to start off i need this assignment outline in 9 hours. the due dates for the rought draft and the final draft are next week but i need the outline within 9 hours. i want the outline on a pdf file. the rough draft on a separate file and the final draft on a separate file too.
Essay 2: Rhetorical Analysis
(Critically examining an author’s: Purpose, Argument, Claims, Evidence, and Strategies)
Textual theme: “Various Paths in Education and Career”
| Writing Process Assignments: | Due dates: |
| Outline w/ thesis due (10 pts.) | 11:59 p.m. on Sun., 3/10 |
| Typed up, double-spaced rough draft due (15 pts.) | 11:59 p.m. on Sun., 3/17 |
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MLA-formatted final draft due (100 points) *If you have a yellow Writing Center tutor slip, email me proof for 5 points extra credit. |
11:59 p.m. on Sun., 3/24 |
- Required Essay Length: 3-5 pages (3 full pages minimum)
For this essay, you will be applying the Aristotelian appeals (ethical, logical, and emotional) to the rhetoric of ONE of the three articles below:
- Steven Pearlstein’s “Meet the parents who won’t let their children study literature”
- Kenneth Gibbs, Jr.’s “Diversity in STEM: What It Is and Why It Matters”
- Allie Bidwell’s “Vocational High Schools: Career Path or Kiss of Death?”
Pearlstein Gibbs, Jr. Bidwell
Your essay must show an understanding of ALL THREE appeals: ethos, pathos, and logos. You must offer a critical evaluation and analysis of the article and bring in new insights.
- You must include the following components in your rhetorical analysis:
- In the introduction paragraph(s), generally address the topic at hand and why it matters to certain people, summarize the article, provide the author’s central argument and purpose, and give some context about the author.
- Establish a clear thesis in which you state the main points you will make regarding your rhetorical analysis of this article. You should mention the Aristotelian appeals, asserting your evaluation of each appeal’s effectiveness (ineffective? somewhat effective? highly effective?).
- Summarize in your own words a few of the key claims the author presents in the article and identify the evidence type (ie. fact, line of reasoning, personal testimony, expert opinion, etc.). and concretely cite the supporting evidence itself (meaning you should quote and/or paraphrase). Describe how strong the content and delivery of that evidence is.
- Analyze and evaluate the different kinds of strategies the author uses to convince the audience. You must consider all three appeals: ethos, pathos and logos (ethical, emotional, and logical appeals . . . you should use the English form of the terms, rather than the Greek; just be consistent). Remember to identify the strategy and go in depth on HOW it might allow them to persuade the audience. Also, consider any weaknesses the speech has or alternative ways the information could have been presented.
- Comment on the significance of your essay and the topic at hand. How did this experience change or enhance your views on education and career paths? Apply thoughtful “real world application” insights. By the end of the essay, it’s OK to use “I” and make it personal.
Rhetorical Requirements:
As you evaluate the rhetorical strategies employed in the article, you will employ rhetorical strategies of your own to convince your reader that the argument you are making is well supported. Please consider the following:
- Audience: Write the paper formally, as if addressing an educated reader who is unfamiliar with the author and article.
- Evidence: Present and analyze specific quotations and examples from the article as evidence for the author’s claims—as well as your own claims.
- Structure: Use an effective structure that carefully guides the reader from one idea to the next. Pay careful attention to topic sentences and transitions between ideas and paragraphs.
- Presentation: Edit your paper thoroughly so that sentences are readable and appropriate for an academic audience. Use proper MLA format.
- Underline your thesis on the final copy you turn in.
Submit your final draft online to Canvas by the due date (Sunday, 3/24).
By the way…
You are performing a rhetorical evaluation and analysis of this text. The focus should not be whether or not you agree or disagree with the author.
Essay #2: Grading Rubric
CRITERIA: POINTS:
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Accurately and effectively introduce and contextualize the author’s background, their article, and their central argument and purpose in your introduction. This includes having an effective attention grabber on the topic at hand. |
9 |
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Establish a clear thesis that states the major points you will make in your rhetorical analysis of the article. It should explain the major rhetorical moves you will discuss/evaluate and to what extent you feel this article to be persuasive. |
5 |
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Summarize in your own words a few of the claims the author makes and analyze the ways in which he or she supports them. Demonstrate a critical comprehension of the article. |
5 |
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Identify and critically analyze and evaluate the different kinds of evidence the author uses in order to advance his or her argument. Listing evidence is not a critical discussion. Include how the evidence supports a specific claim the author makes. |
10 |
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Critically analyze and evaluate the different kinds of strategies they use to convince the audience. You must consider all three appeals: ethos, pathos and logos. Remember to identify the strategy and go in depth on HOW it might allow the author to persuade the audience. Describe to what extent each appeal is effective. |
20 |
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Effectively use textual evidence to support your analysis. Adequately introduce, correctly cite, and effectively comment on the quotation or paraphrase. |
15 |
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Use an effective structure that smoothly guides the reader from one idea to the next. Include transitional phrases and effective, substantially crafted topic sentences. |
10 |
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Have thoroughly edited your paper. Adhere to MLA format, length requirement, grammar, punctuation, and sentence structure. |
12 |
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Thoughtfully and eloquently conclude your discussion. Comment on the significance of your essay and the topic at hand. The “heart of the matter” is considered here, along with, perhaps, some “real world” application. |
9 |
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Voice and style will be considered here. Use third person (he/she) when appropriate and a formal academic tone. Avoid wordiness and always use present tense when discussing texts (unless you are referring to a specific point in the past). |
5 |
100 points total
Now that you’ve completed everything in this Week 6 module, you’re ready to begin your outline. Please use a Roman numeral/alphabetized format, like the one I have below. I have it also in Word document format for you here.
Please submit an outline with phrasal or fragmented ideas, rather than complete sentences (it can basically look something like this English 99 student’s sample outline, where decisions on quotations and concrete points are clearly demonstrated) . I am not expecting you to submit a rough draft at this point (that’s due next week, not this week–and you can’t “double-dip” for credit on the assignment). If you notice that what you are composing feels more like a rough draft rather than an outline, you should email me.
An outline should feel more like a skeletal plan you’ll develop later on. Please note that this outline does not have to follow a five-paragraph essay structure at all! You can mold it into however it supports your thesis. Again, email me if you’d like to deviate a bit from this “formulaic” suggestion of an outline but simply need guidance on how to do it. I’m here to help your ideas come to fruition!
QUESTIONS?? Email me if you have any specific follow-up questions about this. However, please note that if you have many questions or a question that would take more than a few sentences to answer in an email, then do contact me to arrange an “office hours” appointment (in person, on the phone, or on Zoom).
I have plenty of office hours available this week (click here). I can also make myself available at various times Friday morning or in the late afternoon/evening, 3/8, if you’d like to go over your outline together more in-depth.
ESSAY #2 SAMPLE OUTLINE (TO HELP YOU STRUCTURE YOUR ROUGH DRAFT)
Your Creative Title for the Essay
- Introduction Paragraph
- Engaging Opener (address the “larger conversation at hand” and “the heart of the matter”)
- Introduce and contextualize the author and text (background, publication date, etc.)
- Author’s Purpose
- Author’s Argument
- Your clear, evaluative thesis on the three Aristotelian appeals (highly effective, somewhat effective, ineffective? You decide to what degree each is effective). Your thesis is your own argument, as well as a “map” for what you will be covering in your essay.
- Body Paragraph #1
- Topic Sentence (perhaps on a highly effective appeal)
- Evidence #1 (direct quotation from the text)
- Summarize this quotation in your own words
- Identify the claim that this evidence supports in your own words
- Evaluate and analyze what makes this quotation strong/persuasive/successful but also maybe NOT so strong/persuasive/successful
- Evidence #2 (direct quotation from the text)
- Summarize this quotation in your own words
- Identify the claim that this evidence supports in your own words
- Evaluate and analyze what makes this quotation strong/persuasive/successful but also maybe NOT so strong/persuasive/successful
- Conclusive statement: How does all of this advance the overall argument and persuade the intended audience? Consider who the intended audience might be.
III. Body Paragraph #2
- Topic Sentence (perhaps on a somewhat effective appeal)
- Evidence #3 (direct quotation from the text)
- Summarize this quotation in your own words
- Identify the claim that this evidence supports in your own words
- Evaluate and analyze what makes this quotation strong/persuasive/successful
- Evidence #4 (direct quotation from the text)
- Summarize this quotation in your own words
- Identify the claim that this evidence supports in your own words
- Evaluate and analyze what makes this quotation strong/persuasive/successful
- Conclusive statement: How does all of this only somewhat advance the overall argument and somewhat persuade the intended audience?
- Body Paragraph #3
- Topic Sentence (perhaps on an ineffective appeal)
- Evidence #5 (direct quotation from the text)
- Summarize this quotation in your own words
- Identify the claim that this evidence supports in your own words
- Evaluate and analyze what makes this quotation weak/problematic/a failure, and offer ideas about what the author could be providing us with instead
- Evidence #6 (direct quotation from the text)
- Summarize this quotation in your own words
- Identify the claim that this evidence supports in your own words
- Evaluate and analyze what makes this quotation weak/problematic/a failure and offer ideas about what the author could be providing us with instead
- Conclusive statement: How does all of this weaken the overall argument and not succeed in persuading the intended audience?
- Conclusion Paragraph
- Your overall evaluation of how effective the author’s argument is and why
- Share any of your own thoughts/personal reflections/connections with this text
- Close in a general but meaningful way: Address the significance of the topic (Why does this issue matter, content-wise, in society? Is it still relevant today? Whom does this impact? etc.)
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