Ransdell’s Assignment Packet for English 101/107

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)

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. 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)70% = your analysis

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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.

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.

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.

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!

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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.

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 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.

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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 (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

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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?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.

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* 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 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.

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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 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.

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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 skip all my classes for two weeks, but now I regret it.”

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.

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?

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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

Writing to Reflect on a Local EventThe Writer’s Role: ObserverAudience: Instructor and peers

Assignment OverviewFor this assignment, you will attend the class event and reflect upon it. You will describe the event to your readers and, more importantly, provide your readers with some interesting reflections about what you witnessed. The goal of this assignment is to familiarize yourself with a community through conducting primary research while also demonstrating awareness of the rhetorical situation, revision strategies, and conventions in writing.

Assignment Preparation

1. Attend the class event. The event should be an organized, advertised gathering of people who are coming together with a common purpose.

2. Take notes of the event to help you describe it to your readers. The more specific and concrete your notes are, the easier it will be to incorporate them as evidence in your reflective essay. Use your five senses to take note of your surroundings. Consider describing the setting and the other people in attendance as well as how the event unfolds. Take note of what intrigues you or surprises you.

3. Gather artifacts from the event to show as evidence of your attendance. You might also incorporate a discussion of these artifacts in your written project to help illustrate your observations. You might gather written texts, take pictures of artifacts, or collect objects related to the event. Some examples of artifacts include flyers, posters, programs, reviews, tickets, etc.

4. Examine the event through a particular lens. Use the ideas under “Examine Your Subject” (JTC 138-139) to determine the purpose of your essay. (For example, you might show how the event carries some larger cultural implications. Or you could explore the limitations or opportunities this event poses for a particular community. Or you might

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explore the planning process of this event and show how it contributed to the event’s failure or success.)

5. Determine your point of view. Will you write from the perspective of a detached observer or a participant observer? (JTC 145)

6. Write with your audience in mind. You are writing for an audience of your instructor and your peers.

7. Prepare a draft of your reflective essay. In this reflection, you will convey your observations and reflections on the local event you attended. You will draw upon personal experience and write from a first-person (I, me, my) point of view. However, you will move beyond yourself as the primary focus of your writing. You are using personal experience as support to explore some larger significance of the event. You should have a central idea that is supported with firsthand observations, personal commentary, and/or interview responses. As you draft, consider the criteria outlined in the rubric.

8. Review and improve your draft through a process of peer feedback, self-assessment, and/or tutorials from the ThinkTank or WSIP.

Grading CriteriaThe major areas in which your observation will be graded include:

● Purpose: The reflection should have a clear and engaging purpose. (This is your thesis.) You should show that you have taken on the role of an observer and reflected on your observations in a thoughtful and analytical way.

● Audience: Enough context should be provided to help the audience understand the significance of the event. (Explain the situation in your introduction.) The writing is descriptive, the perspective is unique, and the tone is effective for the audience.

● Development and Support: The central idea should be supported with concrete and compelling observations, insightful personal commentary, and interview responses (if applicable). (Write PIE paragraphs: Use topic sentences, illustrations, and explanation.)

● Genre Conventions: The analysis should demonstrate an understanding of conventions appropriate and show evidence of revision. (Use Standard Written English and edit your work.)

Formatting Requirements

Your final draft should be between 4-5 pages (1000-1500 words) and should follow MLA, APA, or CMS formatting and citation guidelines (Times New Roman, 12 pt. font, double-spaced, one-inch margins)

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What to Turn In

❑ Artifacts you gathered from the event❑ List of classmates’ comments❑ 1A, 1B, 2A, 2B❑ Drafts that I commented on❑ Final draft (also submit this to d2l)

Reflection MemoProvide short answers to the following questions:

❑ How would your experience of the event have been different if you were just a participant instead of an observer? How did taking on the role of an observer alter your experience of the event?

❑ What role did the artifacts you gather play in the event? Did they help send a particular message, help people communicate ideas, or make participants in the event behave a certain way?

❑ How would you describe your revision process? (i.e. How did you approach peer review? How did you decide what to revise? How do you review your own work before handing it in?)

❑ How well did you meet the grading criteria? Was there one area in which you feel particularly successful? Were some criteria more difficult to meet than others?

❑ What would you do differently if you did this assignment again or had more time to complete it?

❑ How have you achieved one or two learning outcomes on this assignment?

Learning Outcomes

Rhetorical AwarenessA. identify the purposes of, intended audiences for, and arguments in a text, as

situated within particular cultural, economic, and political contexts.B. analyze the ways a text’s purposes, audiences, and contexts influence rhetorical

options. D. read in ways that contribute to their rhetorical knowledge as writers. E. develop facility in responding to a variety of writing contexts calling for purposeful shifts in structure, medium, design, level of formality, tone, and/or voice.

Critical Thinking and ComposingA. employ a variety of research methods, including primary and/or secondary

research, for purposes of inquiry.

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Reflection and RevisionB. produce multiple revisions on global and local levels.C. suggest useful global and local revisions to other writers.D. identify the collaborative and social aspects of writing processes.E. evaluate and act on peer and instructor feedback to revise their texts.F. reflect on their progress as academic writers.

ConventionsA. demonstrate knowledge of linguistic structures, including grammar, punctuation,

and spelling, through practice in composing and revising.B. reflect on why genre conventions for structure, paragraphing, tone, and mechanics

vary.

Helpful Hints:

Choose a focus for your essay. (This will be your thesis.) These are suggestions: (Choose ONE.)

1/ What was the playwright’s intention with writing this text?2/ What was the director’s intention in producing this text?3/ Why do people enjoy romantic comedies?4/ What makes this text relevant for our times?5/ Why did the audience find this text humorous/sad/poignant, etc? [choose one]6/ Why did you find this text interesting/important/meaningful, etc.? [choose one]7/ What does this text make you think about relationships between men/women, husbands/wives, parents/kids, neighbors?8/ What statement does this text make about city life/married life?

Your essay’s organization:

Title: Think of an interesting title that hints at your thesis.

Intro: In your intro, give the context for your thesis (lead up to your thesis), state your thesis, and give your forecast (the main ways you will prove your thesis).

Body paragraphs: Think of several points to prove your thesis using evidence from the play, the program, the course materials I provided, or materials about the play that you found in the library or on the Internet. For each point, construct one or more PIE paragraphs.

Conclusion: End your essay with a conclusion that briefly summarizes your findings and points us in the future (gives us food for thought).

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Essay 2

Writing to Inform: Community ProfileThe Writer’s Role: Reporter (Participant-Observer)Audience: Instructor and peers

Assignment OverviewIn this assignment, you will write a profile of a small UA/local community that is of interest to you and will be potentially interesting to others. By assuming the role of a reporter, you should present information in a purposeful, focused, and engaging way that also allows your reader to draw conclusions. The goal is to inform others about this group through information that you gather through primary research (interviews, observations) and secondary research (reliable published material).

Assignment Preparation

1. Identify a small, local community (group) that you know or want to learn more about and inform others about. You will be gathering information about this group, so its members must be accessible to you. (NOT a religious group.)

2. Consider what you’d like to know. In preparation of your profile, begin to formulate a question or set of questions that you have might have. What do you find interesting? Why?

3. Gather information. Your sources of information should include an interview or observation or published sources. Begin by considering the kinds of things you and your readers might want to know about your subject (see JTC 184), including its importance, purpose, history, and lasting impact.

Next, you will want to create a search plan and begin to gather information (JTC 184-191). Consider the following to help you prepare for your search:

Interview: JTC 189-191; 478-480● How well do you know the people you will interview? How will that

shape what questions you choose to ask?● How else can you gather material about this community? (written

materials, surveys, etc.)

Published materials: JTC 61-71; 436-441● What kinds of reliable sources might provide additional context and

insight into the community or individual? How will you incorporate information from these sources into your profile?

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4. Highlight the community’s perspective. As explained in JTC, informative texts “are concerned primarily with helping readers and other writers advance their understanding of a subject” (163). Your goal is to provide information to your readers in a way that is engaging and informative but that also allows your readers to make their own conclusions. Some questions to consider while planning and writing your profile:

● What will be your focus, and how will it be supported with the information that you gathered?

● What are the most interesting aspects of this community or individual, especially for your intended readers?

● How much description of location, activities, and people involved is needed for your readers?

● What are your own biases about the group or person you are profiling? How much of this bias should be reflected in your profile?

● What is the lasting impression on your audience?

5. Consider the genre conventions and plan your profile. We will be reading several sample profiles as a class to help familiarize you with the profile as a genre. As you plan your own profile, considering your purpose (to inform) and your audience (your instructor and peers, perhaps additional people), as well as the common conventions of profiles. Identify a main idea that can focus your profile. Plan the information that you want to include and how you might organize it. Decide whether to include any additional design elements such as images or illustrations. Consider how you can make the profile engaging for your readers.

6. Prepare a draft of your profile. As you draft your profile, be sure to keep in mind the grading criteria.

7. Review and improve your draft through a process of feedback, self-assessment, and/or tutorials from the ThinkTank or WSIP.

Grading CriteriaA full grading rubric is attached. The major areas in which your profile will be graded include:

● Audience and Purpose: The profile should have a clear and engaging purpose as well as a compelling narrative and context for audience. (You need a clear thesis.)

● Research: Information from interviews, published sources, and other research should be integrated in a purposeful and compelling manner. (You need proof.)

● Development and Support: A main idea or focus should be supported with compelling research. The profile story should develop in a logical, purposeful, and engaging way. (You need organization in the form of PIE paragraphs.)

● Genre Conventions: The profile should use conventions appropriate for the genre and show evidence of revision. (Use SWE and edit your work.)

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Formatting RequirementsYour profile should be between 5‐7 pages in length (1500-2000 words) and should follow MLA, APA, or CMS formatting and citation guidelines (Times New Roman, 12 pt. font, double‐spaced, one‐inch margins).

What to Turn In

❑ List of classmates’ comments❑ 1A, 1B, 2A, 2B❑ Drafts that I commented on❑ Final draft (also submit this to d2l)

Reflection MemoProvide short answers to the following questions:

❑ How did you decide upon a group? What additional questions did you formulate during the interview and/or observation?

❑ How would you describe this style of assignment?❑ How would you describe your revision process? (i.e. How did you approach peer

review? How did you decide what to revise? How do you review your own work before handing it in?)

❑ How well did you meet the grading criteria? Was there one area in which you feel particularly successful? Were some criteria more difficult to meet than others?

❑ What would you do differently if you did this assignment again or had more time to complete it?

❑ How have you achieved one or two learning outcomes on this assignment?

Learning Outcomes

Rhetorical Awareness:A. develop facility in responding to a variety of writing contexts calling for

purposeful shifts in structure, medium, design, level of formality, tone, and/or voice

Critical Thinking and Composing:A. employ a variety of research methods, including primary and/or secondary

research, for purposes of inquiry.B. make informed judgments about the quality, appropriateness, and credibility of

sources.C. demonstrate facility in incorporating evidence, such as through summaries,

paraphrases, quotations, and visuals.D. support ideas or positions with compelling discussion of evidence from multiple

sources.

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Reflection and Revision:A. adapt composing and revision processes for a variety of technologies and

modalities. B. produce multiple revisions on global and local levels.C. suggest useful global and local revisions to other writers.D. identify the collaborative and social aspects of writing processes.E. evaluate and act on peer and instructor feedback to revise their texts.F. reflect on their progress as academic writers.

Conventions:A. demonstrate knowledge of linguistic structures, including grammar, punctuation,

and spelling, through practice in composing and revising.C. identify and effectively use variations in genre conventions, including formats

and/or design features.D. demonstrate familiarity with the concepts of intellectual property (such as fair use

and copyright) that motivate documentation conventions.E. apply citation conventions systematically in their own work.

Helpful Hints:

Note that Essays 2 and 3 go together.

For E2: Examine a group of 3-10 people with similar interests or professions.

For E3: Examine a text important to that group

Examples of Groups Examples of Texts (must be Englishlanguage)

students in this class a class text (one of our books) UA students who live in your building The Daily Wildcatpeople who live in your neighborhood a Tucson newspaperstaff at a local restaurant menus or advertising for that restaurantUA students from your hometown or country a favorite English-language publicationfellow students from other classes a favorite English-language websitefellow gamers a specific English-language video gamea sports team an English-language magazine

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More Helpful Hints:

Your essay’s organization:

Title: An interesting title that reflects the group’s spirit

Intro: Briefly define the community and your relation to it. Answer: What is this group’s most important function? (thesis) What are its members’ most important characteristics? (forecast)

Body paragraphs: 6-8 PIE paragraphs to explain your important findings. (Carefully consider the order of these paragraphs.)

Conclusion: After a brief recap, consider the future of this group.

Example:

Title: Parading the Politicians

Community: A group of friends who will create a float for the All Soul’s Parade.Why? They want to highlight the flaws in the campaign of a local politician.

What are their characteristics?They all love to read about politics.They all study law.They are all angry about the current politics.They are all residents of Arizona.

You would want to think: What are my most important points? Usually it’s best to start with your weakest point and then get stronger and stronger as you move forward.

Maybe you decide to write your points in this order:

They are all residents of Arizona.

[explain how this leads to….]They all love to read about politics.

[explain how this leads to….]They all study law.

[explain how this leads to….]They are angry about the current politics.[give several reasons—this is the most important aspect of the group]

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Conclusion: By creating a float, the group members will [what they will achieve] They will also……

An individual PIE paragraph might look like this:

They are all residents of Arizona. Two are from Tucson, 1 is from Phoenix, and another is from Flagstaff. They have lived in Arizona all their lives and plan to continue to do so. They love their state and hope to be here a long time. They are loyal but they are currently worried about the politics of their state.

Essay 3

Writing to Analyze: Genre AnalysisThe Writer’s Role: InterpreterAudience: General academic audience

Assignment OverviewIn this assignment, you will analyze a genre to understand how a community uses it to carry out a goal or set of goals. You will focus on the community that you profiled in the previous assignment. Your aim is to explore how texts are shaped by their contexts and users.

Assignment Preparation

1. Identify a genre to analyze. The genre you analyze will be one that is used by the community. Genres that play an important role in the community’s work or that are highly valued by the community would be especially interesting to examine. Keep in mind that you will need to collect examples of the genres within the community.

For example, if you profiled a student organization, you might analyze posters that they use to advertise their meetings across campus. If you profiled a local community organization, you might analyze their newsletter or another document that they use to update the public on their activities.

2. Consider whether you need additional information about the genre from a community member who uses it. If so, arrange for a discussion with a community member or an observation of the genre in use.

3. Analyze the genre and its use in a community. Your primary aim is to understand how the written text of the genre is shaped by its context of use (or the rhetorical situation). How does the form of the genre help carry out its purpose in effective ways? Some areas you might consider are:

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● Writers, readers, and aims: Who writes in this genre? For what purposes? What are the writer’s goals? Who are the readers for this genre? Why do they read it or what do they use it to do?

● Rhetorical strategies: What rhetorical strategies or appeals are used to carry out the genre’s purpose or function? How do writers effectively achieve their aims? How do the genre’s purposes, audiences, and contexts influence the rhetorical options that writers have?

● Form: What does the genre typically look like? Why does it look this way? (Consider the design, formatting, organization, and language features)

● Process: How is the genre carried out (written, distributed, performed, etc.)? Why?

4. Identify a main idea or insight from your analysis to guide your paper. You might begin by thinking about the goal(s) that the genre helps the community accomplish and how. Drawing on your analysis in #3, step back and look at the bigger picture of what the genre is used to do and how it does this effectively for this community.

5. Consider the conventions of an academic analysis and plan your draft. Considering the purpose and audience of your analysis, as well as the conventions of an academic analysis, create a plan for your draft. Identify the main idea or insight that you will focus your analysis on. Plan the information that you want to include and how you might organize it. Consider what kind of style and language use is appropriate for your audience, purpose, and topic.

6. Prepare a draft of your genre analysis. As you draft, consider the criteria outlined in the rubric.

7. Review and improve your draft through a process of peer feedback, self-assessment, and/or tutorials from the ThinkTank or WSIP.

Grading CriteriaA full grading rubric is attached. The major areas in which your analysis will be graded include:

● Audience and Purpose: The analysis should be guided by a clear central theme or insight and is appropriate for and relevant to a general academic audience. (Your thesis should explain why this genre is important to this group.)

● Genre Awareness: The analysis should identify the ways in which a genre’s purposes, audiences, forms, and processes are shaped by particular rhetorical contexts. (Explain how the genre works within this group.)

● Development and Support: The analysis should be well developed and supported, incorporating evidence from sample texts, and possibly interviews and observations. (Organize your information into PIE paragraphs.)

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● Genre Conventions: The analysis should demonstrate an understanding of conventions appropriate for the genre and show evidence of revision. (Use SWE and edit your work.)

Formatting RequirementsYour final draft should be between 4‐6 pages in length (1000-1500 words) and should follow MLA, APA, or CMS formatting and citation guidelines (Times New Roman, 12 pt. font, double‐spaced, one‐inch margins).

What to Turn In

❑ List of classmates’ comments❑ 1A, 1B, 2A, 2B (3A and 3B, optional)❑ Drafts that I commented on❑ Final draft (also submit this to d2l)

Reflection Memo Provide short answers to the following questions:

❑ What did you learn about community and genre through this process of analysis?❑ How would you describe your revision process? (For example: How did you

approach peer review? How did you decide what to revise? How do you review your own work before handing it in?)

❑ How well did you meet the criteria? Was there one area in which you feel particularly successful? Were some criteria more difficult to meet than others?

❑ How have you achieved one or two learning outcomes through this assignment? ❑ What would you do differently if you did this assignment again or had more time

to complete it?❑ How have you achieved one or two learning outcomes on this assignment?

LEARNING OUTCOMES

Rhetorical Awareness:A. identify the purposes of, intended audiences for, and arguments in a text, as

situated within particular cultural, economic, and political contexts.B. analyze the ways a text’s purposes, audiences, and contexts influence rhetorical

options.C. analyze how genres shape reading and composing practices.D. read in ways that contribute to students’ rhetorical knowledge as writers.

Critical Thinking and Composing:A. employ a variety of research methods, including primary and/or secondary

research, for purposes of inquiry [if applicable].

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E. support ideas or positions with compelling discussion of evidence [if applicable, from multiple sources].

F. compose persuasive researched arguments for various audiences and purposes, and in multiple modalities.

Reflection and Revision:A. adapt composing and revision processes for a variety of technologies and

modalities. B. produce multiple revisions on global and local levels.C. suggest useful global and local revisions to other writers.D. identify the collaborative and social aspects of writing processes.E. evaluate and act on peer and instructor feedback to revise their texts.F. reflect on their progress as academic writers.

Conventions:A. demonstrate knowledge of linguistic structures, including grammar, punctuation,

and spelling, through practice in composing and revising.B. Reflect on why genre conventions for structure, paragraphing, tone, and

mechanics vary.C. identify and effectively use variations in genre conventions, including formats

and/or design features.D. demonstrate familiarity with the concepts of intellectual property (such as fair use

and copyright) that motivate documentation conventions.E. apply citation conventions systematically in their own work.

Helpful Hints:

For this assignment, you might choose to examine ONE text or ONE type of publication. For example, let’s say that you choose to profile a group of students who are studying to be dieticians. Let’s say that they love trying out new restaurants. For your genre analysis, you might choose to analyze a restaurant review.

Title: An interesting title that reflects your text such as Dieticians’ Delights

Intro: Thesis: why this kind of text is valuable to the groupForecast: the ways you will examine this text

Body paragraphs: 4-6 crucial aspects of this text. You might analyze the message in the text, the kind of information, physical aspects of the text, the tone, the use of language, photographs, etc.

Conclusion: Recap why this text is important and hint at other important genres

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English 107 Final Portfolio

For your final project, you’ll be asked to complete the following tasks:

1. REVISE either Essay 1 or Essay 2.

Your revisions might be guided by feedback that you received from classmates/instructor or by your own self-assessment over time. Your revisions may relate to content, structure, style, language, or even design--whatever you feel is most important for strengthening this piece of writing.

Keep in mind that your revision itself will not be graded. Rather, it will serve as evidence of your development and strengths as a writer.

2. COLLECT any writing that you did for this class that you think demonstrates the aspects of your writing that will be included in your Reflective Essay (see #3 below).

Examples might include notes you made in class, a rough draft, a homework assignment, etc. These texts won’t be graded, but they will serve as evidence.

Note: Depending on your revised essay, you might not need other evidence.

3. Write a REFLECTIVE ESSAY that describes (a) what you learned over the course the semester and (b) how those things are reflected in the work you have included in your portfolio (items #1 and #2 above).

This reflective essay will be the main part of your portfolio. It should focus on the learning outcomes and a discussion of your writing in relation to them.

A strong reflective essay demonstrates a strong understanding of one’s own writing and an ability to describe that writing in relation to the learning outcomes and key concepts.

Before beginning your portfolio, then, it is important to carefully read over the learning outcomes and key concepts and decide which of these outcomes you would like to highlight in your portfolio. You will explain how that learning is demonstrated (or areas in which you still need to improve) in the other writing that is included in your portfolio (the revision and any additional work).

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Purpose and Grading

The goal of this final portfolio is to reflect on and demonstrate your learning in this course. All three elements described on the first page are essential parts of the portfolio--they work together to give the reader an overall picture of your writing development and your own understanding of your writing. Therefore, you will not be graded on each component but, rather, on the portfolio as a whole. The primary questions that will guide grading of the portfolio are:

● Does your reflective essay engage with the student learning outcomes and key concepts in a substantive way?

● How well does the writing in the portfolio (including the revision and any additional work) support what the claims you make in your reflective essay?

PreparationLearning OutcomesFirst, review the learning outcomes listed at the end of each assignment sheet.

Make a list of the outcomes that you feel you have made progress on during the semester, and identify specific examples from your writing that illustrate this. Be sure to also tell your instructor how the pieces you’ve included are examples of those outcomes.

Be as specific as possible. The more specific you are with your claims and examples, the easier it is for your instructor to understand your claims and how they are supported through your writing. For example, if you think that a revision you made to your Profile is a good example of how you have achieved a specific outcome, then explain that revision to your readers. You may include a reference to the assignment and page number, or you may even choose to quote the original version and the revision to show very specifically what changes you made that demonstrate your writing development.

Key Concepts Review the course keywords, which are listed on the syllabus. Similar to your process with the learning outcomes, map out how these keywords are visible in the pieces you’ve submitted. Again, be as specific as possible.

Formatting RequirementsYour profile should be between 5‐7 pages in length (1500-2000 words) and should follow MLA, APA, or CMS formatting and citation guidelines (Times New Roman, 12 pt. font, double‐spaced, one‐inch margins).

What to Turn In

❑ List of classmates’ comments❑ 1A, 1B, 2A, 2B❑ Drafts that I commented on❑ Revision and Final draft (submitted to d2l only)

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Your Writing (and Revision)Identify the major revisions that you made to one of your earlier projects. Why did you choose this project to revise? What revisions did you make and why? How are those choices reflected in the learning outcomes and keywords? Describe the process of revision from beginning to end, including any difficulties.

Consider what other writing you did this semester that you want to highlight in your portfolio. What aspects of your writing (in relation to the learning outcomes and key concepts) does it illustrate? Again, be as specific as possible.

Additional ThoughtsWhat other aspects of your writing and development as a (multilingual) writer do you think are important for your instructor to know? Is there something from this course that you are particularly proud of? Perhaps you would like to highlight something that was particularly difficult? Consider how this discussion can be brought into your Reflective Essay.

Helpful Hints:

Essay structure:

Title: Use humor where appropriate! My Semester of Chaos is a much better title than What I Learned This Semester

Intro: You might start with an anecdote about your expectations or most outstanding experiences. Your thesis/forecast should explain the biggest things you learned.

Body paragraphs (4-8): To be effective, you’ll want to explain something you learned in your topic sentence, give proof (perhaps by quoting yourself via your revised essay), and analyze your findings.

Conclusion: Recap your points and give consideration to the writing you think you will be doing in future UA classes and beyond.

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Typical Academic Essay Format

Title: Something catchy that helps readers understand your focus right away

Intro: Introduce your topic. Lead us in. List any texts/authors. Near the end of your intro, state your thesis (purpose). Also give a forecast (the main ways you will prove your thesis).

Body Paragraphs: (usually 4-8)

Point (topic sentence, the main idea of your paragraph) (10%)

Illustration (example) (20%)

Explanation (explain about the illustration) 70%

[Repeat body paragraphs as needed]

Conclusion: Sum up your points and leave us some food for thought. We read your essay…. Now give us something provocative or interesting to think about.

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Peer Review Sheet

Your name ____________________

Essay title _____________________

Essay type _____________________

Date Reader’s Name

Their Advice Your Reaction/Solution

1A

2A

1B

2B

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3A

3B

D.R.

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