We’ve finished the first week and the first calendar month of the semester. While we still have some warm weather left, we’re currently experiencing autumn temperatures in Pueblo. It may be hard to believe now, but the semester will progress very quickly, and it will be November before you know it. I’ve completed the first student checks in Starfish, which cover who is showing up and who isn’t showing up. And on Sunday, September 6 the first draft of Writing Project One is due. Further down the page, I have some advice for drafting Writing Project One for both Eng 101 and Eng 102 students.
Also, I have good news: I’ve been impressed with your work so far. Most of you are completing the assignments and writing good responses to the prompts. You’ll write many paragraphs in this class, but that’s one means to improve your writing: skills. Keep up the good work!
I’ve also realized that while I did specify when stuff was due for the first week, it wasn’t clear enough. Don’t worry; I won’t make that mistake again, and I know that week two’s work and due dates are clearly specified. Be sure that you’re reading both the announcements and the assignment descriptions carefully, so you don’t miss parts of the assignment prompts. Many of you are doing the right thing by emailing me with questions. Keep doing that. (It may keep me from making mistakes)
Tips for WP One: English 101
To begin the assignment, you’ll need to write an introductory paragraph. Your paragraph should introduce your paper’s purpose: you’re analyzing an advertisement’s argument. Your introduction should probably briefly describe the ad (in one or two sentences). It should also name the magazine that published the ad. It should also have your thesis. For this paper, your thesis should be a sentence offering your opinion of the advertisement based on your analysis: does the ad offer a strong argument? A ridiculous argument? A manipulative argument? A clever argument?
The body paragraphs of the paper (you’ll most likely need more than three to meet the assignment’s length requirement) should focus on different elements, or parts, of the advertisement. Consider the different images, color choices, texts, URLs or Q codes. Does the ad use a standard tag line for that product (like McDonald’s “I’m loving it”)? You’ll also want to consider how the audience may recognize the brand, slogans, or characters. For example, most people would recognize “Flo” from the Progressive insurance ads.
Another important element to consider is if the ad is making a cultural reference. I once used an Absolut vodka ad that had a snake prominently displayed and the tagline of “The taste of temptation”—this was a reference to the biblical story of Eve’s temptation in the Garden of Eden. Many advertisements will use cultural references (not always, nor even frequently, biblical) to connect with their audience.
The body paragraphs will be a mixture of description and analysis: the description is you describing the elements; do so in a way that someone who hasn’t seen the ad could have a good idea of the ad’s appearance. The analysis is your explanation of how that element works to persuade the audience. If it’s an emotional appeal, what is the emotion? How does it create that image for the audience? Most papers that are weak lack analysis. Usually they lack an explanation of “how” elements make connections to the audience. I suggest you avoid using the words “pathos, logos, and ethos” in your draft. Instead, explain how an element creates an emotional appeal and what that appeal is (hint: many advertisements use status as an emotional appeal). Explain how an element is meant to provide the ad with credibility, etc.
The conclusion (and maybe the paragraph preceding it) is an opportunity for you to be critical of the ad. For example, are those athletic shoes really going to help you play like Lebron James? “Critical” here doesn’t mean excessively negative, but your paper should question the paper’s claims and note any that seem exaggerated. Additionally, the conclusion is a place to restate your thesis about the ad and offer a next step; for this paper, that could be a reminder of how we should approach advertisements, etc.
Your initial draft should be at least two full pages, but your final version needs to meet the length requirement of at least three full pages. Since the page range is three to five pages, try to have at least four pages for the final version. Remember, your initial draft is a low pressure exercise—you need only produce a draft. Don’t worry about the quality, or don’t let your worries about the draft’s quality prevent you from finishing a draft. If your draft is weak, that’s more opportunity for you to learn.
You’ll post your draft in the Discussion Board by Sunday, September 6; you’ll review one of your peer’s papers. I’ll post instructions for the review on Monday morning, so don’t start that before Monday.
Tips for WP One: English 102
To begin the paper, you’ll need to write an introductory paragraph. Your paragraph should introduce your paper’s purpose: you’re making an argument about subject for which you have some expertise. The introduction is a good place to establish your expertise in the topic. How do you know so much about this topic? What experience do you have? Your introduction should also contain your paper’s thesis: the claim that you’re making about the topic. “X is the most difficult position to play in football.” “Y is a challenging and worthwhile hobby.” If you’re stating that something is good, bad, worthwhile, a good product, etc you’re making an argument.
The body paragraphs of the paper (you’ll most likely need more than three to meet the length requirement) should focus on making supporting points. The topic sentences (or first sentences) of the paragraphs should be supporting points for your paper’s thesis: “X is a difficult position to play because the player has to learn a lot.” TOPIC SENTENCES ARE CRUCIAL. Good topic sentences will do heavy lifting in your drafts: they’ll focus your paper on supporting the thesis, remind the readers why you’re writing, and strengthen your draft’s organization. In the rest of the paragraph, you’ll supply evidence and reasoning to support the topic sentence’s point. Remember, you don’t have to use the sources you find for the annotated bibliography, but if you use information from your sources, be sure to use MLA citation (8th edition).
The conclusion should restate the argument and offer next steps for your audience: should they support/stop supporting something? Have you changed their mind? Will you ask them to think differently about your topic?
Your initial draft should be at least two full pages, but your final version needs to meet the length requirement of at least three full pages. Since the page range is three to five pages, try to have at least four pages for the final version. Your final version will also need the annotated bibliography. If you do cite sources it will also need a works cited page: the order of your document will be paper, works cited page (if needed), and then annotated bibliography. Remember, your initial draft is a low pressure exercise—you need only produce a draft. Don’t worry about the quality, or don’t let your worries about the draft’s quality prevent you from finishing a draft. If your draft is weak, that’s more opportunity for you to learn.
You’ll post your draft in the Discussion Board by Sunday, September 6; you’ll review one of your peer’s papers. I’ll post instructions for the review on Monday morning, so don’t start that before Monday.
Think about Your Writing! (for Eng 101 or 102)
Instead of thinking of the Writing Project as a chore to rush through, consider each point you include: how do the words, sentences, and paragraphs fulfill the assignment’s task? Review the assignment sheet–they’re always posted in the “Writing Projects” folder in the Course Documents section of our Blackboard page.
However, don’t overthink your writing, especially when writing the initial draft. The initial draft is for putting your ideas onto paper (virtual paper). You should be trying to write a draft that contains all (or most) of your ideas, even if the draft isn’t perfect. Listen: it’s okay to have a shitty first draft. The important work in writing will happen during the revision process. Don’t let your fears of the draft’s quality impede your drafting. I’ve seen your writing and I’m fairly sure that none of you will write the worst paper I’ve ever seen. And even if you do, it’s just an initial draft. It can be fixed. And you’ll learn in the process, which is kind of the point of this whole college thing we’re doing.
