Overview:
This assignment will combine causal, proposal, and narrative argument forms, along with rebuttal arguments. Groups will author a website on an issue that interests them. The site will present as many different perspectives on the issue as there are group members. There are two basic approaches to this project: you can have different argumentative perspectives (for, against) or different positions within a single perspective (different causes or effects).
Each group member will be responsible for playing a different role when writing his or her perspectives and comments--he or she will use a pseudonym and will not necessarily be expressing his or her own viewpoint on the issue. Please feel free to be as creative as you wish on these projects! You can create a fictitiious company, organization, association, etc., that supports or rejects these causes; or, a site that hosts debates on these topics.
"DRAMATIS PERSONAE" page: In addition to the above
requirements, each group should have a page listing the pseudonyms or individuals
you have chosen to create. "Dramatis personae" is the listing of
actors and characters in a play, and you should have a page like this somewhere
in your website. Like the "Image Gallery" from our Project Two,
this page should list the names of your pseudonyms and explain why you chose
to create them, describing their motivations. Of course, this may seem a bit
odd! But it will help you define the nuances of the arguments you are involved
in. Why would someone play a 'concerned parent,' for example, in a project
on teen drug use? It may be obvious, but thinking it through this way will
help you to write in the voice of this person (which is subjective
and based on one person's opinion and position) in order to persuade others
of the truth that this person sees (which is an attempt to appear more objective,
more like common sense). Remember: rhetoric is about persuasion. Really good
arguments, which are always subjective, always seem to make perfect,
objective sense.
As this project is a group project, the word count of each members' pages
should equal at least 700 words (this is the basic requirement,
so I encourage you to go beyond this count).
The final week of class, each group will use their site as the basis for a group presentation. The presentation will discuss the viewpoints expressed on the site and the results of research suggested by the site.
Possible structure of the assignment:
I want to encourage the groups to take these suggestions seriously: every choice that you make in these websites should be discussed and planned out in advance. You'll need to defend these choices not only to me, but to class during your presentations. If you take an 'obvious' path to establish your arguments or site, you'll need to defend these choices, as well. So, if you say that your cause is gun control, and you create a fictional conference about it, be prepared to answer questions as to why it has to be here and why now.
Overall website: Your group needs to create an environment or event in which your debate or contentions can logically take place. Establish, on the front page, that this is a conference on gun control legislation, for example, or create a fictitious event at a school, etc., that has demonstrates the need for your discussions and arguments. Also, you'll need to have a good way to navigate through these pages.
Individual pages: Each group member should have two sources that back up the positions you are establishing. You can structure your own approach in the following way:
establish a viable persona with a narrative argument, establishing who you are and why people should listen to you in this debate ( who are you going to be or what company, organzation, etc. are you going to represent); you should then very briefly discuss how you've come up with this persona in the "Dramatis Personae" page
establish a causal argument with at least one cause that defines your position (for example, gun control legislation would increase violence in schools) and good reasons backing it up, using your sources (with a bibliography); the bibliography can be a shared page with all the sources from the whole site on it, or, you can make one that is individual
look at the other group members arguments and offer good rebuttals against their positions ( so, you might say that "(person in your group)'s effort to halt gun control legislation is dangerous because ...."), hyperlinking to their pages (GR 193-6)
propose a solution to the cause/issue that is feasible and attempts to answer as many of problems associated with the cause/issue as possible (for example, "my solution answers (person in group)'s concern with ... " (GR 207-10)
All of these items can be on one page, or covered over several pages, in whatever format you like.
Here is a good example from a rough draft:
-Introduce character: for example, “I had just recently transferred
schools to a school in South Carolina because of my father’s new job.
As an atheist student, it was difficult to adjust to a religious oriented
school. I was forced to participate in the school prayer and say the pledge
of allegiance. When I refused to participate in the school activities, I was
suspended.”
-Thesis statement : “I don’t believe that (school prayer, religion
in schools) is the right thing to do because it would cause or is (effects
of the event) … “
-Coherent paragraphs that explore specific reasons: for example: “At
a young and impressionable age, students should be taught objectively on every
subject in order for them to have the opportunity to make their own opinions
and make their own decisions.”
-Proposal to resolve the situation
Each group member should comment on the other pages and positions of the other group members. Therefore, in addition to two textual sources, a four person group, each page should comment on, make reference to and quote the author of the other pages.
One way to consider structuring your pages on the site could be to arrange them as answers to the other positions, using sources to refute them: you can establish a thesis on your position within the debate that is driven by a causal argument, use sources to back up your narrative argument and propose how the issue should be resolved. Since you will be playing a role within the debates surrounding this topic, you can be as pointed as you wish in your critique, as long as you retain an argumentative edge to your pages.
In organizing your website, you should have a workable menu that allows a web user to move easily between positions and pages within your site.
Your presentation will consist of a paper to be presented aloud and an accompanying power point slide show. You are also encouraged to incorporate handouts. The paper should be divided into three to four sections, depending on the size of your group, and each section will be read by a different group member.
Sources:
The paper will have a works cited page listing at least two secondary sources per group member: while you may have one online source, at least one source must be a textual source (in other words, it needs to be a source you found in the library, as opposed to online sources). You are also highly encouraged to do primary research for this project. Examples of primary sources include: surveys, experiments, archives, interviews, and observations. Your sources should be cited and listed in MLA format on a bibliography page (group or individual).
Lexis-Nexis is an academic search engine for newspaper articles, popular magazines and journals. You can use Lexis-Nexis to find similar events to the one you are constructing in your group project.
Being responsible:
Please be aware that, while I will be grading your work on an individual basis, your own work will depend to some degree on the efforts of other group members. Be responsible and act accordingly with regard to your group members! Please let me know ASAP if you are experiencing any difficulties or frustrations regarding other group members.
11/7--Form groups of 3-4 people. Decide on a topic that interests you, such as those from Yahoo's directory of issues and causes. Each group must do a different topic, so once you decide on a topic, let me know. For each topic you consider, try to come up with 3-4 perspectives, one per group member.
11/14--Topic Proposal due by email, with 3-4 perspectives on issue identified and group member roles defined.
11/21--Rough draft of site due by the beginning of class.
11/24--Rough draft of presentation due. Presentation will likely consist of a paper and visuals: power point and handouts with graphs, charts, images, etc.
12/1--Final draft of site due.
12/5--Final draft of presentation due.