Agree/Disagree/I Have Something to Say
Scholarly research can begin with arguing against someone else’s ideas or further proving someone else’s point of view (you enter into a conversation). One of your options for Essay 3 is a longer version of this idea.
Read all three essays. Choose ONE of the essays you read to answer the prompts below—Pick the one (1) that most interests you and answer all seven prompts. If you have questions about the essays, bring them on Monday. Do the reading for Monday, too.
“Slipping the Trap of Appetite” 456
“Female Tricksters as Double Agents” 459
“The Old Wives’ Tale” 405
For the chosen essay, read and mark comments or sections you agree with and disagree with or have a serious question about—Now, choose the one that most interests you or emotionally engages you, and work through the steps below.
To be clear, you will answer all 7 prompts, but for ONE of the essays above.
- Write two-three sentences about why you chose that particular essay over the other two.
- Quote one of the comments that you felt strongly about.
- Write a two sentence statement about why you agreed or disagreed with the statement or why you question it (or want to know more).
- Look at how the original statement was supported—what proof was presented? (see step four for list)
- Brainstorm potential proof you can offer in support of your position. What do you already know? Think you know? (Facts, Observations, Opinions, Statistics, Examples, Experiences?) Offer a few here.
- Try to rephrase your position statement from Number 3 into a question.
- Write at least two (2) potential research questions related to the one developed in step six (vary the focus…exploration, definition, experiment, solution, etc.) What do you want to know? If you were to expand this into a full research project, what would you want to answer?
Example:
1. (You should be able to do this one).
2. “Fairy tales exchange knowledge between an older voice of experience and a younger audience” (411).
3. Anymore, age alone does not equal experience, and a young person may have wisdom to share that an older audience would be better for hearing. We can be wise in one area and completely ignorant of another. Might have nothing to do with age–our point of view and story may still illuminate an idea for another.
4. The paragraph lists the types of experiences older voices may have: all life experiences, good vs. evil, rich & poor, etc.
5. Books written by teenagers like The Outsiders (S E Hinton) or Dragonheart that deal with good vs. evil, rich & poor…exactly. What I knew/figured out as a kid vs. what kids know now.
6. Does age alone equal wisdom?
7. When does age equal wisdom? (at what age?) If age alone does not equal wisdom, what else is needed? Do young authors have a harder time getting their books/work accepted?
This is a basic example, but you can get a better idea of how to work through the pieces. This is a start–we’ll use this to discuss genuine inquiry.
No more than 350 words