For this assignment, you will compose a 7-10 page paper in which you synthesize research on a topic of your choosing to answer (or begin to answer) your inquiry question(s).

In your essay, you should:

• Leave readers with a clear understanding of your inquiry question(s) and the answer(s) to your inquiry question(s). Stay focused on your question throughout the paper.
• Use your research to develop claims that you support with evidence drawn from your research
• Use both academic sources and non-academic sources for a total of at least 6 sources and document these sources appropriately using APA style
• Follow the structural and stylistic conventions of academic writing
  • Formal tone/word choice
  • Paragraphs use topic sentences, evidence, analysis, and transitions
  • Each paragraph stays focused on one topic or subtopic
  • Can use “I,” but please don’t use “you” (in the sense of “you’re probably thinking that…”)
• Use at least 5 rhetorical devices in your paper, 2 of which can be repeats
• Write a separate note explaining all of the intentional rhetorical choices you made in your essay (the above devices, but also appeals to ethos/logos/pathos, choices you made based on how you want to present yourself as a speaker, based on your message, based on your audience—me, or your classmates, or an imagined broader audience, etc.)

Intentions for this paper:

• Rather than picking a belief/position/opinion you already have and using research to support that opinion, I want you to pick a topic/question that interests you and you want to learn more about. That doesn’t mean you can’t have beliefs about that topic, but it should be something you feel open to new information about.
• I want you to genuinely learn something via your research—that’s what research is supposed to do!
• Your inquiry questions should not be the kinds of questions where it’s easy to find a simple answer on Google.
• Your inquiry questions should also be narrow/specific enough that you aren’t trying to solve a huge global problem or write a whole book in just this one paper.

Final Paper Rubric (100 points)

1. First and second drafts are turned in on time, peer review is completed in a timely manner, peer review is specific, thorough, and respectful (30 points)             

2. Incorporates research effectively and appropriately to support the argument (10 points)

• All claims are backed up by evidence as needed, which is correctly cited (5 points)
• Quotes or paraphrases from sources are well-integrated into the paragraphs (no naked quotes) (5 points)                                                                                       

3. The paper uses evidence from reliable sources and/or addresses the potential biases of the source/information. If there are common criticisms of the main argument, the paper addresses those criticisms using evidence. (10 points)                                                

3. Paragraphs and sections follow the structural conventions of Standard American Academic English (15 points)

• Paper includes an introductory section (may be more than one paragraph) that establishes the topic, the inquiry question(s), and the writer’s preliminary answer to the question(s) (5 points)
• Body paragraphs stay focused on individual claims supported by relevant evidence and use topic sentences and transition phrases (5 points)
• The paper includes a conclusion that explains why the inquiry is important and what readers should take away from the paper. (5 points)                                   

4. Paper is correctly formatted in APA style (5 points)

• Title page and/or header
• Abstract with keywords
• In-text citations are largely correct
• Works cited/references/bibliography page is largely correct                     

5. Follows the stylistic conventions of Standard American Academic English (5 points)

• Spelling, Grammar, Punctuation, Formatting, Capitalization, Formality     

6. Includes at least 5 rhetorical devices (2 can be repeats), which the student has either labeled in the text or pointed out in a separate document. The student has also written a separate statement describing their intentional rhetorical choices in the paper. (15 points)

6. Other Requirements (10 points)

• Paper meets the length requirement
• At least 6 sources are used                                                                        

Due Monday 7/18

For EACH rhetorical device, please post:

1. Two examples of the device in use in the world (ideally, one you witnessed in real life or made up yourself. Try not to just Google examples)

2. Any relevant context for understanding the sentence (you may not need to write anything for this part if it’s clear on its own)

3. An analysis of what the device ADDS to the speaker’s message.

Do NOT just explain to me why your examples are examples of your device. That is not useful to either of us — we both know they are, and the goal isn’t to prove that you know the definition. The goal is to show understanding of WHY someone might use the device in a particular situation and WHAT they might be trying to achieve with it.

So: you should have FOUR examples + analysis total this week.

Reminder: If you are doing your presentation on a set of devices, you do not have to do the examples + analysis for those devices. So for example, Jason (who presented on Hypophora and Rhetorical Question) doesn’t need to write examples for this pair of devices.

Due Thursday 7/14

For EACH rhetorical device, please post:

1. Two examples of the device in use in the world (ideally, one you witnessed in real life or made up yourself. Try not to just Google examples)

2. Any relevant context for understanding the sentence (you may not need to write anything for this part if it’s clear on its own)

3. An analysis of what the device ADDS to the speaker’s message.

For example: I COULD say “I have a lot of work to do tonight.” OR I could use hyperbole and say “I have a mountain of work to do” OR I could use understatement and say “I have a bit of work I need to do tonight.” Why might I choose hyperbole or understatement instead of the straightforward way of saying it? What does it add or take away from what I’m expressing?

Do NOT just explain to me why your examples are examples of your device. That is not useful to either of us — we both know they are, and the goal isn’t to prove that you know the definition. The goal is to show understanding of WHY someone might use the device in a particular situation and WHAT they might be trying to achieve with it.

So: you should have EIGHT examples + analysis total this week.

Reminder: If you are doing your presentation on a set of devices, you do not have to do the examples + analysis for those devices. So for example, Arianny (presenting on Fear and Humor Appeal) doesn’t need to write examples for those, but DOES still need to do antithesis and litotes.

Due Wednesday 7/13

For EACH rhetorical device, please post:

1. Two examples of the device in use in the world (ideally, one you witnessed in real life or made up yourself. Try not to just Google examples)

2. Any relevant context for understanding the sentence (you may not need to write anything for this part if it’s clear on its own)

3. An analysis of what the device ADDS to the speaker’s message.

For example: I COULD say “I have a lot of work to do tonight.” OR I could use hyperbole and say “I have a mountain of work to do” OR I could use understatement and say “I have a bit of work I need to do tonight.” Why might I choose hyperbole or understatement instead of the straightforward way of saying it? What does it add or take away from what I’m expressing?

Do NOT just explain to me why your examples are hyperbole or understatement. That is not useful to either of us — we both know they are, and the goal isn’t to prove that you know the definition. The goal is to show understanding of WHY someone might use the device in a particular situation and WHAT they might be trying to achieve with it.

So: you should have FOUR examples + analysis total this week.

Reminder: If you are doing your presentation on a set of devices, you do not have to do the examples + analysis for those devices.

After you read the 3 sample essays, please leave a COMMENT on this post responding to the following questions. Comments are due Friday, July 8 by the end of the day.

Note about the sample essays: The first two examples were NOT written for the specific prompt I am going to ask you to write on, but both are excellent examples of creative nonfiction written by real composition students at John Jay. The third essay IS in response to the prompt I will give you.

• What did you notice about each of the student examples?
• How did each writer structure their story?
• What choices did each writer make that you found compelling, interesting, attention-grabbing, emotionally-moving, or otherwise positive?
• What unusual or creative choices did they make?
• Which parts of the story gave you some kind of emotional reaction?
• What choices did the writer make in how they crafted their story that CAUSED that reaction in you?

For your first paper, you will write a piece of persuasive creative nonfiction (4 pages or more) about one of your own beliefs. The “This I Believe” essay is a common genre for ENG 101 students to read and write. However, I am asking you to write about a belief that you no longer have, or a belief that has changed significantly over time. Your paper should tell the story of how you came to hold your original belief and then what made you change your belief and why.

In your paper, you should:

• Use a consistent authorial voice throughout your paper (tone, style, etc.) OR make deliberate shifts in voice to serve your purpose as a writer
• Provide vivid sensory description of your experiences that enables the reader to picture the events in their mind’s eye (and mind’s ear, tongue, skin, nose, etc.)
• Create a narrative arc OR deliberately use some other narrative structure to serve your purpose as a writer
• Leave the reader with a clear sense of what you no longer believe and why
• Articulate your logical/factual reasons for why you changed your belief AND the personal events that led to your change in belief
• Format the paper and document sources as needed using APA style (stylistic accuracy will be ungraded, but any sources used MUST be cited in your best attempt at your chosen formatting style)

Example Topics From Past Student Papers:

• Change in religion
• Change in a particular belief about alcohol or drugs
• Change in a particular belief about LGBTQ+ issues
• Stopped believing in Santa Claus (this student was trying to troll me, but he actually did a great job)
• Change in opinion on the death penalty
• Change in career goal
• Change in a particular belief about relationships
• Change in belief about abortion
• Change in relationship with a family member

Name _____________________

Creative Nonfiction Rubric (80 points)

1. Turned in drafts on time and participated in writing workshop (15 points- 5 points for each draft on time, 5 points for writing workshop)                                                                    

2. Peer review used descriptive (rather than prescriptive) feedback, was detailed and used specific examples from the essay, responded to any concerns stated in the Dear Reader letter, and was phrased in a polite/constructive manner. (15 points)     

3. Leaves the reader with a clear understanding of the previous belief, the current belief, the reasons the belief changed, and how that change in belief came about. (10 points)          

4. Maintains a consistent authorial voice throughout the paper with regard to chosen dialect, tone, and style. An informal style and speaking as “I” are encouraged but not required. Shifts in dialect/tone/style (if any) should serve a clear literary or rhetorical purpose, such as to arouse a particular thought or emotion in the reader. (10 points)

5. Fits the genre of creative nonfiction (20 points)

• Paper takes the reader on a narrative journey (the story may or may not be told in chronological order)
• Paper uses vivid sensory description and/or literary devices to convey feelings, events, thoughts, and/or experiences
• Paper leaves the reader with a clear sense of the belief’s significance in the writer’s life
• Paper stays focused on the main topic/story. Seemingly “irrelevant” information adds to the topic/story in some way, such as creating atmosphere, giving the reader a stronger sense of character or setting, etc.
• Paper is at least 4 full pages (double spaced, times new roman, 12 pt font) long

6. Uses correct capitalization, punctuation, and spelling for the chosen dialect and cites evidence as needed. Slang, swearing, and writing in languages other than English are all acceptable. The writer made their best attempt at APA style. (10 points)