Final Exam
Purpose: Without advance knowledge of the question and within a limited period
of time, students will develop a specific, complex, and arguable thesis in
response to the prompt. Students will apply the lessons of past essays to the
timed writing assignment. Students will also read, analyze, and integrate
sources into their own writing. Length required: 2 pages plus Works Cited page
Instructions:
Step 1) Select any article you
wish from the unit “How Can We Be Happy?”
Step 2) This part is a little different from the past five essays you’ve written. Your job is to write a critique of the article. It's like a movie review, but with writing. Basically, you are going to decide if it's well written or not, and why. If you say yes, name specific strategies the author uses to make the writing effective. If no, say what the faults of the article are and why. Sample Thesis: By using quote sandwiches, counterarguments, and a high level of specificity, Ruzich and Grant offer an effective—though not perfect—argument on the nature of predatory lending. Sample Thesis: Although she makes it clear why her thesis matters and uses anecdotes masterfully, Karen Olson pay scant attention to the other side of the conversation: voices of the Walmart executives--along with free market economists who conduct research on the downsides of unions--are conveniently minimized to suit her largely emotional appeal. Grading: Exams are graded credit/no credit. This means you will either get 20 points or zero, though most people do get full credit. You can expect grades within a week, though feedback is only offered upon request. Important Notes: You must quote at least twice from the essay that you choose to discuss, AND quote at least twice from the TSIS chapters that discuss writing techniques. A Works Cited page is required. I am not asking you to discuss whether you agree with the essay. Instead, I’m asking you to evaluate the strength or weakness of its arguments based on the strategies that we have learned this semester. Refer to specific strategies from the book, such as quoting, counterargument, starting with a "they say," and summarizing. Does the writer contextualize quotations? Does the writer anticipate counterarguments? Does the writer effectively summarize other views?
The author has offered a standpoint in creating persuasive information
in the context. The audience can relate to the specific information set in
place in realizing the idea of being happy. The instrumentation of styles and
skills of presenting the specific concepts in the narration offers a starting
point of knowing the exact approach to appreciate the nature of communication
that one would expect in defining the aspect of happiness. The development of
the evidence that states how to be happy makes it realistic to decode the exact
protocols one would seek to understand happiness. The author understands the
best way to engage the audience in the underpinning all the issues of how to be
happy in the course of communication and dissecting the ideas more realistically.