Essay 1 (Google) prompt

Prompt for Essay 1: “Is Google Making Us Stupid?”

Write a 4-page essay, or 1,000-word essay on the topic:

To what extent do you agree or disagree with Nicholas Carr's argument in "Does Google Make Us Stupid?” and why.

In your thesis, make clear whether you agree overall or not. In the thesis and/or the body of the essay, you may describe to what extent you agree and/or what. You may review some of the approaches outlined in “They Say, I Say” for explaining the extent of your agreement/disagreement and qualifications for certain claims. Example: “While I agree that Carr’s point xxxx, I disagree with him about xxx because xxxx,” etc.

The question of “why” can be addressed explicitly or emerge implicitly in your argument.

Make sure to summarize Carr’s overall idea in the first paragraph and to adequately explain Carr’s specific arguments in your subsequent paragraphs. You will need to refer to the Carr's text in each paragraph, either using direct quotes or paraphrases.
Explaining parts of Carr’s argument in detail will help you develop the depth of the required analysis and required length of the paper.

Reasonable writers acknowledge other viewpoints than the one they are arguing. You should allude at least one counterargument to your own view and argue for why your own view should prevail.

You may use specific arguments from the blog Counterargument, but be sure to specifically attribute those ideas to that source, using MLA format for direct quotes. You may come up with your own counterargument ideas without citing the blogsite.

Your essay should include this information in each section:

1. Introduction:
This includes an overall summary of the article, using the full name of author and title of the essay. The first paragraph should also include your thesis statement.

2. Body paragraphs:
a. Begin each paragraph with a topic sentence that announces or presents some analysis about the topic the paragraph will discuss.
b. In each paragraph, point to a specific point or points in Carr’s article as evidence, either through direct quotes or paraphrases.
c. Each paragraph should take up one topic only and not ramble off into other directions.
d. Each paragraph should be about 5 to 7 sentences. This is not an absolute rule but a suggestion to develop each point but not go off in another direction. (See MLA sample essay, “Online Monitoring,” p. 408)
e. Acknowledge a counterargument. Argue for why your view should prevail.

Conclusion:
Don’t repeat the exact words as the beginning.

Finally:
Include a word count at the end of your paper.
Spell-check! Spell-check! Spell-check!

Deadlines:
1. Bring 3 copies of your draft, pages stapled together, to class on Wednesday, Jan. 21.
2. Email an overview of your paper to me before class on Wednesday at the latest. If you email me this earlier, you can get my response and use it in your draft.
a. First paragraph, including thesis.
b. 3 key points or topic sentences of your subsequent argument.

Format:
See MLA format paper in Hacker, p. 408.
1. Your name, my name, Writing 1, and date in upper left hand corner
2. Title: Same size font as body text
3. 1 inch margins
4. page numbers upper right hand
5. double-spaced
6. Include the following “Work Cited” reference at the end. This is the format:
a. Carr, Nicholas. “Is Google Making Us Stupid?” Atlantic Monthly. July Aug. 2008. 18 Aug. 2008. . (Atlantic Monthly is italic or underlined.)
b. If you use the blog, the citation is:
Laura. “Technological Determinism Makes You Stupid (Not Google). Weblog post. bookn3rd. 11 June 2008. 3 Jan. 2009. . (bookn3rd is italic or underlined.)