My students need excellent models of a sustained argument in non-fiction, and Micheal Pollan's "Botany of Desire" provides a superb example of such craft. They need a class set.
Writing is a craft whose art needs models and practice. My students need examples of expert writers to read and discuss, so that they can expand their own prose skills.
My AP Language students are Juniors in high school who come from all over our large city to attend our school.
Sometimes this means spending 2 1/2 hours on a bus to get to and from school. They come from diverse backgrounds both ethnically and economically over 40% of our school qualifies for free and reduced lunch. They are eager to read a wide variety of literature and dedicated to succeeding in this college level class as a high school student.
My Project
In The Botany of Desire, Micheal Pollan asks the following question: Do plants use humans as much as humans use plants? Pollan explores the symbiotic relationship between plants and humans in this thoroughly researched and engaging text. His use of historical, scientific and research based on interviews challenge traditional views regarding the relationship between humans and nature. The Botany of Desire allows my students to both engage with a professional model of an argumentative text and partake in discourse around Pollan's thesis. This example will give them a model for their own argumentative research paper.
Reading current non-fiction allows students to partake in critical discourse that matters in our society today.
Additionally, using expert writing models shows students where they can go in constructing their own prose.
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