Writing for change week twelve
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This document provides reminders and information for an English composition class. It discusses upcoming assignments that are due, including a journal entry, an APA style essay, and a thesis and outline for a final paper. It also summarizes a letter written by Martin Luther King Jr. called "Letter from Birmingham Jail" where he defends non-violent resistance. The class had a discussion about how writing can influence change and what types of writing are effective for creating change. Students then wrote a draft letter about a hypothetical situation and were asked to rewrite it considering rhetorical elements.
Writing for change week twelve
- 1. Composition II WeekTwelve Thursday November 10, 2016 Reminders: Journal due by Midnight 11/13 DUE 11/17: Final Draft of APA Short Essay Thesis and Outline for final paper
- 2. A Letter from Birmingham Jail • By Martin Luther King Jr. • Written April 16, 1963 • Defends the strategy of non-violent resistance to racism • Written in response to eight white clergy men’s article “A Call for Unity” which claimed that the fight against racism belonged in the courts, not in the streets
- 3. A Letter from Birmingham Jail • “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny.Whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly.” • “INANY nonviolent campaign there are four basic steps: collection of the facts to determine whether injustices are alive, negotiation, self-purification, and direct action.” • “We know through painful experience that freedom is never voluntarily given by the oppressor; it must be demanded by the oppressed. Frankly, I have never yet engaged in a direct-action movement that was "well timed" according to the timetable of those who have not suffered unduly from the disease of segregation.” • “In spite of my shattered dreams of the past, I came to Birmingham with the hope that the white religious leadership of this community would see the justice of our cause and with deep moral concern serve as the channel through which our just grievances could get to the power structure.”
- 4. WeekTwelve
- 5. Class discussion • Who has ever had to write a letter/email/proposal in order to instigate change? • Was it effective? • How does writing influence change? • What types of things do we write to make change happen? • How does society react to written arguments as opposed to verbal arguments?
- 6. In-ClassWriting Exercise • Choose one of the following hypothetical prompts. Compose a letter voicing your concerns or feelings on the situation. 1. Your daughter comes home early from school crying. She has a note from the principal stating that she was suspended from school for one week for punching a boy.The boy had been repeatedly snapping her bra strap and she asked him to stop.The teacher told her to ignore the boy several times before the altercation. 2. You were settling in for a long flight. Being conversational, you told the woman next to you that you are studying theology. She seems confused.You explained to her that you were writing a book on Mecca and that you were visiting the place to study.You claim that theology is the “the bomb”. She gets up and returns with an Air Marshall, who kicks you off the plane without a refund. 3. You stop at your favorite Asian cuisine restaurant on your way home from work. When you try to order your food, the owner, an immigrant who obtained American citizenship, claims that he no longer serves Americans.You try to argue with him and he says it is his right to refuse service to any person.
- 7. Consider your letter • Does your letter create an argument? • Does it appeal to logos, pathos, or ethos? • Is it persuasive? • Does it have a call to action?
- 8. Does it create an argument? • When writing for change, the argument must be very clear • Do you explain why you believe the situation to be unjust? • Is it clearly and concisely communicated? • Be sure to recognize the opposition • Remain respectful and objective • Communicate how this argument effects a larger segment of the population
- 9. Does it appeal to logos, pathos, or ethos? • Your letter can appeal to one or all of these types of argument • Letters, such as King’s, often have an appeal to pathos • Petitions and legal propositions should appeal to logos • Pamphlets and public information can infuse all types of argument
- 10. Is it persuasive? • Do you believe your reader or the public would take your side? • Employ the elements of rhetoric we learned through out the semester • Employ proper writing mechanics and grammar to seem more persuasive
- 11. Does it have a call to action? • What are you proposing? • A change in policy? • An apology? • Compensation? • Is your call to action clear and easy to understand? • Be sure you are only asking for rectification of this specific instance • Know your audience and their capabilities • Other matters may need to be fought in a different circumstance
- 12. In-ClassWriting Exercise • Rewrite your letter considering what we learned in class today. Bring both copies of the letter to the front when you are finished.
- 13. DUE: • Journal due by midnight 11/13 • Read 285-300 forTuesday • APA Final Draft due 11/17 • Thesis and Outline for final paper due 11/17