Remember the two pieces we read on language for Oct 2..
Read this excerpt from the “Need and Purpose” Statement for the I-440 widening project at I-440 and Wade Avenue. Do you see what Ian Lockwood would call “biased language?” Pick at least five terms that Lockwood lists and count how often they appear in the “Need and Purpose” document. How often does the “Need and Purpose” document refer to people? to vehicles?
Take a look at these two Google Earth images of the I440 Beltline intersection at Wade Avenue. This one from 2015 before the project started and this one from 2021.Here is a folder of pictures of the construction process.
Write 500 words where Lockwood would offer what you would imagine his critique of the “Need and Purpose” statement. In what ways do you think this language affects how people would response to this project? Might different language lead to a different result? You might try rewriting a paragraph of the report using different language. Are there things that Lockwood doesn’t mention that you notice here? Submit through Moodle by class time on Oct 7 Because we will be discussing this in class on Oct 7, any late submissions will be penalized one letter grade, unless you have an excused absence on Oct 7. Your lab will be graded based on its use of the Lockwood reading and its application to the Need and Purpose statement.