Part A. 75 Words

Refer to Chapter 6 of Looking Out, Looking In Becoming a Critical Thinker ISBN-13:978-1285438597 and answer the following: Think of a time when you spoke with someone whose speech violated the syntactic rules that you are used to. Explain the scenario and the situation. Identify what you thought about that person.  What was your first impression? Explain how your impression of that person influenced – he or she did not follow standard linguistic rules? Think about it in hindsight.  Was this first impression valid?  Why or why not? 

Part B. 4 Pages

How the Media Distort Reality

Read the following essay from Becoming a Critical Thinker (p. 129).   Base your paper on the W.I.S.E approach (from Becoming a Critical Thinker, Chapter 2).  Look for errors in thinking and explore viewpoints that are different from those expressed in the essay.  Conduct research to support your viewpoint and include three references in your paper.

Part C. 75 Words

Review the three profiles on Einstein, Bly, and Vitz in Chapter 1 of Becoming a Critical Thinker.  Apply and elaborate on three of the concepts you learned in Chapter 1 (one to each profile).  What were the lessons you learned from reviewing these three profiles?  Why is it important to check facts and test opinions?  Of these three profiles, who do you admire the most and why? 

Part D. 4 Pages

You will research topic: Smoking in public places should be banned.

Agree or disagree and support your points with research., write a paper that clearly supports one side of the argument, with the intent of challenging or changing a reader’s viewpoint.   The aim or purpose of this essay is to clarify your position on your chosen topic/issue, develop that position deeply, and write an essay explaining your opinion in such a way that you challenge your reader to evaluate his or her own position.  The underlying goal of the persuasive essay is to persuade the reader to agree with your position, and possibly to change his or her own position on the issue.

Structural requirements:

•  A focused presentation of the issue.  The writer presents the issue so the reader understands it.  Issues need more or less explanation and examples, depending on what the audience already knows.

•  A clear position.  The thesis is positioned effectively, usually at the beginning or end of the essay, and repeated for emphasis and clarity as needed.

•  Plausible reasons and convincing support. The writer must provide reasons for supporting the position. The writer must go beyond simply asserting reasons, by including examples, statistics, expert testimony, and/or anecdotes to support the reasons.

• Anticipating opposing position and objections. An effective argument for a position includes recognizing and refuting opposing arguments, as well as anticipating and answering a reader’s questions. You must clearly and objectively articulate the opposing position.

• Careful use of sources. Sources must be used and documented in APA format.

Questions to address as you write your Persuasive Essay:

•         Purpose and audience: Does the writing meet the assignment requirements and engage the audience?

•         Idea development: Is the topic appropriate, neither too broad nor too narrow? Is the writer’s position clear? Are the major reasons for support included, and are they clear and logical and specific? Are the reasons supported with convincing specific examples? Are opposing arguments recognized and countered?

•         Organization: Does the title capture the central focus? Does the introduction capture attention, give necessary background and convey the position? Is the thesis clear?  Is forecasting, if used, effective and clear? Do transitions and the overall organizational pattern provide a smooth flow? Does the conclusion provide a sense of closure and make the topic relevant to the reader (Is it more than just a summary)?

•         Style: Are the sentence and word choices appropriate to a college essay?  Are words vivid, exact and correct?  Does the sentence structure add impact? Are sentences complete, smooth, clear, correct and efficient?

•         Conventions: Are there few, if any, mistakes in following the conventions of Standard Written English?

•         Citing Sources: Do the sources used provide reliable and adequate information?  Is source material properly cited and documented in a standard format?