Essay #1:  Analysis of an Argument

Important Dates
February 3	Form small groups in class and select essay for assignment.
February 5	Write a reading response to your essay prior to class; in class, work with your group, discuss essay, complete the thesis generating worksheet, and draft your outline.
February 5-10	Outside of class, work on rough draft of Essay #1.
February 10	Rough draft of Essay #1  is due for peer review and revision workshop, in class.
February 12	Final version of Essay #1 is due at beginning of class.

Preparation

Select one of the essays from Chapters 1-5 in Barnet and Bedau not already discussed in class to analyze.  Everyone in your small group should read and analyze the same essay.  Each group must select a different essay.  First, read the essay.  By Thursday, February 5, do a summary/reading response for the essay.  Discuss and analyze the argument in your small group during class on Thursday, February 5, and, in class, in your small groups, work on your thesis statement using the Thesis Generating Worksheet and develop an outline for your essay.

To analyze the essay, you will want to locate the writer's thesis, which may be explicit or implicit.  Then consider what the author's purpose in writing is.  What strategies or methods of argument does the author use?  Write out your own thesis, which will be your assessment of the essay's effectiveness.  Find material from the essay to support and develop your evaluation.

IMPORTANT NOTE:  Your purpose for this assignment is not to argue for or against the writer's stance on the question at issue, or even to argue for or against the question at issue yourself, but to analyze and evaluate how effective the writer's argument is.

Each group will share with the class the selected essay's question at issue, reasons for and against the question at issue, and a brief evaluation of the essay’s effectiveness.

Writing

The next step is drafting your analysis.  As noted above, first write out your thesis statement and chief points of support.  The essay you write will be an argument, and the thesis statement should state your evaluation and assessment of the essay you have read.  Be sure to include the author's name and the essay's title (usually, but not always, in the first paragraph).  You should also give your reader information about the author's purpose and method early in the essay.  Use an outline to decide how you will organize your ideas about the author's and the essay's effectiveness.

You'll want to include some short quotations from the essay you have read in your own essay so your reader can get a sense of the author's tone and voice.  Using quotations will also give you an opportunity to learn using parenthetical citation correctly (see more below).

IMPORTANT NOTE:  You must use at least one “in-line” quotation and at least one block quotation in your essay, correctly formatted, to receive a top grade.

A word of caution--be sure to be fair.  Your own essay should address both the strengths and weaknesses of the essay you have read.

You can refer to the Checklist for Analyzing a Text in Barnet and Bedau (p. 182) and the Peer Review Checklist for this assignment while you are drafting your essay as added guides.  These are the questions your peer reviewers will use to analyze your essay.

Finished Product

Your final essay should be 3 double-spaced, typed pages in length (750 words).  Place your essay, rough draft, peer reviewers' comments, revision checklists, and notes for/from the Feb. 3 and Feb. 5 workshops (thesis generating worksheet, brainstorming, outline) in your manila envelope, and then place the envelope in your folder to turn in.  Refer to the Course Calendar for a list of the other materials that should be included in your folder.

Refer to the syllabus for information about mechanics and use related assigned materials on style, grammar, mechanics, and citation.  You should cite parenthetically in text the source of any quoted, paraphrased, or borrowed material; refer to guidelines for using parenthetical citations in Barnet and Bedau (pp. 280-284) and in the Handbook (pp. 413-417).  If you quote only from the essay you are analyzing, you do not need a Works Cited page for this assignment.  If you quote from other material, however, you must add a Works Cited page in MLA format.  You can also refer to the following web pages: MLA format for student papers, using quotations, and using ellipses.

Essay #2:  Short Argument with Independent Research

Important Dates
February 12	Form groups in class and select essays for assignment.
February 17	*Write a reading response prior to class for your individual essay; in class, work with your group to prepare group presentation.
February 19	*Complete Thesis Generating Worksheet and prepare an outline for Essay #2.
February 19-24	*Locate at least three different types of outside sources for Essay #2.
February 24-March 3	*Write rough draft, Essay #2, including the Works Cited page.
March 3	Rough draft of Essay #2 is due at beginning of class.
March 5	Final version of Essay #2 is due at beginning of class.
*These should be completed individually by students outside of class.

General Notes

Other than working with your group in class, you will do much of the work for Essay #2 on your own outside of class.  Only the due dates for the reading response, rough draft, and the final version listed above are absolute; the other dates are given to help you pace yourself so that you do not end up the night before the rough draft is due having to complete everything all at once.  In addition, your instructor will be happy to work with you during office hours on any parts of the essay completed early (such as going over your Thesis Generating Worksheet/thesis statement, reviewing your outline, checking your Works Cited list, and discussing the issue you are writing about).

Topics

The topic for your short argument will be based on the section and the readings your group selects.  You may select any aspect of the issue or even a topic related to the issue (if you can demonstrate the connection).  An important factor that you must consider is whether or not your topic has at least two arguable sides (note: it might have more than two); if not, you do not have a "question at issue" and do not have a topic that will result in an effective argument.  Review the steps given in Barnet and Bedau on developing an argument (Ch. 6), read “Generating a Thesis” (handout), and complete the “Thesis Generating Worksheet” (which you will turn in with your essay).

Final Version

Your final essay should be 3-4 double-spaced, typed pages in length.  As part of the independent research component, you should cite from three different types of sources (for example, 1 journal, 1 book, 1 newspaper article), document your sources correctly, and include a Works Cited page using MLA format.  Place your essay, rough draft, peer reviewers' comments, revision checklists, working outline, and thesis generating worksheet in your manila envelope and then in your folder to turn in; leave everything you turned in with Essay #1 and the Grammar/Mechanics Assignment Sheet in your folder as well.

You can refer to the Checklist for Analyzing an Argument in Barnet and Bedau (p. 243) and the Peer Review Checklist for this assignment while you are drafting your essay as added guides.  These are the questions your peer reviewers will use to analyze your essay.

You can find information on formatting your essay, incorporating quotations, using ellipses, citing sources in MLA style, and preparing your Works Cited elsewhere on this website.

Essay #s 3 & 4:  Comparison and Contrast and Literary Analysis

Important Dates, Essay 3
March 12	Complete reading Cannery Row. Read “Elements of Fiction and “Writing About Short Stories,” on reserve in the COD Library, from The Story and Its Writer:  An Introduction to Short Fiction (Call No. PN6120.2.S85 1999).  Decide whether you will write a comparison and contrast essay or a literary analysis paper.
March 12	Reading Response for Cannery Row due.
March 19	Complete Thesis Generating Worksheet (for Comparison and Contrast or Literary Analysis) and prepare an outline for Essay #3.
March 24	Rough draft of Essay #3 is due at beginning of class.
March 26	Final version of Essay #3 is due at beginning of class.

Important Dates, Essay 4
April 14	Complete reading Like Water for Chocolate.
April 14	Reading Response for Like Water for Chocolate due.
April 16	Optional, but highly recommended: meet wth your instructor to go over your Thesis Generating Worksheet (for Comparison and Contrast or Literary Analysis) and outline for Essay #4. Complete rough draft of Essay #4 by next class period.
April 21	Rough draft of Essay #4 is due at beginning of class.
April 23	Final version of Essay #4 is due at beginning of class.

Topics

You may choose whether to write your comparison and contrast (C&C) essay first or your literary analysis (LA) essay first.  Which one you choose will affect the topic of your essay.  If you decide to write the C&C first, your only option will be to compare and contrast some element(s) in the novel Cannery Row to corresponding elements in the movie.  For example, you might compare and contrast how the character of Doc is developed in the two different venues, or whether the movie describes the setting of the story through visual images as well as Steinbeck does through his verbal descriptions.  If you decide to write the LA first, you will select some element(s) of the novel that has piqued your interest and explore that aspect in your essay.  You might consider characterization (including development of one character in particular), plot development, the setting, figurative language and imagery, the effectiveness of description in the novel, and so on.

If you write the LA for Essay #3, you will write the C&C for Essay #4; if you write the C&C for Essay #3, you will write the LA for Essay #4.  Leaving the C&C for Essay #4 gives you an extra option, as you could then also compare and contrast some element(s) from one novel to similar element(s) in the other or compare and contrast some element(s) in the novel Like Water for Chocolate to corresponding elements in the movie.  However, you may not compare and contrast one movie to the other and by the time you have written both essays, you must have written about both novels.  For example, if you write your C&C on Cannery Row for Essay #3, your Essay #4 must be a LA on Like Water for Chocolate.  If you write your LA on Cannery Row for Essay #3, your C&C for Essay #4 may compare and contrast the novel Like Water for Chocolate to the movie or may compare and contrast elements in the novel Like Water for Chocolate to similar elements in Cannery Row.

Prior to Writing

Read the handouts on “Writing a Comparison or Contrast Essay” and “Essays of Literary Analysis”; in B&B, Ch. 13, pp. 463-468 and 489-491; in W, pp. 463-468 and 489-491; and “Elements of Fiction” and “Writing About Short Stories,” from The Story and Its Writer:  An Introduction to Short Fiction, on reserve in the COD Library (Call No. PN6120.2.S85 1999) before choosing your topic and writing your essays.

Final Versions

Both essays should be 3-4 double-spaced, typed pages in length.  You need not quote from additional sources, as you may rely entirely on the novel and movie texts; however, if you do refer to additional sources, you must include a Works Cited page.  Follow the usual procedure for turning in your essays:  for Essay #3, leave all the materials previously turned in with Essay #2 in the folder and add your essay, rough draft, peer reviewers’ comments, outline, thesis generating exercise, and mechanics and MLA checklists for Essay #3; for Essay #4, leave all the materials previously turned in with Essay #3 in the folder and add your essay, rough draft, peer reviewers’ comments, outline, thesis generating exercise, and mechanics and MLA checklists for Essay #4.

Essay #5: Research Paper--Longer Argument

Important Dates, Essay 5
March 24-26	*Complete Thesis Generating Worksheet and prepare an outline for Essay #5.
March 31 or April 2	Bring your completed Thesis Generating Worksheet, thesis statement, and outline to your conference.
March 31- April 21	*Conduct independent research for Essay #5, locating sources, gathering information, and taking notes.
April 14-April 28	*As you conduct your research, begin drafting those parts of your essay that you have completed research for. The rough draft should be completed by April 28.
April 23	In-class, sign up for presentations and for peer review partners. Question and answer session about research paper. Bring work already completed for review and help from your instructor. Prepare for oral presentation.
April 28	Rough draft of Works Cited for Essay #5 due.
April 28-30	Meet with your peer review partner outside of class and complete peer review.
April 30, May 5, or May 7	Deliver 0ral presentation on assigned date.
May 5	Final version of Essay #5 is due at beginning of class.
*These should be completed individually by students outside of class.

Topics

The topic for your final, longer argument/research paper should grow out of the reading and discussions we have had in class.  You may go back to any of the earlier essays we discussed, including those selected by the first, smaller groups for Essay #1, or use topics related to the sections selected for the larger group presentations for Essay #2.  You may also use as your starting point any of the essays that were included in the reading but not discussed in class.  You may use ideas directly raised in the essays, questions that you had as a result of reading the essays, questions that were raised in class, or any related issue.  One factor you must consider is whether your topic has at least two arguable sides (note: it might have more than two); if not, you do not have a "question at issue" and do not have a topic that will result in an effective argument.  In addition, your topic for Essay #5 must be different than the one you wrote on for Essay #2.  The more you are interested in your topic, the easier you will find sustaining your research effort over the period of a month.  Review the steps given in Ch. 6 of B & B on the thesis statement and the "Generating a Thesis" handout prior to completing the "Thesis Generating Exercise" for Essay #5.

Final Version

Your final essay should be 8-10 double-spaced, typed pages in length, not counting the Works Cited page(s).  As part of the independent research component, you should include a variety of sources, cited and documented correctly using MLA format and style.  Place your essay, rough draft, peer reviewers' comments, outline, thesis generating exercise, and mechanics and MLA checklists in your folder to turn in.  Leave all the materials previously turned in with Essay #4 in your folder.  Your work will be returned to you during your portfolio conference (May 12 or 14).

Last Updated 01/10/2009