Instruction- a thesis statement is needed, which captures your take on the thrust of the essay - what is the specific topic of the essay? What overall purpose does it seem to have? - Does the author state an explicit thesis? Does he/she have an "axe to grind"? What are the essays theoretical assumptions? Are they discussed explicitly? - What exactly does the work contribute to the overall topic of the environmental challenge? - What kind of material does the essay present (primary documents or secondary material. personal observations, literary analysis, quantitative data, biographical or historical accounts., etc? - How is the material used to demonstrate and argue the thesis? - Feel Free to either quote or summarize specific passages to describe the author's presentation, including writing style and tone - are there alternative/more persuasive ways of arguing from the same material? Does the author show awareness of them? - What theoretical issues and topics for further discussion does the work raise? - what are you own reactions and considered opinions regarding the work? It must focus specifically on reviewing the author's take on the issues raised as well as the strength/validity/persuasiveness, or weakness of the respective arguments made. The ability to capture the main thrust of the arguments advanced and the power and persuasiveness of your reasonings.