Scenarios for Writing: Issues, Analysis, and Response

This exciting new rhetoric-reader presents six scenarios rooted in contemporary controversies that dramatize rhetorical issues and engage students in conversations informed by competing points of view.

Preface

A Note to Students

PART I. STUDENT GUIDEBOOK

1. The Rhetorical Situation and Your Writing Process

The Rhetorical Situation / Your Writing Process / Elements of the Writing Process / Moving to Chapter Two

2. College Writing and Critical Reading

Public Discourse and Discourse Communities / The Aims and Types of Writing / The Power of Rhetorical Appeals / Rhetorical Strategies / Reading and Thinking Critically / A Writer's Journal / Moving to Chapter Three

3. Incorporating Research into Your Writing Process

Research Strategies and Your Rhetorical Purpose / Primary Research and Secondary Sources / Evaluating Sources for Bias / Acknowledging Your Sources / Integrating Research into Your Writing / Moving to Part II: The Scenarios

PART II. THE SCENARIOS

What Are Scenarios? / Why Use Scenarios? / Working with the Scenario / Working Together Effectively / Listening, Speaking, Collaborating / Looking for Scenarios in Your Own Life / Getting Started

4. Education Today: Who Needs the Classroom, Anyway?

First Impressions / The Scenario: The Chancellor Makes an Announcement / Entering the Scenario: What Makes a College Education? / Participating within Your Hearthwood Group / Taking a Position: Writing to the Hearthwood Herald / Resources: Education.com? / Walt Whitman, When I Heard the Learn'd Astronomer / Robert Cwiklik, A Different Course / Jamie P. Merisotis and Jody J. Olsen, The 'Effectiveness' Debate: What We Know about the Quality of Distance Learning in the U. S. / David Koeppel, Technology: Easy Degrees Proliferate on the Web / Pamela Mendels, Study Finds Problems with Web Classes / Jodie Morse, Digital Dreamer / Dan Carnevale, How to Proctor from a Distance / James Perley and Denise Marie Tanguary, Accrediting On-Line Institutions Diminishes Higher Education / Steven Crow, Virtual Universities Can Meet High Standards / Taking Action: Writing a Guest Editorial for the Campus Paper / Speaking Your Piece: Campus Open Forum / Individual Writing: Essay Options

5. Student Privacy: Bad Times at Westwood High

First Impressions / The Scenario: Are Student Rights More Important than Group Safety? / Entering the Scenario: Dealing with the Crackdown / Joining and Naming Your Interest Group / Taking a Position: Writing to the Winterhaven Valley Governing Council / Resources: How Dangerous Are Our Schools? / Steve Benson, Life in the Classroom / The Fourth Amendment to the Constitution of the United States / Michael J. Sniffen, School Crime up 25% / Karen S. Peterson, 1 Million School Kids Toting Guns / U.S. Department of Education and U.S. Department of Justice, 1999 Annual Report on School Safety / E. J. Montini, Growing Intolerant of Zeroes / New York Times Metropolitan Desk, State Urges Schools to Begin Random Search of Students' Lockers / Lynne Lamberg, Preventing School Violence: No Easy Answers / Rebecca Martin Shore, Personalization / Kevin Bushweller, Guards with Guns / R. Craig Sautter, Standing up to Violence / Taking Action: Your Written Appeal to the Governing Council / Speaking Your Piece: Presenting Your Ideas to the Council / Individual Writing: Essay Options

6. Guns for Sale: Recycling Your Police Department's Weapons

First Impressions / The Scenario: Selling Guns Is Legal, Isn't It? / Entering the Scenario: Your Town as Gun Merchant / Participating In Your Interest Group / Taking a Position: Remaining in the Gun-Selling Business? / Resources: Guns, Cities, and Money / Mike Keefe, Cartoon / David Olinger, Cops Put Guns Back into Circulation / CNN, Police Re-think Policy of Trading In Their Weapons / Henry Farber, Rockdale's Sheriff Won't Sell Off Guns / Ashley H. Grant, Sheriffs Ready to Sell Confiscated Guns / Jake Tapper, City Slickers / Roger Rosenblatt, Get Rid of the Damned Things / Robin West, Gun Rights / Jacob Sullum and Michael W. Lynch, Cold Comfort / Taking Action: Persuading the City Council / Asking the Right Questions / Constructing a Collaborative Text / Speaking Your Piece: Making an Oral Presentation to the City Council / Individual Writing: Essay Options

7. Suburban Sprawl: The Future of Saguaro Flats

First Impressions / The Scenario: The Future Arrives at Saguaro Flats / Entering the Scenario: Those Were the Good Old Days / Joining and Naming Your Interest Group / Taking a Position: Contacting the Board of Supervisors / Resources: The Sprawling of America / Peter Gordon and Harry W. Richardson, Prove It: The Costs and Benefits of Sprawl / Roger K. Lewis, A Call to Stop Buying into Sprawl / Linda Baker, McMansion Mania / Brian Tokar, Questioning Official Environmentalism / Reed McManus, Taking It to the Streets / David F. Seiders, Stressed Out on Growth / Business Week, New Neighborhoods Can Combat Urban Sprawl / Rick Henderson and Adrian T. Moore, Plan Obsolescence / Bruce Katz and Jennifer Bradley, Divided We Sprawl / Taking Action: Getting Your Message Across to the Board of Supervisors / Speaking Your Piece: Saguaro Flats Open Meeting / Individual Writing: Essay Options

8. The Internet: Cyberporn at Your Local Library?

First Impressions / The Scenario: What's Showing on Your Library's Computer? / Entering the Scenario: What Can I Look At on That Computer Screen? / Joining Your Interest Group / Taking a Position: Writing to the Community Library Oversight Panel / Resources: Examining Censorship in a Technological Age / Gary Brooking, Cartoon / N. R. Kleinfield, It's Not Easy to Push Sex into the Shadows / San Jose Mercury News Editorial, WWW.oneplace.sex? Internet Porn Would Be Easy to Filter (or Find) / Leonard Pitts, Parents, Not Legislation, Save Kids from Smut / Amy Harmon, Review Follows Ban on Library Internet Filter / Katie Hafner, Library Grapples with Internet Freedom / Wall Street Journal Editorial, X- Rated / Meghan Gaynor, Porn May Have a Place, but It's Not in Class / Joshua Quittner, @ the Supreme Court / William Bennett Turner, What Part of "No Law" Don't You Understand? / Lawrence Biemiller and Goldie Blumenstyk, Supreme Court Strikes Down Law on Internet Indecency / Taking Action: Your Collaborative Statement to the Community Library Oversight Panel / Speaking Your Piece: Addressing the Community Library Oversight Panel / Individual Writing: Essay Options

9. Living Wills: Decisions about Life and Death

First Impressions / The Scenario: Who Has the ¿Right¿ to Live? / Entering the Scenario: Who Should Live? Who Decides? / Participating in Your Group / Taking a Position: Convincing the Committee for Ethical Decisions / Resources: Real Lives and Ethical Issues / PBS-Online, Are Living Wills Honored? / Maureen West, New Living Will Puts Legal Issues in Plain English / American Dietetic Association, Position of the American Dietetic Association: Legal and Ethical Issues in Feeding Permanently Unconscious Patients / Tamar Lewin, Ignoring 'Right to Die' Directives, Medical Community Is Being Sued / Ann E. Weiss, A Right to Die? / Julian Savulescu, Rational Non-Interventional Paternalism: Why Doctors Ought to Make Judgments of What Is Best for Their Patients / K. Danner Clouser, The Sanctity of Life: An Analysis of a Concept / Peter Singer, In Place of the Old Ethic / Taking Action: Your Collaborative Statement to the Committee for Ethical Decisions / Speaking Your Piece: A Debate before the Committee for Ethical Decisions / Individual Writing: Essay Options

In each scenario chapter:

For Further Research and Writing

Applying What You Read [boxes]

Questions for Discussion and Writing [for each reading selection]

Appendix A: Preparing a Writer¿s Portfolio

Appendix B: Extending the Scenarios to Your Community: Service Learning

Appendix C: Documenting Your Sources / MLA Documentation / APA Documentation

Index