URGENT! ENG 105 - Oral Presentations and Drafts

As of now, everyone should be finished or working on their Outlines (Toulminian or Rogerian) and their Annotated Bibliographies to submit no later than tomorrow (Saturday).

Drafts should be sent to me no later than Monday at 6pm as our FINAL presentations are scheduled for Wednesday 15th December at 4:30 - 6:30 in S2. The papers are due at the time of the presentations.

In regards to your Oral Presentations, your presentation should last approximately two to four minutes.

You will be expected to discuss:
 Your research question and hypothesis.
 Your chosen style of argumentation
 Your methodology
 Problems you encountered (if any)
 Your stance toward the material you are presenting
 Your findings – to what extent do you think that your research was successful. Was your hypothesis proven correct or incorrect?
 Any recommendations regarding this area of study.
 How this research is relevant to the territory
 Anything else that you believe the audience should know

The audience will then ask questions and make comments.
 This is a formal presentation so you should dress for that occasion.
 Please provide the lecturers with a brief handout entailing the major points and findings of your research(about 6 copies)
 If you require any audio visual equipment please notify your Instructor at least 48 hours prior to the presentation date.

Your presentation will be graded in accordance with this rubric.
Content - 5 mks
Diction - 3 mks
Appearance - 2 mks

ENG 125

500 words.
What is learnt about attitudes towards marriage in Act 1 in The Importance of Being Earnest?

ENG 125 - The Importance of Being Earnest Act 1

Given the inclement weather today, please review and respond to the following questions for Monday's class.

1. What seems to be the purpose of the conversation between Lane and Algernon in the beginning of the play?
2. Why does Jack lie to Algernon about his relation to Cecily?
3. How does Algernon refer to the double-life that Jack is living?
4. What does Gwendolen mean by saying that they "live in an age of ideals"?

In an essay of at least 500 words, answer the following:
What does "earnest" mean in the play? In your response carefully consider which characters seem more "earnest" than others.

Listening to Rap for the First Time - NPR.

Catherine McGann/Getty Images
Big Daddy Kane -- Anderson's favorite in print -- in New York City in 1988.

Yale University is publishing the Anthology of Rap. Read Frannie Kelly from NPR and Sam Anderson from The New Yorker's exchange regarding reading rap versus listening. Click here.

Image

ENG 104 - Sample Classification Essay

Please find attached one of my favourite Classification essays that we will be using in class on Thursday morning. Download it here.

ENG 125 - Act IV and V Revision Questions

Act IV
How does Hamlet contrast himself (all men) to beasts?
How does Claudius propose to satisfy Laertes' suspicions?
What reasons does Claudius give Laertes for not taking action against Hamlet, who, Claudius says "Pursed [his] life"?
Why does Claudius plan to poison the drink, in addition to poisoning the rapier tip which Laertes will wield?
How does Ophelia drown?

Act V
Why is there debate surrounding the nature of Ophelia's funeral?
What joking insult to the English does Shakespeare put into the gravedigger's dialogue, regarding Hamlet's madness?
What cause does Laertes ascribe to Ophelia's madness, which led to her death?
What prompts Hamlet's outburst at Ophelia's graveside?
How does Hamlet justify his counterfeit command that his friends are to be murdered by the English?
In his apology to Laertes, what does Hamlet mean when he says "I have shot my arrow o'er the house and hurt my brother"?
Why does Hamlet forbid Horatio to drink the rest of the poisoned cup?
Who will ascend to power as the new King of Denmark?

ENG 125 - Hamlet Revision Questions

Questions for Discussion

What do Rosencrantz and Guildenstern report to Claudius regarding their conversation with Hamlet?
What do the pair fail to reveal to Claudius?
What favor does Hamlet ask of Horatio?
What is the plot of the show the players present?
What rationale do Rosencrantz and Guildenstern give for accepting Claudius' commission to take Hamlet to England?
What is ironic about Hamlet's failure to kill Claudius while the king is kneeling in prayer?
What is Hamlet's reaction when he realizes that he has killed Polonius rather than Claudius?
Why does the Ghost appear in the Queen's bedroom while Hamlet speaks with his mother? Why can't Gertrude see it?

One Page Response Questions (500 words)

Discuss the thematic connection between Hamlet's scene with Ophelia where he speaks of honesty, his speech to the Players on acting, and his speech to Horatio on flattery.

or

Compare Claudius' thoughts on his own guilt as he tries to pray to Gertrude's recognition of her guilt when confronted by Hamlet.

ENG 104 - Sample Process

Click here to read The Successful Student by Susan Kelly.

ENG 105 - Scott Berkun's "How to be a Free Thinker"

Read this excellent article by motivational speaker and author Scott Berkun. Observe how many of the ideas that 'chain us' are dictated by values, beliefs, and ideologies.

“Believe nothing, no matter where you read it, or who has said it, even if I have said it, unless it agrees with your reason and your own common sense.” - Buddha

Click here to read the article.

What is (or isn't) Poetic Appropriation?

Read this short article on the ethics of appropriation in the arts by Keith Wilson at We Who Are About to Die.
http://wewhoareabouttodie.com/2010/08/22/what-is-or-isnt-poetic-appropriation/

ENG 105 - Definition Writing Prompt

Write a 500 word essay attempting to define one of the following terms. You MUST adhere to MLA Conventions (if you do not have a Wadsworth Handbook PLEASE SEE THE OWL MLA GUIDE in the links).

Write a brief definition of: Honor; Humility; Maturity; Integrity; True Friendship; Success; Self-Respect; Ambition; or Progress. Remember that an effective definition encompasses techniques used in other styles of Composition.

This essay is due Wednesday September 1st 2010 BEFORE 4:00 p.m.

ENG 105 - Sample Extended Definition

Please read the example Extended Definition I have provided "What is Love?". It is a PDF document.

ENG 104 - Sample Classification Essay

Please find your sample Classification essay here.

ENG 104 - Sample Comparison Essay

This is shared via GoogleDocs also. Click here for the Sample Comparison Essay.

ENG 105 - Rogerian Argument Prompts and Articles for Research

A number of topics have been banned from your Final Project. However, a few of them appear on this list of Prompts. The basis for the selection of these topics for your Rogerian Argument is that they are all very controversial topics that evoke much emotion from both sides.

Your research however, has been done for you. Therefore, you MUST use ONLY the sources provided to base your essays on. The topics are as follows: Abortion, Animal Rights, Capital Punishment, Euthanasia, and War and Terrorism. Do not write anything before you have READ EVERYTHING I have provided on that topic.

The essays I have selected are written by some of the foremost Moral and Ethical Philosophers of the past 50 years. Here is your question followed by a list of respective articles:

QUESTION
Write a Rogerian Argument of around 1,000 words proposing middleground solutions to one of the following topics. Read through each of the following options and select the one that appeals most to you. Remember the instructions given in lectures. All essays should be formatted and presented with the necessary citations MLA style and submitted to georgeshlscc@gmail.com by Monday 29th March, 2010. Outlines and Drafts are welcome.

ABORTION
An Almost Absolute Value in History - James T. Noonan, Jr.
A Defense of Abortion - Judith Jarvis Thomson

ANIMAL RIGHTS
Animal Rights: A Debate between Richard Posner and Peter Singer

CAPITAL PUNISHMENT
The Ultimate Punishment - Ernest van den Haag
Justice, Civilization, and the Death Penalty - Jeffrey Reiman

EUTHANASIA
Taking Life - Peter Singer
Active and Passive Euthanasia - James Rachels

WAR AND TERRORISM
War - Brian Orend
Just War - Rev. Richard Benson
The Morality of Terrorism - Theodore P Seto

I have given you all the ammunition required to write something to the best of your ability demonstrating Rogerian philosophies in your approach to your selected issue. The documents for each topic will be shared via GoogleDocs

Toulminian Argument Prompts

In an effort to conserve time, I would like you to start working on a Toulmin Outline and then the Final Toulmin Essay working from one of the following questions:

1. In light of the spate of gun violence gripping the territory, do we need stricter handgun control laws and punishments for their violation to save lives?

2. Should the wealthiest citizens be required by the state to share their wealth with those in need by providing health, food, and education through higher taxation? Or is it the responsibility of those with less to find ways to look after their own?

3. In many instances, cigarettes and liquor are cheaper in the BVI than in the countries they are manufactured. Should the government impose 'sin taxes' on alcohol and tobacco in order to subsidize increasing costs for health care and health infrastructure?

4. Our government mandates that we all use its service (BVI Electricity Corporation) as our primary source of power. Is this fair? What are the benefits and disadvantages of this arrangement? Please research the British Virgin Islands Electricity Corporation Act in order to fully grasp the extent of the mandate.

5. If a policeman finds something that he was not looking for (e.g. narcotics in a car that was being searched for guns), why should or shouldn't the policeman have the right to take the accused into custody? Research "reasonable suspicion" in your response.

Remember the parts of the Toulmin Argument. I need to see clearly: your claims, your support, and your warrants in the outline. If necessary, the backing, rebuttal, and qualifier should be included. Appropriate research should be done for your topic. Please see me if you need advice or assistance evaluating sources.

This Outline and Draft should be emailed to me by Friday 12th March, 2010. You are expected to follow the Outline that follows (You will receive a sample Toulminian Outline via Google Docs). In that class I will collect and review with the intention of final Toulmin essays being submitted on Monday 22nd March, 2010.

Following is a template for a Toulminian Outline

The Toulmin Outline

I. Exigence (the need for the argument, the rhetorical situation)
Your argument in all its parts except the claim.
1 paragraph

II. Claim
i. First establish credibility with the audience by stating the support you have for your position.
ii. Introduce qualifiers where necessary to diffuse challenges (typically, usually, for the most part, some, several, few, sometimes etc.) Never use absolutes or totalities in your claim. It should be clear to the reader what types of claim you are making.
1-2 paragraphs

III. Support
i. The specific support that you mentioned previously should be presented in whole.
ii. Introduce appropriate appeals here.
2-3 paragraphs

IV. Warrants
i. Remember here you are connecting the claims to the support.
ii. These can be beliefs that are taken for granted, the assumptions that underline your argument, or specific cultural and personal experiences or observations.
2-3 paragraphs

V. Concessions/Rebuttals
i. Here you either concede that an opposing viewpoint is valid or show where they may question your support or backing
ii. Discredit if possible the opposition's counterarguments.
ii. End essay positively affirming your position.
1-2 paragraphs

ENG 105 - Shades of Prejudice

Please read the following article on 'colorism' in ethnic communities.

Shades of Prejudice

ENG 105 - The Hate and the Quake

Please read and consider this intriguing article by Sir Hilary Beckles. Sir Hilary is Pro-Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the Cave Hill Campus, UWI.

The Hate and the Quake