Essay Assignment #3 – The Proposal Argument
Davidson – English 101
11/13: In-Class Brainstorming
11/18: Writing Workshop. Paper Proposals Due by the end of class
11/20: First Drafts Due. Minimum 2 pages
11/25: Library Research Day. NO CLASS
11/27: Thanksgiving. NO CLASS
12/2: Second Drafts Due. Minimum 3 pages
12/4: Third Drafts Due. Minimum 4 pages
12/9: Final Papers Due in my office (LAB 336) between 12- 1pm
GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS:
A Proposal argument points to a specific problem, the consequences of a problem, or the circumstances that have created a problem. (The idea of the “problem” may also be understood as not necessarily being something that is completely wrong, but instead a way in which something may simply be improved). The argument then proposes a way in which to solve the problem, the consequences, or both. At the end of a successful proposal argument a reader should be able to both understand the problem presented and the means the writer has provided for the problem to be solved. Furthermore there should be sufficiently credible evidence for the reader to believe the writer’s claims.
HOW TO PROCEED:
Your thesis statement should introduce your argument and suggest the reason why you have chosen this specific subject to focus your analysis. Most importantly it should state the ideas you want your readers to accept. (The argument that follows should be why they should accept this). What do you have to offer that your reader did not initially realize as being problematic? How can you support your argument and convince the reader of what you have discovered as being a suitable proposal?
1). Acknowledge what you perceive to be the problem or what you believe may be improved.
ex: There is not enough parking on campus.
2). Explain why this is a problem and/or why you think it should be improved.
ex: Students and faculty alike are unable to make it to class on time which in turn disrupts the learning process. It also aggravates and annoys which causes further problems in concentration and overall happiness.
3). Propose a solution to the problem.
ex: Build a multi-layer parking garage adjacent to the Payne Center.
4). Provide extensive support why your solution is a viable one and provide a realistic assessment of how this plan could be carried out.
ex: The largest obstacle to this process will be the funding. By current estimates the entire procedure should cost ________ (your research should come in handy here). Three specific areas in which some of this cost could be alleviated are available to students….
5). Assess the negative impact(s) of your solution.
ex: This could provide a bit of antagonism among students who feel the cost of the parking garage should be provided through other sources. However, I would argue that….
6). Provide a reasonable claim as to why your solution is the best one.
ex: While the enrollment of Southern Miss continues to grow, this problem will continue to become worse and worse until a viable solution can be reached. My solution could provide for a swift turn around that would allow the students contributing to the parking garage to enjoy the benefits of their sacrifices.
FORMAT:
The minimum length of this assignment is FOUR pages. Papers must be typed, double-spaced, 12 point, Times New Roman, with one-inch margins. Any papers that deliberately manipulate any of these stipulations in order to gain length will be docked a minimum of a full letter grade. For the purposes of this assignment you will need a minimum of TWO secondary sources. You will need to hand in a paper copy (in my office between 12noon-1pm on Tuesday, December 9th) as well as submit your work in electronic format to turnitin.com (by no later than midnight on December 9th).
Monday, December 1, 2008
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Another Copy of Essay Assignment #2
Essay Assignment #2 – Critical Review
Davidson – English 101
TH 10/30: Paper Proposals Due. 2 Previously Published Reviews Due
T 11/4: ELECTION DAY Reviews Due
TH 11/6: 1st Drafts Due (2 pages. Bring a copy for each group member)
T 11/11: Writing Workshop. Bring edited copy (3 pages)
TH 11/13: Final Papers Due. Paper #3 Assigned
GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS:
This assignment asks you to begin the process of evaluating, by writing a review of a recently released movie, book, television series, CD or DVD, musical or theatrical performance, art exhibit, restaurant or other public event, service or artistic performance. While you will certainly begin the process by exploring what you personally think and feel about the thing/event in question, you will also need to carefully consider standards/criteria that are appropriate given your rhetorical situation, as well as the attitudes, beliefs, assumptions and/or values your audience will bring to the topic. It is crucial to remember that reviews are a form of argument; and as such, they must be persuasive, meaning that they must present criteria and examples, which seem reasonable and appropriate for their respective contexts and audiences.
Thus whatever thing you choose to review, you will need to spend some time not only exploring and analyzing your own reactions, ideas and feelings to the topic, but thinking carefully about the intended audience and context of the thing you are reviewing. You will then need to define standards that are appropriate for this rhetorical situation, and to explain and support your judgments in a way that your audience will not only appreciate, but find persuasive.
FORMAT:
The minimum length of this assignment is THREE pages. Not two pages and a few lines onto the third page – three complete pages. Papers must be typed, double-spaced, 12 point, Times New Roman, with one-inch margins. Any papers that deliberately manipulate any of these stipulations in order to gain length will be docked a minimum of a full letter grade. Plagiarism on any level will result in failure of the entire course and your work will be turned over to the proper university officials, which may in turn lead to suspensions or expulsions. You will need to hand in a paper copy and submit your work in electronic format to turnitin.com by no later than midnight on Thursday, November 13th.
Davidson – English 101
TH 10/30: Paper Proposals Due. 2 Previously Published Reviews Due
T 11/4: ELECTION DAY Reviews Due
TH 11/6: 1st Drafts Due (2 pages. Bring a copy for each group member)
T 11/11: Writing Workshop. Bring edited copy (3 pages)
TH 11/13: Final Papers Due. Paper #3 Assigned
GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS:
This assignment asks you to begin the process of evaluating, by writing a review of a recently released movie, book, television series, CD or DVD, musical or theatrical performance, art exhibit, restaurant or other public event, service or artistic performance. While you will certainly begin the process by exploring what you personally think and feel about the thing/event in question, you will also need to carefully consider standards/criteria that are appropriate given your rhetorical situation, as well as the attitudes, beliefs, assumptions and/or values your audience will bring to the topic. It is crucial to remember that reviews are a form of argument; and as such, they must be persuasive, meaning that they must present criteria and examples, which seem reasonable and appropriate for their respective contexts and audiences.
Thus whatever thing you choose to review, you will need to spend some time not only exploring and analyzing your own reactions, ideas and feelings to the topic, but thinking carefully about the intended audience and context of the thing you are reviewing. You will then need to define standards that are appropriate for this rhetorical situation, and to explain and support your judgments in a way that your audience will not only appreciate, but find persuasive.
FORMAT:
The minimum length of this assignment is THREE pages. Not two pages and a few lines onto the third page – three complete pages. Papers must be typed, double-spaced, 12 point, Times New Roman, with one-inch margins. Any papers that deliberately manipulate any of these stipulations in order to gain length will be docked a minimum of a full letter grade. Plagiarism on any level will result in failure of the entire course and your work will be turned over to the proper university officials, which may in turn lead to suspensions or expulsions. You will need to hand in a paper copy and submit your work in electronic format to turnitin.com by no later than midnight on Thursday, November 13th.
Thursday, September 18, 2008
Another Copy of Essay Assignment #1
Essay Assignment #1 – The Multi-Genre Essay
Davidson – English 101
9/18: Paper Proposals Due
9/23: Introductions and Thesis Statements Due (Bring a copy for yourself and every member
of your group)
9/25: Print Media Rough Draft Due
9/30: Visual with Words Rough Draft Due
10/02: Informational Rough Draft Due
10/07: Creative Rough Draft Due
10/09: Structured Rough Draft Due and Conclusions Due (Bring a copy for yourself and every member of your group)
10/14: Final Papers Due
GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS:
This essay assignment starts and ends like a traditional essay. You will begin with an introduction that has a clear thesis statement and end with a conclusion that allows your reader to reassess and validate the claims you have made in your argument. For the body of your paper you will choose five different genres and write your argument under the guidelines of each. There are five general categories of genres below and in each category are specific ideas to help get you started. You will also be required to include an explanation for each genre choice.
For example if your general argument is that Barack Obama is the best candidate for president you would begin by creating an introduction that sets up your argument as well as a clear thesis statement that makes your own argument more specific and original. After that you would try and discover which genres would best help make your argument successful. For Print Media, you may decide that you would like to write a letter to the editor to combat comments that were made by a columnist or by Sarah Palin. You could also decide that creating a Southern Mississippi Freshmen for Obama website would be more effective. For each choice make sure you are aware of the language that is traditionally used in this genre as well as being confident in your approach as being appropriate for your argument.
GRADING BREAKDOWN:
Introduction and Conclusion: 25%
Five Explanations: 25%
Five Genre Based Documents: 50%
CATEGORIES:
You must choose one genre from each category and create a document using this genre to support your argument
Print Media Informational Structured Visual with Words Creative
Newspaper Article Interview Essay Poster Skit
Magazine Article Survey Report Invitation Song
Editorial Trivia Game Book Review Advertisement Poem
Advice Column Encyclopedia Letter Travel Brochure Short Story
Letter to the Editor Quiz/Test Email Greeting Card Personal Narrative
Website Menu Speech Comic Strip Conversation
Blog/Facebook/MySpace Syllabus Job Application CD Cover Diary
Recipe Resume Collage
Map with Directions
So a completed paper will include an introduction, one document from each of these categories, explanation for each document, and a conclusion. Using the same Barack Obama topic as an example your final paper might look like:
• Introduction with thesis statement.
• Print Media - Advice Column: John McCain writing in and a young voter giving advice to him about what he should do to be more like Barack Obama.
• Informational – Recipe: “How to Make a Better America Without Breaking an Egg”
• Structured – Speech: “Obama To the Top!” (Designed for an audience of Southern Mississippi students).
• Visual with words - Invitation to the inauguration complete with detailed descriptions of reception, keynote speakers and a brief thank you from Obama to all of his supporters.
• Creative – Michelle Obama’s diary on the campaign trail all the way up to her inauguration as first lady.
EXPLANATION SECTION:
One aspect of this essay assignment is designed to make you consider your choices in constructing an essay (traditional or otherwise). To that end, you must defend your choice of genre as well as display knowledge of that genre and the language traditionally used within the genre. Each explanation should include:
• One paragraph briefly exploring the genre you have chosen. For example: Advice Columns traditionally use a basic question and answer format. The question is given on a particular subject and an expert answers in detailed fashion. The questions are traditionally brief and to the point. The answers are usually much longer and more complex and illustrate the expertise of the advisor by providing solutions.
• One paragraph explaining why you chose this genre as being most effective for the argument you are trying to make. For example: A Greeting Card worked best for my specific argument because I was able to play with the over the top language of the Greeting Card in order to further make my point about the hypocritical nature of moral conduct in relation to marriage. This is in turn I think I can use to my advantage to illustrate much more important points about gay marriage.
• One paragraph discussing the actual language that you used in your document. For example: Initially in my advertisement, the text read: “Go Green, Help the Earth Get Lean (Again).” I liked the rhyming, but thought that the “Go Green” might be a little cliché already. Part of my idea was to have this be an advertisement urging people to become more involved so I decided that “Help the Earth Get Better, Write a Letter” worked in a much more efficient way. It also helped clarify the visual and I think overall is much catchier and clearer.
Davidson – English 101
9/18: Paper Proposals Due
9/23: Introductions and Thesis Statements Due (Bring a copy for yourself and every member
of your group)
9/25: Print Media Rough Draft Due
9/30: Visual with Words Rough Draft Due
10/02: Informational Rough Draft Due
10/07: Creative Rough Draft Due
10/09: Structured Rough Draft Due and Conclusions Due (Bring a copy for yourself and every member of your group)
10/14: Final Papers Due
GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS:
This essay assignment starts and ends like a traditional essay. You will begin with an introduction that has a clear thesis statement and end with a conclusion that allows your reader to reassess and validate the claims you have made in your argument. For the body of your paper you will choose five different genres and write your argument under the guidelines of each. There are five general categories of genres below and in each category are specific ideas to help get you started. You will also be required to include an explanation for each genre choice.
For example if your general argument is that Barack Obama is the best candidate for president you would begin by creating an introduction that sets up your argument as well as a clear thesis statement that makes your own argument more specific and original. After that you would try and discover which genres would best help make your argument successful. For Print Media, you may decide that you would like to write a letter to the editor to combat comments that were made by a columnist or by Sarah Palin. You could also decide that creating a Southern Mississippi Freshmen for Obama website would be more effective. For each choice make sure you are aware of the language that is traditionally used in this genre as well as being confident in your approach as being appropriate for your argument.
GRADING BREAKDOWN:
Introduction and Conclusion: 25%
Five Explanations: 25%
Five Genre Based Documents: 50%
CATEGORIES:
You must choose one genre from each category and create a document using this genre to support your argument
Print Media Informational Structured Visual with Words Creative
Newspaper Article Interview Essay Poster Skit
Magazine Article Survey Report Invitation Song
Editorial Trivia Game Book Review Advertisement Poem
Advice Column Encyclopedia Letter Travel Brochure Short Story
Letter to the Editor Quiz/Test Email Greeting Card Personal Narrative
Website Menu Speech Comic Strip Conversation
Blog/Facebook/MySpace Syllabus Job Application CD Cover Diary
Recipe Resume Collage
Map with Directions
So a completed paper will include an introduction, one document from each of these categories, explanation for each document, and a conclusion. Using the same Barack Obama topic as an example your final paper might look like:
• Introduction with thesis statement.
• Print Media - Advice Column: John McCain writing in and a young voter giving advice to him about what he should do to be more like Barack Obama.
• Informational – Recipe: “How to Make a Better America Without Breaking an Egg”
• Structured – Speech: “Obama To the Top!” (Designed for an audience of Southern Mississippi students).
• Visual with words - Invitation to the inauguration complete with detailed descriptions of reception, keynote speakers and a brief thank you from Obama to all of his supporters.
• Creative – Michelle Obama’s diary on the campaign trail all the way up to her inauguration as first lady.
EXPLANATION SECTION:
One aspect of this essay assignment is designed to make you consider your choices in constructing an essay (traditional or otherwise). To that end, you must defend your choice of genre as well as display knowledge of that genre and the language traditionally used within the genre. Each explanation should include:
• One paragraph briefly exploring the genre you have chosen. For example: Advice Columns traditionally use a basic question and answer format. The question is given on a particular subject and an expert answers in detailed fashion. The questions are traditionally brief and to the point. The answers are usually much longer and more complex and illustrate the expertise of the advisor by providing solutions.
• One paragraph explaining why you chose this genre as being most effective for the argument you are trying to make. For example: A Greeting Card worked best for my specific argument because I was able to play with the over the top language of the Greeting Card in order to further make my point about the hypocritical nature of moral conduct in relation to marriage. This is in turn I think I can use to my advantage to illustrate much more important points about gay marriage.
• One paragraph discussing the actual language that you used in your document. For example: Initially in my advertisement, the text read: “Go Green, Help the Earth Get Lean (Again).” I liked the rhyming, but thought that the “Go Green” might be a little cliché already. Part of my idea was to have this be an advertisement urging people to become more involved so I decided that “Help the Earth Get Better, Write a Letter” worked in a much more efficient way. It also helped clarify the visual and I think overall is much catchier and clearer.
Voting
Remember to vote for two categories: Best Content and Most Original
Reply to this post as a comment with a name and reason why. For example:
Best Content - Frank
I really felt that his discussion of why people smoke outside of bars was original and well written.
Most Original - Heather
Her blog is really her own. It has a lot of personality and I feel like I know more about her just by going on there.
Reply to this post as a comment with a name and reason why. For example:
Best Content - Frank
I really felt that his discussion of why people smoke outside of bars was original and well written.
Most Original - Heather
Her blog is really her own. It has a lot of personality and I feel like I know more about her just by going on there.
Wednesday, September 17, 2008
Homework for Thursday September 18th
Bring a typed paper proposal that illustrates a clear purpose for your multi-genre essay. You should include a clear thesis statement (the main argument you are making) as well as a plan for each of the five sections.
Sunday, September 7, 2008
Peer Response Groups
Quintelligent - "Intelligence x 5"
Carlos, Kamron, Sarah, Adair, and Megan
The Teacher's Pets - "We Kiss Arse"
Quincy, Jay, Ashton, and Mahogany
Emceekaypee - "We Fly High"
Paige, Kari, Matt, and Courtney
English Eagles - "To the Top"
Saquanda, Theriton, Connie, and Danielle
Spartans - "We Don't Need 300 Cuz We Got 4 of the Best"
Keith, Veronica, Garrett, and Madison
Young Billionaires - "Predestined to Succeed"
Saidah, Takera, Dale, and LaKeisha
Carlos, Kamron, Sarah, Adair, and Megan
The Teacher's Pets - "We Kiss Arse"
Quincy, Jay, Ashton, and Mahogany
Emceekaypee - "We Fly High"
Paige, Kari, Matt, and Courtney
English Eagles - "To the Top"
Saquanda, Theriton, Connie, and Danielle
Spartans - "We Don't Need 300 Cuz We Got 4 of the Best"
Keith, Veronica, Garrett, and Madison
Young Billionaires - "Predestined to Succeed"
Saidah, Takera, Dale, and LaKeisha
Friday, September 5, 2008
Homework for Tuesday September 9th
In addition to the weekly blog entry (minimum 250 words, posted by Friday, 5pm)...
Bring a typed "How-To" on any topic of your choice. This "How-To" should be be no less than 250 words and include as much detail as possible. For example if you are writing about how to shoot the perfect jumpshot you would have to take into consideration such things as hand placement, footwork, rotation, follow through, etc. If you are writing about how to become president you would have to take into consideration such things as speeches, mudslinging, raising funds, traveling, etc.
Since this is an exercise meant to help you with your multi-genre essay, if you already have a topic feel free to write your "how-to" on this topic. Please contact me with any questions.
Bring a typed "How-To" on any topic of your choice. This "How-To" should be be no less than 250 words and include as much detail as possible. For example if you are writing about how to shoot the perfect jumpshot you would have to take into consideration such things as hand placement, footwork, rotation, follow through, etc. If you are writing about how to become president you would have to take into consideration such things as speeches, mudslinging, raising funds, traveling, etc.
Since this is an exercise meant to help you with your multi-genre essay, if you already have a topic feel free to write your "how-to" on this topic. Please contact me with any questions.
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