Progression Three The Space Traders and Black America

Cosmic Slop: Space Traders

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 Required Readings: Legislation and U.S. HIstory

Further exploration of these topics is encouraged! This is only a sample of what you can find to support your ideas.

 

  1. The Suspension of Habeas Corpus in America
  2. Military Commissions Act
  3. More about the Military Commissions Act
  4. Military Commissions Act specifics
  5. Military Commissions Act perspectives
  6. NDAA
  7. American Colonization Society
  8. Colonization
  9. Anatomy of Ferguson's Police Riot
  10. The Patriot Act
  11. The Patriot Act and National Security
  12. Native American Removal
  13. Japanese-American Internment
  14. Reconstruction Amendments
  15. Voting Rights Act and the Suppression of Votes
  16. The Reconstruction Amendments

 

Required Reading: "Space Traders"

"Space Traders" by Derrick Bell in Faces at the Bottom of the Well: The Permanence of Racism (1993). New York: Basic Books.

 

Argument and Analysis

Complete the Finding the Arguments guide for "Space Traders". Think carefully about the arguments you find, the possible support, and also the counterarguments. If you view the Space Traders Class Debate organization and the Essay #3 assignment, it will help you think about the importance of gathering evidence and reviewing the arguments made in the literature.

 

Please open and save the argumentative outline in order to begin to complete it for your essay assignment. This is the format that your essay should take. It should be complete with more details than on this outline. The outline should also have complete citations (APA).

 Space Traders Class Debate

Debate Organization

 

 

  1. Take 15 minutes to gather your strongest arguments (#1-#5) and support
  2. Elect 3 representatives for your team and 2 alternates
  3. Each team will have 60 seconds to present at least 3 of their strongest arguments
  4. The opposing team will have equal time (60 seconds to rebut/refute your argument)
  5. Then the opposing team will present one of their arguments (60 seconds) with support
  6. You will have 60 seconds to rebut/refute their argument

 

 

Rules:

 

  1. All students must be respectful to one another
  2. Respectful language and tone must be used
  3. Team may yield time to the general debate (use of entire 60 seconds is not required)
  4. Bonus points are awarded for use of transition signals in the presentation of original arguments

Argumentative Essays

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Essay #3 Assignment

Argumentative Essay

The chapter, "Space Traders" from the Book entitled Faces at the Bottom of the Well: the Permanence of Racism by law professor Derrick Bell poses some scary, but seemingly realistic possibilities for Americans of African descent. Strangers from outer space have arrived in order to save a financially and resource-bankrupt America. The only request they have in return is for America to ship off all of her Black inhabitants to an unknown destination and destiny. This may seem far-fetched to some.   Nevertheless, the implications of the article are far-reaching, and it engages many topics. Write a multiparagraph essay answering the following question:

  

Based on legal and historical precedence, could the United States government legally remove African Americans by force?

Argue for the possibility or the impossibility of this occurrence. Your essay should be based on the actual situation in the article. Remember to analyze the particulars of the constitution in the story itself. Of course, you may use real historical events for your argument. You must reference legislation. You can use the texts provided on your course outline and also do additional research. Remember to avoid what should happen/moral arguments and emotional arguments that are not supported with evidence. Your prompt asks if it is possible based on legal and historical precedence.

 

An effective argument presents both points of view, acknowledges what evidence there may be for the opposing point of view, and attempts to refute that point of view by showing that the preponderance of evidence supports the conclusion that you have argued in support of. Your task is to convince the reader that your point of view has the strongest evidence.

 

Audience

Your audience is someone who has read the text, but who has not thought as deeply and carefully as you have about what it says or implies about the question. Academic language should be used.

 

Format

 

Your paper should be 1000 words minimum.   The structure for the paper has been outlined in the argumentative essay outline.  

 

You should have 3 body paragraphs, an introduction and a conclusion. Your essay should have 1,000 words minimum and have a word count in the heading.

 APA format style should be used. Be sure to include a References page and use proper quotations and citations.

 

Be sure to write in 3rd person and integrate your evidence. All paraphrase and direction quotations should be cited using APA citations.

 

Use this argumentative peer review sheet to guide you in reviewing your classmate's work.

 

 

All essays will be submitted via Moodle as ONE Microsoft Word document. The order for the submitted document is as follows:

 

1. Your final draft (for me to grade)

2. References Page

3. Outline (typed)

 

 

Before you submit your essay, fill out the Self-Assessment Form. You will want to revise your work accordingly. This gives you an idea of what I am looking for when I grade your essays.

 

 

The first document that you upload will be graded - no exceptions. Please be careful to upload the correct version.

 

 

 

 

 


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