Fast-Food Assignment

Length: 750+ words

Due Dates: See syllabus (3/9
7 as a draft and 3/14 for a grade)

1. Pick one of the two essays on pp. 151-161 of TSIS and argue in favor of (confirmation) or against (refutation) its premise/ thesis. However, you should try as best you can to develop your own thesis, your own unique perspective, about the topic. Note that whatever you do, you will have to respond to arguments in the other essay.

2. In the first paragraph, develop your perspective as a response to the source. You might want to mention the author’s name and the title of the essay in paragraph one.

3. In paragraph two, summarize the source’s thesis and main supporting ideas. Note: You have already written such a summary paragraph, so you should know what you're doing

4. In subsequent paragraphs, confirm or refute the source’s thesis and main supporting ideas in separate paragraphs. Let the summary paragraph guide the organization of these “body” paragraphs.

5. As you write those paragraphs, think in terms of the paragraph “moves” we discussed in class. In any given paragraph, are you discussing the effect(s), positive or negative, of the source’s general thesis/ proposal? Are you confirming its general argument/ thesis in a way that the writer did not? Are you confirming one of its supporting arguments/ sub-points? Are you refuting the general premise/ thesis? Are you refuting one of its supporting arguments/ sub-points? Are you responding to one of its counter arguments? (Are you refuting its refutation? Doesn’t writing a response essay get durned complicated?) Each paragraph is an argumentative move and therefore requires a specific argumentative pattern.

6. Provide evidence for the source’s point of view in the form of SHORT quotation and paraphrase. You want to sound objective and even-handed here even if you disagree.

7. You may use any or all of the sources in the rest if the TSIS section. Cite the sources informally in the text.

8. Include a concluding paragraph, but in an essay this short, you should not be summarizing your essay or the sources ideas. We will discuss approaches to introductions and conclusions in class.

Post some notes here by Tuesday at 5 PM.