1. Write a 4 paragraph, double line-spaced, cohesive and well-organized comparison/contrast essay in which you discuss the following TWO essays we have read and discussed in class, The New Liberal Arts by author sanford j unger and The Liberal Arts in an Age of Info-Glut by author Todd Gitlin You should briefly explain how the essays are DIFFERENT but emphasize and explain in detail how they present two sides of the same argument.
2. Introduction: In an age in which a focus on education in Science, Technology, Engineering, Mathematics, and the Arts (STEMA) is dominating the college scene, many educators argue that, considering the influences of mass media, a focus on a Liberal Arts education is essential in providing a holistic education.
3. Prompt: While Unger and Gitlin agree on the importance of a Liberal Arts education, they present their arguments through different lenses. Write a four- paragraph essay that discusses their central message and how each author relates that message.
2. When choosing your main points, consider any or all of the following issues, but remember that you MUST discuss the same points for each essay:
Setting (time and place)
Writers backgrounds
The experiences of the writers and how they are similar/different
The influence of society on the issue
Each writers main idea/specific points you can use in the essay
3. Use PRESENT TENSE VERBS of ATTRIBUTION: the narrator describes or explains or suggests or exemplifies or infers. The verbs chosen MUST fit the narrators perspective, position, and/or reaction.
4. You must use at least six quotations, a minimum of three from each essay, to support the claims you make. Use MLA citation style. At least ONE of the quotations must be 4 or 5 lines in length (no longer) and cited using block style quotation format. REMEMBER! Block style quotation is crafted differently than regular in-text citation!
5. Choose either an alternating pattern or a block pattern to organize your main points. If you will discuss your points in DEPTH, use the alternating pattern. If you have less to say about each point, us the block style format. (THIS IS NOT THE SAME AS BLOCK STYLE QUOTATION)
6. Introduce your essay using any of the methods we discussed in class that fits your purpose: rhetorical question, famous quotation, brief anecdote, relevancy of issue, etc. Be sure to identify the two essays you read, the authors names, and each authors main point, BUT DO NOT MAKE THE FORMAL ANNOUNCEMENT. In other words, dont say This essay will. OR, Im going to Remember T.A.S.T.E. for the introduction (you are giving the reader a TASTE of what is to come by remembering to include each part: Title, Authors Name, Summary, Thesis statement, and Extended Thesis.
7. Use transition/signal words or phrases to move from one point to the next, but be sure they indicate the appropriate relationship between the points. Cause or effect? Use so, or therefore. Opposite relationship? Use however, even so or yet. Similar point? Use and, also, or similarly.
8. Use key, repetitive words to keep your reader focused. For example, if you use the word realization when discussing the first writer, use realization or a synonym when discussing the second narrator. If you use the term cultural background when discussing the first narrator, use cultural background or synonym when discussing the second narrator.
9. Your conclusion should reflect your thesis and your main supporting points. You should also make a broad, general statement, or two, regarding the writers main ideas. Use the message to challenge your reader/ask a provocative question/suggest other alternatives etc.
10. Include a works cited page that lists each of the two articles according to the format taught in class
