Ends May 6, 2015 11:59 PM

Your Task: Visit the They Say / I Say blog at http://www.theysayiblog.com. Choose 1 essay to pair with either “Hidden Intellectualism” or “The (Futile) Pursuit of the American Dream.” For an essay to pair with “Hidden Intellectualism,” explore the “Is Higher Education Worth the Price” category. For an essay to pair with “The (Futile) Pursuit of the American Dream,” explore the “What’s Up with the American Dream” category.

Pretend you are in a room with the 2 authors. What do they say? What do they agree on? What do they disagree about? You will integrate the words and ideas of your sources with your own (See Little Seagull pp. 97-108 and They Say / I Say pp. Chapter 3). You must document your sources using MLA in-text citations and include a Works Cited page (See Little Seagull pp. 109-157).

Consider the following organization:

Introduction

• Introduce the problem: What is it? When and how did it arise? Whom does it affect?
• What are the different perspectives on the issue? What are the opposing views? Here is where you will BRIEFLY summarize each source and identify the main idea of each.
• The thesis of YOUR essay should identify the essence of the comparison/contrast. In what ways or on what issues do the authors focus? EXAMPLE: Amy Tan and Henry Louis Gates both argue that language defines who we are and how the world relates to us, but they disagree on the extent to which we can change our language patterns, the extent to which language shapes our success, and the role of language in social class. 

Body

See The Little Seagull Handbook pp. 21-22 and p. 53.

• Each body paragraph should explore each of the three issues you identify. This is a point by point comparison. 
• Alternatively, you might organize your thesis and your body around your two sources, explaining the arguments of each. This is a subject by subject comparison. 

Conclusions

• The conclusion should explain the importance of further investigation: Why should people care?
• Your conclusion might also propose possible solutions: What are the pros and cons of these solutions? Are they fair and realistic? How will different groups react to each?