Jeff daniels america is not the greatest country

america is not the greatest country
Subject
Writing

Question Description
Jeff Daniels, The Newsroom, “America is Not the Greatest Country” In this short segment from The Newsroom, actor Jeff Daniels provides a brief, but exhaustive critique of contemporary American. While The Newsroom is fictional, this argument is grounded in fact. Your research for this analysis might explore facts that Daniel’s character omitted from his argument. Is America the greatest country, Jeff Daniels | NewsroomEnglish 102 Rhetorical Analysis Overview For your first essay this semester, you’re going to write a short rhetorical analysis of one of the the arguments (two Ted Talks, a commercial, a segment from a TV drama, and an animated short film) linked below. You’ll need to evaluate how, why, and if the argument is successful. To provide a context for the argument, you’ll need to do a little research (one source minimum) and integrate that material into your essay as well. Instructions Basic requirements: • 3-5 pages (not including works cited page). • Works cited page • In-text documentation • MLA format • Rough draft for peer editing Every successful paper will: • Contain a thesis that makes an assertion. • Adequately describe the video in about 150 words. • Demonstrate an understanding of the purpose of the argument being analyzed. • Integrate research material into the body of the essay. • Analyze the argument using the criteria discussed in chapters 1-6 in Everything’s an Argument. (Ethos, logos, pathos, style, etc.) • Support the thesis with specific examples from the argument. • Be written only third person. • Demonstrate an understanding of MLA documentation and format. • Be written in a style appropriate for a college-level paper. Potential mistakes: • Describing or summarizing your argument in too much detail. Don’t go over 150 words. Summary is not the point. Analysis is. • Evaluating the argument from your perspective only. Remember, you are analyzing if the argument is successful in accomplishing what it set out to accomplish. If for example, the goal of the argument is to sell a car to a 50-year-old woman and you are a 25-year-old man, the argument might not inspire you to buy a car, but it might still work for the target audience. • Misunderstanding the purpose of the argument. Choose an Argument Choose one of the following arguments to analyze: Dan Meyer, “Math Education Needs to be Reformed” In this Ted Talk, teacher Dan Meyer explains why our current approach to teaching math is flawed and what can be done to improve it. In researching the context for this argument, you might try to find information about the number of kids who struggle with math, how American kids perform on standardized tests compared to the rest of the word. Math class needs a makeover, Dan Meyer | TEDxNYD Rita Pierson, “Every Kid Deserves a Champion” In this Ted Talk, veteran teacher Rita Pierson makes a passionate argument for teachers to care about and advocate for every single one of their students. In researching the context for this argument, you might want to find information on U.S. graduation rates, information about failing schools, and why some kids struggle to succeed in school. As you write your analysis you might want to take into consideration Pierson’s presentation style—does her smile and warmth make her argument more credible? Every kid needs a champion, Rita Pierson | TED Talks Education Jeep, Super Bowl 2015, “This Land is Your Land” Commercial In this visually appealing advertisement, Jeep caused brings together the iconic American folk song “This Land is Your Land” with images of the Great Wall in China and a Muslim woman, among other things. What is the message? What is Jeep trying to accomplish here? When researching this topic you might want to look into the change in Jeep ownership near the time this ad was produced and consider how that may have something to do with the message here. "Beautiful Lands" Jeep's 2015 Super Bowl Commercial Jeff Daniels, The Newsroom, “America is Not the Greatest Country” In this short segment from The Newsroom, actor Jeff Daniels provides a brief, but exhaustive critique of contemporary American. While The Newsroom is fictional, this argument is grounded in fact. Your research for this analysis might explore facts that Daniel’s character omitted from his argument. Is America the greatest country, Jeff Daniels | Newsroom Alex Landau, Traffic Stop This animated short might not initially seem like an argument, but in fact, Landau does assert a very clear point of view. What is it? Does it work? In researching this topic, you would want to find the news reports of Alex Landau’s experience of being beaten by a police officers. Traffic Stop, Alex Landau | Story Corps Daniel Choudhry 816-328-6016 ...