AP English III - Current Issues Project 2014

Instructions for Submitting Documents and Annotations

  • You are required to prepare a total of FOUR sources for formal submission, due as a packet on Jan.31st. The first of these sources (Source A) will be due Jan. 23rd – you will then revise and hand in all four sources (Source A, B, C, & D) on February 1st.
  • Two of the sources should be on the affirmative side of the issue and two on the opposing side.
  • While you may use informative or neutral sources in your research, they will not be a part of this formal submission.

Document Preparation:Document Submission:

  1. Xerox or print each source document (article).
  2. Notate this copy in the following manner:
  3. Circle and define unfamiliar words.
  4. Highlight the main points of the source.
  5. Bracket and asterisk material you might use and make a marginal notation of how you might use it (pro, con, concession, ethos, pathos, logos…)
/ Clip materials in the following order:
1. Cover Sheet including: [see teacherweb for template]
Name
Teacher and Block
Topic
Narrowed Research Question
2. Source Annotations Pages [FOUR total]
3. Copies of individual documents (labeled and stapled behind each corresponding annotations page)

Annotations Page: [see the back of this sheet for a model]

  • MLA Heading[each annotations page will have its own MLA heading]
  • Title with Source labeled(Source A, Source B, etc.) and position identified(pro, con).
  • Bibliographical Entry

Locate all the pertinent information for the bibliographical entry for your source. Organize your information in the proper MLA format. Type the entry, following the MLA guidelines including double spacing and hanging indent.

  • Synopsis of the Argument:

Follow the basic template in the box below to write a summary of the argument from this source.

The general argument made by [author’s name]in his/her work [title and other relevant publication information such as source or year] is that [insert a brief summary of the claim.]More specifically, he/she argues that[insert the writer’s thesis or primary purpose here.] He/she writes [Here you may use paraphrase, summary, or direct quotation to provide evidence for the claims. If a direct quotation is used, it should not exceed 6 words in length.] In this passage,[author’s name] is suggesting that[explain the evidence you just cited]. In conclusion,[author’s name]’s belief isthat [explain the larger idea or philosophy behind the thesis].

*The above is portion of a “Graff Template” adapted from Gerald Graff, Clueless in Academe (New Haven:Yale UP, 2003), pp. 169-170.Reprinted in Teaching Nonfiction in AP English (A Guide to Accompany 50 Essays) by Renee H. Shea and Lawrence Scanlon (Bedford/St. Martin’s: Boston, 2005), p. 199.

  • Highlighting the Important Claims:

Follow the example of the “Quotation Sandwich” from our activities with The Crucible, and choose a minimum of TWO major claims from each source to highlight on your assignment sheet.

“To adequately frame a quotation, you need to insert it into what we like to call a ‘quotation sandwich,’ with the statement introducing it serving as the top slice of bread and the explanation following it as the bottom slice. The introduction or lead-in should explain who is speaking and set up what the quotations says; the follow-up statements should explain why the quotation illustrates the [author’s or speaker’s] claim.”

John Travolta

Mrs. Davis

AP English III-1

23 January 2014

Source A (Supports recess time for children)

Bibliographical Entry:

Rushin, Steve. "Give the Kids a Break." Sports Illustrated. 04 Dec. 2006: n. page. Web. 3 Jan. 2013. <

Synopsis of Argument:

The general argument made by Steve Rushin in his December 2006, Sports Illustrated editorial titled “Give the Kids a Break,” is that the practice of shortening and even eliminating recess time for children is ultimately damaging our children’s health and well-being. More specifically, he argues that our strong focus on academics and fear of injury and lawsuits has all but eliminated the time-honored tradition of recreation. He writes that removing the emphasis on the “fourth R” will force school administrators to make the impossible choice between “childhood ignorance and childhood obesity.” In addition, he writes that eliminating recess altogether to prevent bullying on the playground is a bit like “scalping in an effort to end dandruff.” In this passage, Rushin is suggesting that legislators, administrators, and parents seek to find a balance of activity for a child’s day. In conclusion, Rushin’s belief is that recreation and recess is a fundamental human need worthy of preserving.

Claims supporting the Argument:

  • In his argument supporting scheduled recess for school children, Sports Illustrated columnist Steve Rushin argues that even many adults enjoy a scheduled break in their activities. Citing examples of “Lifers at Leavenworth,” Congress’s “138 days in recess,” and the Teamsters “two 15-minute breaks per day,” Rushin reminds us that “seven-year-olds deserve the same.” These illustrations of adults in recess not only create a strong argument rooted in irony, but also urge Rushin’s readers to support the preservation of recess in their own communities.
  • In his argument supporting scheduled recess for school children, Sports Illustrated columnist Steve Rushin acknowledges that schools now have to make tough choices. He admits that the “No Child Left Behind Act” places too much stress on administrators who feel like they must choose between “childhood ignorance and childhood obesity.” However, even with this difficult choice, Rushin does not relinquish his position that children need a balance in their day.