N‌‍‍‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‍‍‌‍‍‍‍‌‍‍ow that we’re moving into essays that contain arguments, yo

N‌‍‍‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‍‍‌‍‍‍‍‌‍‍ow that we’re moving into essays that contain arguments, you’ll need to consider the author’s thesis statement or his/her/their overall argument. A thesis is typically backed by 3 – 4 key points. I will be giving you the thesis statements and key points for all of your readings. Assignment: Read and Annotate Malcolm Gladwell’s “Small Change.” Directions: Read slowly and notice how the author defends his thesis statement. His thesis and key points are below. Make sure to highlight the notes I’m giving you, including the key points as you annotate the reading. Can’t find the essay? All the essays you need for this unit and a lesson on how to annotate have already been posted. Click previous at the bottom of the page to find the essays or return to the top of the module. Please make sure to read all posts and watch all videos. Gladwell’s Key Points and Thesis Statement Gladwell does not offer his thesis statement until the end of the anecdote about the Greensboro students and the sit-ins. His thesis: “These events in the early sixties became a civil-rights war that engulfed the South for the rest of the decade—and it happened without e-mail, texting, Facebook, or Twitter” (2). In other words, unlike social media activism, face-to-face protests offer “real” social change. Gladwell’s Three Key Arguments Gladwell offers three main points or key ar‌‍‍‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‍‍‌‍‍‍‍‌‍‍guments to defend his thesis statement: 1.) Face-to-face protests require “high-risk activism” which creates strong ties (4). 2.) Social media activism creates “weak ties.” (5) Social media is helpful in specific instances, but overall it does not cause major change. 3.) Face-to-face activism or “traditional” activism creates hierarchies with strong leadership which results in a lasting effect. Social media activism creates “networks” that lack leaders. This type of activism can be beneficial but has problems. Written Assignments Assignment: Annotations Directions: Reread the essay and add on to your annotations. Look at the posted lecture as you annotate to make sure that you understand the essay. Annotate the following: Highlight or underline the thesis (label it by writing “thesis statement”) Number or highlight the key points. Make a note next to each in the margins. Comment on the examples he uses to defend his key points (do so in the margins) Comment on any other points that you find interesting. Guidelines: Options for showing your annotations: Use MS Word Track Review or annotate the pdf version and submit the annotations. You can print the essay, annotate by hand and take pictures of your annotations. How you annotate is up to you. Try not to over annotate. That is, if you underline or highlight too much, y‌‍‍‍‌‍‍‌‌‍‍‍‌‍‍‍‍‌‍‍ou won’t know what’s important.