William Golding (1911-1993) - in full Sir Willam Gerald Golding
English novelist, who received the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1983. The choice was unexpected, because the internationally famous novelist Graham Greene (1904-1991) was considered the strongest candidate from the English writers. In many novels Golding has revealed the dark places of human heart, when isolated individuals or small groups are pushed into extreme situations. His work is characterized by exploration of "the darkness of man's heart", deep spiritual and ethical questions.
"Twenty-five years ago I accepted the label 'pessimist' thoughtlessly without realising that it was going to be tied to my tail, as it were, in something the way that, to take an example from another art, Rachmaninoff's famous Prelude in C sharp minor was tied to him. No audience would allow him off the concert platform until he played it. Similarly critics have dug into my books until they could come up with something that looked hopeless. I can't think why. I don't feel hopeless myself." (from Nobel Lecture, 1983)
William Golding was born in the village of St. Columb Minor in Cornwall. His father, Alec, was a schoolmaster, who had radical convictions in politics and a strong faith in science. Golding's mother, Mildred, was a supporter of the British suffragate movement. Golding started writing at the age of seven, but following the wishes of his parents, he studied first natural sciences and then English at Brasenose College, Oxford. Golding's first book, a collection of poems, appeared in 1934, a year before he received his B.A. in English and a diploma in education.
From 1935 to 1939, Golding worked as a writer, actor, producer, and a settlement house worker. In 1939 he moved to Salisbury, where he began teaching English and philosophy at Bishop Wordsworth's School. He married Ann Brookfield; they had two children. In his private journal Golding described how he once set two groups of boys against one another. These psychological experiments most likely inspired later his novel Lord of the Flies (1954).
During World War II, Golding served in the Royal Navy in command of a rocket ship. His active service included involvement in the sinking of the German battleship Bismarck in 1940 and participating in the Normandy invasion. Demobilised in 1945, Golding returned to writing and teaching, with a dark view of the European civilization. Recalling later his war experiences, he remarked that "man produces evil, as a bee produces honey."
In Salisbury Golding wrote four books, but did not get them published. Lord of the Flies, an allegorical story set in the near future during wartime, was turned down by twenty-one publishes until it finally accepted by Faber and Faber after substantial revisions. E.M. Forster named it Book of the Years and in the late 1950s it became a bestseller among American readers. At the time of its appearance, Golding was 44, but the success of the novel allowed him to give up teaching. In the gripping story a group of small British boys, stranded on a desert island, lapse into violence after they have lost all adult guidance. Ironically, the adult world is devastated by nuclear war.
Lord of the Flies was followed by The Inheritors (1955), which overturned H.G. Wells's Outline of History (1920) and depicted the extermination of Neanderthal man by Homo Sapiens. Neanderthals are portrayed compassionate and communal, and when they meet the more sophisticated Cro-Magnons, their tribe is doomed. The Finnish professor of paleontology, Björn Kurténhas offered in his novel Dance of the Tiger (1978) the explanation, that the Neanderthals disappeared because they fell fatally in love with their black and beautiful Cro-Magnon neighbours. In The Inheritors, which Golding himself considered his finest work, there is no understanding or love between these two races. First the events are perceived from the point of view of Lok, a semi-human creature, and after his death, the new protagonist is a Cro-Magnon, Tuami.
Golding's most widely read work, Lord of the Flies, has been translated into many languages and filmed in 1963 and 1990. It is an ironic comment on R.M. Ballantyne's Coral Island, using also the names of its characters. The story describes a group of children, who are evacuated from Britain because of a nuclear war. Their airplane crashes on an uninhabited island, and all the adults are killed. The boys create their own society, which gradually degenerates from democratic, rational, and moral community to tyrannical and cruel. "They cried for their mothers much less often than might have been expected; they were very brown, and filthily dirty." (in Lord of the Flies)
The older boys take control, a boy called Piggy, who is asthmatic and nearsighted, becomes a target of teasing and torment. Leaders emerge, two of the older boys get killed, and they begin to hunt another, just as a ship arrives. Golding's view is pessimistic: human nature is inherently corruptible and wicked. Thus the 19th century ideals of progress and education are based on false premises. Although the boys have been taught social skills, their desire to kill is unleashed when there are no strict rules of the English public-school system to control their behavior. This is the world of freedom, that is ruled by savages and the ultimate evil, the Lord of the Flies, Beelzebub, Prince of Devils, whom the boys worship in the form of a decapitated boar's head.
source: Some rights reserved Petri Liukkonen (author) & Ari Pesonen. Kuusankosken kaupunginkirjasto 2008
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Lord of the Flies Anticipation Guide
Anticipation Guide for William Golding’s Lord of the Flies
In the space to the left of each statement, write “T” for true, if you agree with the statement, or “F” for false if you disagree with the statement.
_____ 1. If someone cannot “pull her weight,” she is expendable.
_____ 2. The younger we are, the more selfish we are.
_____ 3. All wars are preventable.
_____ 4. Homo sapiens were meant to be herbivores.
_____ 5. The darkness is scary because of the unknown factor.
_____ 6. Adult supervision is necessary in every context.
_____ 7. Youth is wasted on the young.
_____ 8. Every child has some form of the “Boogie Man.”
_____ 9. There should be a “pecking order” among siblings; it is healthy, productive, and proper for the older and bigger to dominate (“survival of the fittest”).
_____ 10. Mankind is the cruelest of all beasts, because when we hurt other people, we realize they are being hurt; when cats play with and eat mice, the cat has no idea that the mouse is in pain. This makes people the least respectable of all species (concept from Mark Twain’s The Damned Human Race).
_____ 11. Good authors can provide endless thinking opportunities; without them, life would be dull.
Once you have completed answering these statements, please go to this website:
Additional Lord of the Flies
On a seperate piece of paper, and with your shoulder partner discuss the statements found on this website. Give your reasoning why you choose your answer(s). Be prepared to discuss them with the class.
In the space to the left of each statement, write “T” for true, if you agree with the statement, or “F” for false if you disagree with the statement.
_____ 1. If someone cannot “pull her weight,” she is expendable.
_____ 2. The younger we are, the more selfish we are.
_____ 3. All wars are preventable.
_____ 4. Homo sapiens were meant to be herbivores.
_____ 5. The darkness is scary because of the unknown factor.
_____ 6. Adult supervision is necessary in every context.
_____ 7. Youth is wasted on the young.
_____ 8. Every child has some form of the “Boogie Man.”
_____ 9. There should be a “pecking order” among siblings; it is healthy, productive, and proper for the older and bigger to dominate (“survival of the fittest”).
_____ 10. Mankind is the cruelest of all beasts, because when we hurt other people, we realize they are being hurt; when cats play with and eat mice, the cat has no idea that the mouse is in pain. This makes people the least respectable of all species (concept from Mark Twain’s The Damned Human Race).
_____ 11. Good authors can provide endless thinking opportunities; without them, life would be dull.
Once you have completed answering these statements, please go to this website:
Additional Lord of the Flies
On a seperate piece of paper, and with your shoulder partner discuss the statements found on this website. Give your reasoning why you choose your answer(s). Be prepared to discuss them with the class.
Friday, October 7, 2011
Keynote
Sophomore Keynote Presentation for Monday, October 10, 2011
Group One: What is the significance of jungle/tropical islands?
Group Two: What are types of civilization?
Group Three: What are characteristics of boys ages 5-11?
Group Four: What are the characteristics of a utopian and dystopian society?
Group Five: Does man need authority?
Group Six: Is war necessary to have a successful society?
Group Seven: Is man innately good or evil?
The Keynote presentation must have three slides.
• Slide 1 : Definition of your topic
• Slide 2: What does it look like?
• Slide 3: Make a connection to our society.
• Use a graphic or picture for each slide.
Group One: What is the significance of jungle/tropical islands?
Group Two: What are types of civilization?
Group Three: What are characteristics of boys ages 5-11?
Group Four: What are the characteristics of a utopian and dystopian society?
Group Five: Does man need authority?
Group Six: Is war necessary to have a successful society?
Group Seven: Is man innately good or evil?
The Keynote presentation must have three slides.
• Slide 1 : Definition of your topic
• Slide 2: What does it look like?
• Slide 3: Make a connection to our society.
• Use a graphic or picture for each slide.
Wednesday, October 5, 2011
Argumentative Essay Checklist
Name_____________________________________Date__________________Period__________
Argumentative Essay Checklist
Opening Paragraph
General sentence introducing the topic, also called a “hook”
Outside example of topic (NOT anything about Macbeth! Think books, movies, political events, news stories, etc.)
Transition from outside example to Macbeth
Two part thesis statement (must be arguable, supportable and specific. Do not write “Macbeth kills lots of people, including Banquo and Macduff.” Thesis statement must be underlined.
First Body Paragraph
Topic sentence about the thesis position
Transition to first point of thesis (who, where, what, when)
1st concrete detail from Macbeth. Must be embedded in the sentence and include a lead-out.
Underline CD and include act and scene numbers (ex: IV, iii, 132-133)
Include a MINIMUM of two sentences of commentary. Commentary is interpretation or explanation of the CD and IS NOT summary!!
Transition to second point of thesis (who, where, what, when)
2nd concrete detail from Macbeth. Must be embedded in the sentence and include a lead-out.
Underline CD and include act and scene numbers.
Include a MINIMUM of two sentences of commentary, NOT summary!
Concluding sentence
Second Body Paragraph
Topic sentence about the thesis position
Transition to outside source (CD). Tell who said it OR the title of the article/website. (ex: Harvard professor, Dr. David Neiman, explains, “Lady Macbeth was a product of her time” and that it wasn’t her fault she was homicidal (32).
Commentary (minimum of two sentences)
Transition to second outside source (see above)
Commentary
Concluding sentence
Third Body Paragraph
Topic sentence
Counter argument – can use an outside source for this. If so, it needs to be embedded and contain a parenthetical citation.
Refutation – can use an outside source for this. There needs to be ONE outside source (minimum) for this paragraph with detailed explanation.
Concluding sentence
Closing Paragraph
Restate thesis and summarize claims. Do not just cut and paste your thesis/arguments here.
Universalize – why do we care about this topic? What does it have to do with our current lives? Do NOT use sweeping statements, i.e., “If Macbeth had only had a true friend none of this tragedy would have occurred.” Or “We should all be friendly to everyone.”
Clinching sentence – sums everything up in a powerful closing sentence.
Works Cited Page
Is on its own page
Title says Works Cited. Nothing else.
Includes Macbeth as a source
Contains three other sources that are academically sound
Is alphabetized
Is double-spaced
Left hanging margin on first line of each source. Additional lines are indented five spaces.
Double-check format of each source. You are accountable for the correct format. If you have questions, ask before the essay is due.
Organization
Cover sheet with original, creative title, your name, date and period. Must be typed.
Final essay
Works Cited page
Edited rough draft
Peer edit sheet with name of peer editor
3 Research Logs
REMEMBER:
Use third person throughout the essay
Document your sources correctly
Include a Works Cited page
Underline thesis and all CDs
Do not include questions in the essay
Argumentative Essay Checklist
Opening Paragraph
General sentence introducing the topic, also called a “hook”
Outside example of topic (NOT anything about Macbeth! Think books, movies, political events, news stories, etc.)
Transition from outside example to Macbeth
Two part thesis statement (must be arguable, supportable and specific. Do not write “Macbeth kills lots of people, including Banquo and Macduff.” Thesis statement must be underlined.
First Body Paragraph
Topic sentence about the thesis position
Transition to first point of thesis (who, where, what, when)
1st concrete detail from Macbeth. Must be embedded in the sentence and include a lead-out.
Underline CD and include act and scene numbers (ex: IV, iii, 132-133)
Include a MINIMUM of two sentences of commentary. Commentary is interpretation or explanation of the CD and IS NOT summary!!
Transition to second point of thesis (who, where, what, when)
2nd concrete detail from Macbeth. Must be embedded in the sentence and include a lead-out.
Underline CD and include act and scene numbers.
Include a MINIMUM of two sentences of commentary, NOT summary!
Concluding sentence
Second Body Paragraph
Topic sentence about the thesis position
Transition to outside source (CD). Tell who said it OR the title of the article/website. (ex: Harvard professor, Dr. David Neiman, explains, “Lady Macbeth was a product of her time” and that it wasn’t her fault she was homicidal (32).
Commentary (minimum of two sentences)
Transition to second outside source (see above)
Commentary
Concluding sentence
Third Body Paragraph
Topic sentence
Counter argument – can use an outside source for this. If so, it needs to be embedded and contain a parenthetical citation.
Refutation – can use an outside source for this. There needs to be ONE outside source (minimum) for this paragraph with detailed explanation.
Concluding sentence
Closing Paragraph
Restate thesis and summarize claims. Do not just cut and paste your thesis/arguments here.
Universalize – why do we care about this topic? What does it have to do with our current lives? Do NOT use sweeping statements, i.e., “If Macbeth had only had a true friend none of this tragedy would have occurred.” Or “We should all be friendly to everyone.”
Clinching sentence – sums everything up in a powerful closing sentence.
Works Cited Page
Is on its own page
Title says Works Cited. Nothing else.
Includes Macbeth as a source
Contains three other sources that are academically sound
Is alphabetized
Is double-spaced
Left hanging margin on first line of each source. Additional lines are indented five spaces.
Double-check format of each source. You are accountable for the correct format. If you have questions, ask before the essay is due.
Organization
Cover sheet with original, creative title, your name, date and period. Must be typed.
Final essay
Works Cited page
Edited rough draft
Peer edit sheet with name of peer editor
3 Research Logs
REMEMBER:
Use third person throughout the essay
Document your sources correctly
Include a Works Cited page
Underline thesis and all CDs
Do not include questions in the essay
Tuesday, October 4, 2011
Counter-Argument Example
First, I will state my assertion. How about: Schools should make hot chocolate available to students in the morning and at lunch time.
Second, brainstorm supporting arguments: Hot chocolate contains lots of milk which is full of calcium and protein. Growing kids should have three servings of dairy each day. They can be served hot or iced, so they would be appealing both in summer and winter. They are a popular drink among older teens and adults whom students are likely to emulate. Hot Chocolate would replace sodas for lots of students, improving their nutrition. Hot Chocolate seems more ‘special’ than canned sodas or juice, so maybe it would make students feel more positive about school.
Third, decide on a couple of main arguments to include in my thesis statement: I think I’ll include the nutrition aspect and their popularity. So, my thesis might be ‘Schools should make hot chocolate available to students in the morning and at lunch time because they would improve students’ nutrition and they are popular.’ That’s kind of long. I’ll shorten it to ‘Schools should serve hot chocolate because they are nutritional and popular.’ I’ll start with that.
Fourth, identify an audience: I’ll try to convince parents.
Fifth, think of the concerns or arguments parents might raise. (These will be the counter-arguments I will answer in my paper.) Well, I know parents might argue that kids shouldn’t have too much sugar. They might think of the hot chocolate with whipped cream on top and say hot chocolate has too much fat. They might be concerned that they are messy—more likely to be spilled than a soda with a lid. No, I think that would be more of a concern if I were writing for the administrators; I’ll leave that one out. Maybe parents would worry about how expensive the drinks are.
Sixth, think of answers to the parents’ concerns and counter-arguments. Well, for the too much sugar argument, I could recommend sugar-free hot chocolate. I could also compare the amount of sugar in a hot chocolate with how much is in a soda. I could also check and see if it was the same kind of sugar: I have read that the high fructose corn syrup in sodas is worse than regular sugar. That would take a little research, but it should be easy to find out. What else? Oh, yes – fat. Everybody has heard of "skinny" hot chocolates made with non-fat milk, so I could include that in my recommendation. Now for the last one: expense. Hot chocolates are kind of expensive compared with a soda. How could I answer that concern? If students learned
to make them and ran a student stand in the cafeteria, they wouldn’t be so expensive; there wouldn’t have to be a profit built in – although I suppose the equipment is expensive. Maybe instead of some of the other prizes and awards that the parent club buys, they could pay for hot chocolate tickets to give out as incentives or awards. Ok, I think that is enough to start with.
Seventh, write down an outline. Ok. First, I have my thesis statement.
Then, my first section is going to be Improved Nutrition. Under that I can include the calcium, protein, the nutritional needs of growing kids, and the substitution for the "empty calories" in soda. I think this would be a good time to put in the counter-arguments related to nutrition. My second section will be about Popularity of Hot chocolate. I could even take a short survey of students and use a statistic to show that more kids would drink milk if it were in hot chocolate instead of a regular ol’ carton. I could put in how they can be served in summer or winter and about how kids aren’t likely to "outgrow" them because they are popular with older teens and
adults. This could be where I answer the counter-argument about expense with some ideas about kids being willing to work at a student-stand and about giving out tickets as awards. Now I need to enter the counter-arguments related to nutrition. I could say ‘Some parents might counter that hot chocolate is high in sugar, and fat. However, those arguments fail to take into consideration the fact that hot chocolate can be made with sugar-free flavorings, and non-fat milk – or even soy milk.’ I could add ‘Also, when one considers the sugar content of the sodas they will be replacing, this argument seems even weaker." Then I could I answer the counter-argument about expense with some ideas about kids being willing to work at a student-stand and about giving out tickets as awards.
And my paper is practically written at this point!
Second, brainstorm supporting arguments: Hot chocolate contains lots of milk which is full of calcium and protein. Growing kids should have three servings of dairy each day. They can be served hot or iced, so they would be appealing both in summer and winter. They are a popular drink among older teens and adults whom students are likely to emulate. Hot Chocolate would replace sodas for lots of students, improving their nutrition. Hot Chocolate seems more ‘special’ than canned sodas or juice, so maybe it would make students feel more positive about school.
Third, decide on a couple of main arguments to include in my thesis statement: I think I’ll include the nutrition aspect and their popularity. So, my thesis might be ‘Schools should make hot chocolate available to students in the morning and at lunch time because they would improve students’ nutrition and they are popular.’ That’s kind of long. I’ll shorten it to ‘Schools should serve hot chocolate because they are nutritional and popular.’ I’ll start with that.
Fourth, identify an audience: I’ll try to convince parents.
Fifth, think of the concerns or arguments parents might raise. (These will be the counter-arguments I will answer in my paper.) Well, I know parents might argue that kids shouldn’t have too much sugar. They might think of the hot chocolate with whipped cream on top and say hot chocolate has too much fat. They might be concerned that they are messy—more likely to be spilled than a soda with a lid. No, I think that would be more of a concern if I were writing for the administrators; I’ll leave that one out. Maybe parents would worry about how expensive the drinks are.
Sixth, think of answers to the parents’ concerns and counter-arguments. Well, for the too much sugar argument, I could recommend sugar-free hot chocolate. I could also compare the amount of sugar in a hot chocolate with how much is in a soda. I could also check and see if it was the same kind of sugar: I have read that the high fructose corn syrup in sodas is worse than regular sugar. That would take a little research, but it should be easy to find out. What else? Oh, yes – fat. Everybody has heard of "skinny" hot chocolates made with non-fat milk, so I could include that in my recommendation. Now for the last one: expense. Hot chocolates are kind of expensive compared with a soda. How could I answer that concern? If students learned
to make them and ran a student stand in the cafeteria, they wouldn’t be so expensive; there wouldn’t have to be a profit built in – although I suppose the equipment is expensive. Maybe instead of some of the other prizes and awards that the parent club buys, they could pay for hot chocolate tickets to give out as incentives or awards. Ok, I think that is enough to start with.
Seventh, write down an outline. Ok. First, I have my thesis statement.
Then, my first section is going to be Improved Nutrition. Under that I can include the calcium, protein, the nutritional needs of growing kids, and the substitution for the "empty calories" in soda. I think this would be a good time to put in the counter-arguments related to nutrition. My second section will be about Popularity of Hot chocolate. I could even take a short survey of students and use a statistic to show that more kids would drink milk if it were in hot chocolate instead of a regular ol’ carton. I could put in how they can be served in summer or winter and about how kids aren’t likely to "outgrow" them because they are popular with older teens and
adults. This could be where I answer the counter-argument about expense with some ideas about kids being willing to work at a student-stand and about giving out tickets as awards. Now I need to enter the counter-arguments related to nutrition. I could say ‘Some parents might counter that hot chocolate is high in sugar, and fat. However, those arguments fail to take into consideration the fact that hot chocolate can be made with sugar-free flavorings, and non-fat milk – or even soy milk.’ I could add ‘Also, when one considers the sugar content of the sodas they will be replacing, this argument seems even weaker." Then I could I answer the counter-argument about expense with some ideas about kids being willing to work at a student-stand and about giving out tickets as awards.
And my paper is practically written at this point!
Counter-Argument Activity Directions
Counter-Argument Activity
I. Once you are in a group, identify a topic about which you know enough to take and support two or more positions. Here are some possible idea-starters:
• Community issues involving bike paths, bus routes or schedules, parks, recreation opportunities for teens, etc.
• School issues such as electives, schedules, lunchroom conditions or offerings, extra-curricular programs, social groups or activities, behavioral or discipline issues, rules, policies, etc.
• Individual issues such as health, leisure, career planning, etc.
In the River’s Edge Park example, the topic is Developing a Park.
II. When you have picked a topic, ask questions about it until you come up with at least two positions you can support with reasons today. (In your argumentative essay on Macbeth you have had the opportunity to do research to build your support.)
• You might start by asking questions that begin with “How can we ...?” or “What should we do about …?” These will result in several possible positions.
• Questions that begin simply “Should we …?” will result in only two positions -- for and against.
In the River’s Edge Park example, the question was “What kind of development should take place?” or “What kind of a park should it become?” Although only one position is presented, we can guess that other positions might have been: It should become a sports-oriented park; it should appeal to a wide variety of users; it should attract the greatest number of users possible; it should reflect the history of the area, etc.
III. Next, divide your group into half. We’ll call these two half-groups Thesis Teams. Each team will take a different position on the topic. Your team will write a thesis and outline the support you would use in a argumentative paper, including anticipating counter-arguments.
Steps for the Thesis Group
1. Formulate your position on the issue.
2. Brainstorm possible evidence you could use to support your position. (Turn this in too).
3. Decide on two or three main supporting arguments and incorporate them (and your position) into a thesis statement.
4. Identify the audience you want to persuade. (e.g. parents, teachers, coaches, etc. No “preaching to the choir” allowed!)
5. Brainstorm possible counter-arguments or concerns your audience might have. (These would be their “Yeah, but…” responses.)
6. Jot down possible answers to your reader’s counter-arguments.
7. On a piece of paper, write a brief outline of a paper, incorporating your supporting arguments and your answers to the reader’s counter-arguments.
8. Turn in your completed outline (2 outlines for 1 group—remember you’ve split yourselves into 2 teams at this point) to your Period’s In-Box in the classroom, or email to MrsLarson322@gmail.com
I. Once you are in a group, identify a topic about which you know enough to take and support two or more positions. Here are some possible idea-starters:
• Community issues involving bike paths, bus routes or schedules, parks, recreation opportunities for teens, etc.
• School issues such as electives, schedules, lunchroom conditions or offerings, extra-curricular programs, social groups or activities, behavioral or discipline issues, rules, policies, etc.
• Individual issues such as health, leisure, career planning, etc.
In the River’s Edge Park example, the topic is Developing a Park.
II. When you have picked a topic, ask questions about it until you come up with at least two positions you can support with reasons today. (In your argumentative essay on Macbeth you have had the opportunity to do research to build your support.)
• You might start by asking questions that begin with “How can we ...?” or “What should we do about …?” These will result in several possible positions.
• Questions that begin simply “Should we …?” will result in only two positions -- for and against.
In the River’s Edge Park example, the question was “What kind of development should take place?” or “What kind of a park should it become?” Although only one position is presented, we can guess that other positions might have been: It should become a sports-oriented park; it should appeal to a wide variety of users; it should attract the greatest number of users possible; it should reflect the history of the area, etc.
III. Next, divide your group into half. We’ll call these two half-groups Thesis Teams. Each team will take a different position on the topic. Your team will write a thesis and outline the support you would use in a argumentative paper, including anticipating counter-arguments.
Steps for the Thesis Group
1. Formulate your position on the issue.
2. Brainstorm possible evidence you could use to support your position. (Turn this in too).
3. Decide on two or three main supporting arguments and incorporate them (and your position) into a thesis statement.
4. Identify the audience you want to persuade. (e.g. parents, teachers, coaches, etc. No “preaching to the choir” allowed!)
5. Brainstorm possible counter-arguments or concerns your audience might have. (These would be their “Yeah, but…” responses.)
6. Jot down possible answers to your reader’s counter-arguments.
7. On a piece of paper, write a brief outline of a paper, incorporating your supporting arguments and your answers to the reader’s counter-arguments.
8. Turn in your completed outline (2 outlines for 1 group—remember you’ve split yourselves into 2 teams at this point) to your Period’s In-Box in the classroom, or email to MrsLarson322@gmail.com
Counter Argument: Park Planning
Criteria for Good Thesis Statements
1. Arguable – Reasonable people could disagree
2. Supportable – Can be backed up with evidence, reasons
3. Specific – Not vague, not too general, not too broad
4. “Maps out” the paper – Gives the reader a guide to the organization of the argument
5. Third person – No “I” or “me” in the paper
Park Planning for River’s Edge Park
Tucked away among neighboring houses along the Willamette River is a small pocket of nature: Blackberries ripen under the great trees; ivy runs down the bank, obscuring the remnants of trails down to the gravel bar; an osprey lifts off from its nest in a dying treetop. This is River’s Edge Park, a small parcel of mostly overgrown land, forgotten for decades by most of the city. Now, plans are being made to develop this corner as part of a master planning process for all of the city parks. The question is, What kind of development should take place? Taking into consideration the size and natural features of the park and the interests of the immediate neighbors, it is clear that the best plan is for a relatively undeveloped, mostly naturalized park with limited amenities and parking.
The size and physical features of the park are the most limiting factor. Barely 10 acres, only the top half of the park is flat and well above the annual winter high water. Only this area is suitable for siting any permanent structures, and its small size argues for the simplest of amenities: A picnic table or two, benches, a viewing platform, a play structure, and a small lawn will fill the area. Some may insist on adding more parking spaces here. However, to do so would require either removing the spreading maples that give the park its character and beauty or eliminating the lawn and picnic area.
Down a steep and unstable bank lies the other half of the park. This is gravel bar, flooded each winter and overgrown with young willows. This part is best left to nature. Some may argue that this is the jewel of the park and should be cleared and made more accessible. However, while a trail may be cleared to the water each spring, any attempts at developing this part will be thwarted each year by the high water. A winter channel cutting close to the bank creates an island of the lower half. Each year’s flood chokes the area with massive debris. Since heavy equipment is not allowed in such a riparian area, the effort and expense of clearing it each year would exhaust the Park Department’s maintenance budget – as well as its personnel.
Finally, the park is currently and will continue to be designated a neighborhood park – not a city or regional park. So, the interests of the neighbors should weigh most heavily in any decisions. Their preferences range from leaving it exactly as it is to adding small improvements. They favor one or two tables, a play structure, and clearing back the brush on the upper level. Any grand ideas for changing this park aren’t coming from the people who actually use it.
In conclusion, River’s Edge Park is already very close to what it should become: A natural area where people can picnic in view of the river, neighborhood children can play, and the adventurous can traipse down the bank and skip stones or wade. And perhaps we can help nature along a bit by adding a nesting pole for the osprey against the day that the winter storms take down that dying fir tree.
DIRECTIONS:
In a Google Doc, highlight the thesis. Underline the counter-arguments.
ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS:
1. How does the writer support his position? Explain.
2. How is each counter-argument answered or refuted? Explain.
1. Arguable – Reasonable people could disagree
2. Supportable – Can be backed up with evidence, reasons
3. Specific – Not vague, not too general, not too broad
4. “Maps out” the paper – Gives the reader a guide to the organization of the argument
5. Third person – No “I” or “me” in the paper
Park Planning for River’s Edge Park
Tucked away among neighboring houses along the Willamette River is a small pocket of nature: Blackberries ripen under the great trees; ivy runs down the bank, obscuring the remnants of trails down to the gravel bar; an osprey lifts off from its nest in a dying treetop. This is River’s Edge Park, a small parcel of mostly overgrown land, forgotten for decades by most of the city. Now, plans are being made to develop this corner as part of a master planning process for all of the city parks. The question is, What kind of development should take place? Taking into consideration the size and natural features of the park and the interests of the immediate neighbors, it is clear that the best plan is for a relatively undeveloped, mostly naturalized park with limited amenities and parking.
The size and physical features of the park are the most limiting factor. Barely 10 acres, only the top half of the park is flat and well above the annual winter high water. Only this area is suitable for siting any permanent structures, and its small size argues for the simplest of amenities: A picnic table or two, benches, a viewing platform, a play structure, and a small lawn will fill the area. Some may insist on adding more parking spaces here. However, to do so would require either removing the spreading maples that give the park its character and beauty or eliminating the lawn and picnic area.
Down a steep and unstable bank lies the other half of the park. This is gravel bar, flooded each winter and overgrown with young willows. This part is best left to nature. Some may argue that this is the jewel of the park and should be cleared and made more accessible. However, while a trail may be cleared to the water each spring, any attempts at developing this part will be thwarted each year by the high water. A winter channel cutting close to the bank creates an island of the lower half. Each year’s flood chokes the area with massive debris. Since heavy equipment is not allowed in such a riparian area, the effort and expense of clearing it each year would exhaust the Park Department’s maintenance budget – as well as its personnel.
Finally, the park is currently and will continue to be designated a neighborhood park – not a city or regional park. So, the interests of the neighbors should weigh most heavily in any decisions. Their preferences range from leaving it exactly as it is to adding small improvements. They favor one or two tables, a play structure, and clearing back the brush on the upper level. Any grand ideas for changing this park aren’t coming from the people who actually use it.
In conclusion, River’s Edge Park is already very close to what it should become: A natural area where people can picnic in view of the river, neighborhood children can play, and the adventurous can traipse down the bank and skip stones or wade. And perhaps we can help nature along a bit by adding a nesting pole for the osprey against the day that the winter storms take down that dying fir tree.
DIRECTIONS:
In a Google Doc, highlight the thesis. Underline the counter-arguments.
ANSWER THESE QUESTIONS:
1. How does the writer support his position? Explain.
2. How is each counter-argument answered or refuted? Explain.
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