English 101

At this point in the semester, you need to have narrowed your topic and have begun to focus on an "issue"--a facet of your topic which is debatable and which has been in debate. For the rest of the semester you will be researching this topic and eventually will argue for your own position on the issue.

For this assignment, you will analyze how your issue is debated. You will be looking at the rhetorical context and strategies involved in discussions and presentations of your issue. You will not be arguing your position, but you will be arguing that your issue is handled rhetorically in debate.

In the midterm, you analyzed the rhetorical strategies employed in a specific text. You made a claim about the use of the strategies, and you drew directly from the text for evidence supporting that claim. You will be doing a very similar type of analysis for this paper, but you will be looking at multiple texts and attempting to determine what the voices of the argument/issue/debate are. You will be comparing and contrasting multiple sources to support your claim about the rhetorical nature of the issue. You will be considering purpose, context, audience, and message and you will be focusing on one or several rhetorical strategies in use.

Here are a few guidelines for the assignment, but we will be defining the concept of rhetorical analysis of an issue in class, on caucus, and on the class website. I will provide you with example claims and outlines of analysis strategies.

• Use the sources you gather for the annotated bibliography. As you look at the sources, be aware of rhetorical considerations.
• Make sure you are making a claim about the rhetorical strategies and not just describing them
  (see the handout on analysis vs summary/description).
• Organize your paper carefully as you will be dealing with multiple sources and a lot of information--keep your reader in mind and guide them through your analysis.
• Your audience is not necessarily familiar with your sources; give them summary and background (such as publication or author credentials) where necessary.
• Analyze, analyze, analyze (as opposed to only summarizing and describing).

Your final draft should come in at about 5-7 pages (typed, double-spaced, 12 point font).

What needs to come in the final essay folder?

• Final draft (1 copy)
• Rough drafts (the copy I commented on, peer edited copies, and any revisions you care to include)
• Journal assignments
• Annotated bibliography
• Photocopies of all sources you quote, paraphrase, or refer to (with the quoted passages highlighted)

Please note: You need to have responded to all the caucus items by the date of the final draft (October 31). I will remove all caucus items to this point as of that date (they will be accessible on the website, but you won't be able to respond to them).

Rough drafts are due for peer editing October 20. Bring 2 copies and be prepared to be an excellent peer editor.

Please see a student example of this essay--contributed by Sanjeev Khunkhun

Conferences (group) are scheduled for October 22 - 27. We will be discussing your rough drafts with your groups. (Class will not meet October 22 or October 27; conferences will be scheduled for the 22-Wednesday, 23-Thursday, 24-Friday, 28-Tuesday, and 29-Wednesday as necessary.)

Bring your revised rough drafts to class October 24 for an in-class workshop.

Final drafts are due October 31 by 5pm.

What goes in the final draft folder?

Journals, annotated bibliography, rough drafts, peer editing sheets, copies of your sources with quoted and paraphrased passages highlighted.