Compare Contrast Rhetorical Analysis Essay Guidelines

Assignment: (1,500 – 1,700 words or 5-6 pages) Write a thoughtfully organized, well-developed, and carefully proofread analysis synthesis Compare Contrast essay that meets the following criteria:

1. Choose two essays from the same section in the Revel reader portion of Perspectives on Argument that are about the same topic. We are reading articles in the Environment and Sustainability section, but you can choose any two essays in other sections.

2. Summarize both readings

3. Analyze each reading considering their rhetorical features and key ideas.

4. Compare and contrast the readings, both the authors’ ideas and rhetorical strategies.

5. Wrestle with the authors’ different perspectives, synthesizing their ideas to develop a complex response that reflects your new view of the issues and concepts discussed in the readings.

6. Document all sources with in-text citations and include them on your correctly formatted Works Cited page.

Comparing and contrasting is a useful critical reading strategy; particularly applicable when writers present similar subjects. Comparing is to analyze what the essays have in common; contrasting is to analyze how the essays differ.

Remember, this is NOT a position essay, so avoid taking a stand on whatever the article is about. You are ONLY analyzing the writing strategies/rhetorical choices of the authors. It is also NOT a review – you don’t “like” one more than the other, so avoid those types of comments.

Checklist for Comparing and Contrasting Related Readings:

1. Read them both to decide on a basis or grounds for comparison or contrast.

2. Reread and annotate one selection to identify points of comparison or contrast.

3. Reread the second selection, annotating for the points you have already identified.

4. Write up your analyses of the two selections, revising your analysis of the first selection to reflect any new insights you have gained.

Or write point-by-point comparison or contrast of the two selections.

Your essay should include discussion of the some of the following attributes of the articles:

· the intended audience

· the writer’s purpose

· identification and examples of rhetorical appeals of ethos, pathos, logos

· the types of evidence used

· evidence of logical fallacies or weak reasoning

· examples of inductive and deductive reasoning

· the writer’s style

Based on your thorough analysis, you will evaluate the articles and the credibility of the source. Accepted only in MLA format.

Guidelines:

· Introduction: Your introduction should include a description and a summary of the main ideas of the articles. You should also include your evaluative thesis which tells the reader what the focus of your analysis is and what you intend to discuss in the essay. Specifically, an evaluative thesis states your overall evaluation of the writing quality and credibility of the articles and lists the specific criteria on which you have based your evaluation.

· Body of essay: You will analyze rhetorical features, such as the intended audience, the writer’s purpose, elements of rhetoric (i.e. ethos, pathos, logos), the types of evidence used, and the writer’s style. Based on your thorough analysis, you will evaluate the articles and the credibility of the source.

· Conclusion: Conclude what your analysis has shown, re-cap your evaluation of the articles, the content, the credibility, and, if applicable, the experiment/research, based on your analysis. You can also comment on how the articles or the research could have been improved.

Documentation/Citation Tips:

As you work with the texts, remember to use attributive tags, quotation marks for any quoted passages, and MLA documentation to distinguish your own points about the text and the authors’ ideas or language.

When referring to the sources, avoid long quotes; use paraphrasing and summary so YOUR VOICE is heard in the paper, while using the source as evidence to support your claim. Remember, this is not a position paper – you are comparing and contrasting the authors’ rhetorical strategies and views.

DO NOT STRING QUOTES or PARAPHRASES TOGETHER. Every time you quote or paraphrase you must follow that sentence with correct MLA in-text citation, analysis and commentary. You need to provide your reader with some explanation as to why that material is important and/or relevant to your topic or thesis. You can analyze by connecting the quote/paraphrase to your idea or topic. In other words, how does it support your position? Interpret the source if it is jargon-filled or hard to grasp and explain how your quote shows logic, ethos, or pathos.

Essay Ingredients Checklist: [ ] effective introduction that presents the topic/problem/question the articles address [ ] description of the type of articles and an appropriate summary of the articles [ ] thesis statement that presents two or more rhetorical points that you will be analyzing and possibly a roadmap of the critique giving readers a clear sense and scope of essay [ ] brief examination of the audience and the purpose of the articles [ ] a brief look at how the genre shapes the text’s style, structure, and use of evidence [ ] analyze the effect of the authors’ language choices and complexities [ ] analyze the authors’ appeals to ethos, pathos, and logos [ ] analyze the authors’ use of evidence (appropriate, relevant, etc.) [ ] identify examples of logical fallacies or weak reasoning

[ [ identify examples of inductive and deductive reasoning [ ] effective conclusion that wraps up the analysis to leave readers thinking about both the authors’ piece and whether or not the authors’ use of rhetoric was effective [ ] correct in-text MLA citations

[ ] correctly formatted MLA Works Cited List (any essay missing the WCL earns a 0)

There are 11 components to the Rhetorical Analysis Essay , listed below that will help you with your essay writing process. You will submit each component as an assignment, and the Final Essay is due at the end of the course. ALL components MUST be submitted for the Final Essay to be accepted.

1. Topic requirement : Submit your article choices for approval. Provide the authors and titles in which section that you are using for your analysis/synthesis essay (5 pts).

2. Annotate . Annotate the articles completely. In other words, read it like you would read a peer review, making notes on the main ideas as well as the rhetorical elements of the articles. Submit your annotations to the assignment link (10 pts).

3. Summary . Write a 250 (one-page) word summary with appropriate in-text citations. Be sure you include a “Works Cited” page. Remember: a summary DOES NOT contain any analysis or opinion. It is a fair review of an articles that provides your readers background so they can follow the point of your essay. If you find yourself using words like “ethos,” “pathos,” or “logos” you are not writing a summary, you are writing an analysis. Your summary will be evaluated according the rubric available in the assignment. (25 pts).

4. Do a “T-chart” type of prewriting that has a list of strengths of the articles on one side and weakness on the other side. If this is hand-written, you will submit a jpeg of the image to the assignment link. (10 pts) 5. Question-Asking Strategies : Answer the following “Question-Asking Strategies for Writing a Rhetorical Critique.” Your answers should be stand-alone paragraphs that could be used in your essay, depending on the rhetorical features you plan to discuss according to your thesis.

· In five to six sentences describe the intended audience and purpose of the author/articles.

· How does the authors’ own angle of vision shape his or her perspective?

· Describe how the authors’ word choices appeal to pathos? Write a paragraph describing how the authors’ language choices, sentence length and complexity support the idea that the arguments.

· In five to six sentences make a list of the factors that demonstrates the authors’ appeal to ethos. How well does the author persuade readers that he or she is knowledgeable, reliable, credible, and trustworthy? Does he or she speak to your experience of disputing ideas over writing a well-constructed powerful argument?

· Write a paragraph describing how the author has (or has not) created a reasonable, logically structured argument? Paraphrase some of his or her reasons.

· What evidence does the author employ to support these ideas? (25 pts)

6. Rhetorical Analysis Essay 1st Draft: Minimum 1500 words/3 full pages. You will upload your first draft of your essay to the assignment link and then submit it to an online tutor for review and feedback. You may click on either Online Tutoring or Pisces Tutoring in the Course Menu area. Manage your time wisely to allow for their turnaround time. (20 pts)

7. Proof of Tutoring: In order to write a better 2nd draft, you need to get tutoring on your 1st Submit the Proof of Tutoring on your 1st draft by scanning and uploaded a photo or a document with tutor comments. (5 pts)

8. Peer Reviews of 2nd Draft of Essay : In your small group in Canvas, you will upload your draft and provide feedback to your classmates. You must review at least TWO papers by your classmates, responding to the questions in the Peer Review Guidelines (10 pts)

9. Essay Outline: of the 2nd draft of your essay. This outline should have only your thesis and your topic sentences as complete sentences. All other information should be in phrases only. No outline will be accepted if you have disguised your essay as an outline.

Your outline will be evaluated in terms of your thesis, topic sentences, and the organization of your main reasons and supporting evidence. Your outline will be evaluated according the rubric available in the assignment. (25 pts)

10. Revision Plan – Based on the feedback on your work, analyze what needs revision and state how you will revise. Please be specific when referencing sections of your paper, using the form in the assignment to guide your revision process. (10 points)

11. Final draft (1,500- 1,700 words; 6 – 8 pages double-spaced in size 12 font).

Revise your final draft using the comments you received from your peer reviews and tutors, then submit your final essay to the Turnitin Assignment link. You must have a similarity rating of 10 percent or less to avoid being flagged for plagiarism. Your essay will be evaluated according the rubric available in the assignment. (100 pts)

Grading Criteria: Be sure to read the rubric in the assignment as you write your paper.

ALL the essay components MUST have been submitted for the final essay to be accepted.

The essay will be graded on the following criteria:

· Organization

· Relevant and adequate development

· Depth of analysis

· Grammar

· Writing style

· Formatting

DO NOT USE “PAGES” FILES – If you have a Mac and use Pages, your essay must be converted to a Word doc to be accepted.

MLA Formatting:

The formatting should be a 12-point Ariel or Times New Roman font.

Indent paragraphs

Number the pages in the upper right corner.

Double-space throughout, including in the upper left corner of the first page:

Compare Contrast Rhetorical Analysis Essay

Title That Hints at the Thesis Should be Centered and Capitalized Correctly

NOTE: Consider that the TITLE is the first opportunity to inform the reader.

Double space the rest of the essay with no extra spaces between paragraphs.