Composition II—Essay #1—Researched Position Essay
Length: 4-6 pages, not including title and reference pages (1000-1500 words)
Points: 100 for the final draft
This assignment invites students to compose a persuasive essay examining a narrowly defined, academic, beneficial, and credible topic invented with the help of the textbooks’ strategies and research accomplished in the class. The essay should build on one’s efforts atanalysis and writing during the course, concepts learned in Chapter One of Writing, and by using the Library’s resources like the “Topic” handouts and explanations. In line with the material discussed in class, the argumentative research paper invites you to establishyourmain persuasive claim (thesis), analyze the salient features of an issue, and developyour position on an issue using relevant and sufficient supporting evidence.The successful essay will begin to develop a “two-sided” persuasive approach discussing and supporting a defensible claim (thesis) about a controversial, but not over-wrought, subject—something about which there is substantive and rational disagreement.
Useful in developing such an essay would be to examine initially one’s own experiences, beliefs, attitudes and values; similarly, one might, through significant reading, uncover a contradiction or argue against popular opinion. Effectively persuasive essays invariably consider counterclaims and opposing arguments, and if presented sensitively, help establish the author’s ethos. This essay challenges you to persuade the uncommitted by confidently presenting and critiquing opposing claims and evidence while convincingly presenting one’s own thoughts. Perhaps the most important element for this essay is that the topic intrigues and concerns the writer—that it’s something the writer cares about.
? Specific Requirements: Including the standards found on the “Rubric for Writing Assessment” included below, and elements of effective persuasive essays discussed this quarter, and the textbook suggestions elaborated during the course, the research paper should be four to six pages in length, not including a Title and References pages. Additionally, the essay should incorporate quotations, summaries,and paraphrases using introductory phrasing and document sources in the text according to APA TheEasy Way!At least three different sources must be used with not more than one deriving from a non-Baker College Internet resource. Information gained from reference sources, such as an encyclopedia, (e.g. Wikepedia.org) or a dictionary will not count as a legitimate source. The essay is worth 150 points total (100 for final draft, 50 for research, drafting, peer review, etc.).
? Introductions: Catch the reader’s interest in the introduction by providing a short anecdote relevant to the paper; a revealing problem your research unveiled; a difficult question; a telling quotation; a misconception or stereotype that needs correction.
? Conclusions: Make the essay’s conclusions helpful and memorable for the reader. Remember to save something engaging or provocative for the end.
? Content: The essay will help you learn to construct an arguable claim, identify reasons and evidence, which are both relevant and sufficient, and to consider and respond to other writers’ positions. You will also begin to consider the rhetorical appeals of logos, ethos, and pathos as the means of making arguments.
? Audience: Try to ignore any negative preconceptions about writing a research paper. If the topic has been chosen with care and interest, this will focus one’s efforts and the ethos will be persuasively communicated to the reader. Consider the audience to be classmates or family but not necessarily your instructor. Although the essay will be academic in nature, try to use a semi-formal tone. Please try not to be dry or boring as one might imagine an “academic voice.” Work to make the paper interesting for the writer and for readers. In other words, envision that the essay teaches the reader something while also attempting to guide the reader toward accepting a particular viewpoint toward the topic.
? Rhetorical Strategies: Try to apply persuasive writing strategies learned this quarter. In addition to using convincing reasons and articulating a definite position, does the essay stir a reader’s emotions? Is the train of thought rigorous? Can you appeal to your reader’s morals or ethics? Does the essay show readers that the writer—oneself as a researcher—is careful, responsible, and fair-minded with the presentation of information? Does the essay accurately represent competing ideas and claims fairly and accurately? Does the essay conform to conventions of written English in terms of grammar, mechanics, usage, and formatting?
? Sources: The more authoritative sources used, the more convincing the research is; the fewer and less credible the sources used, the less persuasive the writing is. Choose sources from a variety of publications like journals, magazine articles, books, databases, newspapers, government documents, and the Internet. Moreover, sources should be relatively recent, within the last five years unless you need to present a history of the topic as part of your argument. Question and challenge a source’s credibility by examining credentials, assumptions, affiliations, and implications, which could be used in the paper’s discussion.
? Quotations: Use phrases to introduce or contextualize writers or authorities. Discuss quotations that are not perfectly obvious in their meaning to integrate them smoothly into the writingand to avoid stringingthem together.
Submit your assignment to your instructor as an MS Word attachment using the View/Submit Assignment link.
Composition II—Rubric for Writing Assessment
Criterion Factor Level 4 Level 3 Level 2 Level 1
Outstanding Acceptable Developing Failing
Content
Thesis
statement of arguable topic and claim
Identifiable, strong statement of an arguable claim (thesis) that enhances the topic discussion Identifiable, clear statement of an arguable claim (thesis) that focuses only through structure Identifiable, yet overly broad or inarguable/; weakclaim (thesis)
Lacks an identifiable claim (thesis)
Critical Thinking
engagement with the material; demonstrates insightful ideas from a thorough examination and understanding of the topic Balance of source and original ideas shows consistent interaction with the sources and evidence of critical thinking Balance of source and original ideas shows inconsistent interaction with the sources anda decrease in thinking Ideas rely too heavily on sources rather than on critical thinking; shows minimal interaction between sources and original ideas
Lacks engagement with the material or lacks evidence of critical thinking
Development
Supports the thesis/claim through use of relevant and sufficient evidence and explanation
Supports and explains ideas, using appropriate, relevant and objective evidence that presents a well-balanced argument including opposition Supports and explains ideas, using some relevant, objective evidence thatpresents a one-sided argument Supports and explains ideas by relying on subjective and/or irrelevant information that applies faulty reasoning to an argument
Lacks support, explanation, and
development of ideas; lacks reasoning or argument
Research Integration
proper incorporation of credible source material
Consistent integration of research that provides analysis; uses a variety of credible sources Integrationof research that provides commentary; uses a variety of credible sources Inconsistent integration of research without commentary; does not use a variety of credible sources Lacks integration of research; lacks credible sources
Organization
Introduction(including arguable claim/thesis)
creation of interest and theme Creates strong focus and theme, interesting construction
Demonstrates clear focus and theme, straightforward construction Demonstrates weak focus and theme, uninteresting construction Lacks focus, theme, and/or interest
Body
writing relates to the thesis, fits together, and flows in effective order Writing maintains a unified focus on the thesis with fluid order and effective transitions
Writing connects to the thesis but with lapses in focus; uses transitions and displays order Writing occasionally lapses in focus and connection to the thesis; uses ineffective transitions and order Lacks focus, order, and/or transitions
Conclusion
refocuses reader on theme and arguable claim Uses an effective conclusion strategy;leaves a strong impact on the reader Provides closure but leaves minimal impact on the reader Repeats main points; leaves no impact on the reader Lacks a conclusion or includes an irrelevant conclusion
Writing Conventions
Rhetorical Strategies
purpose, assignment, and
audience (voice, tone, word choice, academic language)
Addresses purpose and audience; demonstrates excellent use of academic language (style, voice, tone, word choice); fulfills the assignment Awareness of purpose and audience; demonstrates appropriate level of academic language with some minor errors (style, voice, tone, word choice); fulfills the assignment Lapses in awareness of purpose and/or audience, use of non-academic language interferes with readability (style, voice, tone, word choice); lapses in meeting assignment Lacks purpose and/or attention to audience, displaying lack of academic language (style, voice, tone, word choice); does not fulfill assignment
APA Document Design
in-text citations,
references page, formatting Correctly uses in-text citations for all sources; properly formats essay and references page Uses in-text citations to identify sources; formatting and /or references page displays minor errors Frequently missing
in-text citations; improperly formats essay and references page Lacks in-text citations; lacks proper formatting; missing or irrelevant references page
Surface Features
sentence structure,
run-ons, fragments, agreement,
punctuation, capitalization, spelling, etc. Demonstrates knowledge and use of conventions; enhances the readability of the essay Uses conventions with minor errors in grammar, punctuation, etc. that do not detract from the readability of the essay Difficulties with readability due to incorrect application of conventions
