PB1B and WP1

PB1B: Ways of Reading (at least 500 words)

• Pick a new genre (it can’t be your PB1A or any of the ones that we’ve discussed in class).  Once you’ve made your selection, describe how someone could read this piece from the different perspectives/approaches that we’ve been studying.  Would someone “skim” or “scan” this piece, and if so, why?  How (and why) would someone read this piece “like a writer”?  What would it mean if someone read this “rhetorically”?  How could “visual literacy” enhance your understanding?
  
• You are not limited to the ones I’ve mentioned, above—you can choose other reading approaches we’ve discussed or even come up with your own—but I’d like you to explore at least 4 different ways of reading.  How do different ways of reading impact your reading/interpretation of the text?  Why would someone choose one method over another?  And what questions come to mind while you’re reading the text with each different approach?
  
• How you choose to write this PB1B is up to you, but please know that it doesn’t have to be in essay form.  Some alternative options of creating this PB1B include: making a list of bullet points, blending relevant pictures that you found on the internet with captions that explain the connections, or using the Insert Comments feature on MS Word or Google Docs.  To maximize the strength of your PB1B, think back to our assigned course readings, our in-class activities, and our discussions.
  
• Don’t forget that you need to comment on at least 2 classmates’ PB1Bs.

  

WP1: Analyzing Ways of Reading One Topic Across Multiple Genres and Perspectives (4-5 pages, double spaced)

• Part 1: Choose at least two different genres (from different mainstream media or pop culture sources) that focus on the same topic.  For instance, you could look at nutrition in (1) a magazine advertisement, (2) a Philadelphia Inquirer article, and (3) a Facebook post.  If you’re interested in race and politics, your topic could be “race in the upcoming election,” and you could examine the following three genres: (1) a nonprofit organization’s homepage, (2) a political candidate’s Twitter feed, and (3) the “Rants and Raves” section of Craigslist.  Another possibility could be something like sexuality, and you could check out (1) an online dating profile, (2) a Buzzfeed piece, and (3) a Women’s Health magazine article.
  
• Part 2: After you’ve made your selections, describe the genres using the language of our course.  What surface-level characteristics do these pieces have in common that provide clues to its genre?  Analyze the rhetorical features (audience, purpose, context, style, tone) and conventions of each piece.  What similar techniques do these writers use to write these pieces?  And what’s dissimilar?  Can you speculate on the reasons for their similarities or differences?
  
• Part 3: Consider the major types of reading that we’ve discussed so far in class this semester.  Are any reading approaches more appropriate for engaging with one genre versus another genre?  If so, how and why?  Could someone think about the content/topic of these pieces in different ways depending on how they read?  Elaborate.  (It might help you to think of this as “comparing and contrasting” reading approaches.)
  
• Ultimately, I want you to formulate an argument about the concepts of (1) genre and (2) ways of reading.  Consider the value of what we’ve been studying.  Why should (or shouldn’t) people learn genre?  What’s the importance of genre and for whom?  How can different reading approaches improve your comprehension of what you’re reading?  How can using certain reading approaches help you uncover newer, deeper aspects of texts?  When might someone choose one reading approach over another
  
• This paper should be 4-5 pages long, double-spaced, with 1-inch margins.  Tailor your thesis statement-driven argument to an academic audience—an individual associated with the university who is interested in learning about the field of composition and its foundational concepts.  Use direct evidence from the textual genres themselves to support your claims.  Draw on ideas from our readings using direct quotes and paraphrased passages to supplement your argument.  Please format your paper in MLA or APA.  To submit it, share it with me on Google Docs.  (We'll talk about how to do that in class.)