Essay Assignment You will write your position based on (or in response to) an opinion article. This will be your primary article. You will research other evidence on the issue that supports your view (even if your view aligns with the author’s position). You may even decide on your stance after reviewing other literature on the issue. Make sure you have a clear position on the issue. This will serve as the thesis in your essay. • Your essay will follow MLA format (12 pt. Times New Roman or Arial, Double Spaced, header, title, page #, 1 inch margins). • The word count requirement is at least 600 words and maximum 700 words. • You will have a Works Cited page for the source(s) you use. Works Cited is NOT included in the essay word count. • State your position in third person point of view (POV) unless you refer to your own experiences (ex: In my experience ….). Yes, you may refer to your experiences, but you also need an outside source. Getting Started Read the article critically and analyze it. Annotate (take notes) as your read. You will most likely need to read the article more than once. As you read, make note of the following: o What is the author’s point (main idea or ideas)? o What evidence does the author offer to support their points? o What is the author’s rhetorical situation? (audience; purpose; stance; genre; context; medium/design) o What persuasive appeals does the author use? o What questions arise based on the evidence and the author’s point? Jot down these questions as you read. o Is there a bias? (Bias: Showing preference for a certain idea, group, concept). o Does the author recognize the opposing view(s) or obstacles? o Is the author credible? Next … stages of the writing process Pre-Writing Brainstorm your position: • Decide, on your position on this issue? Do you agree or disagree with the author? Do you partially agree/disagree with the author? • Evaluate your position. Why do you feel this way? Are there possible solutions and/or suggest courses of action with your position? • Do you need more information on this issue? You may make your position as narrow or broad as you want (i.e. focus on one aspect of the issue or several aspects of the issue). Research … Research other articles that support your point and refute your point. These may or may not be opinion articles, but they must come from valid and reliable sources. They can be academic journals, newspapers, historic facts, studies, or reputable magazines and websites. Take clear notes of the source(s) you plan to use. You will need to reference it in your essay and the works cited page. Consider your rhetorical situation: Audience 1. Who is your audience? What might they believe about your issue? What do you hope to persuade them to think or do? 2. What persuasive appeals could you use to convince your audience of your position? 3. What might they know about your issue? What background information will you need to provide? Purpose 1. Why are you arguing this position? What has motivated you to take this position? Stance 1. Ask yourself, what about the topic captured your interest? How has that led you to the position you will take? 2. Why do you think the topic matters? 3. What tone will you take – forceful? Thoughtful? Angry? Neutral? Peaceful? Context 1. What are the various perspectives on this issue? What have others said about it? 2. What factors do you want to bring into your position? Persuasive Appeals What persuasive appeals will you use from your source? Do you have personal experience that you can use? Writing Outline: Organize your research information and pre-writing notes. Start by formulating a general thesis. This will help you stay focused and will guide your essay. Introduction o Come up with an attention-grabbing hook. o Provide some information on the issue – both sides. This will be the general issue and not necessarily based on the primary article. o State your clear position as the thesis statement. This should be the last sentence in your introduction. Body A. Summarize the primary article: Be sure to state what the author’s position is and the evidence/details given (at least two substantial details). Focus on the perspective that you want to base your position on. Therefore, you may not need to provide all the details the author has provided – just the ones important to your position. Note: a summary does NOT include your opinion. It states only what is written in the article. Use direct quotes sparingly. B. Next, state your position. Briefly explain your position and reasons. o Support your reasons with outside sources – evidence, facts, experiences etc. o Explain how your position is similar or different from the article. o Be sure to have only one idea per paragraph. o Mention and refute the opposing side if it strengthens your point. Note: Make sure to include persuasive appeals, key vocabulary, and effective tone in your essay. Conclusion o Sum up your point. Provide a question for thought or a take-away message. o When concluding, enforce one of the persuasive appeals that you think will be most effective in convincing your audience. Editing and Revising We will have an in-class peer review session for your first draft. You will edit and revise your first draft.