Prompt Dissection and S.M.E.L.L. Analysis
Step 1: Dissect the Prompt
What does the prompt say?
(Use this column to record the What does this mean to you?
specific wording of each step (Use this column to state each
Steps of Prompt Dissection from the prompt.) part in your words.)
1. Determine the context or Many recent college College graduates are having
background information. graduates have faced record trouble finding jobs after
levels of unemployment. graduation.
2. Locate the sources that you will “Carefully read the following Get your information from the
draw from to inform or six sources, including the provided sources.
support your argument. introductory information for
each source.”
3. Identify the broad task of the Is college worth the cost we Is it better to go to college to
prompt. pay for it? spend a lot on the education
and make a lot later, or to
work now and save the money
that could have gone into
college education?
4. Determine the specific task of Create an argument about Make a claim on whether
the prompt. whether or not college is college is worth the time and
worth the money we pay. money, or not.
5. Determine the EXPLICIT steps Use the provided sources to Analyze provided articles and
that must be taken to develop and explain my pictures to support my claim
complete the task. argument.
6. Consider the implicit directions Not Applicable. The implicit Analyze and write an essay
or expectations. part of the prompt is not based off claims I can make
stated directly. Record the towards the issue at hand
implicit expectations in the
next column.
Step 2: Analyze Your Sources Using S.M.E.L.L.
A solid understanding of your sources is the first step in being able to have a conversation with
them. Review all six sources that are provided for question one (refer to the link on the lesson page).
Choose three of the sources and complete the S.M.E.L.L. analysis chart. Be sure to identify the
sources you analyze in each column.
S.M.E.L.L. STEP Source B Source C Source E
S—Sender/Receiver. Writer: Michael Roth Writer: Heidi Shierholz Writer: Ben Wieder
Ask these questions: Audience: The Public Audience: Economic Audience: University
o Who is the writer? The audience needs to Leaders students
o Who is the audience? have knowledge of The writer's purpose is The writer's purpose is
o What knowledge does college and career to show that college is to inform of a new
the audience need choices and how they not as beneficial as it program, created by
This study source was downloaded by 100000850872992 from CourseHero.com on 03-22-2023 11:08:01 GMT -05:00
https://www.coursehero.com/file/31137980/0603-Conversations-and-Claimsdocx/
, coming into the relate. The audience once was to a good- the founder of PayPal,
argument? expects to learn in paying job. The and to present claims
o What are the depth how a Liberal audience needs to for and against the
audience’s Arts education is have knowledge of the program. The audience
expectations? beneficial to the expense of college, expects to learn about
o What is the writer’s population. The compared to the pay- the benefits and
purpose? writer's purpose is to out. They should also disadvantages of going
persuade the audience expect to see proof to to traditional college.
to have an interest in support the writer's
liberal arts. claim.
M—Message. Ask The subject of this Due to inflation, the The writer's claim is
these questions: source is how liberal hourly pay of college seeking higher level
o What is the overall arts is a viable and graduates had gone education at the high
issue, problem, valuable career path from increasing to cost and demand it
and/or subject? to go into. The claim decreasing. The wage stands at, today, is a
o What is the claim? is that students growth is not likely to costly. The counter
o What is the should not go to occur, substantially, for claim is leaving
counterclaim? college to learn one traditional school will
many years. The claim
o What is the historical specific thing, but only be beneficial to a
is that college no
context surrounding many things that they small number of
can continue to build longer gives benefits students, and even
the issue?
on throughout their for a higher paying job. then, it is risky. This
o How is the
life. The counter claim The counterclaim is not counterclaim is
counterclaim
is that students will directly addressed but addressed in a rebuttal
addressed?
o Where is the not be adequately can be inferred that paragraph.
counterclaim prepared for life students are better off
addressed? immediately, but this educated even if they
idea is refuted when don’t make as much
the author states that money as expected.
they will be able to
use their education
throughout their
lives.
E—Evidence. Ask these Evidence For- “A Evidence For-With the Evidence for- “Students
questions: successful liberal arts article, a graph is today are taking on
o What evidence is used education develops provided to show the more debt… ‘If you get
to support the the capacity for increases and this wrong, it’s actually
writer’s claim? innovation and for decreases of hourly a mistake that’s hard to
o What evidence is used judgment.” wages for entry level undo for the rest of
to refute the "..., but being able to jobs for college your life,’ he said.”
opposition’s position? draw on one’s
graduates. The graph "The fellowship seeks
o Can the evidence be education over a
ends with a declining to help winners
verified? lifetime is much more
practical (and slope. This evidence is develop their ideas
o Are the sources
precious)." verifiable, as a credible more quickly than they
credible?
Evidence Against-". source is included at would at a traditional
o Has ample evidence
Being ready on DAY the bottom of the university. Its broader
been provided?
article. Any audience aim goes beyond
This study source was downloaded by 100000850872992 from CourseHero.com on 03-22-2023 11:08:01 GMT -05:00
https://www.coursehero.com/file/31137980/0603-Conversations-and-Claimsdocx/
Step 1: Dissect the Prompt
What does the prompt say?
(Use this column to record the What does this mean to you?
specific wording of each step (Use this column to state each
Steps of Prompt Dissection from the prompt.) part in your words.)
1. Determine the context or Many recent college College graduates are having
background information. graduates have faced record trouble finding jobs after
levels of unemployment. graduation.
2. Locate the sources that you will “Carefully read the following Get your information from the
draw from to inform or six sources, including the provided sources.
support your argument. introductory information for
each source.”
3. Identify the broad task of the Is college worth the cost we Is it better to go to college to
prompt. pay for it? spend a lot on the education
and make a lot later, or to
work now and save the money
that could have gone into
college education?
4. Determine the specific task of Create an argument about Make a claim on whether
the prompt. whether or not college is college is worth the time and
worth the money we pay. money, or not.
5. Determine the EXPLICIT steps Use the provided sources to Analyze provided articles and
that must be taken to develop and explain my pictures to support my claim
complete the task. argument.
6. Consider the implicit directions Not Applicable. The implicit Analyze and write an essay
or expectations. part of the prompt is not based off claims I can make
stated directly. Record the towards the issue at hand
implicit expectations in the
next column.
Step 2: Analyze Your Sources Using S.M.E.L.L.
A solid understanding of your sources is the first step in being able to have a conversation with
them. Review all six sources that are provided for question one (refer to the link on the lesson page).
Choose three of the sources and complete the S.M.E.L.L. analysis chart. Be sure to identify the
sources you analyze in each column.
S.M.E.L.L. STEP Source B Source C Source E
S—Sender/Receiver. Writer: Michael Roth Writer: Heidi Shierholz Writer: Ben Wieder
Ask these questions: Audience: The Public Audience: Economic Audience: University
o Who is the writer? The audience needs to Leaders students
o Who is the audience? have knowledge of The writer's purpose is The writer's purpose is
o What knowledge does college and career to show that college is to inform of a new
the audience need choices and how they not as beneficial as it program, created by
This study source was downloaded by 100000850872992 from CourseHero.com on 03-22-2023 11:08:01 GMT -05:00
https://www.coursehero.com/file/31137980/0603-Conversations-and-Claimsdocx/
, coming into the relate. The audience once was to a good- the founder of PayPal,
argument? expects to learn in paying job. The and to present claims
o What are the depth how a Liberal audience needs to for and against the
audience’s Arts education is have knowledge of the program. The audience
expectations? beneficial to the expense of college, expects to learn about
o What is the writer’s population. The compared to the pay- the benefits and
purpose? writer's purpose is to out. They should also disadvantages of going
persuade the audience expect to see proof to to traditional college.
to have an interest in support the writer's
liberal arts. claim.
M—Message. Ask The subject of this Due to inflation, the The writer's claim is
these questions: source is how liberal hourly pay of college seeking higher level
o What is the overall arts is a viable and graduates had gone education at the high
issue, problem, valuable career path from increasing to cost and demand it
and/or subject? to go into. The claim decreasing. The wage stands at, today, is a
o What is the claim? is that students growth is not likely to costly. The counter
o What is the should not go to occur, substantially, for claim is leaving
counterclaim? college to learn one traditional school will
many years. The claim
o What is the historical specific thing, but only be beneficial to a
is that college no
context surrounding many things that they small number of
can continue to build longer gives benefits students, and even
the issue?
on throughout their for a higher paying job. then, it is risky. This
o How is the
life. The counter claim The counterclaim is not counterclaim is
counterclaim
is that students will directly addressed but addressed in a rebuttal
addressed?
o Where is the not be adequately can be inferred that paragraph.
counterclaim prepared for life students are better off
addressed? immediately, but this educated even if they
idea is refuted when don’t make as much
the author states that money as expected.
they will be able to
use their education
throughout their
lives.
E—Evidence. Ask these Evidence For- “A Evidence For-With the Evidence for- “Students
questions: successful liberal arts article, a graph is today are taking on
o What evidence is used education develops provided to show the more debt… ‘If you get
to support the the capacity for increases and this wrong, it’s actually
writer’s claim? innovation and for decreases of hourly a mistake that’s hard to
o What evidence is used judgment.” wages for entry level undo for the rest of
to refute the "..., but being able to jobs for college your life,’ he said.”
opposition’s position? draw on one’s
graduates. The graph "The fellowship seeks
o Can the evidence be education over a
ends with a declining to help winners
verified? lifetime is much more
practical (and slope. This evidence is develop their ideas
o Are the sources
precious)." verifiable, as a credible more quickly than they
credible?
Evidence Against-". source is included at would at a traditional
o Has ample evidence
Being ready on DAY the bottom of the university. Its broader
been provided?
article. Any audience aim goes beyond
This study source was downloaded by 100000850872992 from CourseHero.com on 03-22-2023 11:08:01 GMT -05:00
https://www.coursehero.com/file/31137980/0603-Conversations-and-Claimsdocx/
