This project is the most recent iteration of the Researched Argument assignment that I do in the last part of the year, formerly the Citizen Rhetor assignment. Last year we had shifted toward a documentary study, while still having the students read full-length non-fiction books, but it's very hard to fit the full-length books into their already heavy reading and workload, so I made the full shift this year over to documentaries as the "core texts," which worked very well. It did mean that I had to watch a LOT of documentaries, though! Fortunately, most of them are very good, although I will likely sub some of them out for others if I do this assignment next year.
2013 Doc list
This assignment asks you to compose a coherent, well-developed and polished piece of researched argument writing based on an issue in your documentary film and deepened through additional reading, and puts your understanding to work in role as a stakeholder in this important issue.
The Assignment – A Stakeholder Statement
Imagine yourself in the role of one of the stakeholders represented in your documentary film. You had been asked to testify or to present a speech at a meeting / conference / hearing at which were present significant policy makers concerned with the topic at the centre of the documentary.
You were given ten minutes to speak, during which time you needed to present a convincing case about what factors are most important in considering policy decisions about the issue, and what implications those factors will have on you and/or your community, supported by relevant and reliable information. You were also asked to address the concerns of those with different perspectives on the issue.
Having already presented your speech, you now must revise its text so that it may be published in the final stakeholder analysis report to be compiled by the policy makers, complete with accurately-documented references to your sources.
You will be submitting this stakeholder statement – the written, documented version of your testimony or speech – as though for publication. The final piece will be 1300-1500 words (approximately 4 full pages, excluding title page and Works Cited page, 1.5-spaced 11 or 12-point Times font or equivalent).
EXAMPLES OF ROLES (choose one only):
the filmmaker (if the issue directly affects him or her)
an individual whose story is told within the documentary, or someone imagined whose situation is similar to any such individual (assume that anyone who does not speak or write English has had the services of a translator, and that anyone without a formal education has had the services of a transcriber and/or editor to help polish their spoken and written communication)
a member or leader of an organization (community, non-profit, or activist group; business, company, or industry; governmental body, NGO, etc.) represented in the documentary
an expert whose opinion or involvement was used by the filmmaker
The stakeholder you select does not necessarily need to share the opinion of the filmmaker.
The stakeholder statement combines features of several tasks you have undertaken throughout the year, both evaluated and formative:
thinking / speaking persuasively for a particular audience and purpose, selecting appropriate details, generating a suitable voice and applying rhetorical strategies for appeal and emphasis
examining an issue through the eyes of a stakeholder, determining what would be most important to that individual or group while at the same time anticipating and addressing likely counterarguments made by other stakeholders
weighing the validity of various source materials in terms of what each contributes to the task
establishing and developing a central argument of your own while incorporating material from other sources to support your argument or provide points against which to argue your position’s validity, achieving a synthesis of your own position and your sources
RESEARCH AND DOCUMENTATION:
The research you incorporate must meet the following criteria:
one visual source (graph / cartoon / revealing photo / map with data / PSA etc.)
minimum four researched text sources published within the last 5 years (i.e. no earlier than 2008), of which:
at least two are informational sources (no explicit opinion)
at least one is a source that aligns with the perspective provided in the documentary (can be used for support, refutation or concession purposes)
at least one is a source that presents a different perspective from the one provided in the documentary (can be used for support, refutation or concession purposes)
Make sure your research is kept up to date on your GoogleDoc, with links to online sources.
In your finished piece, you need to use MLA format with in-text citations, a correct Works Cited list at the end, and a title page appropriate to your role and issue (you will be given more specific instructions about the title page).
Diana Hacker’s A Pocket Style Guide is your guide here. See especially:
· Section 30 Integrating Non-Fiction Sources
· Section 32 MLA Documentation Style
· Section 33 MLA Manuscript format
Also pay particular attention to the details of properly citing a visual. Your visual source should be included in your finished draft either integrated with the text or as an appended item. Either way, it should include a caption (see instructions in your Hacker’s details about manuscript format for MLA).
Your documentary film should be cited using the director’s name in both in-text citations and Works Cited list (see MLA guidelines for citing DVDs).
EVALUATION AND EXPECTATIONS
This piece will be evaluated for:
· Knowledge and Understanding: of your topic and of bibliographic format
· Thinking: about how to best select and integrate your sources
· Application: ability to use your knowledge of the issue and your argumentation skills in a targeted situation
· Communication: clarity and effectiveness of expression, and polished composition using the conventions of academic writing
FULL RUBRIC ATTACHED BELOW
This assignment evaluates the following Ontario ENG 3U expectations:
READING AND LITERATURE STUDIES
1.5 extend understanding of texts, including increasingly complex or difficult texts, by making appropriate and increasingly rich connections between the ideas in them and personal knowledge, experience, and insights; other texts; and the world around them
1.8 identify and analyse the perspectives and/or biases evident in texts, including increasingly complex or difficult texts, commenting with growing understanding on any questions they may raise about beliefs, values, identity, and power
2.1 identify a variety of characteristics of literary, informational, and graphic text forms and explain how they help communicate meaning
WRITING
1.3 locate and select information to effectively support ideas for writing, using a variety of strategies and print, electronic, and other resources, as appropriate
1.4 identify, sort, and order main ideas and supporting details for writing tasks, using a variety of strategies and selecting the organizational pattern best suited to the content and the purpose for writing
1.5 determine whether the ideas and information gathered are accurate and complete, interesting, and effectively meet the requirements of the writing task
3.7 produce pieces of published work to meet criteria identified by the teacher, based on the curriculum expectations
MEDIA STUDIES
1.2 interpret media texts, including increasingly complex or difficult texts, identifying and explaining the overt and implied messages they convey
1.3 evaluate how effectively information, ideas, themes, issues, and opinions are communicated in media texts, including increasingly complex or difficult texts, and decide whether the texts achieve their intended purpose
1.5 identify the perspectives and/or biases evident in media texts, including increasingly complex or difficult texts, and comment on any questions they may raise about beliefs, values, identity, and power