Samples of Starting Point Guiding Research Questions (GRQ) & Considerations for Crafting Them

Example Starting GRQs  from our Argument Research Prompt (handout in Unit 6):

1.  Do Pride and Prejudice's Eliza Bennet's challenges of being seen as family property represent the typical path for young women in Victorian England?

2. Do the modern Native American characters in Natalie Diaz's poems in When My Brother Was An Aztec accurately portray typical effects of mental health and substance abuse issues due to lose of heritage?

3. Are the religious identity conflicts between progressive Western ideals and conservative Islam evident in Marjane Satrapi's graphic autobiography Persepolis an accurate representation of life for the modern Iranian--both female and male?

***These questions focus on what is learned about the culture and its people--the empathy is in what is learned by asking.

****Furthermore, you will be guided to revise your questions to argue how your pursued focuses teach readers to see these characters as struggling with human issues--not just Victorian, Native American, Iranian issues.



Craft Considerations for a GRQ

1. Name the text and author in your question. This is the most basic detail to include because your research revolves around the text.

• Also, identify a main character, too, in any memoir, play, or piece of fiction. In poetry, if you are dealing with different speakers--then it is "speakers"

2. What things strike you as most different from how your life is structured and/or lived? What things strike you as most similar to how your life is structured and/or lived?

• Comparing and contrasting your life with characters (do a two-column chart, even) is one way to figure out where you find yourself relating to them. This may seem obvious--make the obvious visible.

                 Comparisons   |     Contrasts

Food: 

Religion: 

3. Pull from the plot/action, setting (time, geography)

4. Pay attention to themes that deal with government, religion/spirituality, diction/vernacular/dialect, marginalization,


5. Read the book jacket, the library card catalog summary, and/or any reviews you can find online (from SparkNotes to actual magazine reviews).

• http://www.npr.org/sections/book-reviews 
• http://www.sparknotes.com

6. Use basic contextual descriptive words like typical, similar, universal, stereotype, representative, illustrative, and more 

7. VERBS, VERBS, VERBS.   

• You need to make sure you are asking questions about portrayal, illustration, symbolization, representation, illumination.   

• You also need to be able to classify, distinguish, analyze, compare, contrast.

• Fresno State University has a great chart on Bloom's Taxonomy of verbs, which overlaps those from our very first lessons (which are included on the Crafting Thesis Statements handout).

Let us review a lecture we did not get to two weeks ago:

https://argument1010.blogspot.com/2017/09/causal-argument-main-ideas-body.html?m=1

HW for 10/9: Conclusion drafts and causal links and citation

1. Read the following lecture on "Writing Scholarly Conclusions" to help you with your draft, but also to help prepare you for Monday's discussions.

• I will ask you, "How may your source be used in your conclusion, looking at the list of possible questions and ideas in the list.  And, outside of your secondary source, what other events in the world relate to our subject matter--what events allude to the poems?"

2. Read chapters 16 and 17, which deal with MLA citation (both in-text and Work Cited end citation).

2. Review Chapter 12 and the blog post on making causal links, even if you've read the chapter. There's much more good advice and rhetorical advice in here than we can cover in our classes. ---------------------------------------------------------------------

Writing Scholarly Conclusions
The last paragraph (or sometimes paragraphs, when writing much longer essays) should reflect upon the thesis statement and its subtopics that you have addressed in your essay. 

However, there are other ways to view your conclusions, and viewing a conclusion in these different ways will help guide you in what else you can say beyond being repetitive. 

Another way of looking at just conclusions and the above general conclusion definition, according to the University of Iowa's Writing Center:

 "The conclusion is a good place to not only sum up the points made in the paper but to suggest the further implications of your argument.  You do not want to simply reiterate the points you have made in your introduction, thesis, or body paragraphs.  

Instead, use the analyses that you have already presented to ask questions, or suggest the possible next logical step in the argument.  You can use the conclusion to draw connections between your chosen text and its genre and historical or cultural contexts.  

You want to make sure that the claims you make in the conclusion are not too far-fetched or wildly out of step with the rest of your paper.  The conclusion should be the final step in the progression of your argument."

You likely will not address each question below each time, but here are some general ideas you may explore in your conclusion rather than simply "restating the thesis." (As a writer, you may find some of these thoughtful actions are useful for other parts of your essay...):

• What is important to the general audience/larger world about what you have argued/analyzed/defined. etc.? What knowledge do you provide us, and why is that important? 

• What is the impact of this knowledge I provide ? Who is affected, how? 

• Where does my idea fit in the larger discussion of the subject addressed in the essay? 

• Quickly state comparison or contrast with socially common views, stereotypes, and/or subjects.

• What recommendations can I make, and why, based on my thesis and other points made in the essay? Or, what recommendations do I have based on the source author's ideas?

• What is another major point or two about the subject that I did not have 'time' to include in this essay? 

• Pose questions that you haven't addressed that are relevant to what you have already written. 

• Pose questions that further help reader understand the subject's context.

• Suggest next possible step in the author's argument.

• Suggest different types of evidence that were not used in author's argument.

• In third person, briefly provide your own thoughts on any examples used from your source author that matter to you. 

• Example: Tamir Rice...

• Have you read other articles, books, etc., on the subject? Draw connections between your essay subject text and well-known texts in the genre or same time period or cultural perspective.

Finding and Evaluating Sources Further (STAR)

Choosing Sources Based on Your Poem, Your Argumentative Claims, and the Prompt:

• Decide on what kind of evidence you need to find besides the poem itself to support why the poem has gone viral. 

• What is your argument?
• What kinds of "field of study" do your arguments rely? What kind of expert/professional help might give authority to your arguments?

• Find two sources that you believe could be used to support why the poem has gone viral. 

• For each of your two sources:  

• Answer each question in the STAR criteria (92). 

• Also, review "Rhetorical Strategies for Framing Evidence" and "Special Strategies for Framing Statistical Evidence" (99-101) and: 

• List three different strategies that you feel you should apply to your sources.

• Explain why you think it is important to do so, and
• Provide an example of how a writer may do so, using evidence from the source.

HW for 10/2

1. Make sure you share e-mail contact info with your STAR group. You are going to present your work--your sources found--to the class next Monday to lead our discussion on "Causal arguments for the poem going viral."

2.  Read on Unit 3 of myLearning course page, the handout: "Causal Arguments Writing Strategies Models" -- this is a handout that has specific model examples of thesis and topic sentences and body paragraphs responding to "Good Bones."

2. Read the refresher below on creating "hooks" and :

General Hooks 

 The purpose of a hook is to draw your reader in to what you have to say. You don't want the hook to sound too broad and anonymous. You want to one of the general hooks below in a creative, but thesis-connected way: 

1. Relevant quote

• From the subject of your essay, such as
• from one of your sources!, or
• from an expert on the subject matter
• from a discipline/field of study that helps you frame ideas in essay,
• or.... 

2. Personal anecdote with relevance to thesis

• Perhaps, you can use one you can come back to? One that relates to the subject matter--even the event

3. Provocative and relevant question

• A question that challenges ethics or morals
• A question that challenges legality
• A question that challenges cultural value 
• A question that challenges a cultural trend
• A question that challenges...  

4. Specific Example that fit your subject (perhaps one you will actually bring back and expand on later in your body)

• Perhaps a fact (#5) about the subject. What happened at the shooting, or in the poem you are analyzing? 
• An example of something else "gone viral."

5. Relevant fact: particularly one that sets the tone and allows you to explore the fact specifically as it relates to your thesis.

• Data -- a case study, or demographic study
  
• Laws or Theories from a social science (sociology, psychology, anthropology)
• Relatable events in history (kairos) and their outcomes
• .... 

Drafting an Introduction

1. Have your thesis and subtopics at least drafted and outlined; these ideas are your map directions!

2. Decide which type of hook most interests you. Do some brainstorming that helps you (including, looking on the Internet for a relevant quote or fact to help you out)

3. Once you have the type of hook you want and have some content to work with, start drafting your introduction paragraph (

• Aim for around 8-12 solid sentences, or
• 1/2 to 3/4 at most of first page for 750 word essays

Once I find my hook, I can draft my introduction

• When using a quote or a fact, it is good to start your hook off with a phrase that introduces where that quote/fact is coming from:

• (subject of essay/author source) once said, "..."

• According to ________, ...

• Or...try out your own introductory phrase that gives context to the quote/hook!

T

Causal Argument Main Ideas & Body Paragraph Order

1. Do not simply restate evidence from the poem or from the shooting.

2. Show Cause. You are going to have to use inductive reasoning (page 256-57).

• How does X help make Y happen? 

• How does the event (Orlando) help make the text (the poem) go viral? 

• How does the imagery (or one image) help make the poem go viral?

• How does general cultural mindset help make the poem go viral? --> to answer these questions, you have to identify a cultural belief and argue why some element of the poem resonates with that belief enough to share the poem....

3. Review these two sites for further guidance:

• "Identifying possible causes among specific events" explanation from Fayetteville State University faculty site

• X is the difference.... (what makes the poem "different")
• X is the common thread...(what qualities does the poem share with other viral art)

• University of Kentucky, model sample claims

Here is an effective strategy: using an organizational chart... to get you to 

1) Create (and later revise) your thesis and topic sentences, and 

2) Order your paragraphs in a logical thought pattern...(page 263)

***Making the cultural views claims first (whether in the introduction only, or as part of the body paragraphs) will provide a logical context from breaking down the poem...

**You can follow your own pattern, but make sure your pattern is created (by you), not just writing

* The assignment requires both analysis of literature and of culture, which means the final form of each essay will vary based on how you structure claims. For simplicity sake, it would be easier for you to follow our modeling in class, but that may inhibit your writing.

Cause	Effect	Outcome=Argumentative claim (complete sentence)
From cultural/sociological/psychological views… ·      What is happening in culture that relates to the poem? ·      What are typical beliefs that are part of mainstream media that relate to the poem,?  ·      What ideas does the event being focused on (the Orlando shooting) symbolize about American life and times that also relates to the poem?
From the product… ·      What is thematic message, and how does that theme connect to those people sharing the poem? ·      What elements of the poem most help illuminate the thematic message, making them most impactful, and how/why are they so impactful? o   Don’t just state that the imagery is impactful or “powerful,” but argue why in that same sentence… o   Don’t just state that the metaphor is, either; identify a metaphor and argue why that hits home… o   Don’t just state that the poem’s tone is, either…

HW for 9/27: STAR Group Work and Unity Strategy (PRE)

1. Make sure you share e-mail contact info with your STAR group. You are going to present your work--your sources found--to the class next Monday to lead our discussion on "Causal arguments for the poem going viral."


2. Another mnemonic acronym, read up on the Unified Body Paragraph Strategy of PRE below. Part of the this lesson involves reading the article, "In the Beginning," which is about Steve Prefontaine, the person who inspired me to create the PRE strategy:

http://home.europa.com/~bence/pre/

The above picture is Steve Prefontaine, a world-class runner who died too young. His nickname is Pre. Look at how focused his eyes are in this picture and remember those eyes when you remember our unity technique, PRE, defined below.

http://www.justrunners.com/Steve%20Prefontaine%20Poster.htm

PRE, besides being a famous runner, is a mnemonic device: each letter represents what type of content needs to show up in a unified, developed paragraph. P(oint)R(eason)E(xample/explanation). 

PRE teaches us that to be the best one must put their best effort into all that they do. PRE can also teach us, again, how to write a unified body paragraph. 

Point: start each paragraph off with a sentence (we call it that Topic Sentence) that states who/what the paragraph is about--your subject--and what you have to say about that subject in that paragraph.

Reason: follow up your Topic Sentence with some logical reasons for why you believe your point is true.

Evidence (Example/Explanation of E): follow up your reasons with specific examples that support your point and reasons. You can also add a second E to Example, and that would be Explain! Make sure that when you illustrate your example that you also make sure to explain how it connects back to your Topic Sentence.

How to apply PRE:  

1. Read your text/generate topic sentences. For our example, read article, "In the Beginning," so see how the model body paragraphs below were brainstormed and crafted.

2. Develop a larger point about the source text. For our example, the body paragraphs below make basic summary points about "how Prefontaine learned to be successful, according to the article." (We will discuss the different structure of Introductions and Conclusions over the coming semesters.)

3. After making a Point, incorporate your Reasons and some Example facts from the article and the quotes above.

Note that all Points are green, all Reasons are yellow, and the Examples/Explanatory sentences are all gray/black. I color-coded it so that you can see the different types of content and see the order/structure being repeated in each paragraph. 

           Steve Prefontaine, who held many American records in distance running, is a great example of how much effort plays a role in having success in life--even during high school years. Prefontaine started off as one of the weaker runners on his high school team before setting goals to become a national record holder by his senior year. In the article "In the Beginning," Michael Musca discusses how Prefontaine could not break five minutes in the mile his freshman year of high school, and as a sophomore failed to qualify for state. However, by his junior year in 1968, he went undefeated and won the Oregon state cross country meet in. Musca writes that "From this point forward, the winter of 1968, young Pre embarked on McClure’s 30-week program, which he hoped would yield the time goals and a state championship in the two-mile" (Musca). Prefontaine would run four to eight miles a day while working multiple jobs. His setting goals and following them is what lead to his success during those years.

      Those high school years are a small example of showing how setting goals matters; Prefontaine also had the work ethic and mindset to accomplish his goals. Steve Prefontaine is widely known as the ultimate competitor. He fulfilled his goals by training extremely hard and by maintaining an aggressive mindset that he would maintain for the rest of his life. There is no better evidence than Pre's own words: "To give anything less than your best is to sacrifice the gift" (Just Runners). These are the words of a competitor, someone who does not settle for finishing a task. Another quote of Prefontaine is "I'm going to work so that it's a pure guts race at the end, and if it is, then I am the only one who can win it" (NKFU). He confidently believes that nobody can beat him if he works as hard as he can.

        Prefontaine's successes came from also following a clear plan of actions to take to accomplish his goals. Pre's high school coach, Walt McClure, helped lay out a training program so that Prefontaine could set the records and live up to his goals. McClure set Pre up on a 30-week training regiment in the winter of 1968 that  helped Pre win state in the two-miler that Spring. Prefontaine continued to run at least four miles a day during that following summer, even as he worked multiple jobs to help his struggling family (Musca). Prefontaine won the two miler his senior year in a national record of 8:41.5 (Musca), which shows how much one can improve in something if they are really dedicated to their own success. 

       Prefontaine was never known as a fast runner, but his effort on those days off helped propel him towards national success at an early age.  ...