RANSDELL’S ASSIGNMENT PACKET FOR ENGLISH 102/108

GENERAL TIPS FOR WRITING ACADEMIC PAPERS

1) Create a unique, interesting thesis. The thesis is the purpose of your paper—the main thing you want to prove. A strong thesis needs to be debatable (not everyone agrees), innovative (fresh), and manageable (you don’t need to write a book, just an essay).

You want your readers to think: “Wow, I never thought about that!”

You also want them to think: “I am not sure I agree…. but I will read the rest of the essay to find out.”

2) Provide a road map of your essay by stating your thesis (main point) and forecasting important sections of your essay. Include this information at the end of your first paragraph unless you start with an anecdote or similar device. The forecast hints at how you will prove your thesis. Your intro should also include the subject of your essay and author (if applicable).

3) Organize your essay in standard academic fashion (meaningful title, introduction with thesis/forecast, topic sentences followed by PIE paragraphs, conclusion). (Exception: for a “profile,” your analysis is actually your organization, which might be prepared in a separate document.)

4) Your conclusion should balance the intro by summarizing your main points. It should also be a similar length. The conclusion is the one place where you have room to break form by adding extra information or sneaking in information that didn’t fit anywhere else. Try to leave your reader with a lasting impression that’s a natural progression from your writing.

5) The key to writing a successful paper lies in the depth of your analysis. (For a “profile,” the key is getting good information from your subjects and choosing crucial elements to include in your finished essay.) Discuss specifics and wrestle with them. Dig down under the surface and analyze details. Most body paragraphs (pars. aside from the intro and conclusion) should have PIE: point (a topic sentence that states the main idea of your paragraph and shows a direct tie to the thesis or previous paragraph), illustration (an example or bit of proof), and explanation (your reasoning). In general, you should use one sentence to state your point, one or two to describe your proof, and several to explain how the proof proves your point. A basic body paragraph might look like this:

10% = topic sentence20% = illustration (proof)

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70% = your analysis

Most of each body paragraph should be your analysis, not a quote from the text or research material.

6) Save drafts of your essay in different files and back them up to avoid losing them. When you submit your essay, include drafts, especially any I commented on.

7) Word process your drafts and final versions. Double-space your essays using one-inch margins and a twelve-point font. You must submit a hard copy of your essay in order to receive a grade for it. You must also upload your essay to d2l.

8) Create a title that makes us curious about your essay. (Not “Essay 1” or “Family.”) Use MLA format: capitalize words other than articles or prepositions or conjunctions unless they’re the first or last words. For example: Procrastination Is the Best Tool of All.

9) Write first, edit last. After you are satisfied with the content of your essay, edit your essay for grammar and style. Editing is quite hard work, but it is very important. All writers need to go through this process, me included. If you turn in work with lots of small mistakes, your readers will assume that you are lazy. Not only will you lose credibility, but your readers won’t trust the content of your words. (Also, you will lose credit. You might lose part of a letter grade, a full letter grade, or, in extreme cases, you might even fail the paper.)

Even though grammar and punctuation are important, save yourself time by focusing on content first rather than editing material you throw out later anyway. To edit successfully, first spend ample time trying to find easy mistakes yourself. Use your grammar book to help with punctuation and other rules. Then get some outside help. If English isn’t your first language, try to find a native speaker who can help you. Even if English IS your first language, try to find someone who is “good” at English to help with small details. You might want to make an appointment at the free university service called the Think Tank to get private tutoring. You can also sign up for tutoring with the Writing Skills Improvement Program.

10) Submit your work on time. Otherwise you lose credit.

11) Make sure your essay satisfies the assignment. Otherwise your paper won’t earn a passing grade.

12) Formatting: On your first page, include at the top: your name, my name, course number, type of essay, date. Number the subsequent pages. (You don’t need a title page.)

13) If you get stuck when you’re trying to write the introduction, write a different part of your essay first. Often writers don’t discover what they’re trying to say until they reach the conclusion and start working backwards.

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14) Omit unnecessary information such as “I think” or “I liked this text.” Of course it’s what you think: It’s your essay! Of course you liked this text. Otherwise you would have chosen something else to write about!

15) For papers that include research, include a Works Cited page that follows MLA style. You can get all the information you need from Rules for Writers. (If your major field of study uses APA, feel free to use that style instead, but use it consistently and correctly throughout your document.)

16) To get full credit, you must submit your entire essay packet on time. You will need to turn in, in this order:

Final Draft (with Works Cited page if applicable)A list of peers’ comments (worth five points)Drafts 1A, 1B (5 points each) clearly labeledDrafts 2A, 2B (5 points each) clearly labeled(Drafts 3A, 3B if applicable)Any drafts I commented on

You will also need to upload your final essay to d2l by midnight on the day it’s due. (doc, docx, rtf only)

17) You must do your own original writing for every assignment in this class. Your peers and I will offer advice, but the ideas and writing must be your own. In addition, your work must be originally written for this class in English BY YOU.

Occasionally you may need to quote a source to prove your point. That’s fine, but be sure to give credit to the author. Put quotation marks around borrowed words and give the citation in parenthesis: “Parrots don’t usually turn into human beings” (Barnes 45). Note that in most cases, your quotations shouldn’t be more than one sentence long.

18) Using sources means integrating them into your text. Using long blocks of quotes (more than four lines at once) is generally ineffective. It is usually the sign of a lazy writer. For variety, you may use one block quote per essay. Extra examples of blocked quotes will cost you one letter grade per example.

19) Do remember that doing the minimal amount of work (for example, 1000 words if asked to write 1000-1500) usually earns a minimal grade.

THE WRITING PROCESS

Drafting: If you’ve read hundreds of books and penned thousands of words, you might be able to produce an A/B paper in a couple of drafts. If you’re not an avid

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reader and haven’t spent much time writing, you should plan on creating multiple drafts per essay and investing a lot of time to achieve a passing grade in this class.

Most writers do their best revising by concentrating on one area of writing per draft. One plan might be:

Draft 1: Just get it out.Draft 2: Coordinate your thesis with your topic sentences.Draft 3: Develop the analysis (add more examples and explanation).Draft 4: Edit for grammar and style.

Note: The reason to do multiple drafts is that you can’t hope to improve any one draft by a thousand percent. Instead you need to improve on it a few steps at a time. Each workshopping session should help you get to the next level.

Don’t forget to edit your final draft. Note the famous words of Peter Elbow: “Not editing is like leaving your dirty socks around for someone else to find.” (Writing with Power, p. 234)

WORKSHOPPING: THE WRITER

For a couple of class periods before each essay is due, we’ll devote our time to workshopping. The point of workshopping is for you to gather enough information to go on to the next draft. Workshopping is an excellent way to find out how your writing is working and to learn about yourself as a writer. It might be frustrating to realize that your draft still needs work, but if you can make use of opportunities for revision, chances are that your writing will be more effective and earn you higher grades.

Your classmates will work hard to offer their best advice, but that’s not to say that they will always be right! Sometimes you need to reject advice rather than embrace it. The point is that by thinking carefully about the decisions you make in your writing, you’ll develop a better sense of what your writing is doing and what it still needs to do. Here’s the beauty of being the writer--you make the final decisions.

For each essay, you’ll have the opportunity to get feedback from your classmates. Make the most of your time by preparing your best possible draft. Think about the information you need from your peers and ask them specific questions about your draft. Press them for an honest opinion about your work. If they gloss over your material and tell you it’s “really good” or “it really flows,” realize that they might not have spent enough time on your draft to give you a solid reading.

Note that you are responsible for 1) bringing copies of your drafts to class and 2) getting signed responses from your classmates. For full credit (10 points per workshopping session), bring two drafts labeled 1A and 1B (first workshop), new and improved drafts labeled 2A and 2B (second workshop), and new and improved drafts labeled 3A and 3B

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(third workshop). Use the information you gather from one class period to bring a stronger draft to the next one. Recycled drafts will not earn credit.

If you have to miss class, come to class without your draft, or fail to get comments from your classmates, you will lose points.

WORKSHOPPING: THE READER

Giving your classmates feedback will help them think about their essays, help you become a more perceptive reader, and give you strategies for working through your own essays. There are two basic types of comments: suggestions or directives. Use suggestions when you’re not sure what’s wrong but want to offer possibilities: You might…. You could…. Use directives when you feel more confident about what the essay needs: Add a thesis. Find more proof.

Write comments about your classmates’ content on the margins of their drafts and a short paragraph at the end. Make “facilitative” comments to help the writers consider new lines of thought: What about...? Write “directive” comments when you feel confident that you know what’s wrong: Add more analysis.

For all drafts:

* Respond to aspects you find particularly interesting. (I like this because....)* Praise parts that seem effective (writers assume that everything is effective!)* Warn writers about serious flaws (if you can’t find the thesis, say so)* Give your overall impression about what the writer should do to create the next draft

Considerations for Day 1: 1) Is there a clear thesis and forecast?2) Does the intro mention the name of the text(s) the essay is based on and its (their) author(s)? (if applicable)3) Do the body paragraphs match the thesis?4) In what ways does the draft match the essay assignment?

Considerations for Day 2:1) Does the author include a hook or does the essay start too abruptly?2) Does each TS (topic sentence) have a clear tie to the thesis or preceding paragraph?3) Do the paragraphs have PIE? (point, illustration, explanation)4) What points could be added? What extra proof would be helpful?5) Consider the essay’s organization. Which paragraphs might be more effective elsewhere?

Considerations for Day 3: 1) Is the title interesting and appropriate? If not, what other titles would you suggest?

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2) Does the thesis include a clear forecast that helps you make your way through the essay?3) Where should the writer add more proof? (What other facts might the author use?)4) Where should the writer add more analysis? (What sections need longer explanations?)5) How well does the conclusion match the intro? (They should reflect one another without being worded exactly the same way, and they should be a similar length.)6) Does the conclusion provide closure, or does it present key points that should have come earlier?7) How could the writer leave readers with more food for thought?

For your end comment:

* Give your overall impression of the essay’s strengths and weaknesses.* Point out especially noticeable problems. (“Your conclusion doesn’t match your thesis.”)* Encourage your classmates by including positive comments.* Respond as a reader--share some of your own views about the topic.

Although using Standard Written English is important, drafting is not the time to worry about it. Please ignore spelling and grammar until the last day of workshopping unless you can’t understand what the writer is trying to say. Editing should be the very final step in writing an essay.

NOTE: If you need time to complete your responses, you may take them home, or, if the essays are due the next class period, send your classmates comments via email. If your responses on your classmates’ drafts are incomplete, YOU WILL LOSE POINTS.

GRADING STANDARDS

Guidelines for essay types differ, but in general, when I evaluate your essay, I will consider your focus (thesis), analysis (how well you explain and decipher your points), organization (how the pieces fit together), strength of proof (persuasiveness), ingenuity (novelty of approach), rhetorical awareness (the effectiveness of your essay given its context), style (tone/word choice), and mechanics (grammar and spelling).

More specifically:A C essay needs to have a title, an introduction, a conclusion, a discernible, debatable thesis, and a coherent structure. The body paragraphs need to have at least minimal discussion and examples. The essay needs to adhere to the assignment, meet the minimum length requirement, and demonstrate an adequate use of mechanics.

A B essay needs to have a title that reflects the thesis, an organized introduction that has a balanced length, a logical conclusion, a discernible, interesting, and manageable thesis, a forecasting statement, a purposeful structure that is easy for readers to follow, multiple

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examples and associated analysis (PIE paragraphs), appropriate tone and style, a fairly accurate use of mechanics, and a mix of sentence structures. The essay also needs to match the assignment and meet the medium length requirement.

An A essay needs to have an unusual but logical title, a balanced and organized introduction that engages readers in your topic, an innovative thesis that is debatable and manageable, a forecasting statement, a purposeful structure that is crystal clear, in-depth analysis in the form of extended PIE paragraphs, a perfect or near-perfect use of mechanics, a mix of sentence structures, and accurate, college-level vocabulary. Your essay also needs to match or stretch beyond the assignment and demonstrate a deliberate and appropriate use of tone and style.

A D essay fails to satisfy one or more expectations for a C essay. An E essay misinterprets the assignment or the depth thereof or is riddled with errors.

A note about grammar: College writing requires the use of Standard Written English. If your essay contains multiple errors per page (commas or minor spelling mistakes), your essay will be marked down two thirds of a letter grade. If your essay has several errors per paragraph, your essay will be marked down a letter grade. If your essay is riddled with mistakes, especially serious mistakes such as run-ons and fragments that affect the readers’ comprehension, your essay will receive an E. You will need to compose your essays in SWE (Standard Written English) to pass this course.

D.R.’s Grammar Highlights

Note: following these simple guidelines might help you prevent common mistakes that could lower your grade.

When you make grammar mistakes, your readers may have to reread your sentence in order to understand it. That confuses them and makes them lose time. If you make enough mistakes, they’ll start to disagree with your opinions automatically! Instead, observe some simple rules to make your writing more effective.

1) Add a comma after a long introductory phrase: Even though it was long after midnight, I wrote three more drafts of my English essay. This comma helps your readers find the subject of your sentence.

2) Add a comma after a conjunction ONLY when the phrase that follows is an independent clause (a complete sentence). I thought I had enough time to write my essay, but I had to work until dawn to finish my work. (Note the difference: I thought I had enough time to write my essay but had to work until dawn to finish my work. No subject= no comma.)

3) Use commas around non-restrictive (unnecessary) clauses: My roommate, who never turns off her alarm clock, drives me crazy. The sentence could simply read “My roommate drives me crazy.” (If you have two roommates, the information becomes

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necessary so that you can explain which roommate is the sleepyhead: My roommate who never turns off her alarm clock drives me crazy. My other roommate never bothers to set one.)

4) Divide sentences with a semi-colon; use a comma after words such as “however.” We went to a terrific party last night; however, the food tasted awful.

5) Avoid run-ons. In other words, don’t run two sentences together your readers will be irritated. See what I mean? Run-ons are frustrating for readers because they assume they have misread and have to go back and reread your sentence only to find out that YOU are the one who made the mistake. Instead write: Don’t run two sentences together. Your readers will be irritated. If you want the sentences to work closely together, you might use a semi-colon instead: Don’t run two sentences together; your readers will be irritated.

6) Avoid fragments unless they are clearly used on purpose. A fragment is a word or phrase masquerading as a sentence but that is incomplete in some way. Bad idea? Once in a while it makes sense to use a fragment stylistically, but you have to be careful that it doesn’t seem like a mistake. For example, “Bad idea” isn’t a full sentence, but it demonstrates my example.

7) Avoid “number” mistakes. Grammatically, “everyone” is singular, but “their” is plural. Therefore it’s awkward to write: Everyone should bring their syllabus. Instead make the phrase plural: Students should bring their syllabi. (You can also use the singular form, but it’s awkward too: Everyone should bring his or her syllabus.)

8) Use colons precisely. A colon means one of two things: a list is coming or an example is coming. If you have an example or a direct quote coming, that example/quote might be a full sentence. Johnny told me a lot of things that night: “I’m not sure why I decided to sign up for college, but now that I did, I’m stuck.”

GRADED PAPERS

If I were to comment on all the things that you did well in your essays, your papers would be covered with ink, and I would be exhausted after reading each one! The nature of commenting, for the most part, is to mark things that aren’t working. Thus, most of the comments I make on your essays are designed to help you revise your work or otherwise strengthen your writing skills. If I think I understand what you’re trying to accomplish in your essay, my comments will mostly be directive: Add an example here; extend this line of thought; develop this paragraph. When I’m not sure of your goals for the essay, my comments will be mostly facilitative, designed to help you re-think key points: What’s your overall goal for this paper? How can you make these points add up? How else might you explain the author’s choices? What are some other aspects of the text that you noticed? I expect that you will receive higher grades as you progress through the semester and that your efforts will culminate in a strong portfolio.

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Some abbreviations you might find on your paper:

E1= Essay 1Th? = Where is your thesis? or, How does this tie to your thesis?FC?= What’s your forecast?TS?= What is your topic sentence?PIE?= Where is your point, illustration, and explanation?I?= Is this your illustration? Or, do you have an illustration?E?= Is this your explanation? Or, can you elaborate on your explanation?Squiggly line= a phrase that doesn’t work well or doesn’t make senseCheck marks= strong pointsUnderlining= strong points

ESSAY ASSIGNMENTS

Essay 1:

Rhetoric Analysis: Judging Effectiveness

Purpose: To analyze and evaluate the rhetorical strategies of one of the class texts—one of this year’s Superbowl commercials that you can access through the link I provide on d2l. The basic question is: Which elements make the commercial effective or prevent it from being so? Your thesis should give an overall assessment of the commercial’s effectiveness or lack thereof. Your forecast should include the main elements you’ll analyze to prove your thesis.

Specific Goals:

a) Demonstrate a critical understanding of the term “rhetorical analysis”

b) Analyze multiple strategies used by your chosen commercial to argue its effectiveness or lack thereof

c) Show correct use of quoting, paraphrasing, and summarizing

d) Write an organized essay in Standard Written English

To create your thesis, consider the following:

the author’s purpose the original audience and context

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emotional appeals—how the author (writer, company, etc.) makes you feel (the use of pathos)ethical appeals—how you feel about the author (the use of ethos)logical appeals—use of concrete points, organization (the use of logos)the deliberate use of language—syntax, diction, vocabulary, formality, accentthe style and tone—formal, informal, cheerful, sarcastic, humorous, etc.the visual effects—light, contrast, arrangement, color, framing, balancesound effects—noises, music, voicescontext—expectations, cultural aspectsreality factor—real world vs. fantasy world (magic, outer space, etc.)personal factor—your unique tie to this commercial (why it works/doesn’t work for you)

Your essay needn’t be exhaustive: Instead you should choose among an arsenal of rhetorical strategies to create your argument.

Examples of possible theses:

Although Sony’s Starburst 2016 commercial is convincing thanks to its ethical appeals and use of language, the tone detracts from the overall effect because…..

The Volkswagen 574 commercial makes a strong logical appeal by explaining the benefits of using electricity instead of gasoline, but the commercial is ineffective because ….

Additional Notes:

1. Few texts are great or awful in everything. Your essay will be more convincing if you include both strengths and weaknesses.

2. Briefly describe what happens in the commercial. Include this information in your intro or use a separate initial body paragraph. (Three sentences should be more than enough.)

3. Watch the commercial multiple times to discover an interesting, innovative thesis.

4. If appropriate, feel free to include a personal angle. (However, avoid writing “I think,” etc. It’s your essay. I know it’s what you think.)

4. Discuss texts in present tense: The Doritos commercial suggests that......

5. To avoid losing credit, compose your essay in STANDARD WRITTEN ENGLISH. Take the time to edit carefully, giving special attention to the items we reviewed in class.

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6. Make full use of workshopping sessions. Your peers will often have excellent suggestions. If your drafts don’t show changes, you won’t get credit for workshopping, and your final essay will be marked down a letter grade per workshopping session.

7. Submit your classmates’ drafts along with a list of their comments when you submit your final paper.

8. As a final step, upload your essay to d2l the day it’s due.

Length: 1250-1750 words (5-7 typed pages). If your essay runs a bit longer, that’s fine. If your essay is way too short, it won’t explain enough to be effective, so it won’t earn a passing grade.

Essay 2:

Controversy Analysis: Here Are the Facts

Purpose: To write an essay about a current (within the last three months) controversy that is important/interesting to you personally and to correctly incorporate sources using MLA or APA style.

Specific Goals:

a) Determine a recent controversy that particularly interests you.b) Investigate possible sourcesc) Write an organized, edited academic essay that provides both sides of the argument or multiple solutions to a problem.d) Use sources to develop your PIE paragraphs.e) Write a Works Cited page according to MLA style. (or APA)

Additional Notes:

1. The more in-depth your research/analysis, the stronger your paper. Also note that a strong Controversy Analysis will make it easier to write a strong Public Argument.

2. This is a research paper. You have to do research. As a minimum, you must have at least FOUR current sources (within the last three months). (For every missing source, you will lose a letter grade.)

3. You must correctly cite material inside your essay and create a Works Cited page according to MLA (or APA). Otherwise your essay will be marked down a letter grade.

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4. When possible, paraphrase instead of using a direct quote. In other words, put the material in your own words and sentences. (Don’t use long block quotes. They weaken your essay and may put your audience to sleep.)

5. When you need an exact quote from your source, be careful to use quotation marks around borrowed material and to acknowledge the author.

6. To avoid losing credit, compose your essay in STANDARD WRITTEN ENGLISH. Take the time to edit carefully, giving special attention to the items we reviewed in class.

7. Make full use of workshopping sessions. Your peers will often have excellent suggestions. If your drafts don’t show changes, you won’t get credit for workshopping, and your final essay will be marked down a letter grade per workshopping session. 8. Submit drafts your peers commented on when you submit the final version of your essay along with a list of their comments.

8. As a final step, upload your essay to d2l the day it’s due.

Length: 1750-2250 words (6-8 typed pages). Don’t worry if your paper runs a bit longer.

Essay 3:

Public Argument: Convincing Your Peers

Purpose: To turn your Controversy Analysis into a Public Argument via a dialogue performed by you and your classmates with the help of at least one visual and to provide an explanation of your rhetorical choices.

Specific Goals:

a) Write a 1000-word explanation or memo of the choices you made when writing your dialogue.

b) Write a persuasive dialogue to be performed by your classmates. The dialogue should clearly convey the important parts of your argument. Your classmates should learn from the dialogue and understand your position even if they don’t agree with it. The dialogue should last between 6-8 minutes. It must involve at least two speakers, but it may involve up to 24. You need to bring handouts for all the speakers to read from so that your presentation is smooth, organized, and easy to follow. You should provide at least one visual for your argument: This might be in the form of props for your speakers.

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Your fellow classmates will grade the dialogue on the basis of 1) engagement (did they find it interesting) 2) information (did you present concrete, logical, important facts) 3) persuasiveness (did your peers find the information convincing)

Tips

1/ Employ rhetorical strategies to convince your audience of your points:

2/ Establish trust (ethos) by showing knowledge of and genuine interest in your topic.

3/ Appeal to your audience’s emotions (pathos) to convince them to listen.

4/ Appeal to logos by presenting key points (Use your research from E2.) You might want to present at least one counter-argument.

5/ Include at least one visual.

6/ Compose your material in Standard Written English.

7/ You will have up to eight minutes for your Public Argument. After eight minutes, you’ll be asked to stop. If you miss class the day of your Public Argument, you forfeit one third of the grade.

Additional Notes:

1. Make full use of workshopping sessions. Your peers will often have excellent suggestions. If your drafts don’t show changes, you won’t get credit for workshopping, and your final essay will be marked down a letter grade per workshopping session.

2. Submit drafts your peers commented on when you submit the final version of your essay along with a list of your classmates’ most important comments.

3. As a final step, upload your essay to d2l the day it’s due.

Length: 1000-1500 words (4-7 typed pages). If your essay runs a bit longer, that’s fine. If your essay is way too short, it won’t explain enough to be effective, so it won’t earn a passing grade.

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Final Exam: Revision and Reflection

What Have I Learned via Public Arguments?

Your Final Project is an essay that consists of two parts. Use half of your paper to examine your own Public Argument. Use the other half to describe three presentations that you found especially noteworthy. Include an introduction and conclusion.

1/ Your Public Argument

Reflect on the Public Argument you wrote that was performed by your peers. Did your dialogue work the way you hoped it would? Overall, was it persuasive? What were some surprises? What were some successes and/or problems? What might you have done differently? What have you learned about argumentation through preparing this document?

2/ Expound on the Public Arguments of 3-5 of your classmates by examining the content and/or rhetorical strategies. Content: reflect on specifics from your classmates’ work (not their topics in general). What did your learn from their arguments? What would you like to learn more about? Feel free to disagree with their findings, but do so politely and with rational arguments. Rhetorical Strategies: What did you notice about their use of logos/ethos/pathos/language? How convincing were they? How might they have been even more successful?

Length: 1500-2000 words (6-8 typed, edited pages). If your essay runs a bit longer, that’s fine.

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