Choose ANY essay we've read together this semester. ("Coney Island," "Shooting an Elephant," "A Talk to Teachers," "Watching TV Makes You Smarter," "Thinking Outside the Idiot Box," "Extra Lives: Why Video Games Matter," "Is Google Making Us Stupid," "Don't Blame the Eater," or "Blue Collar Brilliance.") Choose something you liked, or something you hated, or something that made you think, or made you angry, or created any other strong reaction.
Write a short essay of at least 300 words responding to the essay you've picked. Follow these guidelines.
1) In your first paragraph, introduce and SUMMARIZE the essay. Use paraphrase, not direct quotation. Then write one sentence talking about your response: what you liked, hated, what made you think, etc.
2) In at least three body paragraphs, develop your reaction in more detail. Talk about why you liked/didn't like it, what you thought was interesting/important, etc. Use specific examples from the essay. Again, paraphrase, don't quote directly. The essay you're writing about should be in each paragraph.
3) In your last paragraph, talk about the "so what." Why does it matter if we believe the author's argument? What big moral, ethical, philosophical questions does the essay raise?
In many cases, you'll be able to use the shorter assignments/blog posts as a starting point. Look at my comments and make revisions as you expand your work.
You can post your essay on the blog, type it and print it out, or write it by hand. Take about ten minutes to read over your work. Try reading your sentences out loud and see if they make sense.
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