Prompt for Discussion Papers: The purpose of these assignments is to expose you to academic
scholarship and challenge you to think about and evaluate arguments. Therefore, in these papers,
you will need to identify the author’s main argument, what evidence s/he utilizes to support
her/his case and then evaluate the strength of said argument (i.e. this is not just a summary; you
need to carefully consider the author’s thesis and determine if you find it convincing, if you still
have unanswered questions, etc. and then you must support your opinion with specific
examples/questions). These papers are designed to help strengthen your writing skills, your
reading comprehension and your visual literacy. Questions about the readings will appear on
your quizzes, midterm and final exams
