Paper 1B: Claim(s) about a Trend  

Length: 3-4 doublespaced typed pages

Due: Weds. Feb. 11 at the beginning of class

Turn in: An electronic copy at www.turnitin.com and a hard copy, with all your drafts, in your manila envelope

This first paper is going to be an argument based on your primary research about the language of the Winthrop community. Using the small database you and your classmates compile, which I will place on the class web page, make one or more claims based on trends you identify in that database, and support those claims with reasons and examples from the data. You have the choice of what claims you make; we=ll experiment with some in class this week. This argument will give you experience with making claims based on sound warrants, using evidence carefully, and restricting your argument with appropriate qualifiers.

Audience: Your classmates and teacher

Based on the words in the database, I want you to compose a short Toulmin argument that makes some claim about what this data tells you. It might be a claim of definition (ASlang is an example of the degradation of language in America@); about causality ("Winthrop slang shows the insidious influence contemporary culture has on our lives"), or about values (AWinthrop slang shows that we are inherently sexist@). These are just examples; you can make up your own claim based on what the data tells you. You should imagine me and your classmates as your audience for this first analysis.

DRAFT SESSION: See the calendar for your section for the date of the draft workshop and how many copies to bring.

CRITERIA: The paper will be graded on the appropriateness of your claim to your data; the clarity of your claims and qualifications; the suitability of your paper to your chosen audience; and the way(s) in which you use your data. Consideration will also be given to the care with which you edit and present your paper and to how many words you contributed. See the Rubric for Freshman Composition for a description of grades. A grade between A and C will receive an "S" on this assignment; a grade lower than C will receive a "U" on this assignment. This paper is worth 3% of your final grade—it’s a warm-up.

TURNITIN.COM INFORMATION: www.turnitin.com  info: ID # 1118249; password argument