Tuesday October 21 Class Meeting and Conferences This Week

Please note that as we discussed in class we'll be meeting in Bearing B275 tomorrow so we can finish watching everyone's ad parodies. The B before 275 stands for basement! As soon as you enter Bearing, go down the steps and then look for the room. Don't go to the second floor! (I did that the first time I went to Bearing and it's very frustrating).

For your Wednesday and Friday conferences I am expecting your three sources for project 3, as well as your thesis statement. If you're using a book, bring the book, if you're using websites, bring the actual website address written down and be ready to tell me why you think it is trustworthy. If you're interviewing people, bring a list of those you're hoping to speak to or have already spoken to.

For the thesis, write down the statement you're thinking will guide your project throughout, such us "The dorms at Purdue meet the students' needs and are superior to the national dorm standards" or something of that sort.

I am pasting the handout I gave you guys today below, as well as our extra credit sheet in case you lose it. Remember, you cannot give me the extra credit assignment any later than December 9.

Creating Your Own Website Information Handout

Websites that have open design templates:

• oswd.org (go to browse all designs)

•openwebdesign.org (go to browse designs)

Every page you save for your website must end with .html and must be in the same folder in your H Drive or your computer at home. If you place it in your www folder in your H Drive, it will go on the web. I do not ask that your work be on the web for my class, thus I recommend that you save it in another folder in your H Drive or your home computer. If you want to put your site on the web, however, you can do so after the class is over.

To understand the code used to create your website, go to:

https://addons.mozilla.org/en-US/firefox/addon/60

You will need to download the new toolbar and restart Firefox. Once you’ve done so, a new toolbar will appear. It is called the Web Developer Toolbar. The third option across is CSS (the language that controls the design, as opposed to the content of your website). You will click on CSS and click on “View Style Information.” Once you are under that mode, anything over which you drag your cursor will be surrounded by a red square/rectangle. Then the code that controls that particular part of the website will appear on the top of the page, under the toolbars. You can then find that code in Dreamweaver and change it if you wish.

Class Extra Credit

As we have discussed in class, the written medium is not the only way in which we can make an argument. We try to convince others of our opinion in a plethora of ways, and one of the most innovative and powerful of these is the documentary film. You have the chance to earn two points of extra credit by watching two of the documentaries below. You will receive one point each for any of the films you watch (two is the limit). In order to receive the credit, you need to write a short statement in which you tell me what the director’s thesis was, if they convinced you (Why? Why not?) and what sort of evidence they provided to support their point. Your response should be about a page. The extra credit is due Tuesday, December 9^th at the latest. You can email them to me at hidalgoatpurdue@gmail.com any time before then.

Here are your choices for documentaries. You can borrow them for free at your public library (you’ll have to go into their database and order them online. The librarian can show you how to do it) or through Netflix or video stores like Blockbuster. Some of them are also available for free on the web. Purdue may have some of them at our library as well. Feel free to watch them together and discuss them, but make sure to present your opinion individually. The thesis will be the same, but the evidence you discuss and your reaction to the film should be different.

Born into Brothels directed by Ross Kauffman. Main topic: children and photography.

Bowling for Columbine directed by Michael Moore. Main topic: gun control.

Fahrenheit 911 directed by Michael Moore. Main topic: 9/11.

An Inconvenient Truth directed by Davis Guggenheim. Main topic: global warming.

Jesus Camp directed by Rachel Grady. Main topic: children and Christianity.

Mad Hot Ballroom directed by Marilyn Agrelo. Main topic: children and dancing.

The Party’s Over directed by Donovan Leitch. Main topic: 2000 elections.

The Rape of Europa directed by Richard Berge and Bonni Cohen. Main topic: Art stolen during WWII.

Roger and Me directed by Michael Moore. Main topic: job outsourcing in America.

Sicko directed by Michael Moore. Main topic: health care system.

Spellbound directed by Jeffrey Blitz. Main topic: spelling bee competitions.

Super Size Me directed by Morgan Spurlock. Main topic: obesity.

V-Day: Until the Violence Stops directed by Abby Epstein. Main topic: women’s rights.

Enjoy!