Design Plan for Photo Essay

Design Plan:
• Define your audience and the context of your  presentation in class
• AUDIENCE: The audience would be students but could also include astrophysics and environmentalists. These audience members are interested because it is a class project, is related to exoplanets, and for the environmentalists it shows the condition of the earth as it is now. This would be provocative because it will establish if humans will actually have to move from earth in the future or if we can save the planet we have. This essay is going to be through a PowerPoint.
• Define your anticipated expectations for evaluation of your assignment after reviewing our assignment description
• I will look back to my purpose statement and decide if my essay fulfills what I was trying to accomplish. I will look into the pictures and see if they depict aspects of earth that humans need to survive and if the captions provoke thought in the readers without explanation from myself.
• Define your own argument that your essay must develop
• ARGUMENT: The aspects of earth humans take for granted need to be seen on exoplanets before the exodus of earth can even begin to be thought of.
• State what you want your audience to do with your argument
• I want them to know that these aspects of earth are needed and that they should not be taken for granted any longer. I want them to know people need to take care of the earth or there will be problems to come.
• ANTICIPATED NEEDS: I am not sure people will understand the matter at hand and what it has to do with exoplanets. I am also not sure if I can get people to see the artistic value of my pictures and see the beauty humans ignore in everyday life.
• Strategy – I intend on using logos because exoplanets are facts and there is a factual basis to the possibility of needing to evacuate earth in order for the human race to survive.
• PURPOSE: The point of this essay is the show people what they need for life, though they take it for granted. I want people to think about their lives and how they can see the beauty of earth. I want them to see the necessity of these elements and what it would mean if we no longer had this planet and were forced to go off into space to find an earth-like exoplanet.
• CONTEXT: The context of this would be on a blog posted for my classmates to see and analyze themselves. Because it is on a blog, people from anywhere can also see it and would be looking at it with interest derived from exoplanets.

Research Paper Design Plan

     Previous research papers I have written have been purely informative in nature. This research paper requires more than just information; it requires an argument. I also must address the counter arguments in my paper, something I have done before in persuasive papers so that part is no what I am worried about. My plan for this research paper is to do it on extrasolar planets, or exoplanets for short. My quest for knowledge about this topic started before this semester began. I was looking at my google news feed and I found an article about exoplanets that stated there were many within the habitable zone (meaning life could exist). Once this semester started, a research paper was posed to us students and I knew that I wanted to investigate more about this topic.
    The purpose of this research paper is to inform the reader, but also state a claim and use research to validate my position. I will do this through an eight (8) to ten (10) page paper accompanied by an annotated bibliography. The most used strategy in my paper will be logos because I want to bring facts to back up my claim. I will do this through my sources I find on the internet, but as well as through online databases and possibly books found in the library. My paper will also rely on ethos of both myself and the authors of the sources that I use. The ethos is important because the authors need to be creditable and will stand firm under scrutiny of other experts in the same field. I will be looking for authors that have an educational background in exoplanets and have been peer-reviewed before adding them as a source. This will ensure that the author is knowledgeable and have an unbiased opinion about exoplanets. This will be best for me to make my own argument and apply it without fear of bias and unreliable information. I will also address pathos as a strategy because it is a topic that has emotional appeal to people thinking about their future generations. This topic will invoke emotions of curiosity, but also of urgency to have a plan for the foreseeable problems earth is facing if nothing changes.
     I will be using the media of a typed paper because the time allowed for this assignment, including research; I will have no time with my other classes to compose any other type of media for this assignment. In addition, with a paper it will be easier to establish the length of eight to ten pages, as required for this assignment. My ideas about my argument will revolve around the thesis statement of: Extrasolar planets are the key for human survival once the planet it depleted of resources or the sun reaches the end of its life cycle. I think this message will be positively received because it relies on pathos of the reader for future generations. This thesis is justified by my statement of purpose because this paper has an argument, and will be backed up by facts. I will also address the opposing view of people who think we will just destroy the new planet, people who think it would never be possible to find a new planet, or people who think it would be impossible to get to a new planet. This will help strengthen my argument because some aspects of these opposing views have been answered, but some are still unable to be answered; this is because research is being done every day to test new theories and possibilities that I can only speculate on.
     I know very little about this topic. I only know that extrasolar planets exist and there are some in the habitable zone. I have some web articles picked out for my paper already, but now that I have declared my argument, I am not sure if they will fit. I intend on having my ten to twelve sources by this weekend (4/5-4/6) in order to format them for the annotated bibliography; that is due on 4/10 by midnight. Then I intend on outlining my paper and placing the sources with the information they pertain to. Because I already have some sources, I just intend on revisiting those articles and expanding my research based on what I have and what I think I need. I will be spending more time with the library database in the coming 5 days to get my sources for the bibliography. From this research I hope to learn the feasibility of exoplanets as a means of survival, where the closest habitable one is, and above all how much times humans have (if things do not change) before the earth is dead (or the sun is dead as well). 

This was on my drafts and last night got busy with taking my boyfriend to the doctor so I forgot to put it up. Sorry for the delay...

What do people need to live on an Exoplanet?: A Photo Essay

Narrative: My fascination with exoplanets all started one day while I was searching google news for the stories of the day; I saw the story about the nearest exoplanet was only 13 light years away (Grossman). While this was relatively closer that other stories I had read, it made me think about how soon we would have to develop the technology to travel such a vast distance. I also wondered about how deep space travel would affect the human body both physically and mentally. I realized that if we took care of the planet we have, we would not have to think about moving to another planet. Therefore, I starting looking into the resources we take for granted here on earth that we would need to have on an exoplanet. The basics came to mind, food, water, and atmosphere; but I wanted to do more. People need companionship, shown through family gatherings, and people need a climate they can survive in – resources for shelter need to be seen on the planet if the climate gets cold or very hot to protect from the sun. The pictures collected are a representation of things people need on earth to survive. I want people to look at them and protect what they have, rather than them looking for a new world we may never have the technological ability to arrive at.

                        Photo one, Sunrise on a Cloudy Day, depicts a sunrise symbolizing the need for the sun’s rays and warmth. Without a sun, the planet would be too cold for life and planets would cease to grow. However, it is not as easy simply to have a sun; the sun has to be a habitable distance so the planet is not too hot or too cold. The pictures Snowy Evening and Leisurely View of Summer illustrate climate importance because these pictures depict the extremes of our current climate. Even in these “extremes,” people need shelter, also seen in these pictures, to survive in the elements. What is another essential to life? The answer is water, freshwater, for drinking and irrigation for crops to sustain a population. Babbling Creek 1 and Babbling Creek 2 are pictures of a freshwater creek that sustains an ecosystem involving waterfowl and fish; this creak also sustains trees and other plants needed to produce oxygen to the surrounding communities. Without a creek or some type of water source, life on an exoplanet would not be possible and not a viable option if there were a need to change planets.

            Clouds Rolling into Campus was a picture I took on my way to a night class as a storm was approaching. The definition in the clouds is amazing and it is a representation of the atmosphere humans live in on Earth. The Nitrogen and Oxygen in the air are unique to earth and the ability to sustain life. In the theme of weather on earth, Creating one’s own Twister, taken at The Museum of Science and Industry, shows wind. Wind is important because it transfers weather from one place to another and the movement keeps the planet alive and well. The pollution put into the atmosphere has arguable changed these weather patterns and is responsible for the shifting of seasons and extreme rain and drought across the earth. The rain from the atmosphere is important because it helps grow planets. The Foraging Robin in the Fall, depicts land that is fertile, as seen by the grass. The robin in the photo is important because it is foraging for food before the cold of winter comes. The food it is able to forage will sustain it throughout the winter. Fertile land is necessary on the proposed new planet for not only nourishment, but for the replenishing of oxygen needed for humans to breathe and survive. Along with a fertile land to grow crops, humans must maintain protein in their diet. The photo titled, Majestic Doe along the Path, shows a doe juxtaposed with structures built by humans. This not only shows the invasion into nature, but an example of a protein source for humans. Though there may not be the typical “deer” on a new planet, there still has to be a protein source that humans can catch, consume, and extract nutrients from. The following photo titled, Mating Ritual of Ducks, shows two ducks in the beginning of spring. This is typically the time in which animals pair up and reproduce the next generation. This is important for humans because this is an ever-replenishing source of protein. There needs to be a replenishing protein on the exoplanet for a sizable population to survive.

Lastly, The Gathering of Family and Friends, depicts human’s need for companionship. This would be needed not only on the planet, but also on the trip to the planet. This is where technology needs to advance and research needs to be done on the effect of long-term space travel on the human body. With everything, people see they would need to survive, is it really easier to pack up and leave earth rather than take care of it? That decision is one that needs to be made soon if there is a chance to save the earth’s resources needed for survival.

Closing Comments: I think my purpose was achieved in this photo essay because I do show people what they need in order to live on earth as well as any habitable exoplanet. I think I do show them what the beauty of earth hold and show them a new perspective of nature from my eyes, as a photographer. The last line of my introduction states my argument and what I wanted my audience to do with my argument. I did not state why we would have to move off earth or that people wanted to move off earth, but I did ask questions of what people would do without certain life-sustaining materials. I also told people what they need here on earth to live and that these resources would need to be on the exoplanet as well. I am confident that my photos and narrative make the argument that the earth need to be protected and saved, or the alternative is developing technology to search the galaxy for new earth-like planets. I leave the ending question to make the audience think: When will the technology be available to send multiple people off to look for a new “earth”? Do we want to wait that long before saving the Earth we have? I want this question to stay in their mind and make them ponder their lives and interactions with the earth - I feel I accomplished this task with the narrative and pictures/captions.

References

Grossman, Lisa. (2014, February 6). Closest Earth-like Planet May Be 13 Light Years Away. New . 
Retrieved from http://www.newscientist.com.

Milliron, Amber. (2013). Babbling Creek 1

--- . (2013). Babbling Creek 2

---. (2014). Clouds Rolling into Campus

---. (2013). Creating one’s own Twister

---. (2013). Foraging Robin in the Fall, The

---. (2013). Gathering of Family and Friends, The

---. (2013). Leisurely View of Summer

---. (2013). Majestic Doe along the Path,

---. (2013). Mating Ritual of Ducks

---. (2014). Snowy Evening

---. (2014). Sunrise on a Cloudy Day

My experience with the Photo Essay

The photo essay has been difficult but enjoyable for me because I like to take pictures. Finding the correct pictures has been a challenge because my topic for my research paper has been about exoplanets. I cannot photograph exoplanets with my camera and I do not have the time nor the money to visit the planetarium. Therefore, I have decided to look at the things people need on earth to survive and then those resources need to also be on the exoplanet scientists propose humans move to. I want this essay to make people feel a responsibility to the environment and then maybe we wouldn't have to go through the process of long-term space travel and anything else that has to do with moving planets. This is not science fiction, but a reality that is upon the future generations of earth.
My pictures have to include water, atmosphere, and food of some sort for people to survive. I am taking it back to nature, but the time it takes to get nature to cooperate is not something I have time for right now. I am in the middle of finishing one job and going to another (which is in a totally different industry and I'm nervous) and I also have other papers and homework for my other classes. I have a test to take this weekend for an online class that has been a nightmare, not to mention the other homework associated with that class. I understand why we are assigned this assignment, but I wish it was not so time intensive for the photo part. I am a paper writer from the moment I got out of sophomore English. I can bust papers out like no ones business, but this essay it more time intensive and it is just something I was not expecting for this class. Everyone I talked to about CWII said it was paper intensive and that I need to make time to write the papers... Well I have made time to write papers, not take pictures and analyze how my audience will look at them. The whole argument thing in the pictures I think is the most difficult. Because in any context these pictures are just representations of nature and I am going to rely on my captions to really do the arguing for me.
The narrative part of it I still have yet to do, but again I have no problem with writing text... I worried about my perfectionism getting in the way for my pictures. I want to get the pathos argument, but logos is a better way to go. To do that, I will need to do additional research to fill in my captions to make them pertain to the argument I am trying to make. That mean more time taken from other classes and more citations for my references page.

Exoplanets: Reliable Information?

Amber Milliron
College Writing II
Rhetorical analysis
Due: February 20, 2014

Exoplanets: Reliable Information?

            When viewing a webpage or wed article, the reader should be skeptical as to the information presented on the article or website. Anyone can put anything on the      internet, whether it is truthful or not. Readers need to be wary of information released on the internet for this reason. A reader should look into This web page is primarily concerned with the text, which is broken into three major sections. The first is the  introduction, the second section called  “Abundant Dwarfs” give additional information, and the last section called “Life Sniffer” ends the article. Each of these sections of text relies heavily on logos, or logic and facts, to present the information. The author must also rely on her ethos, or credibility, to communicate this topic effectively and efficiently.
the ethos, or credibility, of the author to determine what qualifies the author to write on a topic, this includes how trustworthy the author is with the information presented. The reader is then doing a rhetorical analysis of the website or article; this engages the reader to be a participant in the exchange of ideas. A topic such as exoplanets may sound like science fiction, and in some web articles, the presentation of information is science fiction. The article titled, “Closest Earth-like planet may be 13 light years away, by Lisa Grossman, gives information on the exoplanet topic. The text and visual would have to work together to be an effective article, this is where the reader is able to decide if the article does just that.
            The introduction portion of the text starts with a phrase that makes the reader think. The phrase is, “Let’s take a peek at the neighbours,” which means in this article to look at neighboring planets and their composition, if life is possible, and truly see what is going on. This is a notion many have thought of since the exploration of space began. The age-old question of, “Is there life out there besides us?” is addressed because this article is saying that is may be possible in the near future to look into that question. This draws the reader in on a pathos appeal because it goes to their curiosity and their emotions regarding space. The appeal to their curiosity pulls the reader into the article and makes them want to read more. The rest of the section of text talks about how the Kepler telescope finds new planets in terms the average person can understand, so that the reader can easily gain knowledge about background information pertinent to this article.
            The next section of text called, “Abundant dwarfs” begins by opening the reader’s eyes to just how many other stars Kepler has cataloged, “Sifting through thousands of stars in Kepler's catalogue, Dressing (of the Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics) found 95 possible planets orbiting red dwarfs.” This is a logos and ethos appeal because Dressing has both the credentials and the facts to back up her statements on those ninety-five possible planets. This article quotes Dressing saying, “If we're looking for life in the galaxy, we don't have to look as far as we thought we had to,” again appealing to the pathos of the reader. This statement is one of exciting news and discovery and it appeals to the reader because space is a mysterious thing that the average person knows so little about. This section on text elaborates on the mission of the Kepler telescope and the results it has yielded. At the end of this section, John Johnson, of the California Institute of Technology, says, “You don't need the full Kepler mission lifetime to answer that question. We can do it now,” which wraps up this section. This statement is showing the usefulness of the Kepler mission and backing up his ethos with logos of many years of data.
            The last and final section of text called “Life sniffer” is about looking to see if life on       the other planets truly exist. The text explains that there are planets near enough to observe their atmospheric conditions and then scientist can gage whether these planets can house life, carbon based – like human beings, or not. Then the text goes on to say that there are, “two planet-hunting telescopes that could help find such a nearby world [earth-like].” This is an appeal to pathos because of the unknown results of such an expedition. The second to last paragraph starts with, “Even if neither space mission goes ahead, large telescopes on the ground should also be able to detect gases like oxygen in exoplanet atmospheres,” and this goes to pathos as well because it goes to the emotion of the future. Arguably, this last quote goes to logos as well because there are facts that this technology is possible and probable. The last paragraph talks about in the next 10 years we could be studying the atmosphere of these planets orbiting red dwarf stars. This is a good ending because it plays to the pathos of the reader for an optimistic future into learning more about these discovered planets in the habitable-zone.
Home to Life, by David A. Aguilar (Fig. 1) is at the top of the article to the right, photographed by David    A. Aguilar. The photograph shows a planet passing in front of the red dwarf start. This is significant because it illustrates the process that the Kepler telescope utilizes to determine that a planet is actually there. The visual illustrates that it is not only a planet, but that there is a moon orbiting with the planet as well. This visual is important because it helps solidify to the reader what the telescope is seeing when determining whether there is a planet in the telescope’s view or not. The coloration of the star helps (Fig 1. David A. Aguilar. Home to Life?)                          illustrate that it is a red dwarf start; the background also shows the vastness of space and helps evoke emoting in the reader/viewer. This plays to the pathos of the viewer, but also includes the appeal of logos because facts are there that a planet would look like this in space according to Kepler telescope.
            The visual intrigues the reader to look into the article more; however, the article does not reference the visual at all. There is also no credibility in the article that this is an actual representation of a planet in front of the red dwarf star. This article could have mentioned the article and how the visual is accurate or not; or it could have stated that it was a picture from the Kepler telescope or just a representation according to the artist. The visual does enhance the text; however, the text does not enhance the visual because there is no link from the text to the visual.
             This article includes all three rhetorical appeals integrated into the article with precision and eloquences. The ethos has to be there for the reader to know that the speaker has knowledge on the topic of the article. The logos appeal is important because it is a scientific article and facts need to be there for the validity of the claims. The pathos, which plays to the reader’s emotion, is important because it makes people want to know more on the subject or to monitor the subject due to the mysterious nature and future of such a topic. Though the visual and the text does not interplay, the visual helps the reader get an idea of what these exoplanets might look like and how they might be found. The article is very informative and would be a decent article to use for research or to be credible for information other scientists might look into.

Work Cited

Aguilar, David A. Home to Life? N.d. Photograph. Www.newscientist.com. 06 Feb. 2013. Web. 10 Feb.
               2014.
Grossman, Lisa. "Closest Earth-like Planet May Be 13 Light Years Away."Www.newscientist.com. N.p.,
              06 Feb. 2013. Web. 10 Feb. 2014.                                  

*I could not get the webpage to work, or get my screen shot of the website in there. I am willing to accept the penalties, but I tried and could not get anything figured out.*

Responsibilities when Communicating

I feel everyone has a responsibility to one another when communicating in general. I feel the responsibility is to have a clear intent on what the purpose of communicating is. I have had people who just tell me something for what seems like no reason, and I know I have been guilty of this as well. I attempt to have a purpose with what I tell people and it usually is so they can get to know me and/or trust me in a sense.

I think in blogging specifically people have a responsibility to not just blog for the sake of blogging and to make sure their blog is free from spelling mistake at the least. I think blogging should have a meaning to not only the blogger but also to the reader, or the reader will cease to follow the blog they have read. Personally I believe blogging is to vent frustrations people face in life, or attempt to persuade people to their point-of-view on a subject (such as politics and other "hot topics"). 

I am looking forward to getting feedback on my blogs and improving my written communication through blogging. I am always looking to improve on any skills that are vital to business (my major) and I believe written communication is key. I feel that people should be open minded to any form of communication and if something is not working, then it is the responsibility of that individual to do or say something about the problem. We all can use help in bettering our communication skills, whether verbal or written, and the only way to do that, in my opinion, is to interact with various kinds of people who all have different skill sets. 

Blogging for Once

So this will be my first blog and I am very excited about it. My life is quite busy so I hope to keep up with this. I have 18 credit hours in college, I have a 5 month old puppy (with way too much energy), a long-term boyfriend I live with, and a job at a law firm. Time management is a skill I needed to learn early. That is a nice little blurb about me. Can any one relate to being so busy they feel if they miss a day the world will fall apart? I'd love to talk to those who are crazy busy like me.