Your final college course grade will be determined based on your performance on the following take-home essay assessments and peer review assignment. All of these assessments will be uploaded to Canvas course assignments as .doc or .pdf attachments:
- Formal Research Summary (RS) 1 page single-spaced—Research and summarize the argument made in a viewpoint article. MLA citation required. (10%)
- Mapping a Controversy Paper (MC 1.1) 4-6 pages double-spaced—This research paper analyzes a contemporary controversy, its background, exigency, and the various stakeholders and viewpoints that are involved in the controversy. The paper requires research into at least three stakeholder viewpoints. The essay is expected to fairly summarize and represent major viewpoints. Students bring a draft to class for a mandatory peer review. The essay is expected to meet MLA citation and works cited standards. (15%)
- Mapping a Controversy Paper Revision (MC 1.2) 4-6 pages double-spaced—This revision project re-thinks and rewrites MC 1.1 to demonstrate substantial improvements in the particular areas recommended by the UT grader. (25%)
- Persuasive Essay (PE 2.1) 4-6 pages—The persuasive argument essay targets a particular audience and venue. The essay leverages strategic research to convince the audience that they should believe, think, or do something about a particular and current controversy of the student’s choice. A successful essay will demonstrate effective matching of its claims, evidence and reasons to the ideological and decorum expectations of the target audience. The writing process includes a mandatory peer review of a draft. The essay is expected to meet MLA citation and works cited standards. (20%)
- Persuasive Essay Revision (PE 2.2) 4-6 pages—This revision process assignment entails a goal-oriented revision of PE 2.1 that demonstrates substantial improvements in the particular areas suggested by UT grader feedback. (30%)
Your final college course grade will be determined based on your performance on the following take-home essay assessments and peer review assignment. All of these assessments will be uploaded to Canvas course assignments. The essays are 4-6 pages not including the works cited unless stated otherwise on the prompt. In college, a page is a full page of text, not just making it to the first line of the page. Assignments are weighted as follows when calculating the final total GPA for the course:
- Rhetorical Analysis Essay (4-6 pp) – an analysis essay sequence consisting of an essay and peer review. (20%)
- Rhetorical Analysis Revision (4-6 pp) – a formal revision of the rhetorical analysis essay with a reflection letter. (25%)
- Annotated Bibliography (4-6 pp) – an annotated bibliography on a research topic of the student’s choice. (25%)
- Final Researched Argument (4-6 pp) – this argumentative essay requires students to use evidence from their research project. (30%)