Read Source A from the 2014 synthesis essay

In a few sentences, explain whether you think Source A would be best used to support, refute, or qualify the idea that college is worth the costs.

Also, put a star next to what you feel are three of the strongest sentences/parts of his argument.



The Case for Working With Your Hands (full article)





Example of a Source Write-up

Source A Write-up

                                Source A

Matthew. "The Case for Working With Your Hands." The New York Times. The New York Times, 23 May 2009. Web. 02 Mar. 2016

Matthew Crawford’s “The Case for Working With Your Hands” best supports the “con” argument (that college might not be worth the cost). While Crawford does not directly address the cost of college, nor does he overtly oppose college or the white collar professions that typically follow, he eloquently reminds the reader that hands-on careers should not automatically be seen as less worthy or desirable. Furthermore, his articulate and well-reasoned argument establishes credibility with New York Times readers (and AP test takers), the vast majority of whom do have college degrees (or soon will).  He reminds people that a “pure information economy” – the one which favors the college educated – has not come to pass, as “now as ever, somebody has to actually do things: fix our cars, unclog our toilets, build our houses.” And, of course, many of these trades do not necessarily require a four-year college degree; they do, however, require skill.  This leads to his next point: working with your hands should not feel like a last resort.  He exposes the often condescending attitude towards manual labor: “When we praise people who do work that is  straightforwardly useful, the praise often betrays an assumption that they had no other options.” This is part of his overall strategy to get us to question our underlying assumptions and attitudes towards manual labor/arts; if we view these as lesser options in terms of their effect on our intellectual reputation, our ego will drive us towards college as the only respectable option for a smart person. If we begin to question these assumptions, we might begin to rationally assess whether college – especially with astronomical tuitions – is always the best choice, even for smart students who have a track record of academic success. Finally, this article makes an economic argument for working with your hands; many of those jobs can’t be outsourced, so they provide a stability which some information-based jobs can’t provide. Quoting Princeton professor Alan Binder, he reminds us that  “’You can’t hammer a nail over the Internet,’” and then Crawford adds “Nor can the Indians fix your car. Because they are in India.” In summary, this source prompts the high school reader to question whether college is worth it: “If the goal is to earn a living, then, maybe it isn’t really true that 18-year olds need to be imparted with a sense of panic about getting into college.”

Tonight: Keep working on writing your prompts and finding sources.  Also, read 2014 student essay response 1A.