This week we turn our attention to Malcolm Gladwell's Outliers (2008). Outliers will be the last text that we read for our first paper. It will also serve as the basis for our midterm and, in part, our second paper. Outliers is a book that seeks to understand why some people are successful and other people are not. Simply put, Gladwell understands success as a combination of historical opportunities, cultural legacies, and personal motivation. As we read Outliers in light of our first paper you should begin to think about how Gladwell's ideas apply to creating an ideal learning environment.
We will also turn to constructing a strong thesis and revising our papers. Both of these topics will be covered in Rules for Writers. In addition to this reading, I want you to look at two pages on this website that address how to construct a thesis and how to proofread and edit. Remember, a thesis is the central argument of your essay. Revision means to see again; it entails re-conceptualizing your paper and that really means re-writing. Editing and proofreading imply small changes. See teh following links for more information:
Monday:Malcolm Gladwell, Outliers: The Story of Success, 3-34
Rules for Writers, 27-32
Double Entry Reflection Journal
Exercise 2-1 in Rules for Writers
Wednesday:
Gladwell, Outliers, 35-68
Rules for Writers, 33-49
Invention Exercises Due (see essay prompt)
