Transcript The First Day, of the Rest of Your Life

The First Day, of the Rest of
Your Life
The Introduction Paragraph:
Entering the Academic
Conversation
How We Enter the Conversation:
The Lunch Table Analogy
“They Say”
Who are “They?”
Journalists
Critics
Example
Some school
officials, such as Head of
King’s College School
Andrew Halls, say that
social media causes
students to live lives that
are under constant
scrutiny leading to
negative perceptions of
themselves, however, I
argue that social media
can be empowering for a
young adult.
1.) In this thesis, what
is the “they say” part
of the argument?
2.) In this thesis
statement, what is the
“I say” part of the
argument?
Examples:
“You deplore the
demonstrations taking
place in Birmingham. But
your statement, I am
sorry to say, fails to
express a similar concern
for the conditions that
brought about the
demonstrations” –Martin
Luther King Jr. from
Birmingham Jail
• What is the “they say”?
• What is the “I say”?
Adding a “They Say” To Our
Writing
The following statements all lack a “They
Say.” Work on your own or in pairs to rewrite the statements with a “they say.” If
you finish, write your own statement with a
“they say” and “I say.”
Statement 1
“I Say”:
Romeo and Juliet is a movie about the
dangers of abusing power.
Helpful Templates:
• “When I was a child, I used to think that _______, but
after reading Romeo and Juliet as a teenager ________
• “At the same time that I believe_______, I also
believe______”
• “Conventional wisdom has it that Romeo and Juliet is
about ______, however, I believe it to be about______”
Statement 2
I say:
I am afraid that school uniforms will stifle
personal expression.
Helpful Templates
• “When I was a child, I used to think that _______, but
after reading extensively on the subject, I believe school
uniforms________.”
• “At the same time that I believe_______, I also
believe______.”
• “Conventional wisdom has it that school uniforms would
______, however, I believe they would________.”
“I Say”
…So…what DO I say?
Three Ways of Responding to what
They Say:
“Yes/No/Okay, but”
“Yes”: Agreeing with a difference
Example
Ex: I agree with the district’s decision to
not have school on Monday due to the
hazardous conditions the snow would
have presented to school bus drivers, but
also because of the hazard it would have
presented students who walk to school.
Templates
-I agree that_______
because my
experience_____confirms
it.
-X is surely right
about_______ because,
as she may not be aware,
recent studies have
shown ________
-I agree that ______, a point
that needs emphasizing
since so many people
believe _______
Prompt
Through studies
done at the University of
Counting Sheep, Dr.
Nidsleep has found that
student performance
would improve if high
schools implemented a
later start time.
“No”
So you disagree huh? Very well, but
you have to tell your reader WHY you
disagree.
-I think that X is mistaken
because she
overlooks_______.
-I disagree with X’s view
that ____ because, as
recent research has
shown, ______
-By focusing on______, X
overlooks the deeper
problem of_____.
-X claims that ______ rests
upon the questionable
assumption that _____.
Prompt
Ms. Proper, head of the
Oregon City School
District, is advocating for
a school district wide
implementation of
uniforms for every
student.
“Yes, but…”
There may be times when you agree with
part of an argument, but disagree with
another part.
Example
They Say
Rachel Frederickson,
latest winner of the
Biggest Loser and
who started the
competition weighing
206 pounds, lost 115
pounds, her weight
loss being a clear
indicator of improved
health.
Yes, But:
Though I agree that
weight loss is typically
an indicator of
improved health, I still
insist that being
underweight poses as
much of a threat to
one’s health as being
overweight does.
Practice
Templates
-While X is probably wrong when
she claims that_______, she
is right that______.
-Although I disagree with much of
what Mr.H says, I fully endorse
his final conclusion that_____.
-I’m of two minds about X’s claim
that _____. On the one hand, I
agree that ____. On the other
hand, I’m not sure if_____.
Prompt
Due to the constant
distraction from studies
that cell phone use
causes students, all high
school campus should
“black out” cell phone
signals on campus and
block student access to
Wifi in order to help
students focus on
classroom material and
instruction.
Review
• “They Say”
• “I Say” (three ways of respond to them)
Warning!!!
We are about to go deep into essay writing
and we are going to cover a lot of material.
Please raise your hand with questions
when needed and I will do my best to
explain everything as clearly as possible
as we go. Lets. Do. This.
“They Say, I Say”: Looking closely
at introduction paragraphs
Introduction Paragraphs
Should
• Include a “they say”
• Include an “I say”
• Should state your
argument/purpose of
your paper
Should Not
• Begin to provide
evidence for your
argument
• Should not include in
depth summary of
any of the pieces
Introduction Paragraph Example #1
Introduction Paragraph Ex: #2
Using “They Say, I Say” in body
paragraphs
Body Paragraphs…Whatcha
doin?
Should:
-Topic Sentence
-Include textual
evidence (They say)
-Explanation of
Evidence (I say)
-Concluding sentence
Should Not:
-Include more than
one idea
-be mostly summary
Topic Sentence
-First sentence of the paragraph
-Tells the reader what the paragraph is
going to be about
-Think of it as the thesis of the paragraph
Topic Sentence Example
“One reason that having a baby is an
important part of life is the happiness that
it can bring to the lives of its parents...”
Evidence
• Helps support your argument
• If you are writing on a book or article,
evidence will be quotes from the source
• This is our “They Say”
Example of Evidence:
One reason that having a baby is an
important part of life is the happiness that
it can bring to the lives of its parents. In a
study by Dr.Babyzurasome, he found that
“…parents, who were 26 years of age or
older, of newborns were on average 44%
happier than before having their baby.”
Explanation of Evidence
-Used to show reader how the evidence
provided supports the argument
-allows reader a chance to express their
opinion
-Tell them what you told them
Example of Explanation
One reason that having a baby is an
important part of life is the happiness that
it can bring to the lives of its parents. In a
study by Dr.Babyzurasome, he found that
“…parents, who were 26 years of age or
older, of newborns were on average 44%
happier than before having their baby.”
Based on this data, people who are old
enough to have babies responsibly,
experience increases in happiness.
Concluding Sentence
-Relate the paragraph back to the general
argument
Example of Concluding Sentence
One reason that having a baby is an
important part of life is the happiness that it can
bring to the lives of its parents. In a study by
Dr.Babyzurasome, he found that “…parents,
who were 26 years of age or older, of newborns
were on average 44% happier than before
having their baby.” Based on this data, people
who are old to have babies responsibly,
experience increases in happiness. This is just
one benefit of experiencing the miracle of
parenthood.
Using Quotations (Textual
Evidence) Effectively
Make sure you are Quoting
Relevant Quotations
Example #1
Taylor Swift explained her questionable
dancing skills at the 2014 Grammy’s by
saying, “this album was some of my most
personal work.”
Example #2
In the novel The Great Gatsby, F. Scott
Fitzgerald seems to suggest an inferiority
regarding the place of women through his
character Daisy who, at one point,
mentions that the best thing a girl can
grow up to become is a “beautiful little
fool” (21).
Make Sure You Are Framing
Quotations
The Quote Burger
It is important that every quote is
introduced by a statement that gives it
some context and is followed by a
statement that explains the quote and why
it was used. Think of it like this…
“Quote Sandwich/Burger”
Statement
introducing the
quote
Quote
Statement
explaining
the
relevancy of
the quote
Example #1: A Quote Sandwich
Miss Watson is a very pious character in the
novel Huckleberry Finn. An example of this is
when she describes smoking as being “…a
mean practice” and saying that it “wasn’t
clean” (2). Smoking is an act of the common
folk and Miss Watson’s disapproval of Huck
smoking reveals her desire for him to live in
accordance to a higher and more pious moral
code.
Don’t Be a “Hit-and-Run” Quoter
Example of a “Hit-and-Run” Quote
Susan Bordo writes about women and
dieting. “Fiji is just one example. Until television
was introduced in 1995, the islands had no
reported cases of eating disorders. In 1998,
three years after programs from the United
States and Britain began broadcasting there, 62
percent of the girls surveyed reported dieting.”
I think Bordo is right. Another point Bordo
makes is that…
Bordo Revised: Good Example
of Quoting
The feminist philosopher Susan Bordo deplores
Western media obsession with female thinness and dieting.
Her basic complaint is that increasing numbers of women
across the globe are being led to see themselves as fat and in
need of a diet. Citing the islands of Fiji as a case in point,
Bordo notes that “until television was introduced in 1995, the
islands had no reported cases of eating disorders. In 1998,
three years after the program from the United States and
Britain began broadcasting there, 62 percent of the girls
surveyed reported dieting” (149-50). Bordo’s point is that
the western cult of dieting is spreading even to remote places
across the globe. Ultimately, Bordo complains, the culture of
dieting will find you, regardless of where you live.
Templates to Help You
Mr. Gatsby writes, “……….” which exemplifies _____, because…..
In The Great Gatsby, one theme Twain presents is______. One
example of this can be seen when Huck says, “.…” or in other words…
F. Scott Fitgerald writes that “……”
“After quote.” In this example, it is clear Mark Twain is arguing…
“After Quote.” By having (insert character) say this, Twain is
commenting on the idea….
Activity!
Directions After Reading:
1.) Identify at least one “They Say”
2.) Identify at least one “I Say”
3.) Identify at least one Topic Sentence
4.) Identify at least one statement that
introduces a quote
5.) Identify at least one example of “hit and
run” quote
6.) Identify at least one statement that
explains the relevancy of a quote
Group Essay Writing
Take 5-7 minutes to take out and read the
introduction to your papers. Underline the
“they say” part of the paragraph and circle
the “I say” part of the paragraph. Do not
have a “they say,” “I say,” or both? It is
okay! Make a note of it on your paper,
when we get a chance to edit, you will be
able to rework your paragraph so that it
has both.
Caution! Caution! Caution!
The “They Say, I Say” aspect of our paper
is not only essential to the our first
paragraph/thesis, it is essential to our
paper as whole; throughout your paper
you should be citing the arguments of
others in order to orient your own.