Construct an account of an author’s project and argument, focusing on its use of a significant source. Examine the original source material, and analyze how that argument makes use of it. Consider what was included and what was excluded and why.

1 primary source: A primary source you find

2 secondary sources you find  

Introduction:

Hook (topic-specific)

Introduce the primary source

Introduce the idea that secondary sources will interpret primary sources in different ways.

Introduce the idea that secondary sources will discuss specific points in a primary source, but may intentionally or unintentionally focus on information that supports their views/argument.

Introduce your two sources: Publication information, their main argument, their audience 

Briefly tell us how their arguments relate

Thesis statement: Construct an account of an author’s project and argument, focusing on its use of a significant source. Examine the original source material, and analyze how that argument makes use of it. Consider what was included and what was excluded and why.

Body Section 1: 

Detail the argument, claims, and evidence of one of your secondary sources.

What did they use from the primary source?

What did they omit/assume/re-frame when discussing the primary source

Detail what the primary source actually says (the original intent)

Analyze the reasoning behind why the secondary source used the primary source in this way. 

Think of the specific intended audience of the secondary source to infer why they might have argued their point in the way they did.

Was the secondary source true to the message of the primary source?

Body Section 2:  

Detail the argument, claims, and evidence of one of your secondary sources.

What did they use from the primary source?

What did they omit/assume/re-frame when discussing the primary source

Detail what the primary source actually says.

Analyze the reasoning behind why the secondary source used the primary source in this way. 

Think of the specific intended audience of the secondary source to infer why they might have argued their point in the way they did.

Was the secondary source true to the message of the primary source?

Body Section 3:  

Identify and describe how the arguments of the two sources relate (use the key terms from the course reader: illustrate, extend, challenge, qualify, complicate).

Compare and contrast how the two secondary sources interpreted and utilized the primary source.

Remind your reader of what secondary sources said, and what the primary source said.

Detail your thoughts on the arguments of the secondary sources, and on the way they utilized information from the primary source.

Conclusion:

Restate your thesis.

Summarize your main points.

Give your final thoughts on why it’s important to understand how secondary sources utilize and interpret primary sources. 

MLA :

Formatting, in-text citations, works cited page

Now that you have had a chance to look over a number of secondary sources that all used the same primary source material to make their point, I want you to compare how the sources utilized that primary source. As we’ve discussed, the sources may have omitted information given in the primary source, or inflated ideas presented in the primary source. Also, we’ve seen multiple sources interpreting the messages in the primary source in a variety of ways. 

Your task for this essay is to detail the main argument of each secondary source, and to describe how they utilized the primary source in their argument. You will need to explain what they chose to focus on (from the primary source) in their own argument, and what they omitted. You should address whether or not the secondary source is omitted information intentionally, and discuss whether or not they inflated specific information for intentional purposes. Detail how the use of information, or the omission of information affects their intended audience. Throughout all of this, you’ll need to inform your reader of the actual language and information present in the primary source.

Once you’ve discussed both secondary sources and their relation to the primary source, you’ll need to compare how the secondary sources utilized the primary source.  

You should imagine that you are explaining this to an audience that is unfamiliar with any of the information