Assessment Activity

1. From class discussions, I have gathered that a genre is defined by its context, its intended audience, and the structure. Genres are partially defined by the context of the work which involves how the context is written. For example, a research essay is written more formally and with more facts than say a romantic love letter. Also, who the intended audience is for a specific work makes up the genre that it belongs to. For example, a research paper or argumentative paper is usually intended for a scholarly audience so the genre will be written more formally and more grammatically correct. However, a creative writing work such as a poem or a satirical story may be written for a less serious audience so the genre may include more room for grammatically incorrect work. All of these add to how a genre is structured. A formal work of genre like an analysis or research genre may be structured more traditional with an introduction, body paragraph, and a conclusion while poems may be structured with five lines with long breaks and no clear indications of when the genre begins or ends. I learned in class that each genre is usually cited differently but most are cited unless the genre allows for work based solely on the writer’s own mind and creativity.

2. One of the genres we did a paper for in class was for an ethnographic essay, particularly current subcultures. My paper was on the subculture known as “exercise bulimics”. The genre of ethnography requires the research of a subculture that ultimately defines a subculture. For the paper, I had to include formal language for the paper but particularly, language that the subculture used or to help depict the subculture. For example, I wrote about the labels they use for each other and when I used descriptive words, I used them to describe the subculture (“stick thin, overly obsessive”). For this genre, the language’s ultimate goal is to paint a picture of the subculture for the audience. For the ethnography essay, I included some form of analysis because I had to go in-depth on their lifestyle such as what they wear, how they wear it, how they communicate, etc. The overall tone of this genre would be more informative but also a little argumentative since you are taking a stand on your definition and including counter-definitions. Ethnography essays generally follow the structure of a traditional essay. However, some may be altered if say, an interview is included because the writer has to find where in the body paragraph (if there) to put it. Also, some in-text citations would be necessary.

3. One of the projects that we did in class that I felt I had a good handle on was the argumentative paper. My topic called for “Boycott Made in China Products”. This project obviously addressed the genre of argumentative/research. The content for the argument paper was shaped to support my argument and show how my argument was well made. The content had to include a lot of evidence. There was not that many limitations but there were things that had to be included to shape this type of genre. The essay had to include content that would show another point of view besides your argument and content to back up how your argument would be better than that point of view. The research was centralized on why people should boycott China. Because of this, I did not include research I found on China’s pop culture, etc because it did not relate to the argument.

4.

Two genres we explored in class were analysis and argumentative genres. Both genres include research and background as part of its content. However, the content for an analysis is more informational rather than for the argumentative paper. The thesis for the argumentative paper shows this, "

It is a universal responsibility to stand up for those being treated unjustly. Americans should boycott products made from China to advocate human rights, good health for the Chinese people as well as Americans, and to help America gain an economic advantage over the Chinese.".

It is meant to be persuasive so the language and the content are bound to promoting this. Although the analysis paper makes a stance on the topic it is more of an informative in-depth stand rather than persuasive. Both aspects that we talked about in class for these two genres are including counterarguments. For example, for my analysis paper I had to include why some people might not like Dane Cook's vulgar humor and for my argumentative paper I had to persuade the counterargument why we should care about the problem in China. Most of the time, the audience for an argumentative and and an analysis paper may be the same. The audience may be the professor. However, for an analysis the audience might be a broad spectrum of the population in need of a review of a topic such as a movie. Arguments and analysis as a genre for writing are hard to manipulate over time if the writer makes their stance or point clear in the primary paper.

5. If I had to produce one of the following texts then I would have to choose the style of a love letter or a letter of affection. The technology that could be used for this style would ironically have to make it look antique. Romantic things are usually reminiscent of the Medieval times and Knights where chivalry originated from. If one could, one should use a type of paper that looks like a scroll or a daintier, lighter type of paper. Also, the writer could choose a font that looks like it was written in cursive form; this style of font would make the love letter look more personal rather than typed up or look as a copy. In order to make the love letter look even more sincere and genuine, the person writing it may choose to write it by hand and not use that many tools to write it. The fewer tools used, the purer the text appears. All of these choices would make the love letter seem more from the heart rather than systematically produced on a computer. A love letter has to look more sincere than other types of texts because it is going to one person usually and is a private, personal matter that the intended audience wants to feel is genuine and one-of-a-kind.

6. Different resources could be used to find out about the current U.S. economical crisis. First of, this topic could be seen in certain genres such as an informational/research essay, an analysis or an argumentative essay. An argument essay could argue the severity of the crisis while an analysis could analyze the cause of the economical crisis along with analyzing the effect or possible solutions out there for the crisis. To start the research for this paper, a student could start by physically looking at newspaper archives from recent newspapers, especially ones that focus on the economy such as Wall Street Journal. A lot of magazines can be found in the library too that focus on the economy and business. A student can look through some of these magazines to find articles about the economy. Digitally, plenty of databases focus on solely politics or the economy. The database, CQ Researcher has articles that focus on politics or current events so you could start your research there. You can find these databases or business journals through WMU’s library website. If you want to go more in-depth with your research by interviewing someone then you can start by interviewing business experts or those in your school that are economics major. One person you could interview, for example, is a professor that teaches an economics class since he specializes in the subject. At this point, you should gather all the research you can and then weave out what you need. First off, you should always keep information about the other side of the argument if you are picking a side of the topic for counterarguments. The most creditable sources should be kept as evidence for the research. Only some information should be kept for the background. However, research that is statistical might be best to keep since it has to do with economics and numbers.

7. Credible sources: CQ Researcher, Wall Street Journal, scholarly journals that focus on business or politics, popular magazines such as U.S. News just to gather up a summary of the problem or to gather popular opinion of the topic, newspapers

Not credible sources: someone’s blog that is not scholarly, popular magazines with no focus on business such as US Weekly, articles found on databases such as Google or AskJeeves.

8. The project for the argumentative/research paper included in-text citations and a formal works cited page. Argumentative genre papers are usually written formally and sounds credible and more knowledgeable if it includes correct in-text citations and a works cited page to back up the argument and the research.

9. Formal in-text citations are necessary for the credibility of any paper. In-text citations make your audience feel as if your research has been well thought out and if you are doing an argumentative genre paper, the citations will help your argument if say, scholars feel the same way.

10. I feel that the grammar problem I’ve tackled best would be what to do with independent and dependent clauses and when to put a comma for these two. I remember it through something a peer or maybe the teacher said, “I.D.”. When independent clauses come before dependent clauses then a comma is used, hence an “I.D.”. “I.D.” identifies when to place a comma in the sentence.

11. For the ethnography genre essay I wrote, I made some good grammatical choices and some bad ones. First off, some of my in-text citations were bad so that might have taken away from my credibility or at least it might have made my audience feel that I was not that advanced of a writer. However, my transitions and correct use of semi-colons and commas were very good for the essay and I feel it helped the essay flow better. For example, the transitional sentence "Beside communication, their attire or way of dress can give them away to those not in the subculture.". The comma is in the proper place for the transition causing the break to come at the right time and not disrupting the flow all together.

article for analysis paper

http://find.galegroup.com.libproxy.library.wmich.edu/ips/retrieve.do?contentSet=IAC-Documents&resultListType=RESULT_LIST&qrySerId=Locale%28en%2C%2C%29%3AFQE%3D%28ke%2CNone%2C11%29Brett+Favre%3AAnd%3AFQE%3D%28ke%2CNone%2C7%29Packers%24&sgHitCountType=None&inPS=true&sort=DateDescend&searchType=AdvancedSearchForm&tabID=T003&prodId=IPS&searchId=R10&currentPosition=3&userGroupName=lom_wmichu&docId=A176155784&docType=IAC&contentSet=IAC-Documents

This article picks a thesis, a point he wants to get across which is that there is more fans for Brett Favre than other quarterbacks. This is not necesarily my thesis, mine will be that he is the greatest quarterback of our modern time. This paper provides sections on why the fans love him and how they show it. He then analyzes why all of these evidence shows that this love fans have for him is the best in the NFL community. This is a good analysis because although it's short it shows me his evidence, interviews, his background information on why the fans love brett and then ultimately he ties it all up to his analysis of why this matters and why the actions of these fans prove that their passion for him is unbeatable in other communities of other NFL teams.

source: TIME magazine article
database searched: InfoTrac

twilight zone activity

The Women Zone

There is a fifth dimension beyond that which is known to man. It is a dimension as confusing as calculus and as puzzling as philosophy. It is the missing step between women and love, between men and sex, and it lies between the pit of people's relationships and the pinnacle of reproduction. This is the dimension of miscommunications. It is an area which we call...The Women Zone.

project proposal

For this paper, I will be analyzing the effect of cochlear implants for the Deaf Community. Cochlear implants are devices that can be placed on the head attached to a mic for Deaf children and sometimes, even for adults. The supporting points I would like to focus on are the cost of cochlear implants, the effectiveness of the device, and the people in this community's feelings about them. With these supporting points, I can conclude on if they are beneficial or harmful to the Deaf Community. I would need to provide background on what cochlear implants do and how they work for my paper and it should be presented formally. For this, I will need to add facts or research from scholarly articles about cochlear implants and possibly interviews from people of the Deaf Community on how they feel about them.

reaction to Hillary Clinton speech

"I want to be judged on my own merits. I don't want to be advantaged or disadvantaged. I'm very proud of my husband's administration. I think that there were a lot of good things that happened and those good things really changed people's lives....And, you know, it did take a Clinton to clean after the first Bush, and I think it might take another one to clean up after the second Bush."

My reaction:
Questions:
1. What is your initial response to this?
I think it is too cocky and not very thought out.
2. Why do you react the way you do? Is it an intellectual reaction or an emotional reaction?
It's an emotional reaction since I support Obama.
3. How does this text work? What are its components? How is it organized?
It is modeled as a response. It's components are her counterarguments to the question.
4. What does the author/creator want the audience to believe, feel, or do?
The author wants the audience to believe in them and trust in them through comparing herself to her husband and his work.
5. What would you say its thesis is?
I can save the country like my husband did during his Presidency.
6. What genre does it fit into? Or does if defy genre labeling? In what ways?
?
7. How do you know what you know about this object?
I watched the democratic debate when it was first said.

My friend, Melanie's reaction:
1. What is your initial response to this?
it's a valid point but not very credible.
2. Why do you react the way you do? Is it an intellectual reaction or an emotional reaction?
a logical and intellectual reaction since I am not bias on the candidates. She has a good point but it is not based on anything but what her husband has done, not her.
3. How does this text work? What are its components? How is it organized?
It's a response. It's organized by counterarguments.
4. What does the author/creator want the audience to believe, feel, or do?
they want the audience to feel that she will be as good as Bill if voted for.
5. What would you say its thesis is?
My presidency will be successful like Bill's was.
6. What genre does it fit into? Or does if defy genre labeling? In what ways?
it defies it?
7. How do you know what you know about this object?
from the news

parallelism worksheet

Parallelism

Rewrite the following sentences so they are in parallel form.

1. The chapter starts on page 129; page 144 is where it ends.

The chapter starts on page 129 and ends on page 144.

2. Betty is pretty, kind, and has charm.

Betty is pretty, kind, and charming.

3. If you go to the drugstore, please remember to pick up Nick’s prescription, buy some toothpaste, and to look for a birthday card.

??

4. I spent an hour with Ms. King reviewing my job performance, assessing my goals, and my future with the company was also discussed.

I spent an hour with Ms. King reviewing my job performance, assessing my goals, and discussing my future with the company.

5. The dog’s size, how friendly he was, and temperament made him a good choice for our family.

The dog was a good choice for our family because he was friendly and had a good temperament.

6. Janice was the most admired person in the family, also the most independent person and the most ambitious.

Janice was the most admired, the most independent, and the most ambitious in the family.

7. Leo’s day is so long that he gets up at 5:00 a.m., leaves for work at 5:30 a.m., eating dinner at 10 p.m., and goes to bed at 1:00 a.m.

Leo's day is so long that he gets up at 5 am, leaves for work at 5:30 am, eats dinner at 10 pm, and goes to bed at 1 am. (?)

active vs passive worksheet

Active Voice vs. Passive Voice

Rewrite the following sentences to give them an active voice.

1. The check was given to the waitress by Steve.

The waitress gave Steve the check.

2. It was recommended that the policy be changed.

Someone recommended to change the policy.

3. A study of the problem was made by Jenny.

Jenny studied the problems.

4. The tower was hit by a bolt of lightning.

Lightning hit the tower with a bolt.

5. The fly ball was caught by Jose.

Jose caught the fly ball.

6. It was overheard that some people will leave the company.

Some people might leave the company.

7. The donation is to be given by Mr. Smith.

Mr. Smith is supposed to give a donation.

8. The gold was discovered by a rancher in Wyoming.

A rancher in Wyoming discovered gold.

9. The check was written for an amount of one million dollars.

Someone wrote the check for one million dollars.

10. Several donations are going to be made by the family.

The family will make several donations.

Discussion of readings from Tuesday

(What is an Academic Paper?) and (How to write a Consistently Boring Paper)

Both papers went into a long detailed analysis of their subject about well, a good analysis paper. I especially thought the first one was good because it broke down every single topic it brought up and it broke it down clearly so I never got lost. Most importantly, there were transitions and connections to connect and build the thesis.

requirements for an analysis

An analysis requires three things: a detailed background or facts to support the analysis, a concrete overall take on the theme, and your own detailed opinions. A detailed opinion is the essential key to an analysis because it's what you're doing: your analyzing your opinions about a theme. For example, the essay A Spirit Reborn goes into great detail about how Lincoln's speech can be related to the 9/11 tragedy. After your opinions, the backgrounds or facts help your audience to respect your analysis and help their understanding of what it is your analyzing. Lastly, a good analysis needs to start off with a strong claim on the theme of the paper so the audience has that in mind while reading the analysis.

Topic Sentence Worksheet Outline

Thesis:
The subculture of “stoners, potheads, and burnouts” has been modified throughout the years and sometimes do not meet the old stereotypes

1st Topic/supporting points:

The theory that all stoners are lowlives and inactive in their schools is false. People become stoners due to excess use of marijuana or other drugs but this doesn’t mean they are inactive or lazy like the old stoner stereotype used to portray. Most stoners in today’s world do average to excellent in school and with their GPA. One person I talked to in my research is majoring in biology, going pre-med and is on the Dean’s list. This doesn’t sound like a burnout does it? Some people use marijuana to relieve themselves from the stress of having to do good in school.

Transition:

Not only did the stereotype of being a burnout change but so did the style of stoners.

2nd Topic/supporting points:

Stoners do not always dress in baggy pants and loose tie-dye shirts anymore. They are not even grungy. The newest kind of stoners range greatly in their style and attire. Some of them still do dress in the hippie attire but others can dress like preps or goths. Probably the most shocking thing people see about stoners are stoners dressed in Hollister head to toe. They can be tan with platinum blond straight hair. It does not matter as much anymore if you look like a stoner as long as you are getting the fix of marijuana you desire. A whole group circled around a bong could include someone dressed in their cheerleading outfit, their punk spikes, or their band’s shirt.

Transition:

Whether you dress in Hollister tattered jeans or you have your all-black attire on, marijuana is your bond to be a stoner. Other things that could bond you are the hobbies you share. These hobbies are no longer just smoking pot and watching T.V. all day.

3rd Topic/supporting points:

Stoners vary in their main hobbies these days. Stoners can include a bunch of preppy girls very active in school that smoke frequently to have fun after school’s out. Stoners could be the kid that you cheat off from class because you know they always get an A. Even some nerds add getting stoned to their list of to do list almost every day to relieve stress or ‘think better’.

What is a good device to use to introduce this essay?

I feel that a quote might be a good attention getter for this essay to introduce the ‘new’ type of stoner these days. I could then follow up with some background of how stoners used to be.

An effective way to conclude this essay is to make the point that a lot of people can be stoners since the use of pot has increased. A statistic to show this would be effective

link to article

http://infotrac.galegroup.com/itw/infomark/603/791/17815399w16/purl=rc1_GBFM_0_A93833191&dyn=6!xrn_36_0_A93833191?sw_aep=lom_wmichu

Thoughts on Class Structure

• I feel that writing and submitting homework into assignments on blogs is not altering the content or thought into my work. However, it does have to be approached with caution. It's hard for me sometimes to write stuff into 'formal' thoughts on a blog. Sometimes I feel the way I write stuff on my blog is how I'd write stuff on facebook instead of for an English class so then I have to go back and make it casual but decent for an English class. I
• don't think the responses to the posts have been very beneficial because they are general comments that don't sway an assignment one way or another. Maybe if there was a guide or tips on how to comment better, they would be beneficial but right now, at least for me, it's not that beneficial. I can say that my comments probably are not that helpful either because sometimes I just don't know what to say besides good topic or good job.
• It's hard for me to become aware of the audience when I feel that no one is reading my blog rather than if someone had my paper or homework in class reading it or being in a classroom setting with the teacher there. However, I do see the purpose of my writing better since I have to do more research and thought into my purpose because there is no teacher/classroom resource to use.
• Although it's nice to meet only once a week, I would not recommend this very type of teaching later on. I would probably keep the blog aspect but have a part of the classroom still open in case students want a teacher's help or would prefer not to just 'blog' something. The thing I don't care for with blogs is the loss of human interaction so maybe keep the blog for posting stuff because it is nice to just type instead of write but I would have shorter class hours both days or offer office hours to students. Overall, I like it but I feel that there's a loss of human interaction that some people might like for learning.
  

"Definition" paragraph

• "the middle class"
  
• Around the 1950's in America, a rise of 'nuclear' type families in suburbs came about. Pictures of perfect families in perfect small towns with picket-fences lining the perfect houses. This is where the origin of the term "middle class" became popular. When suburbian families came about so did stereotyping the people who live in different areas (city, suburbs, and farm/rural areas). The stereotype of the 'middle class' came from. Economically, the middle class could have come from the 50's too when the gap between the wealthy and the poor lessened with a middle class because of a rise in population. The middle class can be defined as a group of people within a bigger population like a state that is economically safe but not too rich and usually live just outside bigger cities. It's different from the higher class because they don't have too many luxuries and usually have families unlike people in the bigger cities. However, it is definitely not part of the lower class since they live in typically nice suburbs with enough money to support families. It can be classified under words to describe the economy or the living conditions in countries like the United States.

Impression of 1st Peer Review

• I thought it went well except for the few complaints about doing it face to face. I feel that although the process is boring, it helps in the end because we have notes to go by but I think the guide can be worked on because some parts were confusing. Maybe more of a checklist with a comment bar would be better, I don't know quite how it can be improved but maybe it could be worked on.
  

Possible Subculture Topics

• "soccer moms"--the stereotype of suburban moms, how they dress, their 'leader', their language, and what they do on their stereotype
• "stoners"--what their hobbies are, their language, if they're friendly to people outside of the group
  

Argument Essays in Textbook

I feel that the essay "Just Be Nice' interested me because it had all the things needed for a good argument topic with its counterarguments and conclusion but it lacks one significant portion of a good argumentative essay: a strong introduction. The essay could have used a better thesis topic and specified a genre more than it did. Also, the target audience was not that clear and it should have clearly shown a target audience and a target that they want like their logic, emotion, or reasoning.

Project Proposal

My topic will focus on arguing why consumers in America should boycott products made in China. Majority of products that Americans use are made in this country. There might be nothing wrong with this except for how these products are being made. Products made in China are made through child labor and sweatshops abusing human rights. The body of my paragraph will detail the problems and human rights abuse making these products cause, the effect it has on consumers and basically "why" we should care, and lastly, I will offer a solution that will show Americans that even though it seems hard, boycotting these 'blood-stained' products is actually very doable. Most of the research I've found have been in articles since it's a more recent problem. I will focus more on evicting emotion from the reader to argue my point but for the logical readers, I will show how even though it seems simpler and cheaper to use China to make products, in the end, it will do the economy worse. It's common knowledge that made in China products are not made that purely but some historical background of how harsh the production of toys, clothes, etc actually is will be given; it will actually lead on to my first point which is the problem and the abuse of human rights.

Research Exercise 2

ENGL 1050
Research Exercise #2-Protesting products made in China to support human rights
Topic Choices: "Made in China" and "human rights"

Works Cited
Fernandez, Donna S. "How One Family Came to Boycott China." U.S. Catholic Library 61 (1996): 32-37. ProQuest. Western Michigan University. 06 Feb. 2008.

Summary
This article talks about how one single family started reading about human rights violations by products made in China so they decided to try and boycott buying them. They explained companies that have started boycotting China as well and how their little boy is doing it too. However, majority of businesses use it because it's easier and individuals don't know how to boycott it so the latter portion focuses on this.

There is clearly a significant amount of abuse by China in making these products. The worst part of this is that they were using children to make toy products and other household items. In the article How One Family Came to Boycott China Donna Fernandez cites that "3.3 billion worth of toys are made in China" (32) during 1991. I thought that this product just came out recently but it's been going on since past the '90s and families like this see the problem and are trying to help on a local basis. However, this article by Fernandez shows hope by some big companies such as Levi's that has stopped to do business with China after being aware of the fact that they use children for the products. Obviously, sweat shops and the dangerous conditions are hazardous for Children but what's even more hazardous to them are the mass want of the products they are making which has them working 24/7. Why won't America make the products here? It's easier to use China because it bypasses tests of products through the EPA. Just like blood diamonds, every product you hold that's made in China has the potential of being the product that finally exhausted a 5 year old child worker to its death.

This is my final topic choice.

research exercise #1

• Topics you will be researching: protesting "Made in China" products
• Database used: Wilson Select Plus
• Terms Entered: China and Human Rights
• Article Title: China: From Democracy Wall to the Shopping Mall & Back
• Journal Title: New Perspectives Quarterly
• Author: Nathan Gardels
• Volume, date, page #: Vol. 24, 12/5/2007

• Additional Information: This article will be very useful for my paper because it focuses on why big stores in America like Wal-mart and Target use China as the people who make their products which is what I need. Also, it talks about how China got to this point and why all the media concern about them using rat poison in some products will decrease the popularity of their cheap products.
  

further discussion about possible topics for argument essay

• I just recently got into the buying "Made in China" debate because my mom started to make an effort to not buy made in china merchandise. When I asked her why, she said it was because of the way these products are made. China uses inhumane treatment and labor of people to make products and it also kills animals (i.e. rat poisoning). I'd like to try and persuade my audience that while it would be hard to protest "made in china" stuff because a lot of merchandise sold in stores is from China, it is possible and necesary to make the effort because of the cruel way China makes these products.
• I've always been interested in the crisis in Darfur with more than 2 million being killed due to this (essentially) civil war. I think that America needs to be more involved with giving food to the survivors, refugees, and other things such as allocating those who have fled with their family or with their hometown.
  

"Cheating" Sample Essay

Thesis: "Individuals have chosen to ignore their responsibility for cheating in the academic environment but through time, the number of individuals who cheat have increased due to various reasons therefore the responsibility of individuals with cheating can no longer be ignored and a major solution needs to be developed to further the punishment of cheaters in schools."

1st Topic Sentence: "In order to evaluate the proper solution for individual cheaters, the question of "who is cheating" must be answered and "why" they are cheating; in simple terms, anyone could be cheating and the reasons for these vary from convenience and lack of time to study, the ease of cheating through technology, and the misconception of cheating versus collaboration."

2nd Topic Sentence w/Transition: "However, one of the arguably bigger reasons as to why individual students cheat is that they see other individuals who influence them do it. Letter grades and high academic standards in individual families or communities have become so high (i.e. SAT scores) that the way a student gets the grade doesn't matter as much as getting the good result in the end just like it doesn't matter as much how you climb the corporate ladder as long as you are along the top."

3rd Topic Sentence w/Transition: "Society and individuals in that society have accepted that cheating is there but there should be more of a knowledge for the reprimands that come with breaking academic integrity."

4th Topic Sentence w/Transition: "There are a variety of consequences that could be placed upon those individuals who cheat. However, a consistent rule upon what is considered cheating and the type of punishment they should get is needed. It can't be different for each situation, otherwise someone might think their individual form of cheating will not get punished."

Conclusion: Cheating cannot be placed upon society as whole but individuals need to be responsible for their actions. It has become much easier for anyone to cheat with the help of technology, collaboration, and convenience. However, the lack of respect for academic integrity can be decreased with solutions that the school can place on students like monetary penalties, written reprimands, suspensions, etc. Whatever solution a school needs to place on an individual, it needs to be consistent from student to student.

3 possible argumentative topics

1. Bilingual Education as a Requirement in U.S. High Schools
2. Increase in American aid for Sudan/Darfur Crisis
   
3. Protesting/banning the purchases of "Made in China" products
   

'fake news' genre

"It takes the words of a jester to cut through all the bullshit and strike a chord with the general populace". --Joi Ito. This quote emphasizes the purpose and therefore the style of the fake news genre. 'Fake news' can be categorized as its own genre by its distinct features like satire, appeal to 'average' man, and comedy/humor. 'Fake news' is so misinterpreted by people that don't watch it or judge it because it's a new type of journalism. It's not literally 'fake news'. The news that the Colbert Report and the The Today Show deliver is real. It's the same news that CNN broke out with that day but the delivery is different. It's delivered in a satirical manner and isn't dry like CNN does. It takes the news and what was said or done by these politicians or people in power and puts it in lay-man terms for the general public like college kids who may want to get politically active but can't take the dry delivery of main-stream news. The satire that's used in fake news catches the attention of the audience and although it's entertaining, it's also delivering the news and making an opinion about them. Also, some mainstream news coverages are factual, yes, but they are also biased by what party the news station affiliates with. Fake news is biased too but it doesn't try to hide the fact that it takes a side. It delivers the news and then uses the words of the person to put it in 'honest' terms and not try to sugar coat it like, we as a generation, feel most politicians do. The satire and the sarcastic tone of fake news is just an act; it grabs the audience and the general public but it delivers the news and offers an (debatable) opinion about it either by mocking it or supporting it.
The appeal that fake news has a genre is that it uses the style of speech that people who are just getting into voting or politics in general want to hear or can understand. Everyone can understand blunt and obvious sarcasm and the terms that fake news uses are average and not meant to confuse those who listen. It's honest news in a style that people like us can understand. Some argue that this is bad but I don't see the reason why it's bad. It's getting those who would not be involved into today's politics to listen to what's going on and most importantly, understand it. I can understand CNN but their tone makes them sound superior to us at times and makes me want to zone out of them. Having the comedy, sarcasm, and somewhat simple speech in 'fake news' helps the audience understand the events and situations going on which ultimately helps them form an opinion about politics and politicians.

Thesis Statement re-dos

1. "Road rage can cause numerous negative effects on our highways."

--Thesis Statement: "Road rage has numerous negative effects on the highways such as lack of attention on the road, bumper-to-bumper accidents, and speeding."

2. "Violence in Disney films"

--Thesis Statement: "Disney films, although mostly G-rated, display some violence in their films through superhero battles, villains, and animal cruelty."

3. "In this paper, I will discuss the different types of ants."

--Thesis Statement: "Like most animals, ants can be divided into different categories such as red ants and bull ants."

4. "Human kindness can be seen in the eyes of rescued animals."

--Thesis Statement: "Animals are rescued every day by human kindness through adoption, veterinarians, and animal rescue."

5. "I want to look at the reasons for droughts."

--Thesis Statement: "Droughts can be prevented by reducing their causes such as deforestation and global warming."

6. "Stephen King is the author of The Shining."

--Thesis Statement: "Stephen King deserves literary success for his works like The Shining, Carrie, and Pet Cemetery."

7. "The Titanic sank in the Atlantic Ocean"

--Thesis Statement: "The disaster of the Titanic sinking in the Atlantic Ocean can be contributed through the excessive speed of the ship, lack of lifeboats, and lack of preparation for the disaster."

8. Drug addiction in America

--Thesis Statement: "Many wonder why the drug addiction in America has increased through the years but experts say it's due to increase in poverty and a decrease in the graduation rates in the country."

9. "Saving Private Ryan is a very good movie."

--Thesis Statement: "Saving Private Ryan was one of the most critically acclaimed films in history because of the money it made at its release, the realistic look of the film, and the actors."

10. "I will show why rabbits make poor pets"

--Thesis Statement: "Rabbits do not make good domestic pets because of their fast reproduction rate, their eating habits, and distract small children."

12. "The drop-dead gorgeous realm of beauty pageants"

--Thesis Statement: "Beauty pageants are not always glamorous and have been caught in some scandals involving drugs, cheating, and foul play."

13. "School uniforms are necessary"

--Thesis Statement: "School uniforms will increase good behavior in school districts around the area because focus is on school and not clothes, gang colors are disaffiliated, and peer pressure about brands of clothes is taken away."

14. "William Shakespeare wrote Macbeth, Hamlet, and The Tempest."

--Thesis Statement: "Shakespeare has inspired many modern writers through key works like Macbeth, Hamlet, and The Tempest."

the significance of audience in my writing

Audience, purpose, and design are all key to successful writing for, among other things, structure and style. From the reading, I have learned that audience, purpose, and design can be varied to make your writing more sophisticated. Nevertheless, audience and purpose are the most significant building block for my writing.
For an audience, I have targeted my 'real' type of audience in the past mainly because I have had to get a grade. However, with the real audience in mind I have been able to build an introduction. Without an audience to target, it's hard for me to write a thesis so I need to at least think: "What's the teacher's point of view on this topic? Am I taking the opposing view of it?". I see now though that I can add another aspect to my audience by thinking of the 'intended' audience.
The audience helps me with my introduction but the purpose is what drives the rest of the pieces I write. The evidence I have to pick has to be liked by the audience (for example: if the teacher wanted 3 main points then I need that) but I also need to have the evidence relate directly to the purpose of the paper. If the pieces of the evidence don't link to the purpose then the paper won't have a clear point. Lastly, I like to think of the purpose when I'm writing up a conclusion because it helps me answer: "Why did I write about this?" and that in turn helps me with structuring the conclusion.
Overall, I feel that audience and purpose have had a significant influence on my writing but I need to think of other aspects of the audience and purpose to write about and consider.