Essay / Letter

Description

English  Final Essay Three    A Persuasive Analysis Letter   This assignment asks you to create a letter that is an analysis and persuasive argument using one of the essays we have read.  You do not have to actually send this letter. Choose any essay we have read.  Then, you will choose a specific local person to address your letter to, such as a teacher, principal, doctor, a college instructor or dean, a school board member, a counselor, a psychologist, a politician, a religious leader, a business owner or manager, a social worker, court official, Boy Scout or Girl Scout or community leader. The specific audience has the decision power to have a specific reader group read the essay. Your job is to persuade the person you are writing to that he or she should have the group read the essay because the essay will inform, aid, teach, or help them.  Again, you will not have to actually send the letter. This letter is 30% of the whole course grade.    Single-spaced letter–see letter format attachment  At least two and a half to three and a half pages long single-spaced  About any assigned essay in the course  Write to a single person in authority who has power over a reader group  Introduction paragraph connects to the person you are writing to, outlines your purpose, ends with your thesis proposal in the last sentence—see the sample essays!  Author paragraph—at least one full paragraph with researched information on the essay author: Wikipedia or author’s website—write the paragraph in your words–no copying of the sources language. This is plagiarism and will fail the assignment.   Summary paragraphs—at least two full paragraphs that objectively summarize the essay–see sample papers!  Body paragraphs—four fully developed paragraphs in the PEEC format (see the assignment). Each paragraph has a point supported by a quote that states an idea that would be beneficial for the reader group–see PEEC handout and sample essays as to how to do this!  Works cited list with two sources, the essay cite and the author information cite    Essay Format  Paragraph One   Your letter should have an opening paragraph where you introduce yourself to your audience, explain why you are writing, show that that you understand your audience by acknowledging your audience’s position, concerns, and expertise, as well as your audience’s relationship to the proposed reader group.  Your letter must show that you understand the reader group you are proposing to read the text, what they would gain from reading the text, and why your audience would want the proposed readers to read this text. Your thesis in the last sentence of the paragraph will be a direct “I propose that you have…” statement.     In the second paragraph, introduce the essay’s context and the author. In the first sentence, tell your audience where you experienced the essay (our class) and present the context of the original publishing of the essay, perhaps where it was originally published (you may want to google information about when, where, and why the essay originally was published) and any pertinent information about the essay or the original audience (some research you will need to do).     Then, research the author and fill out the paragraph with information about the author. In this author paragraph–objectively report in your own words what you researched about the author–the author’s history or education, the author’s background experience or any other author information that contributes to understanding the context of the essay. Don’t just use random facts. Consider the author‘s experience with nature, the environment, nature writing, course work in college, etc. and publications or writing awards that contribute to his or her expertise or any activism the author has been involved in.  Be sure that you do not “copy” the source or its wording.  This information needs to be in your words and format. Save your source material to include with the final essay. Wikipedia is okay to use or the author’s website, etc. You will cite the author information source in the Works Cited list as well as state where in your letter where the information comes from.    In the third and fourth paragraphs or more, summarize the text. You should have at least two full and detailed paragraphs of summary on the essay, and these should be in your words. Objectively summarize the text. No opinion and no quotes from the text. Summarize the text thoroughly in your own words to show it accurately and fairly. Be sure to cover the parts of the text that would be beneficial for the proposed reader group. Use the author’s last name every so often [Dillard tells us… Dillard presents…]in the summary as you want your audience to know whose ideas are in the essay.    For rest of the essay body–in the next four paragraphs of the letter, create a reasoned and persuasive analysis and argument. Each paragraph should have one completely developed analysis PEEC point (see the PEEC handout) that will use examples and quote from the text to show why the essay would be useful or beneficial for the proposed reader group. Be sure that after each example or quotation that you cite the page number of the quote in parentheses (14). Then you will analyze the quote and reason out what this quote idea would show or teach the proposed reader group.  (SEE the PEEC handout.) For your analysis points, you could choose four ideas in the essay that will help the reader group, or you could present four points to analyze critically how the essay’s ideas, tone, format, evidence, presentation or style, or even politics, fits the proposed readers and what the essay could teach, show, represent or create for this reader group.     In each body analysis paragraph, you will use the PEEC analysis [Point, Evidence, Explanation, Connection] (see the PEEC handout attached). Introduce the idea (Point) about what the text can show or teach, state the quote (Evidence) and cite it (page number), and give the quote’s context (how it is used in the essay). Then, analyze the quote (Explanation) and connect (Connection) the quote to what the idea would teach or show the reader group. This is nothing new. You have been doing this all semester.    In the conclusion paragraph, restate your case to affirm the importance of this text for the proposed reader group and make a final plea to your audience; then offer a way for your audience to contact you if he or she has questions or needs further help. Be sure to close the letter in a convincing and respectful way. See the essay samples.    Works Cited list:  you will include at the end of your letter a works cited list using at least two sources: 1. The source of the essay, and 2. the outside source information that you gather about the author.     Evaluation qualities of Essay Three will include the following:  Critically thought out ideas about the essay you propose.  Correct use of the letter format.    Clear identification in your writing of your position and purpose–an introductory paragraph that sets the stage, acknowledges who you are writing to and the proposed reader group, states your purpose and includes your clearly-stated thesis—your proposal. The introduction must show understanding of the knowledge, beliefs and concerns of your audience and your understanding of the proposed reader group.   Accurate, objective, and clear summary of the text (at least two paragraphs).  Useful context information about the author and the background of the text (at least one full paragraph written in your words and format).  Demonstrated understanding and analysis of how the chosen text works (you clearly understand what author is saying and how he or she is saying it).  Effective use of textual support and analysis in each of your four PEEC points with the use of quotes, examples and reasoning.   Specific reasons that the essay will fit the proposed reader group, showing you understand the reader group’s needs, and a persuasive argument that convinces your audience.   Correct use of citations in the text and works cited list.  Clear and precise language, sentence level grammar and style (clear, accurate and to the point sentences with few grammatical errors).    Once you choose the essay, 1. read it several times; you must know it inside out. 2. Then think about what group could benefit from reading this essay, and 3. decide who would you write to who has the power to have the specific group read the essay.    Due dates: Submit your drafts on D2L  First draft due:  Intro paragraph, Author paragraph, Two summary paragraphs: Thursday, November 12th.  Rhetorical Worksheet is due Thursday, November 12th.  Complete Letter Draft with Works Cited list due on Wednesday. November 25th. Lida will read and comment. This is the last feedback you will get from me. Then you will have two and a half weeks to revise the final.   Final Essay/Letter Three is due submitted by Monday, December 14th.