Essay #3—Comparison/Contrast Essay



Essay #3—Academic Audiences

DUE DATE: Tuesday, March 1, 2005

Assignment: Write a 2 ½-3 page essay evaluating any TV series/episode that a professor from your major area or study would be interested in and persuading the professor to use the information.

The purpose of this assignment is learning to back an opinion with factual evidence and learning to write for an academic audience.

Part I: Define the television series/episode by discussing SPECIFIC standard/characteristics (i.e. audience appeal, intelligent scripts, artistic direction) that would appeal to the professor.

Part II: Apply these standards to the series of your choice by giving specific details, examples, quotes, and evidence to support the claim stated in your thesis.

**Write the essay that would convince the specific professor to use this series/episode in his/her classes.

The final draft of this assignment will be evaluated on the usual general levels: how effective your introduction is, how well you organize the entire essay and individual internal paragraphs, how well you use primary and secondary support (examples/details) to describe your specified topic and support your thesis, and how well the overall paper is edited for grammar, mechanics, and spelling. In addition to the above criteria which are usually evaluated, make sure you include the following which are particularly important for this evaluation essay: a clear audience, a clear definition, a clear purpose, and a logical and interesting thesis.

You will be given class time for both a revision workshop and an editing workshop; you need to make sure that you take these workshops quite seriously before turning in your paper for grading. Staple the assignment sheet, rubric side up, to the front of the final draft of your essay. Make sure your paper is double-spaced, has one-inch margins, is in dark 10 or 12 point Times New Roman font, and has the following title block, also double-spaced, at the top of the left side of the paper:

Your Name

Prof. Watkins

English 1010-73

3 March 2005

Traps to Avoid:

• Failing to define or apply appropriate standards of evaluation

• Seeking to evaluate the series from memory only

• Failing to support the judgments with evidence, examples, details, quotes

• Using first or second person (i.e. “I,” “me,” “we,” “us,” or “you”)

• Failing to assert a clear and strong judgment. (Understand that all TV series will have both good and bad aspects; however, your job is to evaluate and persuade.)

• Failing to properly document ALL information that you take from secondary sources outside of the TV series. If you quote, paraphrase or summarize any information, then you must give proper MLA documentation. You must schedule and appointment with me or go to the UWC to cite!

Due Date for Revision Workshop (bring two copies): Tuesday, February 22, 2005

Due Date for Editing Workshop (bring two newly revised copies): Thurs., February 24, 2005

Due Date for Final Draft: Tuesday, March 1, 2005

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