Response Essay This essay focuses on responding to an author’s ideas by “entering the conversation” he or she has begun. Choose an essay from one of the following nonfiction authors: • Murray • Blanda • Kohn • Zinczenko • Nestle • O’Rourke • Slaughter • Thompson • Wortham • Balko • Gatto • Graff Once you have selected a reading, identify 2-3 of the author’s claims (points) that you agree or disagree with and provide your own response to each one. Each claim you identify should objectively represent the author’s “they say” in a way that is true to the source and free of your opinion. In other words, start by providing an objective summary. Then, in a new paragraph, articulate your own original perspective (an “I say”) in direct response to the author’s argument. Tip: Start by combing through the reading you’ve selected and differentiating between the author’s “I say” and “they say.” The “I say” points that you identify will become “they say” points in your own essay. In other words, when you write your essay, you’re responding to the author’s “I say.” Do not respond to any “they say” points that the author included in their work. Focus on the author’s claims. You do not have to engage in a combination of agreement and disagreement for this essay. You can focus solely on points that you agree with. Conversely, you can focus solely on points you disagreement. If you wish to discuss points of agreement and disagreement, group them together. For example: two point of agreement followed by one point of disagreement. As you write, please refer to the templates from chapters 1-10 of They Say/I Say. Your writing should demonstrate competency in these key academic moves. This essay must use proper MLA format throughout. In-text citations and a works cited page are required; missing one or both may result in a failing grade on the essay or failure of the course. Length Requirement: 4-5 pages. This means that, at minimum, the text will extend to the bottom of page 4. Your works cited page does not count toward the length requirement. Submission Timeline: Task Submission Method Due Date Essay proposal Printed copy on instructor’s desk by start of class Thesis and outline Printed copy on instructor’s desk by start of class First draft (min. 3 pages) Bring printed or electronic copy to class Online peer review Blackboard discussion board Second draft (completed essay) Uploaded to Blackboard as a Word or PDF file Essay conference N/A Final draft Uploaded to Blackboard as a Word or PDF file Please review the “Late Work Policy and Submitting Work” section of the syllabus prior to uploading any files to Blackboard. Grading Rubric: • Contains a developed title, engaging introduction, and insightful conclusion. (/15) • Well-crafted thesis statement succinctly answers the “so what?” and “who cares?” questions in 1-2 sentences. (/10) • “The.

1. Response Essay
This essay focuses on responding to an author’s ideas by
“entering the conversation” he or she
has begun. Choose an essay from one of the following
nonfiction authors:
• Murray • Blanda • Kohn • Zinczenko
• Nestle • O’Rourke • Slaughter • Thompson
• Wortham • Balko • Gatto • Graff
Once you have selected a reading, identify 2-3 of the author’s
claims (points) that you agree or
disagree with and provide your own response to each one. Each
claim you identify should
objectively represent the author’s “they say” in a way that is
true to the source and free of your
opinion. In other words, start by providing an objective
summary. Then, in a new paragraph,
articulate your own original perspective (an “I say”) in direct
response to the author’s argument.

2. Tip: Start by combing through the reading you’ve selected and
differentiating between
the author’s “I say” and “they say.” The “I say” points that you
identify will become
“they say” points in your own essay. In other words, when you
write your essay, you’re
responding to the author’s “I say.” Do not respond to any “they
say” points that the
author included in their work. Focus on the author’s claims.
You do not have to engage in a combination of agreement and
disagreement for this essay. You
can focus solely on points that you agree with. Conversely, you
can focus solely on points you
disagreement. If you wish to discuss points of agreement and
disagreement, group them together.
For example: two point of agreement followed by one point of
disagreement.
As you write, please refer to the templates from chapters 1-10
of They Say/I Say. Your writing
should demonstrate competency in these key academic moves.
This essay must use proper MLA format throughout. In-text

3. citations and a works cited page are
required; missing one or both may result in a failing grade on
the essay or failure of the course.
Length Requirement: 4-5 pages. This means that, at minimum,
the text will extend to the
bottom of page 4. Your works cited page does not count toward
the length requirement.
Submission Timeline:
Task Submission Method Due Date
Essay proposal Printed copy on instructor’s
desk by start of class
Thesis and outline Printed copy on instructor’s
desk by start of class
First draft (min. 3 pages) Bring printed or electronic
copy to class
Online peer review Blackboard discussion

4. board
Second draft (completed essay) Uploaded to Blackboard as
a Word or PDF file
Essay conference N/A
Final draft Uploaded to Blackboard as
a Word or PDF file
Please review the “Late Work Policy and Submitting Work”
section of the syllabus prior to
uploading any files to Blackboard.
Grading Rubric:
• Contains a developed title, engaging introduction, and
insightful conclusion. (/15)
• Well-crafted thesis statement succinctly answers the “so
what?” and “who cares?”
questions in 1-2 sentences. (/10)

5. • “They say” paragraphs accurately summarize the author’s
claims and are separate from
the “I say” paragraphs. (/10)
• “I say” paragraphs contain clearly articulated points of
agreement or disagreement that
align with the summaries provided in the “they say” paragraphs.
(/15)
• Follows outline and meets but does not exceed length
requirement (/10)
• The writer seamlessly integrates outside sources into the essay
and is in conversation
with the voices of others. (/10)
• Writing is clear and authoritative, transitions enhance the flow
of the essay, and work has
been thoroughly proofread for grammar, spelling, and
capitalization. (/15)
• Paragraphs begin with a strong topic sentence, maintain a
clear central focus, and do not
exceed more than a ½ page in length per paragraph. (/5)
• Demonstrates appropriate use of MLA style with regard to
formatting, in-text citations,
and the works cited page. (/10)
Essay Outline:

6. I. Introduction – Include a summary of the nonfiction selection
you chose and end with
your thesis statement
II. First “they say” – Focus on providing an objective summary
and explanation of a claim
your author made. Provide a quotation from the reading to help
support your summary
and explanation. Keep your response out of the “they say”
paragraphs.
III. Reasons why you agree or disagree with the “they say” –
Using the “they say” paragraph
as a guide, respond to your author’s claim and explain why you
agree.
IV. Second “they say”
V. Reasons why you agree or disagree with the “they say”
VI. Third “they say”
VII. Reasons why you agree or disagree with the “they say”
VIII. Conclusion – Think about how you can establish the
significance of your thesis
statement. Instead of summarizing your key points, circle back
to your thesis and tell us
why what you’ve covered in this essay should matter to your
readers.
Thesis Statement Templates:

7. 100% agreement (can also do 100% disagreement)
__________ makes _____________ points about
_____________________,
(author) (positive adjective) (they
say summary 1)
______________________, and ________________________.
________________________.
(they say summary 2) (they say
summary 3) (So what? Who cares?)
Thesis statement example (100% agreement): Zinczenko makes
excellent points about the
widespread availability of unhealthy food in America, the
legitimacy of lawsuits against fast
food companies, and the lack of nutritional information at
restaurants. By studying his work, we
can better understand how to protect our health and avoid being
manipulated by restaurants.
Agreement and disagreement
_________ makes ___________ points about
_________________ and _________________;
(author) (positive adjective) (they say

8. summary 1). (they say summary 2)
however, his/her claim about ________________ is
______________. ____________________.
(they say summary 3) (negative adjective)
(So what? Who cares?)
Thesis statement example (agreement and disagreement):
Zinczenko makes excellent points
about the widespread availability of unhealthy food in America
and the legitimacy of lawsuits
against fast food companies; however, his claim about access to
nutritional information is
misguided. Therefore, understanding the balance between
individual responsibility and corporate
responsibility is key to protecting our health.
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business 1/3
T
COMMENTARY

9. What You Eat Is YourBusiness
By Radley Balko
May 23, 2004
his June, Timemagazine and ABC News will host a
three-day summit
on obesity. ABC News anchor PeterJennings, who
last December an-
chored the prime time special “How to Get
Fat Without Really Trying,”
will host. Judging by the scheduled program, the summit
promises to be pep ral-
ly for media, nutrition activists, and policy makers
— all agitating for a panoply
of government anti-obesity initiatives, including
prohibiting junk food in school
vending machines, federal funding for new bike trails
and sidewalks, more de-
manding labels on foodstuffs, restrictivefood
marketing to children, and prod-
ding the food industry into more “responsible” behavior. In
otherwords, bring-
ing government between you and your waistline.
Politicians have already climbed aboard. President
Bush earmarked $200 mil-

10. lion in his budget for anti-obesity measures. State
legislatures and school boards
across the country have begun banning snacks
and soda from school campuses
and vending machines. Sen. Joe Lieberman and
Oakland Mayor JerryBrown,
among others, have called for a “fat tax” on
high-calorie foods. Congress is now
considering menu-labeling legislation, which would
forcerestaurants to send
every menu item to the laboratoryfor nutritional
testing.
This is the wrong way to fight obesity. Instead of
manipulating or intervening in
the arrayof food options available to American
consumers, our government
ought to be working to foster a sense of
responsibility in and ownershipof our
own health and well-being. But we’re doing
just the opposite.
For decades now, America’shealth care system has
been migrating toward so-
cialism. Yourwell-being, shape, and condition have
increasingly been deemed

11. matters of “public health,” instead of matters of
personal responsibility. Our
https://www.cato.org/people/radley-balko
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business 2/3
lawmakers just enacted a huge entitlement that
requires somepeople to pay for
otherpeople’s medicine. Sen. Hillary Clinton just penned
a lengthy article in the
New York Times Magazine calling for yet more federal
control of health care. All
of the Democrat candidates for president boasted
plans to push health care fur-
ther into the public sector. More and more,
states are preventing private health
insurers from charging overweight and obese clients
higher premiums, which
effectively removes any financial incentive for
maintaining a healthy lifestyle.
We’re becoming less responsible for our own health,
and more responsible for

12. everyone else’s. Yourheartattack drives up the
cost of my premiums and office
visits. And if the government is paying for
my anti-cholesterol medication, what
incentive is therefor me to put down the
cheeseburger?
This collective ownershipof private health then paves
the way for even more
federal restrictions on consumer choice and civil
liberties. A society where
everyone is responsible for everyone else’s well-
being is a society more apt to
accept government restrictions, for example — on
what McDonalds can put on
its menu, what Safeway or Kroger can put on
grocery shelves, or holding food
companies responsible for the bad habits of
unhealthy consumers.
A growing army of nutritionist activists and food
industry foes are egging the
process on. Margo Wootan of the Center for
Science in the Public Interest has
said, “we’ve got to move beyond `personal
responsibility.’” The largest organiza-

13. tion of trial lawyers now encourages its members to
weedjury pools of candi-
dateswho show“personal responsibility bias.” The title of
Jennings special from
last December — “How to Get Fat Without Really
Trying” — reveals his intent,
which is to relieve viewers of responsibility
for their own condition. Indeed,
Jennings ended the program with an impassioned
plea for government inter-
vention to fight obesity.
The best way to alleviate the obesity “public health”
crisis is to remove obesity
from the realm of public health. It doesn’t
belong thereanyway. It’s difficult to
thinkof anything more private and of less public
concern than what we choose
to put into our bodies. It only becomes a public
matter when we forcethe public
to pay for the consequences of those choices. If
policymakers want to fight obe-
7/30/2019 What You Eat Is Your Business | Cato Institute

14. https://www.cato.org/publications/commentary/what-you-eat-is-
business 3/3
sity, they’ll halt the creeping socialization of
medicine, and move to return indi-
vidual Americans’ ownershipof their own health
and well-being back to indi-
vidual Americans.
That means freeing insurance companies to reward
healthy lifestyles, and pe-
nalize poor ones. It means halting plans to
further socialize medicine and health
care. Congress should also increase access to medical
and health savings ac-
counts, which give consumers the option of
rolling money reserved for health
care into a retirementaccount. These accounts
introduce accountability into the
health care system, and encourage caution with one’s
health care dollar. When
money we spend on health care doesn’t belong
to our employer or the govern-
ment, but is money we could devote to
our own retirement, we’re less likely to
run to the doctor at the first sign of a cold.

15. We’ll all make better choices about diet,
exercise, and personal health when
someone else isn’t paying for the consequences of
those choices.
Radley Balko is a policy analyst with the
Cato Institute.
PRINTED FROM CATO.ORG
https://www.cato.org/people/radley-balko
https://www.cato.org/people/balko.html