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Vocabulary List for Outliers Ch. 8 Rice Paddies and Math Tests Look up the following words to get ready for a reading assignment.

Example: verdant (p224) (adjective) Rich with grass and vegetation

e.g.) My mom’s backyard is verdant and colorful.

1. elaborate (pg. 225)

2. weeding (pg. 226)

3. correlation (pg. 228)

4. logical (pg. 229)

5. transparent (pg. 229)

6. bafflement (pg. 230)

7. rooted (pg. 231)

8. legacies (pg. 231)

9. autonomous (pg. 236)

10. pessimism (pg. 237)

Recommended websites: dictionary.cambridge.org (Cambridge Dictionaries Online) www.learnersdictionary.com (Merriam-Webster)

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Reading Comprehension Questions for Outliers Ch. 8 Rice Paddies and Math Tests Specific Questions About the Reading *Answer in your own words

1. (pg. 224) What do you think the opening quote to Chapter 8, “No one who can rise before dawn three hundred sixty days a year fails to make his family rich” means? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

2. (pg. 227, para 2) At the end of section 1, there is a quote that states “rice is life.” What

does this quote mean? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

3. (pg. 228) Why does a Chinese-speaking person have a better chance of remembering a

number sequence than an English-speaking person? ________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________

4. (pg. 230, para 1) Why does the Northwestern University (NU) professor believe that

math is seen as “sensible” in Asian cultures? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________

5. (pg. 230, para 2) Why does this same NU professor believe that math provides “disenchantment” to Western culture students? (Note: “Western culture” refers primarily to North American and European people in this chapters context.) ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

6. (pg. 232-253) What is an average day like for a Southern Chinese rice farmer in the 18th

century compared to a peasant in Europe? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ ________________________________________________________________________

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7. (pg. 238-239 para 4) What does the author think about the stereotype of Asian students spending long hours in the library studying? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

8. (pg.239-245) Why did math professor Alan Schoenfeld video record his student trying to

solve a math problem? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

9. (pg 246 para 2)What is the lesson that math professor Alan Schoenfeld wants to teach his students about study skills? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

10. (pg 248 para 1-2) What is the correlation between the number of questions on standardized math tests and the scores? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

11. (pgs. 248-249 para 3) Which countries are successful at both rankings (finishing the math test and excelling on it?) Why does Gladwell think those countries are so successful? ________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Other Questions for Discussion

1. Do the challenge (and be honest about it) found in the first paragraph of section 2. How many did you remember?

2. Opinion: Do a divergence test for one minute – write down anything that comes to mind when given the word, “MATH.”

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Essay Project #2 In this writing assignment, you will discuss the strength or weaknesses of the techniques that the author uses to support his argument. Sources Allowed for This Essay: 1) Ch. 8 Rice Paddies and Math Tests in Outliers: The story of success (pp. 224-249) by Malcolm Gladwell ***No other sources are allowed, including any Internet resources. Rely only on the class discussions and resources presented in class. Prompt: In Chapter 8, “Rice Paddies and Math Tests,” and Chapter 9 “Marita’s Bargain,” Gladwell focuses on the stereotype that Asians are good at math. In other words, he believes that there are underlying reasons that allow them to be such high achievers in mathematics. Evaluate the author’s argument demonstrating solid understanding of the reading and why you find him convincing or not. You should summarize the author’s argument IN YOUR OWN WORDS and discuss why the techniques he uses to support his position are convincing (or not).

Your purpose is to inform the audience about the strengths and weaknesses of the author’s argument by examining the reading materials and synthesizing the information in your essay. Your personal opinions and feelings should not be the focus of this essay although you may include brief suggestions to the problems in your conclusion. This does not mean that you are not allowed to use your own personal experience to get a point across. We will see examples of how you may integrate your personal experience without writing an opinion essay. Requirements:

1. A typed five-paragraph essay (one introductory paragraph, three body paragraphs, one conclusion) of 600 words minimum.

2. Each body paragraph must have a paraphrase with the proper citation in the APA format. *****Use both sources from above.

3. Font style & size: Times New Roman, 12 point Line spacing: double-spaced Margins: 1 inch all around (top, bottom, left, and right) Use APA formatting that we discussed in class

Schedule: follow the tentative course outline

Grading Rubric: attached

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Essay Project 2 Grading Rubric

Introduction • Introduces the topic effectively 1 2 3 4 5 • Has a clear and effective thesis statement that ties the essay 1 2 3 4 5

Body Paragraph 1 • Starts with a topic sentence that clearly states the technique discussed in the paragraph

1 2 3 4 5 • Has an effective paraphrase that adds to/illustrates the point made in the paragraph

1 2 3 4 5 • The paraphrase is logically connected to the rest of the paragraph, and uses a noun clause

1 2 3 4 5 • The paraphrase has the correct in-text citation 1 2 3

Body Paragraph 2 • Starts with a clear topic sentence that is different from Paragraph 1

1 2 3 4 5 • Has an effective paraphrase that adds to/illustrates the point made in the paragraph

1 2 3 4 5 • The paraphrase is logically connected to the rest of the paragraph, and uses a noun clause

1 2 3 4 5 • The paraphrase has the correct in-text citation 1 2 3

Body Paragraph 3 • Starts with a clear topic sentence that is different from Paragraphs 1 and 2

1 2 3 4 5 • Has an effective paraphrase that adds to/illustrates the point made in the paragraph

1 2 3 4 5 • The paraphrase is logically connected to the rest of the paragraph, and uses a noun clause

1 2 3 4 5 • The paraphrase has the correct in-text citation 1 2 3

Conclusion • Sums up the essay effectively without using the same words/phrases

1 2 3 4 5 Overall • Grammar mistakes are few and do not interfere with understanding the essay

1 2 3 4 5 6 • Words and expressions are academic and varied 1 2 3 4 5 • Ideas flow from one idea to the next logically 1 2 3 4 5 • The essay is on topic, and personal opinions are avoided 1 2 3 4 5 • The formatting is correct (Times New Roman, 12 pt, 1-inch margins, double-spaced, over 600 words)

1 2 3 4 5 References Page • The reference page is complete and follows the correct APA formatting requirements

1 2 3 4 5

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/100 Sample Outline This outline is NOT for the topic we will be working on. This is just a sample outline.You can write complete sentences for the thesis statement and topic sentences, but the rest should be abbreviated.

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Essay 2 Outline

Use the “Organization of Essay 2” as you fill this out <Introduction> Introduce the topic: _________________________________________________________ Summarize the article author’s argument: ____________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ Thesis statement (is the author’s argument convincing/not convincing?): ___________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ <Body Paragraph 1> - focus on the overall argument that the author is making Topic sentence: ________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ Paraphrase of a persuasive point: ___________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ Explain the paraphrase & why it is a persuasive point: __________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ Conclude: _____________________________________________________________________ <Body Paragraph 2> - focus on the author’s technique of supporting his argument Topic sentence: ________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ Paraphrase: ____________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ Explain the paraphrase & why it is strong/weak: ______________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ Conclude: _____________________________________________________________________ <Body Paragraph 3> - focus on the author’s technique of supporting his argument Topic sentence: ________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ Paraphrase: ____________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ Explain the paraphrase & why it is strong/weak: ______________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ Conclude: _____________________________________________________________________ <Conclusion> - overall, how do you evaluate the author’s argument? ______________________________________________________________________________

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______________________________________________________________________________ ______________________________________________________________________________ Sample Analysis Essay

John Smith CPW-EF March 10, 2014

Globalization

Flying on an airplane is such a common activity that nobody thinks twice about how

special it must have felt in the past to fly across the ocean. With the availability of such global

transportation, as well as the Internet, smart phones, and the media, the world does not seem so

big any more. Globalization is happening every day. Despite the growing acceptance of

globalization as an unavoidable phenomenon, many still emphasize its negative implications

to their local cultures. The Levin Institute of the State University of New York, which

specializes in issues on globalization, discusses its downside in an article titled “Globalization

and Local Culture.” In the discussion, the article makes a case against globalization by

providing examples of McDonalds and Starbucks taking over the world, by referring to an

authority of the field who coined the word “McDonaldization,” and by expressing concerns for

the future consequences of globalization. While the argument that globalization is erasing

local diversity seems valid on the surface, the way the article handles the topic is in fact

unsuccessful because it does not provide enough support to illustrate its claims.

One of the most convincing points made by the Levin Institute is the idea that

consumers ultimately make the choice of what foreign ideas or goods to incorporate into their

traditional ways of life. In other words, it is not simply international corporations demanding that

consumers buy their products, but consumers make conscious decisions to obtain the goods and

services. The article claims that culture has never remained constant in the long history that

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humans have existed, and globalization is just speeding up the process. Therefore, if what drives

globalization is consumerism, the people’s choices will reflect their local cultures and their ways

of life (“Globalization,” n.d., para. 9). This is one of the persuasive ideas expressed in the

article because it shows globalization as a complex, ever-changing chain of events. In other

words, globalization is not simply an invasion of Western capitalism, but is actually a result of

dynamic interactions between powerful corporations and diverse groups of individual

consumers. This complexity cannot be ignored as local cultures react differently to change, and

oversimplification of the process of globalization would diminish the credit our world deserves

for its diversity.

Although the article attempts to capture the complexity of globalization, it relies heavily

on examples without real support to discuss its downside, which results in weak

argumentation. For instance, it brings up Starbucks as a force negatively affecting the traditions

of the people in Italy. According to the article, Italians enjoy coffee by sitting down at sidewalk

cafes as opposed to taking it on the go to work because coffee is not simply a drink; it represents

their way of life in which they appreciate a friendly chat and relaxation with peers

(“Globalization,” n.d., para. 4). This, however, is not a convincing example because the article

does not provide any real evidence of how Starbucks has changed the ways of Italian life for the

worse. Readers who are not in Italy do not have the opportunity to judge for themselves whether

Starbucks singlehandedly changed the way Italians drink coffee; therefore, the article needs to

clearly demonstrate support for what they claim.

The article also makes reference to an authority in the field, sociologist George Ritzer

who coined the term “McDonaldization,” to express concerns for how the world has become

dominated by American culture, but this also does not amount to a persuasive argument.

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“McDonaldization,” according to the article, refers to how the world, as well as the U.S., has

been overcome by the American fast food industry. Behind this term is apprehension for the

consequence that the world is becoming too similar, losing its diversity and rich cultures

(“Globalization,” n.d., para. 7). Although this seems true, especially coming from an

authority, it once again lacks support for the readers to see that local cultures are actually

disappearing as American cultures pushes its way through. It states that McDonalds now has

over 31,000 restaurants around the globe (“Globalization,” n.d., para 6), but McDonalds is

actually a pioneer in localizing its products to meet the taste of the consumers in particular

areas of the world. What can be found in an Indian McDonalds restaurant, where consumers do

not eat beef, is clearly not the same as the U.S. version of the food served under the same brand.

Therefore, the word “McDonaldization” loses its authority when it is not accompanied by

proper effects that it claims it has.

Overall, the argument made by the Levin Institute that local cultures are in danger of

losing their identities due to globalization is not well supported, and as a result, fails to

persuade its audience. It offers recognizable examples, such as McDonalds and Starbucks, and

it also refers to an authority of the field of globalization to convince the readers that globalization

has severe consequences on global diversity. However, it does not provide appropriate real-world

examples to demonstrate that the effects are actually taking place and that they are in fact

negative. Ultimately, as the article states in its conclusion, it is the consumers who decide, with

their own tastes and decisions, what foreign elements to incorporate into their own culture, which

is never static to begin with.

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Sample Essay (Essay 2) Analysis of the Essay Content and Organization

<Introduction> Q1: How does the essay transition from introducing the topic to summarizing the author’s argument? Identify the lines where the transition occurs, and discuss the technique used. Q2: How does the essay express the fact that the article (“Globalization and Local Culture”) is against globalization? Write the words and phrases used to signal the disagreement. Q3: According to the essay, what are the techniques used in the article to support the argument? Q4: What is the primary objection the essay raises against the article? (see the thesis statement) <Body Paragraph 1> Q5: What is the topic of the paragraph? Q6: What lines have the paraphrase? Q7: What pronoun is used to begin the explanation of the paraphrase? Q8: Is the paragraph supporting or rejecting the article’s claims? How do you know? <Body Paragraph 2> Q9: What is the topic of the paragraph? Q10: What lines have the paraphrase? Q11: What pronoun is used to begin the explanation of the paraphrase? Q12: Is the paragraph supporting or rejecting the article’s claims? How do you know?

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<Body Paragraph 3> Q13: What is the topic of the paragraph? Q14: What lines have the paraphrase? Q15: What pronoun is used to begin the explanation of the paraphrase? Q16: Is the paragraph supporting or rejecting the article’s claims? How do you know? <Conclusion> Q17: Does the conclusion touch upon all the techniques the essay critiqued? Q18: Do you think it does a good job of finishing the essay? Why or why not?

Ch. 8 Rice Paddies and Math Tests

Technique 1 Technique 2 Technique 3

Clear persuasive point or not?

Clear persuasive point or not?

Clear persuasive point or not?

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