Note Taking

1. Note Taking Stay Focused!

2. Historically (My Problem) • Running off in too many directions at once. Trying to write the “everything essay.” Saying everything that can be said about a topic in that essay. • Don’t do this. You will waste (ethical appeal being used in a massive way here) enormous amounts of time.

3. Tricks • Keep your eye on the ball. Sounds stupid but the most important thing you need to do is keep your core question in mind, and then use it as a filtering method to differentiate between meaningful information and chaff. Definition of CHAFF • the seed coverings and other debris separated from the seed in threshing grain • something comparatively worthless

4. In My Case Core Question: Although media depiction of wild animals have become more “sensitive” and “inclusive” over time, it could be argued that there are still significant barriers and/or stereotypes that are reinforced by the media. In an essay identify one myth or stereotype that the media develops and answer the following questions: • What does the myth or stereotype include? • How is it developed? • And what can be done to counteract, undo or otherwise change this myth or stereotype for the better?

5. Recall: What A Clear Question Does • Clarifies what is being asked for. • Provides a focusing mechanism. A good essay is focused, and once one or two clear questions are defined, you can make sure that all information collected/discussed/considered, clearly help address the question. • Because of #2 above, focus questions help you work more efficiently when collecting information. You know what to look for, what’s of value in the context of this question, and what’s maybe useful for something else.

6. When There’s Too Much Info Narrow Your Discussion You will be able to demonstrate your thesis a lot more fully if you can describe and explain using specifics. You don’t have to talk about everything (in fact it’s not a good idea) so don’t!! In my case I narrowed my topic to the depiction of bears. There is tons of stuff that is going to allow me to demonstrate whatever relationship exists between humans and animals using this single example.

7. Note Page: Work In Progress:

8. Making Notes Primary Sources Site Minka’s Bear Passion

9. Describe, Describe, Describe …but stay focused on what you describe, i.e. I noticed: • “Minka’s Bear Passion” breaks ads up according to the type of product that they are used to advertise: beer, food, fabric softener, coke (ubiquitous). Toilette paper (animated Charmin Bears) • Beer bears predominate, getting their own page. Followed by cereal bears for sugar crisp, Frosty O’s, Kellog Oks, and Great Honeys…all feature some sort of friendly stuffed animal, ranging from Pooh Bear, to Yogi Bear, the suave Sugar Crisp Bear which are friendly, animate, all in their own way, laid back.

10. Get Some Specifics to Illustrate One ad in the beer ads that is particularly indicative/representative of the way that more traditional fear that one might have, is turned into a totally unrealistic, but also fun looking chumminess, is a Labatt’s Blue Beer Ad that depicts a couple of golfers talking about a guy who has sliced a golf ball into the woods. You hear the voice of the golfer in the woods indicating that he’d get the ball out. We hear the traditional “fore, the ball emerges and just misses the cup, then a fairly realistic looking bear emerges with the club. Reaction shot of surprised golfers. Next shot though is of the golfers and the bear making their way down the course together, the bear on hind legs bragging about how he’s “good in the woods.”

11. Do I need more examples? Could also describe as compelling examples: • The depiction of one of the cereal bears • The Coca Cola Bears… Do I need more examples after this? Nope. Overkill. I’m demonstrating a point with an example but could then explain that the core characteristics show up in a whole variety of animals.

12. Next Primary Source TV Tropes Site

13. Findings Remember that one of the things I’ll be trying to show, once I’ve explained how it works, is how ubiquitous this type of image is: The beary funny section of the TVTropes Site shows just how ubiquitous the “Friendly, funny bear” is: • Outlines the Coca Cola animated polar bears, and the save the bears campaign. Friendly, animated bears that are generally laid back and presumably satiated, having just drunk a can of coke, as they watch the northern lights (instead of T.V. presumably)…increases identification between audience and bears. • Exhaustive list, includes bear characters from Fozzzy bear (from the muppets show), Baloo from the jungle book, to the Care Bears, to the bearenstein bears, to Paddington Bear, with hundreds of other, lesser references. Point though is that this image is ubiquitous, has been around for a long time. • Site included about 70 references to subcategories of this same friendly bear character.

14. Have I Got Enough Primary Sources? Yes: I can make my point about how we end up with this false skewed version of bears. On to the effect. Secondary sources.

15. Extracting Key Info Would get ready to cite part of this verbatim (evidence from an expert):

16. Next: Finding Evidence of Effect Examples and quotable text:

17. About Bear Attacks in “Bear Attacks Preventable” outlines how people often make the wrong choices, • “people start to go home when they see a storm coming, they should do the same when they see a bear”.

18. Final Resource, Good For Recommendations http://www.bearsmart.com/

19. What Am I Doing? • Keeping question in mind, and focusing on answering that question. • Also keeping strategies in mind: • Use of examples foremost, use of comparison, contrast etc, use of rhetorical devices • Use of appeals to authority, evidence, emotional appeal • Remembering the overall model we’re using…i.e.:

20. The Model I’m going to: • Answer the question!! • Describe specifics to do so • Use effective organizationstrategies to do so • Include a solid thesis, and some effective solutionsto the problem.

21. Next Deliverable Note Set: • Start with your Question • Include: • Name of resource and bibliographic information • Information from that resource that will help answer question. • Formative feedback: • Meet with me and show me your notes (Monday, Tuesday) • Be prepared to describe the resource, how it is related to the question, and how you will use this material.