Essay 1 Guidelines

            In this project, you will determine the persuasive qualities of the graphic novel, As the World Burns. For this purpose, review your annotations and consider the principles of rhetoric. Shortly summarize the author’s thesis and main points in the introduction, and then take on a specific position on the writer’s ability to persuade the reader. Clearly establish  if the book is  convincing and why or why not. Your evaluation and analysis should include a discussion of visual persuasive means, logos, ethos, and pathos as well as elements you have chosen that are important in rhetoric.

Requirements:

• Pre-Writing: please use the following activities as a way to generate and organize your ideas.
• MLA format: you must set up the paper in this format. In a reference book or online source, you will find a model paper, which outlines all the set up rules.
• Title: make it interesting (something that sounds like a paper you want to read)
• Introduction: begin your essay with a hook – a quotation, question, statistic, bold statement or anecdote – that further engages the reader, plays with the idea of the title, and transitions into the general information of the topic. The background you provide must be appropriate in length and content (consider the audience) and should focus on the main argument presented.  Most important, though, present your thesis statement at the end of the introduction.
• Thesis = fact+ well-formed opinion + relevance. Ensure that your thesis is reflective of the prompt but that you also take your own unique position, avoiding clichés and obvious statements. For this essay, you must argue that the book is convincing or not.
• Body Paragraphs: each paragraph must contain transitions, a topic sentence (main idea of the paragraph that proves the thesis), evidence (text quotations or references) and correct in-text citations, analysis and commentary of the evidence, logical connections between the topic sentence idea, thesis, evidence, and personal observations, and lastly a concluding sentence, showing relevance. At least one body paragraph should feature a counter argument – what would someone argue who did not agree with your thesis, what evidence and reasons would be used, and how would you defend your position in a logical and fair manner. You must use one block quote correctly.
• Conclusion: restate the thesis in an elegant, smooth and not forced manner. Often, it is effective to close with a response to the hook. For example, if a quotation is used, a writer may want to address this quote again. Further, allow the reader to remember your paper, contemplating on an expanding thought.
• Draft: this should almost fulfilled the required page numbers (one page is not a draft)
• Peer Response: critical and thoughtful comments that allow the writer to improve their thinking, change or expand ideas, include more evidence, and correct structure, grammar, and wording
• Final Draft: five complete pages (to the last line of the page, right hand corner – seriously); proofread, correct structure and grammar, proofread, complete, proofread.
• Works Cited: this would be page 6, and the guidelines as well as models are contained in a reference book. If you are hesitant to put together your own Works Cited, you may also use Easy Bib, a website that generates these entries for you. However, ensure that you are using the updated rules from 2009.

Pre-Writing

Initial Brainstorm:

Free Write:

Outline:

Is the position convincing? ___________________________________________________
 

What elements would you select in order to know whether or not an argument is persuasive?

1. _____________________________________________________
2. _____________________________________________________
3. _____________________________________________________
4. _____________________________________________________
5. _____________________________________________________

What examples of logos, ethos, and pathos are convincing to you?

Peer Feedback Sheet

Grading Sheet

Student’s Goals:

Credit for Process:
Pre-Writing _______
Draft 1 _______
Peer Review _______
Points for completion and effort on due date: __________/ 10 points

Student’s Evaluation:

Instructor’s Comments:

Process: _____/ 10 points
Essay: ____/ 115 points
Total: ____/ 125 points

Rubric