English 100/fall 2012/Hurley-Essay

    Essay 2: Evaluating If God Is Willing and Da Creek Don’t Rise

    General Assignment:
    Write an 800+ word evaluation of If God Is Willing and Da Creek Don’t Rise, a film by Spike Lee.

    PREWRITING
    Working it out 1:
    Review Denis O’Neil’s review of Lee’s earlier documentary, When the Levees Broke: A Requiem in Four Acts from our textbook (207-08) to get a sense of tone, format, and audience expectation.  Make note of his effective review strategies.  More importantly, make note of his evaluation criteria.

    Working it out 2:
    Before watching the film, consider the organization of a review:
    •    Introduction
    •    Description/summary of film
    •    Thesis or main point
    •    Supporting evidence
    •    Conclusion
    Be prepared to write comprehensively on each aspect.

    Working it out 3:
    Watch the film and write copious notes about it.     As you watch the film, establish criteria you might use to judge Lee’s documentary.

    Introduction Draft
    The introduction should include an engaging opening line, a brief summary of the film, the criteria used to judge the film, and a thesis sentence.

    Peer Editing: Please bring 2 copies of your completed introduction (200+ words) to class for peer review.  Failure to participate with peer review will result in a .3 deduction (out of a possible 4.0) in the essay final grade.
    Introductory paragraph is due Tuesday 10/23.  200+ words, typed
    Review Draft:
    Review draft should be well developed and well organized. Quotes from the film and from the outside source must be included

    Peer Editing: Please bring 2 copies of your completed review (600+ words) to class for peer review.  Failure to participate with peer review will result in a .5 deduction (out of a possible 4.0) in the essay final grade.
    Peer Review draft is due Thursday 10/25.  600+ words, typed.  Include MLA documentation.

    Final draft is due Tuesday 10/30
    A completed essay includes the following:
    •    An engaging title that hints at the review’s message.
    •    An introduction that offers context and description.
    •    Rich and vivid details.
    •    At least two quotes from the film.
    •    At least two quotes from an outside source (class handouts).
    •    A Works Cited entry
    •    An engaging personal (first-person) tone.

    Mechanics:
    •    Double spacing with no extra spacing between paragraphs.
    •    Paragraph indents.
    •    11 or 12 point font.
    •    Brief heading: Name/English 100/Instructor Hurley/ Due date.

    Due Dates:
    Tuesday 10/23:     Introductory paragraph due.
    Tuesday 10/30:     Review draft (2 copies) for peer review
    Thursday 11/1:     Final draft

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