Essay Assignment #4:
Writing to Persuade or Provide Information & Insight
Proposal (two paragraphs) Due (November 15th)
When you are attempting to effectively persuade your readers, you need to be informed about your subject so that you can speak with some authority. To facilitate this sense of informed-ness and authority, you will need to do some library research in order to find out what published authorities have to say about your topic. Therefore, this assignment requires that you supplement your thoughts with a minimum of two published sources.
For this essay assignment, you will have TWO CHOICES. You can do one of the following:
CHOICE #1) You can do research about American teenage perceptions of HIV/AIDS and the consequences of those perceptions OR the actual effects of HIV/AIDS on American teenagers, and then present your findings in a creative way during the Essay Smash - presenting and performing your research in some form of creative prose in 100 words or less (to be held on Thursday, November 30th - time TBD). You will then hand in to me a two page final assessment about the process of your research and how you used your research to translate that into a creative presentation (for the essay smash). IF YOU CHOOSE THIS ASSIGNMENT, because you would be required to attend the Essay Smash, which is on a non-class day, you would be excused from class on Wednesday, November 29th. Furthermore, for those who choose this assignment, you will also be competing in the Essay Smash for a cash prize (last year, one of my students won a similar essay contest, by the way, and won a cash prize).
NOTE: If you cannot commit to being at the Essay Smash on Thursday, November 30th DO NOT choose this essay assignment!
ALSO: If you do choose this topic and are NOT present at the Essay Smash to deliver your prose, you will then be required to write the full six page paper instead (as described below).
CHOICE #2) You can choose any topic of your choice to research (though you have to run your proposal by me), present your findings in a minimum three page draft that will go through the usual peer review process, and then turn in a minimum six page final paper with proper citations. You will not be required to be at the Essay Smash, but if you chose to go, I will give you extra credit for your attendance.
For both assignments, you still have to use a minimum of two published sources for your research. The primary difference between the two assignments is that for the first one, the broader subject is chosen for you (though you can choose from a wide variety of subtopics within that wider subject to focus on), and your focus is less on writing alone than it is on translating your research into a creative performative piece to be delivered at the Essay Smash. The second choice offers those who are more comfortable with writing (and not with performance) the opportunity to do their research on any topic of their choosing and focus on writing only.
Each assignment will be challenging in different ways. The performative Smash essay format is challenging in that it asks of you to translate your research into a creative performative piece that will both engage and persuade your audience; but for many of you, will most likely be the most interesting and fun. The typical research paper is challenging in that it requires you to fully research your topic and articulate, in writing, either the information and insight that you want to provide your readers, or persuade your readers that whatever topic/argument you are presenting is a critical one. In both cases, however, you will need to be engaging, convincing, and informative.
Depending on which you choose to do, you may click on one of the links below for more detailed instructions, though we will also be going over each assignment choice in more detail in class. The links are provided for you to continue to go back to for reference, as you go through the process. But I highly encourage you to email me and ask questions as they come up!
1) RESEARCH on HIV/AIDS & CREATIVE ESSAY SMASH w/ three page paper on process
2) RESEARCH on ANY TOPIC / w/ PEER REVIEWS & SIX PAGE FINAL PAPER
** Always, always back up your thoughts with some example, quote, or explanation.
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