C0CC150: Portfolio I - Part B

Summarizing an Article and Analyzing its Effectiveness

Purpose: Your purpose for writing this essay will be to represent evaluate the effectiveness of a writer's argument. To prepare for this essay, we will read several articles about a current issue. Then, we will examine the purpose, content, tone, organization and evidence for each article to determine whether it is effective for its target audience. You will choose one of the articles we've read to summarize, analyze, and evaluate.

Audience: Your audience is yourself, your instructor and your classmates. Although your readers are familiar with the text you've chosen, you should thoroughly represent the writer's main points and provide textual evidence throughout.

Requirements:

• Your summary should accurately and objectively represent the author's purpose and main ideas in less than 300 words (about one page). It should also adhere to the guidelines for academic summary covered in class.


• Your response should:


• Provide a clear thesis claim in which you evaluate the effectiveness your chosen text.


• Focus on 1 - 2 ideas. Decide which points you most want to make in your thesis and stick to developing those points thoroughly. If you try to cover too much material, your essay will feel scattered and undeveloped.


• Develop your thesis claim with logical reasoning and substantial evidence (such as personal experience and textual references). When evaluating the effectiveness of a text, your evidence generally comes from the text itself.


• As with Portfolio I - Part A, begin your essay with a summary of the article and then lead into your response. Clarify where the summary ends and where the response begins by shifting your tone and providing a clear thesis claim to indicate the start of your response.


• To improve credibility, avoid distracting spelling and grammar errors.


• Type your essay in a readable, 12-point font and double-space it. Submit your essay in a folder along with any other contents specified in class.

Paper Length: 900 - 1,200 words (3 - 4 pages)
Due Date:See Syllabus for due dates for TR and MWF
Worth: 15% of your final grade

*For assistance with this essay, visit The Writing Center (in Eddy 6) or come by office hours.