Write an analytical essay, considering a research question like “What accounts for the comparatively low voter turnout numbers in the US?”

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The Satanic Temple

1) A statement of your specific topic.

2) A statement of your purpose (for this class, it must be either analytical or persuasive), which will of course determine whether you are writing as an advocate of some course or position or whether you are writing in a more objective fashion.

3) A statement of your anticipated audience. (Are you writing for general readers or for some particular group – nurses, for instance, or veterans, etc.?)

4) A statement of your preliminary thesis or, if you are writing a persuasive essay, your proposition.

Let me remind you that a thesis statement is not just a sentence that tells what your topic is. Nor is it a statement of some obvious fact. Your thesis is a statement that focuses your work in on the particular issue you will be dealing with, in a clear and narrow form. For instance, “Voting is an important privilege granted by the U.S. Constitution” would not be a good thesis for a paper. It’s too broad and too obvious. How could you create a more focused thesis around the topic of voting?

Finally, if you are going to write a persuasive paper, you must have a proposition – a statement of the point you are going to argue. You cannot argue a question, nor can you argue two sides of an issue, so your proposition must take a stand. “Should more Americans vote?” would not be a proposition, but “Americans have a responsibility to inform themselves about the issues and to vote” would be. So would “Uninformed people should not vote.”

And if you were going to write an analytical essay, you might be considering a research question like “What accounts for the comparatively low voter turnout numbers in the US?”; your thesis might then be something like “Because we are assaulted by candidate ads, robo-calls, advocacy from television pundits and more, many Americans find it difficult to decide whom and what to believe and therefore simply decide not to make a decision and not to vote.”

Notice that this kind of thesis may be longer than a proposition is likely to be, because it indicates the direction in which the writer intends to take his or her analysis.

Write a compare/contrast essay–an exploratory piece of writing in which you attempt to show readers how two topics are similar, different, or a combination of the two: both similar and different.

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Compare/Contrast Essay

For this assignment, you will be writing a compare/contrast essay–an exploratory piece of writing in which you attempt to show readers how two topics are similar, different, or a combination of the two: both similar and different. Whether you focus exclusively on comparing, exclusively on contrasting, or a mix of both, is totally up to you. However, regardless of which approach you decide to take, you will want to include a strong thesis/claim statement, at least three effective supporting points, and a streamlined point-by-point organizational strategy.

Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?

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PERSONAL STATEMENT

Pick a prompt below. (650 words)

1. Some students have a background, identity, interest, or talent that is so meaningful they believe their application would be incomplete without it. If this sounds like you, then please share your story.

2. The lessons we take from obstacles we encounter can be fundamental to later success. Recount a time when you faced a challenge, setback, or failure. How did it affect you, and what did you learn from the experience?

3. Reflect on a time when you questioned or challenged a belief or idea. What prompted your thinking? What was the outcome?

4. Reflect on something that someone has done for you that has made you happy or thankful in a surprising way. How has this gratitude affected or motivated you?

5. Discuss an accomplishment, event, or realization that sparked a period of personal growth and a new understanding of yourself or others.

6. Describe a topic, idea, or concept you find so engaging that it makes you lose all track of time. Why does it captivate you? What or who do you turn to when you want to learn more?

7. Share an essay on any topic of your choice. It can be one you’ve already written, one that responds to a different prompt, or one of your own design.

In at least 1000 words, write an essay in which you use textual evidence to evaluate the argument made by one of the author’s in an article.

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Evaluating the argument made by one of the author’s in an article

In at least 1000 words, write an essay in which you use textual evidence to evaluate the argument made by one of the author’s in an article.

Prompt:

Do you agree or disagree with the author’s position on toxic masculinity? Why?

Select 1 article or 1 Youtube video to respond to:

  • Youtube Video:
  • Jackson Katz, “Violence Against Women”
  • “What is Toxic Masculinity”

Readings:

Colleen Clemens, “What We Mean When We Say, ‘Toxic Masculinity’”

Howard Cunnell, “Traditional Ideas of Masculinity are Poisoning Our Society. There is Another Way”

Gad Saad, “Is Toxic Masculinity a Valid Concept”

Michael Salter, “The Problem with a Fight Against Toxic Masculinity”

Although the majority of your essay will focus on the article or Youtube video you have chosen to write about, you can cite/incorporate a second article or YouTube video you watched for this section

 

What are the areas of commonality regarding the topic? What would the central arguments be? Consider the author’s: approach, problem, method, sources, claims, evidence and/or conclusions. Provide specific examples from the source and include marked citations.

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Argument-driven rhetorical analysis

For your first major assignment, you’ll write a argument-driven rhetorical analysis of a text, or source, related to our theme of personal responsibility. We’ll be looking specifically at texts that directly address a contemporary ethical problem or question related to personal responsibility.

1) You will select two sources from the reading selections (from the textbook or one I have assigned) to analyze first. Example: Angela Haupt’s “Why Do We Procrastinate?” and Adam Grant’s “Why I Taught Myself to Procrastinate.”

  1. a) How do these selections relate to personal responsibility?
  2. b) What claim (or central message) can you draw from both reading selections?

For guidance in writing your essay, consult the critical reading and responding strategies outlined in Chapters 1 and 2 of RRW (textbook).

2) ) Summarize the argument contained in each of the two sources (maximum 200 words for each source). What problem does each author address, what is the significance of that problem, and how does each author address it with an argument?

3) Following the summaries, write an analysis demonstrating what these sources teach you about the topic and how they speak to each other.

Describe the rhetorial situation of the texts being analyzed (author, purpose, text, setting,

  1. a) What are the areas of commonality regarding the topic? What would the central arguments be? Consider the author’s: approach, problem, method, sources, claims, evidence and/or conclusions. Provide specific examples from the source and include marked citations.
  2. b) What are the areas of difference regarding this topic? Consider the author’s: approach, problem, method, sources, thesis, claims, evidence and/or conclusions. Provide specific examples from the source and include marked printouts/photocopies for all citations.

c)Explain and analyze how the text connects with (or fails to connect with) the audience by using the rhetorical appeals (ethos, logos, pathos).

4) Advance a research question. Restate the common problem that these two sources address and formulate a research question to which these two sources provide different answers. What broader question do these sources address? How well do these sources address the question? What might you still need to know in order to answer this question?

Conclusion

  1. Restate your thesis and how it applies to the theme of personal/community responsibility
  2. Address the overall effectiveness of the texts’ arguments
  3. Write closing comments-leave your reader with a thought-provoking idea or thought

Additionally:

  • Are your body evidence paragraphs arranged logically with a topic sentence at the beginning of each paragraph?
  • Do you have effective transitions between paragraphs to effectively guide your reader to your next example or evidence?

 

 

What criteria lead you to your assessment? Which level is the essay and why? What were the areas where the student writer is strong and/or weak?

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Written Communication

Read the 3 anonymous student essays (Student Essay #1, #2 and #3). Clearly, they are on different stories, which is not relevant. Your task is to apply the Written Communication LEAP Rubric to your writing

Next, write TWO paragraphs for EACH student essay

Respond to the following: For each essay, how would you assess the student’s writing ability ( 1 to 4…Benchmark to Capstone)? What criteria lead you to your assessment?

  • Which level is the essay (e.g. 1-Benchmark to 4-Capstone) and why?
  • What were the areas where the student writer is strong and/or weak? Make sure to be specific here…take examples from the essays to illustrate your point.

 

 

Why was your favorite literacy work from module three? Explain why you like this particular work. Give specific examples and reasons.

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The Wild Honeysuckle

Why was your favorite literacy work from module three? Explain why you like this particular work. Give specific examples and reasons.

Minimum Length: 150 words https://poets.org/poem/wild-honeysuckle The Wild Honeysuckle

 

Who is the target audience? Why do you think this? What is the ad attempting to convince this audience of? Explain Does the ad use color effectively? Explain

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SPEECH FOR ENGLISH

OPTION 1) Create a Public Service Announcement (PSA).

You can choose a topic that interests and is relevant to you – from tougher laws on texting and driving to increasing the voting age to 21. You may use the following tools to create your video or presentation:

  • The Canvas Rich Content Editor built in video
  • Any video creation tool on your device
  • Screencastomatic
  • Google Slides
  • Power Point

Watch the sample PSA here (opens in new window) (Links to an external site.)

Option 2) You’ve read many speeches and spent time analyzing the strategies that authors use to create an effective and meaningful speech.

Based on the strategies of the historical documents and speeches you’ve read and studied, write your own speech of 3-5 minutes. You are going to record your speech and submit along with your written speech.

Here are some speech ideas but don’t limit your choices to these!

  • Running for office
  • President’s State of the Union address
  • A speech to Congress recommending a change
  • A speech for your parents about extending your curfew
  • Why a snake is the best (or worst) pet.
  • Why smiles are contagious.
  • The best ways to protect the environment.

Need some ideas for recording? Try one of these methods:

Use your computer’s sound recorder. Be sure to create an mp3 of the recording to submit.

Use a video editor to create a series of images (or video of you!) and then record your voiceover. Be sure you create an mp4 to submit.

Head over to Vocaroo and record there (Links to an external site.) Links to an external site. . You aren’t required to create an account. Just make sure that you give permission for the site to use your computer’s microphone and then save as an mp3. You can also grab the link and submit.

If you have mic issues on your computer, feel free to use an app on your cell phone. You can email or text this!

For Options 1-2 you will also need to copy and paste the rubric for your choice on your project. You will then need to copy and paste from your project example(s) of each of the strategies that you’ve used next to the appropriate spot in the rubric. This will let me clearly see that you understand each of these.

Three persuasive appeals (20 points each)

  • Ethos:
  • Logos:
  • Pathos:

Three persuasive techniques (10 points each)

  • Rhetorical questioning:
  • Parallelism:
  • Restatement:
  • Grammar/Mechanics: 10 points

OPTION 3) Select an advertisement for some type of fast food restaurant or food product/beverage from an online source.  The ad can be a commercial or a print ad, and you must include the link to the ad or the ad itself. Write a well-developed and organized paragraph in which you identify, analyze, and evaluate the persuasive techniques used in the ad.

Be sure you address each of the following questions:

  • What is the ad presenting/advertising/selling?
  • What is the focal point of the ad? (This is likely different from the answer to the previous question)
  • Who is the target audience? Why do you think this?
  • What is the ad attempting to convince this audience of? Explain
  • Does the ad use color effectively? Explain
  • What feeling is the ad trying to produce? How do you know?
  • What seems to be the ad’s primary persuasive technique? Explain.
  • Is the ad leaving anything out? Explain.
  • Overall, how persuasive might the ad be to an average consumer? Explain.

 

We live in a narrative society. Most things have a story angle to them. In your experience what makes up a good story? What needs to be considered for stories to be used effectively in a speech?

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Select one of the following prompts and respond to it.

  • (Option A) We live in a narrative society. Most things have a story angle to them. In your experience what makes up a good story? What needs to be considered for stories to be used effectively in a speech?
  • (Option B) Transitions, internal previews, internal summaries, signposts, reviews, signaling, and closure, are all parts of a speech that help the listener follow along and understand the speaker’s intent. Select two of these, define them, and tell how they can help you effectively organize and deliver your speech.

Your initial post should be at least three paragraphs (Minimum of 120 word)

 

Describe the evidence the Prince Albert Police Department had that led to the arrest of Mustafe Hussein for drug possession. Why did Judge Daunt think that the Prince Albert Police violated Mr. Hussein’s Charter Rights?

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CRIMINOLOGY 1101

CHAPTER 1 PARTICIPATION ASSIGNMENT

ISSUE: Canadian Charter Rights afforded to suspects accused of crimes in Canada.

INSTRUCTIONS FOR ASSIGNMENT:

  • Read the March 6 the, 2020 CBC News article titled, ‘Judge says Prince Albert Police arrest breached Charter rights of accused’ that was posted in the Participation Assignment 1 folder.
  • Based on the CBC News article, Chapter 1 and the Chapter 1 lecture videos, answer the five questions below in full sentences.

 

QUESTIONS TO ANSWER:

  1. Describe the evidence the Prince Albert Police Department had that led to the arrest of Mustafe Hussein for drug possession (cocaine).
  1. According to Judge Daunt, the Prince Albert Police violated Mr. Hussein’s Charter Rights in this case.Specifically, which Charter Rights were violated?
  1. Why did Judge Daunt think that the Prince Albert Police violated Mr. Hussein’s Charter Rights?
  2. This case speaks to how the Charter of Rights and Freedoms protects the rights and interests of those accused of crimes in Canada. Many people disagree with the rights of accused that are afforded by the Canadian Charter.
  3. Describe two arguments in favour of why it is important that the Charter protect the rights of those accused of crimes in Canada.
  4. Then, describe two arguments in opposition to this- what are the disadvantages or downsides to affording Charter Rights to those accused of crimes in Canada?
  5. What is your opinion on this case? Do you agree with Judge Daunt’s decision to acquit Mr. Hussein of the drug possession charges based on Charter Right violations? Why or why not?