ENGL2 Gun Control Shooting in Schools Criminal Law Research Paper I. Writing: Students are required to write a series of essays informed by research and articulating fully developed arguments about complex issues related to a course theme. Assignments emphasize those skills and activities in writing and thinking that produce the critical essay and persuasive essay, each of which demands analysis, interpretation, and evaluation. ENGL 2 requires a minimum of 6000 words, at least 4000 of which must be in revised final draft form. There will be a total of nine required essays. A. Two Essay Assignments: Two major essays are required: a critical essay (global document essay) and a persuasive argument – both of which are researched based. A critical essay is any essay that demands analysis, interpretation, and evaluation of a text or an issue. Critical essays should include scholarly sources as supporting evidence. Essays might include (but are not limited to) the following: 5 1. rhetorical analysis: rhetorical frameworks might include Aristotelian, Toulmin, Rogerian, or Mills. 2. visual analysis: film, art work, photograph, advertisement, website. 3. contextual analysis (text- or issue-in-context): requires students to synthesize multiple texts or ideas, seeing each in the context of the others. Contextual frameworks might include the following: historical: What are the historical events and facts surrounding the argument, and how does this affect how the argument is read? Students can consider when the argument was written or composed, or they can consider the time period in which it takes place, or about other factors concerning the time period of a text such as historical objects or artifacts important to the argument. biographical: What occurred in the writer’s life? What were the writer’s beliefs, values, experiences, and so on, and how do these affect the ways that one understands the writer’s purpose of the argument? social: This context is similar to the historical because it asks that students to look at the social influences of the time. For instance, what were the social values, events, discourses, and so on, and how are these social contexts reflected in the argument? cultural: What kinds of culturally specific values, beliefs, and patterns can be observed? How has the argument been shaped by cultural influences such as religion, nationality, family traditions, and so forth? 4. theoretical analysis: requires students to determine the underlying values, assumptions, conflicts as it relates to a particular lens (gender, political, ethnic, cultural, socio- economical) or course theme. 5. synthesis essay: requires students to synthesize multiple sources to show how different writers discuss and provide evidence for their viewpoints on a highly debated subject. Students will need to think about each writer’s reasons and assumptions in the debate, and situate these assumptions within a broader context. The instructor will choose which analysis will be used for student emphasis. The Global Document essay drafts/ critical analysis essay falls into this category. A persuasive argument requires students to take a position on an issue and use external evidence to support their reasoning. Arguments might include the following: 1. definition: arguing about meaning 2. causal: arguing through causes and effects 3. evaluation: arguing about value 4. proposal: arguing about the future 5. review: arguing about performance 6. commentary: arguing about current issues and events 7. multimodal: arguing by showing, telling, and listening 6 8. rebuttal: arguing the opposing side b. Assignment tips . • The persuasive essay must be researched-based with proper Chicago Style or MLA citations. Research is an important component of the ENGL 2 curriculum. Please note that a research-based essay that merely reports on a topic is not an appropriate assignment. The purpose is not merely to summarize the views of others on a particular issue; rather, students must take a position on an issue and find appropriate evidence to support their views. This course will have a minimum of one in-class essay. If a contextual, theoretical, or synthesis analysis is assigned, it will be sequenced with the persuasive argument. This will help you to see connection among context, audience, and purpose.
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