Assignment 3: Respond to the essay "As They Say, Drugs Kill"

English 21

Assignment 3

Mr. Tompkins

October 25, 2014

The purpose of assignment 3 is to test your ability to analyze and respond to a text. In this case, you will read the essay “As They Say, Drugs Kill,” by Laura Rowley (page 480 in Stepping Stones). It’s a raw, painful story about watching a young man die from a reaction to recreational drugs. 

Drugs are everywhere in daily life. Doctors prescribe drugs to us when we’re sick, when we’re depressed, when we’re anxious, and when we want to ward off illness. Children are sometimes prescribed powerful drugs to shape behavior. Weightlifters and some athletes take anabolic steroids and HGH to improve their performances and recover from injuries. Drugs are given to animals who become the food we eat. There are a multitude of recreational drugs - some legal some not - that people take, ostensibly to enhance the pleasure. There are also strong, addictive drugs that are against the law but nevertheless are easily found. 

Discuss what your opinion is about recreational drugs and those who take them. Things to think about: Why do people take such drugs? Is there enough information available about the dangers of using drugs? Have you known anyone who’s taken an overdose or had an adverse reaction to drugs?Did the author and people at that party do enough to save the life of the boy who died? How would you have handled it? Why are some drugs subject to so many laws and restrictions and some are not? 

You will read Rowley’s essay and write a response to it,. You must consider both her thoughts and your own about the questions asked in the last paragraph. You must refer to her essay in yours, but the bulk of yours will be to explain your opinions and the reasons you have them. If they are based on experiences you’ve had or people you’ve known have had, then write about them. But you don’t have had personal experience to have opinions about the matter. Drug usage is a question that is important for everyone to think about and have an opinion on. 

Your essay will be roughly 300 words long. 

The outline for assignment 3 is due on Thursday, October 30, 

The rough draft is due on Tuesday, Nov. 4. 

The final draft is due Tuesday, Nov. 11. 

Reading Presentation

Reading Analysis Guide for Devil...

Guidelines for Reading Analysis Presentation

Sign-up on the presentation calendar on my desk. Make a note of the chapters and presentation date that you sign up for below.

Reading analysis chapter: __________________________  Presentation date: _______________

You will be presenting your analysis in class along with two to five of your classmates. The class will be counting on you to be on top of the article you are covering, so please be prepared!

This assignment is worth 40 points – to receive credit, you must participate in the presentation of your analysis. You will be graded primarily on your written analysis (breakdown of scoring below), but outstanding presentations will be rewarded.

Read the chapters that you will be analyzing carefully. If possible, read them twice. On your first reading, just try to identify the main idea(s) and get a feel for the writer’s approach and the flow of the chapter. On your second reading, go over the text more carefully; notice how the writer creates characters and tells the story.

To prepare your written analysis:

Identify the author’s name and the title of the chapter(s) you are covering. Answer the following questions, numbering each answer in the way the questions are numbered.

1.     What is the central theme of the selection? Your answer should be a complete sentence in your own words (not a quote!). Be as specific as possible, but remember that your claim should cover the whole chapter(s).

2.     What are the concerns of the characters in the chapter(s) you have read? This book is fiction. Do you think the events in the books could happen in real life? Do you think the way the characters act is believable. If the events in the book are exaggerated by the author, does it make the book less effective? If the behavior of the characters are exaggerated, does it make the book less believable or effective?

3.     Is the central theme expressed explicitly or implicitly? The claim is explicit if the writer spells out what it is. The claim is implicit if the writer only implies the claim but does not state it outright.

4.   Did the events and actions in your chapter(s) surprise you or change your mind about the characters in the book?

5.     What is the tone – the feel – of the chapter(s) you read?

6.     What things in the story give the most insight into human nature?

7.     Does the writer leave the opinions and feelings to the readers? If so, why? Is this approach effective?

The Thesis Statement: Some Ideas

THE THESIS STATEMENT

The thesis is the ONE sentence that contains

the foundation, the premise, the argument

you are presenting to your readers.

It is the core of the essay.

Strive to make it strong and clear.

ELEMENTS OF A THESIS:

• It must be arguable.

This means it presents an opinion, an argument, or an illustration of a view or experience.  It is not a mere statement of fact.

• It must ADDRESS the TOPIC.

While this element seems obvious too, writers often get going and one thought leads to another and another and the topic gets left behind. Re-read the prompt several times to make sure you haven’t gone off topic beyond the parameters of the assignment.

• It must have an APPROPRIATE FOCUS.

What is the length of the assignment: two pages? ten pages? The length determines how broad or narrow the scope of your thesis will be. Adjust accordingly.

• It must MAKE SENSE.

This is the catch-all element that asks you to re-consider your wording, syntax, diction, and grammar. Make changes as you see fit.