BASIC
REQUIREMENTS FOR ESSAY #2
1.
Minimum
of Three (3) Sources on your topic issue must
inform and be explicitly
cited in your argument essay--and at
least
one of these
sources
must represent a viewpoint opposed to your own.
Note Well: your “sources” may be from AofA, our textbook.
In
fact, you can cut down on or eliminate the necessity for outside research if you
choose an argumentative topic that enables you to use AofA sources.
2.
Topic:
An Arguable Issue of Your Choice. If AofA does not
include (any/enough) sources on your chosen topic issue, or does not provide the
kind of evidence that you need to convincingly support your claims, then you
will need to conduct research to locate relevant sources:
see AofA Ch. 9 for guidance.
3.
Types/Aims
of Your Argument: Your Choice: Review Chs. 4, 5, 6, &
7, including example student essays, to help you decide. (Note: The example student research paper included at
the end of Ch. 9 combines the aims of inquiry,
convincing, and persuading; it also offers good models for
how to cite sources effectively and correctly using MLA style.).
Good example argument essays written by past WR 122 can also be reviewed
on Cora’s WR 122 course website - see: Example
Student Argument Essays #2 (online
handout):
http://www.cocc.edu/cagatucci/classes/wr122/handouts/essays2.htm
4.
Genre
& Suggested Length: Your argument must be
written in the genre of an Essay, so remember and apply what
you already know about sound essay writing principles.
The
suggested length of your Final Draft is 5
to 7
typed/wordprocessed and double-spaced pages
using a standard font and
point size.
5.
Targeted Audience(s) & Public/ation Context:
See handout on Audience
Analysis Ex. for more direction and guidance.
6.
Apply
what you have learned in WR 122 about effective appeals to logic
(logos), character (ethos), emotion (pathos), value, ethics; and style
(language, tone).
7.
Follow
Manuscript Form (ms) guidelines, Cite Sources correctly & Avoid Plagiarism: Recommended manuscript
form for
Final Drafts has already been discussed in class and illustrated in previous
handout directions for graded WR 122 assignments.
Correct procedures for citing multiple sources, using MLA parenthetical
in-text citation and Works Cited practices will be further discussed in class before the Final Draft of Essay #2 is due.
Review Ch. 9 for
guidance and examples on careful notetaking, in-text parenthetical citation, and
Works Cited formats.
Go to Essay
#2 Evaluation
Grading Criteria & Revision Checklist | WR 122
Competencies Addressed
http://www.cocc.edu/cagatucci/classes/wr122/assignments/essay2eval.htm
ESSAY #2
PREPARATION (Exercises & Advice)
See WR 122
Course Plan for deadlines & related
assignments
(STEP 1)
IDENTIFY (at least ) 3 SOURCES & CHOOSE AN
"ARGUABLE" TOPIC ISSUE: Use research, critical reading, inquiry into a range
of positions represented in at least 3 sources to help you select a topic
issue for Essay #2, and to educate yourself on the state of the dialogue &
debate on that topic issue. You may wish to choose a topic and use
sources from AofA.
(STEP 2)
REVIEW DIFFERENT AIMS AND TYPES OF ARGUMENT
(as reviewed in class on Wed., Feb. 20), and seriously
consider which aims/types of argument that you would like to pursue in Essay
#2. AofA Resources - Different Aims &
Types of Arguments:
Ch. 4 "...Arguing to Inquire," including "A
Sample Exploratory Essay," pp. 64-66;
Ch. 5 "...Arguing to Convince"--including Box &
Spidel's essay pp. 102-106.
Ch. 6 "...Arguing to Persuade," including Box &
Shanks' essay, pp. 142-145;
Ch. 7: "Negotiation & Mediation...," including
analysis & "The Mediatory Essay, pp. 163-190
(STEP 3)
CRITICALLY
READ, COMPARE, & TAKE CAREFUL NOTES ON YOUR 3 (or more)
SOURCES,
identifying the range of opinions, the points and sources of agreement and disagreement among
your sources--annotating and distinguishing your own responses and
opinions as well. Draw upon the methods of analysis and evaluation we’ve been studying
in WR 122, and note how you might be able to use your sources in Essay #2.
Use the results of your comparative source analysis to help you
formulate and refine your topic focus and tentative thesis for
Essay #2. Consider
the authors of your 3+ sources as potential members of your imaged
audience for Essay #2.
Topic Proposal for
Essay #2
Introduce your chosen Topic Issue;
Identify at least 3 sources to be cited/used: prepare
MLA-style Works Cited entries for each of your sources;
Identify type/s of argument you think you will be writing for
Essay #2
Audience Analysis Ex. & Comparative Source Analysis
Ex.
AofA Resources for Audience Analysis & Comparative Source Analysis:
Ch.
4: characteristics of
Inquiry, pp. 37-38; “Inquiring into a Range of Positions,” pp. 54-55;
Ch.
5: “Analyzing the Audience,” pp. 81-83; “Working toward a
Position,” pp. 79-81;
Ch.
6: “Analyzing Your Readers”: “Who Is the Audience, and How Do They
View the Topic? “What Are Our Differences?” and “What Do We Have in
Common?” pp. 108-110
See
also “King’s Analysis of His Audience: Identification and Overcoming
Difference,” pp. 125-126; and “Conceiving a Readership,” pp.
135-136;
Ch.
7: “Understanding Opposing Positions,” pp. 148-149; “Locating the
Areas of Disagreement,” pp. 164 – 169 & see Box, p. 166; preparing
a Brief or Outline on opposing views, illustrated on pp. 163-164.
AUDIENCE ANALYSIS EX.: Construct
a few, well-selected survey questions to use in analyzing your WR 122 Workshop
Group audience, as well as other non-class members (e.g., prior knowledge, pre-existing biases/opinions,
factors that shaped those opinions, areas of agreement & disagreement,
etc.) as relevant to your topic, position, argumentative purpose(s).
COMPARATIVE
SOURCE ANALYSIS EX.: Prepare a Brief or Outline on the range of opinions and opposition
among viewpoints represented in your sources, as well as you own (developing)
responses and opinion. State your Topic
focus (of your chosen argumentative issue) and your Tentative Thesis for
Essay #2.
(STEP 4)
FOLLOW-UP ADVICE: Take
some time to analyze and synthesize what you have learned from your
preparation as you start drafting Essay #2.
A.
POINTS OF AGREEMENT & DISAGREEMENT
1.
What
specifically seem to be the major
differences of opinion—among the views of workshop members, your
sources, other folks who let you interview them on your topic issue?
What are the (underlying) causes/sources of these disagreements?
What seem to be the weightiest
opposing views you will need to address in Essay #2?
2.
What
are the points of agreement and
common ground among these multiple viewpoints? (Look for these too in
exploring the underlying sources/causes of disagreement among your workshop
group members, reading sources, and other you interview.)
What appeals to common ground
and points of agreement could you use in Essay #2
to enlist wider audience support for your
own views?
B.
"CONCEIVING A READERSHIP" (AofA pp. 135-136) &
A PUBLIC/ATION CONTEXT As
Crusius and Channell point out, writing for an ill-defined, unknown “general
public” somewhere out there in the ether is a “nearly meaningless abstraction” (135).
So let's start with these general parameters for conceiving the Audience
for your Essay #2:
(1)
Diverse in Viewpoints on the issue-- i.e. not just those who already agree with
you, but also those with opposing views and those (relatively) open minded who
have not yet formulated a decided opinion on the issue—to include the authors
of your three (or more) sources;
(2)
(Ideally) Serious, Concerned, Attentive, Ethical (fellow/sister
“inquirers”),
(3)
(Reasonably well) Educated but Non-Specialist--to include our
college-level WR
122 audience of critical thinkers and readers.
For
Essay #2, you will need to work within Cora’s general Audience parameters, but
they are still relatively broad. Argumentative
writing is audience-oriented: it is designed to influence readers.
But if you are to argue effectively, applying the most effective
strategies and appeals needed to achieve your argumentative aims, you need to
clarify in your mind whom you want to influence
(targeted audiences), as well as how you want to
influence--i.e. what
you want from--your readers.
And Essay #2 can be much more than just another dry academic exercise if
you are invested in what you are doing, if you can imagine entering your
argument into a
real-life public(ation) or communication context (i.e. a “rhetorical
context") in which your issue is
being debated by concerned people, and where your argumentative skills could
influence targeted others--and make a real difference!
So try to envision a specific public/ation context for Essay #2, which goes hand-in-hand with identifying
targeted audience(s) for your argument.
