man in library stacks

In the previous lesson, we worked on identifying a topic to focus on for your analysis and critique essay. For this lesson, we will continue our research so that we may begin to understand the circumstances, history, challenges, or political/social/economic circumstances that shape the place that we've chosen.

Researching for the assignment. For this lesson, then, let's take some time to research, read, and reflect in order to learn more about our topics, you'll need to locate sources--both online and in the college's library's databases.

When engaging with sources, you want to take some time to consider the timeliness, legitimacy, relevance, and accuracy of the sources. Your goal is to engage with your research and become an information literate person. The American Library Association notes that an information literate person:

Determines the nature and extent of information needed.
Accesses the needed information effectively and efficiently.
Evaluates information and its sources critically and incorporates selected information into his or her knowledge base and value system.
Uses information effectively to accomplish a specific purpose.
Understands many of the economic, legal, and social issues surrounding the use of information, and accesses and uses information ethically and legally.

Information literacy, therefore, is defined by the American Library Association (ALA) as a set of skills that require you to "recognize when information is needed and have the ability to locate, evaluate, and use effectively the needed information."

This is critical thinking, in so many words. One of our main goals is that you begin to (or continue to) respectfully question everything. Seriously. Everything. All that lives in your mind and everything you experience. Healthy skepticism would do us all some good. One of the pieces of life's puzzles is to figure out how to not be duped by a slick salesman. Take a look at all information and check it against your experiences. THEN check it against others. Listen to all sides rhetorically and seek a new tentative truth. Your original one may be reinforced or echo in your mind. But, you may find that you were wrong. Hooray! No greater joy can be had by a true learner than to see the error and remedy it. For now. : )

As you engage with your research in this lesson, these are the objectives that we'll also be working toward.

Writing the Essay

This is also the essence of what we want our readers to be able to do with our own work. Thus we begin the writing of our essay. For the start, you are going to be diving into the introduction and first discussion section of your piece. As you have read and will read again, our essays can be varied and unique and bend the general expectations of what essays 'should' look like. Let's do an experiment. Let's read two essays on different "places" that don't quite fit into the parameters of our specific assignment. Use them as inspiration but not as master examples. They are written by master writers, so that will be the first level of disconnect. But watch how both of them explore the details of a place and how they provide productive critique and analysis. Listen well. : ) There are concepts in some that may shock you. Some that you may not believe in. But, rhetorically listen to them all. Neither is the right one or the better one. They are examples for us to experience and learn from only.

bell hooks' essay, "Design: A Happening Life"

and

The Farm Drawer by Verlyn Klinkenborg.pdf

Let your draft run wild at this point! Write for a reader/audience in mind and figure out how you are going to show them this world that you're going to build.

For this lesson, then, we will:

Explore/Learn
- Read in The Address Book, "South Africa: Who Belongs on South Africa's Street Signs?" (pg 202).
Collaborate/Connect
- Complete Lesson 12: Discussion, The Address Book.
- Complete Lesson 12: Discussion, Researching the Essay.
Experiment/Apply
- Complete Lesson 12: Analysis and Critique Essay (Rough Draft, 1st Round)