

Practice Identifying Stakeholders Directions

You will work with a partner to apply your skills about stakeholders by looking at a text that relates to our course theme.
With your partner, respond to the following questions:
What is the focus of the text? (That is, what’s it about? If it’s a short article, what is the “big picture” of the information? If it’s a graph, what do the data show? If it’s an image, does it have an argument? What is that argument?)
Who are the stakeholders in this issue? List at least three stakeholders and explain what stake they have in the issue.
Explore the ways that the stake a person or group has can both inform and limit that stakeholder’s perspective or point of view.

Texts for Stakeholder Analysis

Dietary Guidelines
Food Allergies: What You Need to Know
Food and Beverage Serving and Related Workers: Occupational Outlook Handbook
Food Safety Concerns for Children Under Five
Get the Facts on Eating Disorders
Let’s Talk Trash (Food Waste)
Reaching Those in Need (SNAP Benefits)
The Faces of US Agriculture
Veterans in USDA Programs

WTL: Identifying Stakeholders and Emerging Issues

Based on your reading of the “Food Stamps…” article, identify two stakeholders in the issue and explain what their stake in the issue is and why (i.e., what they have to gain and/or lose in the context of the issue and why).
Be sure to be clear, thorough, and specific (since part of your purpose here is to demonstrate your close and critical reading of the text).

Synthesis Image

Practice Choosing an Audience for a Specific Purpose

Your purpose with this activity is to come up with a creative solution to the problem.
Work with your group members to choose an audience to “pitch” your solution to. Be sure your audience is logical for your purpose. Does this audience have the power and resources to implement this solution?
Explain why this issue is exigent for the audience. In other words, why is this issue urgent or timely for this particular stakeholder? Why should they care? What’s their stake in the issue?
At the end of class your group will turn in:
An explanation of your solution to the problem;
Which audience you chose to direct your ideas towards and why they’re a logical audience, given your purpose;
An explanation of why this issue is exigent for the audience.

Week 5

Audience Appeals in a Proposal

As you know from our discussion of the A2 assignment sheet that for this assignment you will be identifying a problem within the course theme, explaining its exigency for an audience, and offering a solution. We’re really focusing on appealing to an audience in this unit– that is, considering an audience’s needs and values so we can convince them. So what do the audience appeals look like in a proposalsuch as the oneyou’ll be writing?

Logos:

Choosing an audience that is logical for the purpose;
Explaining appropriate background information;
Supplementing ideas with evidence from sources.

Ethos:

Synthesizing evidence from multiple sources;
Using appropriate citation and attribution
Using fair language
Writing in a waythat matches the audience(e.g., level of formality, tone, etc.)

Pathos:

Considering the audience’s needs, values, and beliefs.

In order to make the best use of our audience appeals, we have to first analyze our audience so we can shape our appeals appropriately.
After all, we can’t just throw some logos in or some pathos in – our appeals have to make sense based on the audience, and you have to also consider your purpose (what your goal with the writing is!) and context. Remember that what is persuasive to some is not persuasive to others!

WTL: Practice Analyzing and Appealing to an Audience

You really, really need $50. Right now. All your friends are broke like you, your parents are sick of sending you money, and you don’t get paid at work for about a week. You’ve been learning a lot about appealing to an audience in your CO150 class and you’ve decided your best course of action is to try to convince one of your college professors to give you the money.
First, choose your audience (i.e., decide which of your professors you’re going to try to get $50 from.)
Then, ANALYZE the audience based on the notes you just took:
Who is your audience?
What level of information do they have about the subject? (Does your professor know what it’s like to be a broke student? Why or why not?)
What does your professor value?
Now, write a letter to that professor. Craft your appeals to logos, ethos, and pathos based on your audience analysis, the purpose of your writing, and the context in which you’re writing.
Your letter should explain the problem (why do you need $50?), explain why it’s exigent (why does this need addressed NOW?), and propose a solution to the problem. Explain the solution, why it’s beneficial, and what the audience gets from it.

Reading Workshop:Pivotal Words

When reading, keeping your eyes open for “pivotal words” can help you better understand how an authordevelopsandorganizesideas in a text.

Directions: Below are twelve different categories of “pivotal words.” As you read and annotate the assigned text for homework:

identify how the author uses words fromat least 4 of the categories below
copy a quotationfrom the assigned textthat uses those words
(leave the “Analysis” comment blank. We’ll do this portion during class and you’ll receive more directions then.)

(NOTE: You don’t need to identify words from all twelve categories; you must identify words from at least 4 categories (though you can do more if you want).

Type your responses, print them, and bring this document with you to class.

Category, Use, and Example Words / Quotation fromAssigned Text / Analysis(you’ll fill this box in during class)
Additive Words:Thesewordssay, "Here's more of the same coming up. It's just as important as what we have already said."
Examples: also, and, besides, further, furthermore, in addition, moreover, too
Equivalent Words:They say, "It does what I have just said, but it does this too."
Examples: as well as, equally important, at the same time, likewise, similarly
Amplification Words:The author is saying, "I want to be sure that you understand my idea; so here's a specific instance."
Examples: for example, e.g., for instance, specifically, such as, like, as
Alternative Words:These point out, "Sometimes there is a choice; other times there isn't."
Examples: either/or, neither/nor, other than, otherwise
Repetitive Words:They say, "I said it once, but I'm going to say it again in case you missed it the first time."
Examples: again, to repeat, in other words, that is, i.e.
Contrast and Change Words:"So far I've given you only one side of the story; now let's take a look at the other side."
Examples: but, conversely, despite, on the contrary, on the other hand instead of, still, though, yet
Cause and Effect Words:"All this has happened; now I'll tell you why."
Examples: accordingly, because, consequently, for this reason, since, so, hence, then, thus, therefore
Qualifying Words:These say, "Here is what we can expect. These are the conditions we are working under."
Examples: if, providing, although, whenever, unless
Concession Words:They say, "Okay! We agree on this much."
Examples: accepting the data, granted that, of course
Emphasizing Words:They say, "Wake up and take notice!"
Examples: above all, more important, most important, indeed
Order Words:The author is saying, "You keep your mind on reading: I'll keep the numbers straight."
Examples: finally, first, second, next, then, last
Time Words:"Let's keep the record straight on who said what and especially when."
Examples: afterwards, before, formerly, later, meanwhile, subsequently, ultimately, now, presently, previously
Summarizing Words:These say, "We've said many things so far. Let's stop here and pull them together."
Examples: for these reasons, in brief, in conclusion, to sum up.

Reading Workshop: Pivotal Words Activity Directions

For homework you identified some spots in the text where the author uses “pivotal words” to help the audience understand his ideas. Now you’re going to use that to explore how many of those “pivotal words” are ways of developing evidence for a reader.

Compare your homework with a partner. Choose 2-3 quotations from the text to analyze. In the “analysis” box on the sheet, answer the following questions:

Look back at the 2-3 quotations you’ve chosen to analyze.

How does the author use the “pivotal words” to help his development? In other words, what larger point is the author developing when he uses these words to help his reader understand better?
Are they helping the evidence develop the key point? Are they helping a key point develop the thesis? Are they helping connect one key point to another? Are they to help the reader stay on track?
(NOTE: You’ll need to look at the text and ideas surrounding the quotation – both before and after – to really understand how the author uses these pivotal words to help development.)

For example:

In one section of the article, Gladwell uses an amplification phrase (“for example”), when talking about how French fries are cooked: “McDonald’s fries, for example, are briefly dipped in a sugar solution, which gives them their golden brown color; Burger King fries are dipped in a starch batter, which is what gives those fries their distinctive hard shell and audible crunch.”
Sample response: In this quotation, Gladwell is offering examples (evidence) of how McDonald’s and Burger King’s fries are made. He is using this to help develop the larger point that both companies’ fries are eventually deep-fried, which is why they’re so unhealthy.

Development in a Proposal Class Notes

Development= how writers choose to elaborate on their main ideas in their writing.
Development includesevidenceandexplanationof that evidence for the audience.
How you develop your paper depends on the rhetorical situation (i.e., the purpose of your writing, the audience you’re writing for, the context, etc.)
How is development linked with audience? Why is it called “development for the audience”?
Based on your audience’s needs, values, knowledge, etc. (that you figure out by doing an audience analysis), you provide details and explanation based on what you’re trying to do (your purpose) and shape them for your particular audience (using audience appeals.)

Developing Evidence for a Specific Audience Flipped Lecture

Find the Flipped Lecturehere

Development in a Proposal (Notes from Flipped Lecture)

What does this mean in a proposal?
Development =evidenceandexplanationof that evidence.
Quotations from experts
Statistics
Facts
Graphs, charts, photos, or other images
But it’s not enough just to include that evidence, you have toexplainit clearly for your reader and help the reader know how to understand it.While evidence is drawn from the text, the explanation of that evidence is drawn from you and your thinking.
This is also wheresynthesiscomes into play. To be an ethical writer, you need to synthesize your sources – that is, use evidence from multiple sources to prove your ideas.Thismayrequire you to make inferences about howa source applies to your idea. In making such inferences, be fair about yourrepresentationof a source as you extendwhat is directly stated in the source to how that source applies to your new context—in other words how that source relates to or “informs” your argument of idea.
Develop your ideas throughout your paper by providing details and explanation when you:
Explain your problem;
Explain why your problem is exigent;
Explain why your solution is a good one.

Analyzing an Audience in Order to Appeal to Them( Notes from Flipped Lecture )

Analyzing an Audience to Appeal to them in your Writing

Think about who will read your paper before and while you write, and adjust your paper to help your reader understand it.

Why is writing to a specific audience so important?
You need to change what you say and how you say it depending on who you’re talking to in order to communicate with them most effectively.

First(this means BEFORE you start writing),you must determine WHO your audience is.
Think about specific demographic info for this audience – it will help you understand them better:
Age
Sex
Education level
Economic status
Political/social/religious beliefs
Then think: how does knowing this information change or affect how you’ll try to appeal to this person?
Are some of the things listed above more relevant than others?
Is there language you can/can’t use?
References you can/can’t make?
Should you be cautious about how you word some things? Why?
Second:Consider what level of information they have about the subject.
Does your reader already know a lot about this topic?
Do your readers have first-hand experience with this topic?
If they don’t know a lot about the topic, you’ll need to spend some time explaining it. If they do know a lot, spend less time with the basics.
Third: Consider what they value in the context of the issue and think about how you can appeal to that.
Does your audience value freedom of speech? Privacy? Academic freedom? Financial security?
How can you consider what the audience cares about and use it to shape what you write?
Craft your appeals to logos, ethos, and pathos based on your audience’s needs, the purpose of your writing, and the context in which you’re writing.

A2 Prep & Audience Analysis

PART 1: A2 Prep

Which issue are you interested in for A2? What articles did you read in the Reader or from the sanctioned websites about that topic?

Of the problems that are arising within that issue, which problem do you think you’d like to solve for A2? Why? What might be a solution to the problem? Why?

What stakeholder/ audience would you like to target for your A2 proposal? Why is the issue exigent for that audience? Why is that a logical audience for this proposal? (In other words, how does that stakeholder have the power to implement your solution?)

PART 2: Audience Analysis

As we’ve discussed in class, beyond simply knowing who your audience is, it’s important to analyze your audience so that you can best appeal to your that stakeholder while you work to achieve your purpose of explaining a problem and proposing a solution. This activity, if attended to sincerely, will ensure that you understand the audience you are addressing in your argument. Those that neglect this aspect of the rhetorical situation usually end up writing to an abstract, ill-defined audience, and it is nearly impossible to write effectively to an audience that is nothing but a hazy hologram.

Respond to the prompts below in order to think about your audience for A2 and how you’ll appeal to that stakeholder.

Who is your audience? (That is, what stakeholder group are you targeting for A2?) Be specific here and choose only ONE audience to address so that you can better shape your appeals in your proposal.

Stakeholder:

Approximate age:

Education level:

Relevant political/social/religious beliefs:

OK – So what? Look at the info in question #1. How does knowing the information above change or affect how you’ll write your proposal? (Think about language you can/can’t use, references you can/can’t make, whether you should be cautious or careful with how you word things, etc.)

What level of information does your audience have about the subject matter you’re going to be writing about? Keeping in mind that you’re going to be explaining a problem, why it’s exigent, and offering a solution, answer the following questions. Does your reader already know a lot about this topic? Or do they know very little about it? Do your readers have first-hand experience with this topic? Why or why not?Do your readers already have strong opinions about this topic? Why or why not?