Essay #1: Definition



Essay #1: Cause / Effect (12.5% of final grade)

English 50 - K. Douglass

DUE: Monday, January 25, 2016

• This essay will be a cause/effect style essay like the one that we covered in Chapter 17.

• This essay must be a minimum of 800 words and at least 5 paragraphs.

• Resource Grade activities (Put all of these items BEHIND (in any order) the final copy, including also this sheet):

a. You will turn in your first working thesis with the final paper. You have a thesis due for workshopping on Wednesday, January 20.

b. You should have a working draft on Thursday, January 21, but you must have for full participation credit a thesis and topic sentence outline and at least one complete paragraph.

Remember that you can and should consult me or an instructor on duty in the WRC at any stage of this process for help shaping, organizing, drafting, or revising your essay. Make sure that you have a SPECIFIC question or area of concern or goal when you approach an instructor in the Writing Center.

1. Brainstorm

a. Just start thinking about your topic – jot down some notes, brainstorm.

b. Use the attached planning form to help you organize your ideas.

2. Create a thesis

a. The thesis for a cause/effect paper should make it clear what your topic is and if you will be focusing on causes or effects.

b. See page 237 in your textbook for more on the thesis in a cause/effect essay.

3. Make a sketch outline: See page 92 in your textbook for a model sketch outline.

4. Write!

5. Read, Revise and Proofread: See page 123 in your textbook for a basic revision checklist.

Paper formatting: Your paper should look like this at the top of page 1:

Sabela Todos Todos 1

Prof. K. Douglass

English 50

25 January 2016

Essay 1, Prompt #3: My Exciting Title

Notice how I have started my paper with no extra spaces between any of the sections. Instead, it

is all very neatly double-spaced the same amount throughout.

The Topics:

(Note that ALL PROMPTS are in response to a particular text.

You MUST refer to and cite that text in your essay.)

For each of the prompts, you must summarize the ideas of the article that is your required source, and use it to transition into your topic and then into your specific thesis. Summary of the original reading and how it applies to your topic will be the bulk of your intro. You also are required to use at least one direct quotation from the source; it can be in the intro or anywhere else in the essay that makes sense to you, and you can use more than one quote if you want to and doing so supports your argument.

1. Consider Amy L. Beck’s “Struggling for Perfection” (p. 666) and Brent Staples’s “Just Walk on By: Black Men and Public Space” (p. 670). Both essays discuss the way the authors have been negatively affected by their portrayals in the media. Starting your essay with one or both essays in the manner described in bold above and for some of your evidence in the essay itself, write an essay that examines the effects of how media influences people to have incorrect, and sometimes dangerous, perceptions of themselves and others. What are some of the effects of these dangerous and incorrect perceptions people have of themselves.

2. Amy Beck’s essay “Struggling for Perfection” (p. 807) and Dave Barry’s “The Ugly Truth about Beauty” (p. 787 – we will read this in the next unit, but you can read ahead for this prompt if it interests you) focus on various aspects of the effects of gender on people’s behaviors and lives. Using both essays as support, write your own essay that could be titled “How Gender Affects Behavior.” You can refer to your own experience, but make sure to use material from the essays as well.

3. Write an essay based on your own experience or observations about the causes or the effects of stereotypes and mistaken perceptions. Use some aspect of both Brent Staples’s “Just Walk on By: Black Men and Public Space” (p. 670) and Caitlin Seida’s “My Embarrassing Picture Went Viral” (p. 674) for support.

General Grading Rubric for English 50

This rubric provides a general description of papers that fall in each of the five grade categories. You should use it to prepare your papers and to understand your grades once papers have been returned.

A level paper (Final Grade Range: 100-90%) (Actual Paper Grades: A+ 100-98; A 95; A- 92)

This paper is outstanding; that is, it “stands out” in relation to other papers responding to the assignment. In an A paper, a significant, thoughtful thesis is clearly defined. The essay addresses all aspects of the assignment and is supported with concrete, substantial, and consistently relevant detail. The thesis indicates or allows for the essay to progress in clearly ordered stages and original development. Transitions between paragraphs are clear and effective. The essay demonstrates awareness of audience for rhetorical effect. Sentences are unified, coherent, articulate and effectively varied. Language use is distinctive, fresh, precise, and economical; may illustrate effective idiomatic and creative use of language. The essay has an appropriate and consistent level of formality and point-of-view. Clarity and effectiveness of expression are supported by consistent and correct use of grammar, punctuation, and spelling. In all regards, this paper is an excellent response to the assignment.

B level paper (Final Grade Range: 89-80%) (Actual Paper Grades: B+ 88; B 85; B- 82)

In a (B) paper, the writer has in some way moved beyond the basics of the assignment expectations, offering some thoughtful observations and insights. In a B paper, there is a clearly defined thesis that is supported with concrete and mostly relevant detail. The essay has a clear organization structure and good development and does not veer off topic in significant ways. Transitions between paragraphs are usually effective. There are no major problems with sentence level clarity, though the level of sentence variety may show occasional weaknesses. Language use is precise and clear. The essay has an appropriate level of formality, audience awareness and point-of-view. Clarity and effectiveness of expression are supported by mostly consistent and correct use of grammar, punctuation, and spelling, though there may be occasional errors that don’t distract from the content. Overall, this paper is a very good response to the assignment.

C level paper (Final Grade Range: 79-70%) (Actual Paper Grades: C+ 78; C 75; C- 72)

A paper in this category will complete at least the basic tasks and requirements of the assignment – it is competent, adequate, and satisfactory. The thesis is apparent but trivial or too general; also may be generally implied but not strongly enough stated. The essay supports the assignment but details are occasionally repetitive, irrelevant, or underdeveloped. Plan and method of thesis is apparent but not consistently fulfilled. Thesis may be developed unevenly, but paragraphs are still unified, coherent and usually effective. Transitions may be abrupt, mechanical or monotonous, but generally effective at a simplistic level. Some sentences may be skillfully composed, but most lack variety. Sentences are correctly constructed without a distracting number of fragments and run-ons. Language is clear and has an appropriate level of formality, point-of-view, and awareness of audience, with only occasional deviation. Clarity and effectiveness of expression is weakened by errors in grammar, punctuation, and spelling, but the point of the discussion is still knowable. Overall, this paper is an adequate response to the assignment.

D level paper (Final Grade Range: 69-60%) (Actual Paper Grades: D 65)

A paper will fall into this category if it shows serious difficulty completing or satisfying the tasks of the assignment; if it lacks an overall plan with a beginning, middle, and end; or if errors in word choice, sentence structure, and mechanics seriously interfere with readability. The “D” paper may contain one or more of the following defects: thesis is lacking or confused; thesis is not supported with concrete and relevant detail; plan and purpose of thesis is not apparent; thesis is undeveloped or developed with consistently irrelevant, redundant or inconsistent ideas. Sentences may be incoherent, confused, incomplete or monotonous; sentence construction is frequently marred by fragments and/or run-ons. Language use is vague and undefined or may have an inappropriate level of formality. The writer's control of language may be uncertain, and it may contain errors in mechanics, usage, and sentence structure that continually distract the reader from the content. Overall, this paper is an inadequate response to the assignment.

F level paper and no credit grades (59-0%)

An F (usually 55%-50%) would be assigned to a paper if it simply does not exhibit any of the basic requirements of composition writing: it has no clear thesis, or thesis does not respond to question asked in prompt; the organization is unclear or non-existent to the point that the logic and/or argument of the paper are unknowable. Serious and frequent errors in word choice, sentence structure, or mechanics interfere with basic readability. Papers that are well-written, but of incomplete length will also receive this grade.

A O% F is given for any paper not turned in, turned in late without an approved extension, or if it is an unapproved essay on entirely other subject matter than what was assigned.

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