(see page 2 for project directions)
Part 1: Lion Air Oct 2018
Read* the following news reports and press releases in order. (a few carefully, skim others) ● https://www.fastcompany.com/90258096/heres-what-we-know-about-the-indonesian-pla ne-crash-so-far ● AP News https://apnews.com/article/7c145dc3564045cea21cd387afebe5be ● Boeing Press Release 1 https://boeing.mediaroom.com/news-releases-statements?item=130327 ● Boeing Press Release 2 https://boeing.mediaroom.com/news-releases-statements?item=130336 ● Boeing Press Release 3 https://boeing.mediaroom.com/news-releases-statements?item=130402 ● BBC https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-46373125 Part 2: Ethiopian Airlines Mar 2019 Read the following news reports and press releases in order.
● CBS News
https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ethiopian-plane-crash-flight-et-302-crashes-minutes-afte
r-takeoff-boeing-737-8-max-live-updates-2019-03-10/
● Boeing Press Release 1
https://boeing.mediaroom.com/news-releases-statements?item=130401
● NYT https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/10/business/boeing-737-max.html
● Seattle Times
https://www.seattletimes.com/business/boeing-aerospace/a-sense-of-urgency-as-investi
gation-into-second-recent-crash-of-a-boeing-737-max-begins/
● Boeing Press Release 2
https://boeing.mediaroom.com/news-releases-statements?item=130403
● Boeing Press Release 3
https://boeing.mediaroom.com/news-releases-statements?item=130404
● Business Insider
https://www.businessinsider.com/boeing-737-max-properly-designed-pilots-did-not-compl
etely-follow-procedure-different-investigators-2019-4
● CNN
https://www.cnn.com/2019/05/23/business/american-airlines-boeing-pilots-union/index.ht
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Part 3: Investigation
Read* the following news reports and press releases in order.
● Boeing Press Release
https://boeing.mediaroom.com/2019-03-17-Boeing-CEO-Muilenburg-Issues-Statement-o
n-Ethiopian-Airlines-Flight-302-Accident-Investigation
● Boeing Press Release 2
https://boeing.mediaroom.com/2019-03-18-Letter-from-Boeing-CEO-Dennis-Muilenburgto-Airlines-Passengers-and-the-Aviation-Community
● NYT on Whistleblower
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/12/09/business/boeing-737-max-whistleblower.html
● Whistleblower Docs
https://docs.house.gov/meetings/PW/PW00/20191211/110296/HHRG-116-PW00-Wstate
-PiersonE-20191211.pdf
● US Dept of Justice
https://www.justice.gov/opa/pr/boeing-charged-737-max-fraud-conspiracy-and-agrees-pa
y-over-25-billion
● NPR
https://www.npr.org/2024/01/19/1225466035/boeing-737-max-faa-door-plug-alaska-cras
hes-ntsb
Note about Reading the above sources. Aim for a roughly 50/50 balance of skimming some
parts of the sources, and reading at least half of the documents’ content carefully. Take notes,
since doing so carefully saves time when writing the Project 3 essay/report.
——
Guiding directions and questions for student writing
Optional demo video (8 mins)
Note on this subject, company, and sources
The above documents are collected, organized, and offered as one example and to save
students time in finding their own sources, but many other options exist beyond this specific
company (Boeing) and the above two tragedies, including the Norfolk Southern train derailment
in Ohio, in the news recently (Feb. 2024) because it occurred about 1 year ago and still hasn’t
been “solved,” cleaned up, or addressed to avoid future similar catastrophes. The key part of
this assignment is to demonstrate students’ ability to read closely, to analyze how authors
describe a subject differently, and to note the consequences of those actions on the public.
Length
Aim for 1000 words as a basic minimum. Most importantly is to answer and analyze the 4 bullet
point questions below, or at least the bolded one and a couple others.
Format
Traditional persuasive, research-based essay (indented paragraphs), or persuasive report (also
paragraphs, often with some headings), or summary-response (10% summary, 90% response
where questions like “so what” are answered? i.e. today’s relevance of the subject). Another
option is “problem-solution” where 10% of student writing can be summarizing a problem and
describing already proposed solutions, and 90% describing students’ own ideas, views,
proposed solutions (or steps) and evaluations of which of others’ solutions are best. NOTE: The
90-10 percent numbers are not exact, but simply to guide students from the common tendency
to do the opposite, that is 90% or more of a summary/report document with little to no analysis,
and 10% or less of a students’ own ideas, opinions, and argument. ← this is to be avoided.
Questions to address in substantial detail in your Final Essay (or report)
● Analyze and describe the differences between internal company documents (written by
Boeing employees) and external public sources about the company (written by others,
non-employees)
● How did Boeing change their communication tactics in each of the 3 sections above? What
elements of their tactics were effective, and ineffective, and why?
● What did the whistleblower do well, and less well, and why? What would you do in a similar
situation?
● What should employees do in such a situation, and what should the general public
do about such an issue (that affects most citizens)?
Note: It’s okay to address one or more of the above questions in less detail than the others. The main
goal should be to substantially examine, focus on, and explore in some detail most* of the above bullet
points. Examining them in the order they’re listed is recommended since they build on each other, just like
the 3 sections of documents build on each other. But note that “recommended” in the previous sentence
is not “required,” so students may use their own judgment. The last one is bolded for a reason,
since it lends itself most easily to being a “thesis statement,” and answering it should involve
advocating one or more concrete actions, or steps, as the main takeaway and focus of your
persuasive research project.
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Relevant Syllabus Learning Outcomes
● Evaluate complex print, digital, and multimodal texts that engage significant academic,
professional, or civic issues
● Analyze and apply rhetorical principles appropriate to different purposes and goals,
within specific disciplinary, professional and civic communities
● Research and contribute to specific areas of inquiry by evaluating, synthesizing, and
integrating strategies and sources appropriate to genre