In Malcolm Gladwell’s chapter, “The 10,000 Hour Rule,” he discusses the basis of talent and asserts that it may not be innate. Instead, he claims that success is achieved based on the decade in which

In Malcolm Gladwell’s chapter, “The 10,000 Hour Rule,” he discusses the basis of talent and asserts that it may not be innate. Instead, he claims that success is achieved based on the decade in which one is born, hitting 10,000 hours of practice, and having access to opportunities. Each of these elements is one of Gladwell’s major claims, and they will divide your paragraphs. In other words, one body paragraph will be about the timing of birth, another will be about 10,000 hours, and the final body paragraph will consider opportunity (though the order can change). Ultimately, it is your job to summarize the chapter and assess how Gladwell proves his argument. You will do this by thoroughly analyzing how successful his evidence is in terms of his projected audience. Thesis statement: Your thesis statement should be straightforward. It should clearly state the argument that Gladwell makes and name the three types/pieces of evidence that he relies on to make it. For example: Gladwell relies on charts, narratives, and expert opinion to show that talent and success are not innate. OR: In order to prove that talent is not innate, he shows that the time someone is born, the hours of practice they accrue, and access to opportunities determine success. Body paragraphs: Each body paragraph will introduce one of the claims made by the author and focus on 1) explaining the claim; 2) presenting ONE example of evidence from the reading; presenting ONE personal example or opinion to support or oppose the evidence; and 3) determining WHY and HOW that evidence works to support his claim. Gladwell uses A LOT of different kinds of evidence, so you should not repeat the types you analyze in each of these paragraphs. You will need to choose strategically. For example, I do not want to see 3 paragraphs about Gladwell’s use of personal stories. Each paragraph needs to consider its own claim and the veracity of its own unique evidence. Analyze the evidence.