WEEK #7 Blog Assignment (1/23)

At least one post this week should address a researchable question from the clips we've watched from the documentary we've watched about women and the media. I've talked about this in class on Friday, 1/18 and on Tuesday, 1/23. This activity will enrich our viewing and discussion, as well as provide practice of Synthesis (a writing skill tested on the AP Lang exam). Examples of ways to formulate researchable questions:

• A question about the data presented. You might try to find the source and explore it. What makes it credible/not credible? What questions remain? What data can you find that supports the same findings? What data can you find that contradicts these findings? What additional information can you find out about the data presented? How does this impact the conversation about women and the media?
• A question about someone who appears in the documentary. What can you learn about them and their qualifications for speaking on this topic? What related work have they done? How does what you learn about them support or call into question thier participation in this documentary?
• A question about or exploration of a counter-claim. Perhaps you or others you've talked to don't think women are portrayed negatively in the media, or at least not to the extent they think the film demonstrates. Write a clear counter claim and research to find evidence to support it.

Tips for writing this blog post:

1. It's fine to state your question at the top.
2. It's expected that you write about what you find in your own words. You might write about how you found it, what it adds to your thinking about this topic---and how/why it does so. You should also consider (and you can write about) how you know the sources you find are credible.
3. Do NOT just post a list of links; your writing is important here also.
4. Do NOT just repeat or summarize what is written in the sources you find and link to your post.
5. Often times, research leads to more questions. That's a good thing. You can include these questions in the post and write about how they could further enrich your thinking about the topic.
6. Be aware that the internet is a black hole...lots of good stuff, lots of stuff stuff, and lots of junk. You could lose HOURS if not DAYS doing "research" for this one post. But you can't (or at least SHOULDN'T)! Make an effort to stay on task and complete this (as well as the required two other posts for total of 1,200+ words) by Sunday midnight.
7. It might be helpful to save your links, or at least make note of what you may need to come back to or want to link to later.There are several ways to do this, but---again---remember that a list of links or a list of notes is NOT a post.