UNIT 2 essay – please write 1000 words.
Touchstones are projects that illustrate your comprehension of the course material, help you to refine skills, and demonstrate application of knowledge. You can work on a Touchstone anytime, but you can’t submit it for grading until you have completed the Unit’s Challenges. After you’ve submitted a Touchstone, it will be graded and counted toward your final course score.
Touchstone 2.1: Comparison/Contrast Essay
BEFORE YOU START
Consider revisiting the Writing Effective Comparison/Contrast Essays tutorial about brainstorming and organizing comparison/contrast writing. You might find it helpful to outline your topic choice using one of the two organization options for this Touchstone to kick-start writing this comparison/contrast essay.
ASSIGNMENT: Write a 3-4 page (approximately 700-1000 words) comparison/contrast essay in the informative mode. In addition, you must answer the “Think About Your Writing” questions, described below, beneath your essay.
Sample Comparison/Contrast Essay
In order to foster learning and growth, all work you submit must be newly written specifically for this course. Any plagiarized or recycled work will result in a Plagiarism Detected alert. Review Touchstones: Academic Integrity Guidelines for more about plagiarism and the Plagiarism Detected alert. For guidance on the use of generative AI technology, review Ethical Standards and Appropriate Use of AI.
CopyLeaks Originality Checker: All writing will be checked for originality. Do not use any outside text from third party sources to complete Touchstone 2.1. Focus on showcasing your ability to rely on common knowledge to compare two things.
A. Directions
Step 1: Choose a Topic
Begin by choosing a topic for your comparison/contrast essay. You are free to select your own topic, or you may use one of the sample topics listed below. However, you should choose a topic that you have some personal knowledge of so that you have sufficient points of comparison or contrast to discuss in your essay. Avoid choosing subjects that require extensive outside research that require citation (you will learn how to properly cite in a later unit). Consider subjects and points that fall under “common knowledge”: information that the average educated reader would accept without needing a source citation to back it up.
You will need to compare or contrast two or three primary points about the two subjects you choose to write about, resulting in an essay with either four or six body paragraphs, an introductory paragraph, and a conclusion. The writing for this assignment should be informative and objective, avoiding the first-person voice or any personal details that may inform bias or personal opinion.
The following are some ideas that can help you to select a topic for your essay:
Compare or contrast two cities you’ve visited or that you’ve lived in
Compare or contrast two sources of news
Compare or contrast two singers in different music genres
Compare or contrast two historical figures
Compare or contrast two artists (e.g. two painters or two photographers)
Compare or contrast two television series
Compare or contrast two types of technologies (for example, two smartphone brands or two gaming consoles)
Remember that the two subjects you choose should have a meaningful connection so that you can draw comparisons or contrasts between the two.
HINT
Topic Choice Guidance: We encourage you to choose two subjects to compare that allow you to draw from your understanding and common knowledge about the topic. Your thesis should convey the main idea of the essay and clearly articulate what two topics you are comparing/contrasting. Because you are writing in the informative mode for this essay, you should use objective language. Remember that for this essay, you are not trying to persuade or convince the audience that one thing is better or worse than the other; you are instead informing the reader about the similarities or differences between the two subjects in an objective manner.
Keep in mind that no outside research is required for the writing of this essay. If you do conduct research and use what you learn to make comparisons, make sure to avoid plagiarism concerns by citing all sources. The following resources will be helpful to you if you need to cite any sources:
Purdue Online Writing Lab’s APA Formatting and Style Guide
This site includes a comprehensive overview of APA style, as well as individual pages with guidelines for specific citation types.
Frequently Asked Questions About APA Style
This page on the official APA website addresses common questions related to APA formatting. The “References,” “Punctuation,” and “Grammar and Writing Style” sections will be the most useful to your work in this course.
APA Style: Quick Answers—References
This page on the official APA Style website provides numerous examples of reference list formatting for various source types.
Step 2. Write a Comparison/Contrast Essay
Write a comparison/contrast essay that meets the following criteria:
Properly applies elements of a comparison/contrast essay using personal or common knowledge of the subjects: Makes a clear and meaningful connection between two subjects related to one of the writing prompts; effectively organizes body paragraphs in one of the two prescribed ways and consistently uses transitional words or phrases to comparison/contrast ideas. Relies on personal or common knowledge.
States the focused central claim of the essay with the clear purpose of comparing/contrasting two subjects: Has a clear, focused, and detailed thesis expressed in a single sentence that states the central claim of the essay; the thesis statement effectively communicates the two subjects that will be compared or contrasted and the two or three main points of comparison/contrast.
Exhibits competent organization, flow, and writing techniques: Includes all of the required components of an essay, including an introduction with a strong thesis, an adequate number of body paragraphs (4-6), each with an effective topic sentence and a conclusion with an effective concluding statement; the sequence of sentences and paragraphs is logical.
Establishes an informative tone and makes thoughtful choices: Demonstrates thoughtful and effective word choices and uses a wide variety of sentence structures; establishes a consistently objective and impersonal tone that is appropriate to an informative essay.
Demonstrate command of standard English grammar, punctuation, spelling, capitalization, and usage: There are few, if any, negligible errors in grammar, punctuation, spelling, capitalization, formatting, and usage.
Step 3. Think About Your Writing
Below your completed narrative, include answers to all of the following reflection questions:
Did you use the point-by-point or block method to organize your body paragraphs? What made you decide to organize your essay in this way (3-4 sentences)? Sophia says: Consider the ways a comparison/contrast essay can be organized. Which organization did you choose and why?
In what ways did writing a comparison/contrast essay differ from the Narrative essay you wrote in Touchstone 1? Give specific examples (3-4 sentences). Sophia says: Consider how the structure, point of view, and purpose of the two essays differ.
Remember that the writing process is a recursive process, and your first draft of an essay is rarely your last. What part of the draft did you struggle with (3-4 sentences)? Sophia says: Think about how you could improve the draft if you continued the writing process with revision and editing.
Step 4. Review Rubric and Checklist
Your essay will be scored according to the Touchstone 2.1 Rubric, which considers required elements for a comparison/contrast essay, the thesis statement, focus, organization, style and tone, conventions, and answers to the “Think About your Writing” questions above.
Refer to the checklist below throughout the writing process. Do not submit your Touchstone until it meets these guidelines.
Elements of a Comparison/Contrast Essay
❒ Are there significant points of comparison or contrast between the two subjects you have selected?
❒ Do you make clear comparisons or contrasts between the two subjects within the body paragraphs of the essay?
❒ Are the body paragraphs organized either by point or by subject?
❒ Have you used transitional words or phrases to indicate points being compared or contrasted?
❒ Does the essay have a clear and consistent focus of comparing and contrasting two subjects?
❒ Does the essay maintain an informative/objective tone throughout to avoid persuading the reader or arguing a point about the subjects compared?
❒ Does the essay rely on personal knowledge and/or common knowledge (information that the average educated reader would accept without needing a source citation to back it up)?
Thesis Statement
❒ Have you included a clear, focused, and detailed thesis statement?
❒ Does your thesis state the subjects to be compared or contrasted and include the two or three points of comparison or contrast?
❒ Is your thesis a single sentence located towards the end of the introductory paragraph?
Organization
❒ Is there an introductory paragraph that contains your thesis statement?
❒ Are there four or six total body paragraphs, each with a clear topic sentence restating the subject(s) and point of comparison/contrast?
❒ Is there a conclusion paragraph with a concluding statement?
❒ Have you used transitions to connect ideas between sentences and paragraphs?
Style and Tone
❒ Is the tone of the essay objective and informative?
❒ Have you carefully considered your word choices?
❒ Is the purpose of your essay clearly to inform rather than persuade the reader about the similarities or differences between the two subjects?
Conventions
❒ Have you checked your essay for grammatical and mechanical errors?
❒ Have you used spell check or another method to check spelling?
Before you Submit
❒ Have you included your name, date, and course at the top left of the page?
❒ Have you completed the “Think About Your Writing” questions?
❒ Is your essay between 3-4 pages (approximately 700-1000 words)?
B. Rubric
Advanced (100%) Proficient (85%) Acceptable (75%) Needs Improvement (50%) Non-Performance (0%)
Comparison/Contrast Essay Elements
Properly apply elements of a comparison/contrast essay using personal or common knowledge of the subjects. (30%)
Makes a clear and meaningful connection between two subjects related to one of the writing prompts; effectively organizes body paragraphs in one of the two prescribed ways and consistently uses transitional words or phrases to comparison/contrast ideas. Relies on personal or common knowledge. Makes a clear connection between two subjects related to one of the writing prompts; organizes body paragraphs in one of the two prescribed ways and often uses transitional words or phrases to comparison/contrast ideas. Relies on personal or common knowledge. Makes a predominately clear connection between two subjects related to one of the writing prompts; organizes body paragraphs in one of the two prescribed ways and occasionally uses transitional words or phrases to comparison/contrast ideas. Ideas may be outside the realm of personal or common knowledge without attempted citation. Makes a connection between two subjects related to one of the writing prompts, but the connection is not very clear or lacks meaning; attempts to organize body paragraphs in one of the two prescribed ways, but organization could use some work. May occasionally use transitional words or phrases to comparison/contrast ideas. Ideas are likely outside the realm of personal or common knowledge without attempted citation. Does not make a connection between two subjects related to one of the writing prompts; the essay lacks organization and words or phrases characteristic of a comparison/contrast essay. Contains ideas outside the realm of personal or common knowledge without attempted citation.
Thesis Statement
State the focused central claim of the essay with the clear purpose of comparing/contrasting two subjects. (20%)
Has a clear, focused, and detailed thesis expressed in a single sentence that states the central claim of the essay; the thesis statement effectively communicates the two subjects that will be compared or contrasted and the two or three main points of comparison/contrast. Has a clear and focused thesis expressed in a single sentence that states the central claim of the essay; the thesis statement communicates the two subjects that will be compared or contrasted and the two or three main points of comparison/contrast. Has an acceptable working thesis that states a claim, but it may be somewhat unclear or unfocused or composed of more than one sentence; the thesis statement somewhat communicates the two subjects that will be compared or contrasted and the two or three main points of comparison/contrast. Has a working thesis, but it is not clear and/or focused and/or it does not state a claim; the two subjects being compared or contrasted and points of comparison/contrast may not be clearly articulated. Does not have an identifiable working thesis and/or the thesis is extremely unclear or unfocused; there are no subjects being compared or contrasted.
Organization
Exhibit competent organization, flow, and writing techniques. (20%)
Includes all of the required components of an essay, including an introduction with a strong thesis, an adequate number of body paragraphs (4-6), each with an effective topic sentence and a conclusion with an effective concluding statement; the sequence of sentences and paragraphs is logical. Includes all of the required components of an essay, including an introduction with a thesis, an adequate number of body paragraphs (4-6), each with a topic sentence and a conclusion with a concluding statement; the sequence of sentences and paragraphs is predominantly logical. Includes all of the required components of an essay, including an introduction with a thesis, an adequate number of body paragraphs (4-6), each with a topic sentence and a conclusion with a concluding statement, but some components may be ineffective; the sequence of sentences and paragraphs is somewhat logical. Is missing one of the required components of an essay or most of the components are ineffective; the sequence of sentences and/or paragraphs is frequently illogical. Is missing multiple required components of an essay or all of the components are ineffective; the sequence of sentences and/or paragraphs is consistently illogical.
Style and Tone
Establish an informative tone and make thoughtful choices. (10%)
Demonstrates thoughtful and effective word choices and uses a wide variety of sentence structures; establishes a consistently objective and impersonal tone that is appropriate to an informative essay. Demonstrates effective word choices and uses a variety of sentence structures; establishes an objective and impersonal tone that is appropriate to an informative essay, with occasional minor exceptions. Demonstrates generally-effective style choices, but may include poor word choice and/or repetitive sentence structures; primarily establishes an objective and impersonal tone that is appropriate to an informative essay; however, some sections express bias or include personal observations. Frequently includes poor word choices and/or repetitive sentence structures; primarily establishes a tone that is subjective and personal observations and opinions are expressed frequently. Consistently demonstrates poor word choices and/or repetitive sentence structures; tone is consistently subjective and the essay is dominated by personal observations and opinions.
Conventions
Demonstrate command of standard English grammar, punctuation, spelling, capitalization, and usage. (10%)
There are few, if any, negligible errors in grammar, punctuation, spelling, capitalization, formatting, and usage. There are occasional minor errors in grammar, punctuation, spelling, capitalization, formatting, and usage. There are some significant errors in grammar, punctuation, spelling, capitalization, formatting, and usage. There are frequent significant errors in grammar, punctuation, spelling, capitalization, formatting, and usage. There are consistent significant errors in grammar, punctuation, spelling, capitalization, formatting, and usage.
Think About Your Writing
Reply to reflection questions thoroughly and thoughtfully. (10%)
Demonstrates thoughtful reflection; consistently includes insights, observations, and/or examples in all responses; answers all reflection questions effectively, following or exceeding response length guidelines. Demonstrates thoughtful reflection; includes multiple insights, observations, and/or examples; answers all reflection questions effectively, following response length guidelines. Primarily demonstrates thoughtful reflection, but some responses are lacking in detail or insight; answers all reflection questions, primarily following response length guidelines. Shows limited reflection; the majority of responses are lacking in detail or insight; answers reflection questions inadequately: may not answer all of the questions and/or may not follow response length guidelines. Does not answer the majority of reflection questions or the majority of answers do not follow response length guidelines.
C. Requirements
Your essay must be 3-4 pages (approximately 700-1000 words), double-spaced, with one-inch margins.
Comparison/contrast essay guidelines must be followed or your submission will not be graded.
Use a readable 12-point font.
Composition must be original and written for this assignment and all writing must be appropriate for an academic context.
Use of generative chatbot artificial intelligence tools (ChatGPT, Bing Chat, Bard) in place of original writing is strictly prohibited for this assignment.
Plagiarism of any kind is strictly prohibited.
Submission should include your name, the name of the course, the date, and the title of your composition.
Submission must include both your comparison/contrast essay and your answers to the “Think About Your Writing” questions
Include all of the assignment components in a single .doc or .docx file.
Unit 3
Touchstone 2.2: Informative Essay Draft
BEFORE YOU START
Consider revisiting the Types and Characteristics of Informative Writing tutorial about the purpose and types of informative writing. You might find it helpful to review the section on analytical writing if choosing Prompt A, and the section on definition writing if choosing Prompt B to kick-start writing this informative essay.
ASSIGNMENT: Select one of the following writing prompts and draft a 3-5 page (approximately 800-1300 words) informative essay.
Prompt A: Image Analysis
Prompt B: Extended Definition
As a part of your completed draft, complete the color-coding activity described below. In addition, answer the “Think About Your Writing” questions on a separate sheet of paper and include it with your draft submission.
HINT
In the next Unit, Touchstone 3 will be a revision of the draft that you submit for Touchstone 2.2 based on the grader’s feedback and suggestions.
Sample Image Analysis Essay: Prompt A
Sample Extended Definition Essay: Prompt B
In order to foster learning and growth, all work you submit must be newly written specifically for this course. Any plagiarized or recycled work will result in a Plagiarism Detected alert. Review Touchstones: Academic Integrity Guidelines for more about plagiarism and the Plagiarism Detected alert. For guidance on the use of generative AI technology, review Ethical Standards and Appropriate Use of AI.
CopyLeaks Originality Checker: All writing will be checked for originality. Avoid using any outside text from third party sources since research is not required to complete Touchstone 2.2. Focus on showcasing your ability to rely on common knowledge for this informative essay.
A. Directions
Step 1: Choose a Prompt and Write an Informative Essay
Choose one of the following prompts for your informative essay.
PROMPT A: IMAGE ANALYSIS
Although we look at print advertisements every day, we often do not consider the ways in which they affect us. Visual images in ads can influence and persuade us, so it is important to evaluate them critically and objectively to understand their meaning and effectiveness. Good image analysis involves an examination of the components of an image (layout, text, color, tone) to gain an understanding of the whole.
Select an advertisement image to analyze. To find a print advertisement to analyze, you can search the web using the keywords “print ad” or you could even find and take a picture of a local poster or billboard in your neighborhood. We recommend you choose a print ad that includes text, imagery, and color to best complete this assignment.
Conduct an image analysis: The print advertisement you choose should be directed toward a specific audience. To identify the intended audience, think about the members of the potential audience for the advertisement that you have chosen. Who are they? Ads for a beauty product, for example, may be aimed at young people; ads for a deodorant might target adults; a diaper commercial is likely intended for new parents; ads for cruise trips might be aimed at retirees. You can use any academically-appropriate advertisement to complete this assignment, as long as its intended audience is clearly identified. In your analysis, consider how design components within the image (such as layout, text, color, and tone) appeal to the audience and provide and establish context for the ad’s overall purpose.
Your thesis must inform the reader of the specific ad chosen and the plan to analyze it. Because you are writing in the informative mode, use objective language and a neutral point of view. For this essay, the informative mode means avoiding writing in the first-person and/or expressing personal bias towards the ad’s overall intention or effectiveness.
Draft an analytical essay that examines the audience, context, and purpose of the advertising image you’ve chosen.
HINT
Read the article by Marco Anders titled “Visual Rhetoric in Advertising” found in the Model Informative Essays tutorial for ideas about how to effectively write an image analysis. Your analysis should lead to a conclusion about the ad’s effectiveness, based on an examination of its components. Include the image with your draft.
PROMPT B: EXTENDED DEFINITION
Extend the definition of one of the following words beyond either the dictionary’s definition or a societal understanding of the word:
Family
Success
Courage
Art
Beauty
In the introduction of your draft, briefly explain how the dictionary or society defines the word you’ve selected, and then explain the extended definition of the word in a single-sentence thesis towards the end that outlines the main points of extension. In the body paragraphs, provide unique examples and explanations to support these points of the extended definition.
Your thesis must inform your readers of the extended definition and, because you are writing in the informative mode, you must use objective language. For this essay, writing in the informative mode means avoiding writing in the first-person and/or framing personal examples using objective language.
Draft an extended definition essay that defines or redefines a word or concept.
HINT
Read the article by Hallie Radcliffe’s titled “Mindfulness: Cutting Through the Noise” found in the Model Informative Essays tutorial for ideas about how to write an extended definition essay.
Step 2. Think About Your Writing
As a part of your completed draft, complete the color-coding activity and include answers to all of the questions below your draft.
PART 1: Color-Coding Activity
Using the color codes provided, evaluate your draft as follows:
Use red text to indicate your thesis statement.
Use green text to indicate the topic sentence of each body paragraph.
PART 2: Reflection Questions
What is the significance of your essay? Why should readers care about what you have written? (2-3 sentences) Sophia says: Think about why you decided to analyze this particular image, or why you picked the word you chose to define. Your interest in your subject matter should be clear to readers.
Which areas of your draft do you think will benefit most from revision? (2-3 sentences) Sophia says: Consider the organization, style, focus, development, and conventions of your draft. Which areas did you struggle to complete?
Consider the strengths and weaknesses of your writing. How can you capitalize on your strengths and improve on your weaknesses in future essays? (3-4 sentences) Sophia says: Think about what was easy about writing the draft, and what was more difficult. For example, if you write paragraphs with strong topic sentences, but repeatedly use the same type of sentence to provide supporting details, you can improve your paragraphs by varying sentence structure.
Step 3. Review Rubric and Checklist
Your draft will be scored according to the Touchstone 2.2 Rubric, which considers required elements for either the analysis essay or the extended definition essay, the thesis statement, organization, style and tone, focus, conventions, completion of the color-coding activity, and answers to the “Think About your Writing” questions above.
Refer to the checklist below throughout the writing process. Do not submit your Touchstone until it meets these guidelines.
Essay Prompt: Image Analysis
❒ If you chose the image analysis prompt, have you analyzed and interpreted several design components – and not just described – within the ad’s design?
❒ Have you made conclusions about the audience and effectiveness of the ad?
❒ Did you include the image in your draft?
❒ Did you complete the color-coding activity?
❒ Is your draft 800-1300 words long?
Essay Prompt: Extended Definition
❒ If you chose the extended definition prompt, did you indicate how society defines the word you selected, and then explain an extended definition of it?
❒ Have you included examples and explanations to support the extended definition?
❒ Did you complete the color-coding activity?
❒ Is your draft 800-1300 words long?
Working Thesis
❒ Have you included a clear, focused, and detailed thesis statement?
❒ Does your thesis state the topic and purpose of your essay?
❒ Is your thesis a single sentence that outlines the main points of extension located toward the end of the introductory paragraph?
Focus and Organization
❒ Is there an adequate number of body paragraphs, each with a clear topic sentence that restates the word and focuses on the main points of the extended definition?
❒ Is there a conclusion paragraph that restates the thesis, reviews the main points, and provides final thoughts about the extended definition overall?
❒ Are your draft paragraphs sequenced properly?
❒ Have you used transitions to connect ideas between sentences and paragraphs?
❒ Can your draft be described as having a good flow?
❒ Does your draft have a clear focus?
❒ Are all supporting details relevant?
Style and Tone
❒ Is the tone of your draft unbiased and informative avoiding first-person or personal details that are not framed in an objective manner?
❒ Is it clear that the purpose of your essay is to inform readers about your topic?
❒ Have you carefully considered your word choices?
Conventions
❒ Have you checked your draft for grammatical errors?
❒ Have you used spell-check or another method to check spelling?
❒ Have you punctuated your draft correctly?
Before You Submit
❒ Have you included your name, date, and course at the top left of the page?
❒ Have you completed the “Think About Your Writing” questions and color coding activity?
❒ Is your draft between three and five pages long (approximately 800-1300 words)?
B. Rubric
Advanced (100%) Proficient (85%) Acceptable (75%) Needs Improvement (50%) Non-Performance (0%)
Image Analysis / Extended Definition
Prompt A: Analyze an advertisement using parts to draw conclusions. Prompt B: Define a meaningful word or concept in a unique or compelling way using personal or common knowledge of the subjects. (25%)
Prompt A: Consistently goes beyond description to analyze the design choices made in the advertisement, including layout, color schemes, text, and/or other design components; effectively draws conclusions about the intended audience, and the likely impact and effectiveness of the advertisement. Prompt B: Defines a meaningful and nuanced word or concept in a coherent and compelling way, consistently using critical thinking and thoughtful discussion to explore the definition; consistently goes beyond traditional definitions to define or redefine the word in a new and unique way. Relies on personal or common knowledge. Prompt A: Primarily goes beyond description to analyze the design choices made in the advertisement, including layout, color schemes, text, and/or other design components; draws conclusions about the intended audience, and the likely impact and effectiveness of the advertisement. Prompt B: Defines a meaningful and nuanced word or concept in a coherent way, primarily using critical thinking and thoughtful discussion to explore the definition; primarily goes beyond traditional definitions to define or redefine the word in a new and unique way. Relies on personal or common knowledge. Prompt A: Includes some analysis of the design choices made in the advertisement (e.g., layout, color schemes, text, and/or other design components), but focuses primarily on description; somewhat effectively draws conclusions about the intended audience, and the likely impact and effectiveness of the advertisement. Prompt B: Defines a meaningful and nuanced word or concept adequately, but only sometimes uses critical thinking and thoughtful discussion to explore the definition; only sometimes goes beyond traditional definitions to define or redefine the word in a new and unique way. Ideas may be outside the realm of personal or common knowledge without attempted citation. Prompt A: Focuses heavily on description; analysis of the design choices made in the advertisement is limited or absent; conclusions about the intended audience, and the likely impact and effectiveness of the advertisement are very limited. Prompt B: Defines a word or concept, although critical thinking and thoughtful examination are largely absent; often relies too much on the traditional or dictionary definition and does not sufficiently explore a new or unique definition. Ideas are likely outside the realm of personal or common knowledge without attempted citation. Prompt A: Does not describe or analyze the advertisement; does not draw conclusions about the advertisement. Prompt B: Does not define a word or concept from the list provided and/or does not explore the definition in a thoughtful or critical manner; relies almost entirely on the traditional or dictionary definition. Contains ideas outside the realm of personal or common knowledge without attempted citation.
Working Thesis
State the focused central claim of the essay. (13%)
Has a clear, focused, and detailed working thesis that is expressed in a single sentence that states the central claim of the essay. Has a clear and focused working thesis that is expressed in a single sentence that states the central claim of the essay. Has an acceptable working thesis that states a claim, but it may be unclear or unfocused, or consist of more than one sentence. Has a working thesis, but it is not clear and/or focused and/or it does not state a claim. Does not have an identifiable working thesis and/or the thesis is extremely unclear or unfocused.
Organization
Exhibit competent organization, flow, and writing techniques. (13%)
Includes all of the required components of an essay, including an introduction with a strong thesis; an adequate number of body paragraphs (3-6), each with an effective topic sentence; and a conclusion with an effective concluding statement; the sequence of sentences and paragraphs is logical and flows well. Includes all of the required components of an essay, including an introduction with a thesis; an adequate number of body paragraphs (3-6), each with a topic sentence; and a conclusion with a concluding statement; the sequence of sentences and paragraphs is predominantly logical and flows well. Includes all of the required components of an essay, including an introduction with a thesis; an adequate number of body paragraphs (3-6), each with a topic sentence; and a conclusion with a concluding statement; however, some components may be ineffective; the sequence of sentences and paragraphs is somewhat logical, and may lack good flow. Is missing one of the required components of an essay or most of the components are ineffective; the sequence of sentences and/or paragraphs is frequently illogical and lacks flow. Is missing multiple required components of an essay or all of the components are ineffective; the sequence of sentences and/or paragraphs is consistently illogical and there is no flow.
Style and Tone
Establish a consistent, informative tone and make thoughtful choices. (13%)
Demonstrates thoughtful and effective word choices and uses a wide variety of sentence structures; establishes a consistently unbiased and impersonal tone that is appropriate for an informative essay. Demonstrates effective word choices and uses a variety of sentence structures; establishes an unbiased and impersonal tone that is appropriate for an informative essay, with occasional minor exceptions. Demonstrates generally effective style choices, but may include poor word choice, and/or repetitive sentence structures; primarily establishes an unbiased and impersonal tone that is appropriate for an informative essay; but some sections express bias or include personal observations. Frequently includes poor word choices, and/or repetitive sentence structures; primarily establishes a tone that is biased, and personal observations and opinions are expressed frequently. Consistently demonstrates poor word choices and/or repetitive sentence structures; tone is consistently biased and the essay is dominated by personal observations and opinions.
Focus
Include relevant details and draw effective connections. (12%)
Details are relevant and support the purpose of the essay; the writer consistently makes effective connections between the supporting details and the working thesis. Details are relevant and support the purpose of the essay; the writer makes some effective connections between the supporting details and the working thesis. Details are predominantly relevant and generally support the purpose of the essay, though some details may be irrelevant and/or distracting. Details are often irrelevant and frequently distract from the purpose of the essay. Details are irrelevant and distract from the purpose of the essay.
Conventions
Demonstrate command of standard English grammar, punctuation, spelling, capitalization, and usage. (12%)
There are few, if any, negligible errors in grammar, punctuation, spelling, capitalization, formatting, and usage. There are occasional minor errors in grammar, punctuation, spelling, capitalization, formatting, and usage. There are some significant errors in grammar, punctuation, spelling, capitalization, formatting, and usage. There are frequent significant errors in grammar, punctuation, spelling, capitalization, formatting, and usage. There are consistent significant errors in grammar, punctuation, spelling, capitalization, formatting, and usage.
Think About Your Writing
Answer reflection questions thoroughly and thoughtfully. (12%)
Demonstrates thoughtful reflection; consistently includes insights, observations, and/or examples in all responses; answers all reflection questions effectively, following or exceeding response length guidelines. Demonstrates thoughtful reflection; includes multiple insights, observations, and/or examples; answers all reflection questions effectively, following response length guidelines. Primarily demonstrates thoughtful reflection, but some responses are lacking in detail or insight; answers all reflection questions, primarily following response length guidelines. Shows limited reflection; the majority of responses are lacking in detail or insight; answers reflection questions inadequately: may not answer all of the questions and/or may not follow response length guidelines. Does not answer the majority of reflection questions or the majority of answers do not follow response length guidelines.
C. Requirements
Your essay draft must be 3-5 pages (approximately 800-1300 words), double-spaced, with one-inch margins.
Informative essay draft and topic selection guidelines must be followed or your submission will not be graded.
Use a readable 12-point font.
Composition must be original and written for this assignment and all writing must be appropriate for an academic context.
Use of generative chatbot artificial intelligence tools (ChatGPT, Bing Chat, Bard) in place of original writing is strictly prohibited for this assignment.
Plagiarism of any kind is strictly prohibited.
Submission should include your name, the name of the course, the date, and the title of your essay draft.
Submission must include both your color-coded informative essay draft and your answers to the “Think About Your Writing” questions.
Include all of the assignment components in a single .doc or .docx file.
Unit 4 Essay
Consider revisiting the tutorial Supporting an Argumentative Thesis. Just like in previous Touchstones, your stance needs to be stated in a thesis statement and your evidence in body paragraphs should work to support your claim. For help citing evidence in body paragraphs, revisit the tutorial Source and Quotation Formatting in APA to learn how to quote and paraphrase sources using APA style.
ASSIGNMENT: Write a 4-6 page (approximately 1000-1500 words) argumentative essay arguing one side or stance of an academically appropriate debate using the classical model supported by evidence and research. If the writing exceeds the 1500 word maximum, it will be returned back for revision.
Sample Argumentative Essay
In order to foster learning and growth, all work you submit must be newly written specifically for this course. Any plagiarized or recycled work will result in a Plagiarism Detected alert. Review Touchstones: Academic Integrity Guidelines for more about plagiarism and the Plagiarism Detected alert. For guidance on the use of generative AI technology, review Ethical Standards and Appropriate Use of AI.
CopyLeaks Originality Checker: All writing will be checked for originality. Ensure that all references are credible and include page and paragraph numbers if the source is longer than four pages. If a source cannot be accessed by a grader, you might need to provide digital proof that you possess the source (for example, a photo of the print book). Text from any third party source is prohibited, including internet or chatbot searches, without proper APA-style citations. Focus on developing your own ideas and use evidence sparingly to support your own original claims, following the classical model of argumentation.
A. Directions
Step 1. Choose a Topic
Today, there are many different debates being had all around the world about topics that affect our personal, professional, civic, and/or academic lives. Some of these debates have been such hot topics for so long that it has become very difficult to add to the conversation with new and original ideas or stances to take. To move beyond this trend, we have created a list of topics that may not be written about for this Touchstone. This includes example topics that are used in Unit 4. Feel free to access a tutor if you would like support choosing a topic for this essay.
Please AVOID choosing any of the following topics:
Abortion Rights
Animal Testing (Unit 4 example)
Artificial Intelligence
Climate Change (Unit 4 example)
Belief in God(s) or Afterlife(s)
Death Penalty / Capital Punishment
Euthanasia / Assisted Suicide
Fad Diets (e.g., Keto, etc.)
Funding/Defunding Law Enforcement
Immigration
Legal Alcohol/Tobacco Age
Legalization of Marijuana
Legalization of Sex Work
Paying Student Athletes
Second Amendment Rights (i.e., Gun Control)
Social Media’s Impact on Mental Health
Universal Healthcare
Vaccines
Choosing to write about any of the above topics will result in a non-passing score.
Step 2. Write an Argumentative Essay
Remember the word “argument” does not mean a fight in a writing context. An academic argument is more like a thoughtful conversation between two people with differing viewpoints on a debatable issue. However, you are required to take a position on one side of a debatable issue that is informed by academically appropriate evidence.
For the purposes of this assignment, expressing or relying on your personal opinion of a debate is discouraged. Rather, the essay must argue one side or stance of the debate using the rhetorical appeals (logos, ethos, and pathos) and be supported by academic or scholarly sources. These include physical sources in public libraries, digital sources in academic libraries, online sources (excludes unreliable sources like procon.org and wikipedia.org, which are discouraged), and published expert reports, preferably peer-reviewed by experts in the field to maintain utmost credibility. Consider revisiting the tutorial Finding Sources for more information on appropriate sources for argumentative writing.
Your submission must include an APA style in-text citations and a reference page following the essay. In your research, you will need at least 2 and no more than 4 credible primary or secondary sources to use as support in your essay.
All sources cited in the writing submitted must be locatable by a grader; include hyperlinks to the sources in the reference page.
The use of any source that requires payment for access is strictly prohibited for this assignment.
Avoid using sources that exceed 20 pages in length, as they may be overly extensive for the purposes of this assignment.
Including more than four sources may cause delays, and you might be asked to provide additional evidence of the credibility for each source.
The following resources will be helpful to you as you work on this assignment:
Purdue Online Writing Lab’s APA Formatting and Style Guide
This site includes a comprehensive overview of APA style, as well as individual pages with guidelines for specific citation types.
Frequently Asked Questions About APA Style
This page on the official APA website addresses common questions related to APA formatting. The “References,” “Punctuation,” and “Grammar and Writing Style” sections will be the most useful to your work in this course.
APA Style: Quick Answers—References
This page on the official APA Style website provides numerous examples of reference list formatting for various source types.
Step 3. Think About Your Writing
On a separate page, below your reference page, include thoughtful answers to the Think About Your Writing questions. References and Think About Your Writing questions are NOT included in the word count for this essay.
Below your reference page, include answers to all of the following reflection questions.
What have you learned about how to present a strong argument? How could/will you apply this knowledge in your professional or everyday life (3-4 sentences)? Sophia says: Think about the specific skills and techniques that you used while developing and writing your essay. What tools will you take with you from this experience?
Consider the English Composition I course as a whole. What have you learned about yourself as a writer (5-6 sentences)? Sophia says: What did you learn that surprised you? Is there anything that you have struggled with in the past that you now feel more confident about?
Step 4. Review Rubric and Checklist
Your composition and reflection will be scored according to the Touchstone 4 Rubric, which evaluates the argumentative topic and thesis statement, argument development and support, organization, flow, research, style, use of conventions (grammar, punctuation, etc.), and your answers to the “Think About your Writing” questions above.
Refer to the checklist below throughout the writing process. Do not submit your Touchstone until it meets these guidelines.
Argumentative Topic and Thesis Statement
❒ Have you included a thesis that takes a clear, specific position on one side of an academically appropriate, debatable issue?
Argument Development
❒ Are all of the details relevant to the purpose of your essay?
❒ Is the argument supported using rhetorical appeals and credible, academic source material?
❒ Is your essay 4-6 pages (approximately 1000-1500 words)? If not, which details do you need to add or delete?
Research
❒ Have you cited outside sources effectively using quotation, summary, or paraphrase?
❒ Are the sources incorporated smoothly, providing the reader with signal phrases and context for the source information?
❒ Are the sources explained with regard to your topic and how they relate to the argument?
❒ Have you referenced at least 2 and no more than 4 credible sources?
❒ Have you included an APA style reference page below your essay?
❒ Have you included a hyperlink to each source in the reference page?
Organization and Flow
❒ Is there an introduction, conclusion, adequate body paragraphs, and a counterargument?
❒ Do the topic and concluding sentences reiterate the argument to maintain a sharp focus on the purpose of the essay?
❒ Is the argument presented in a logical order and easy for the reader to follow?
❒ Are there transitions within and between paragraphs?
Style
❒ Are the word choices accurate and effective?
❒ Are the sentence structures varied?
Conventions and Formatting
❒ Have you properly cited your sources according to APA style guidelines?
❒ Have you double-checked for correct grammar, punctuation, spelling, formatting, and capitalization?
❒ Have you proofread for typos?
Before You Submit
❒ Have you answered all of the Think About Your Writing questions on a separate page below your reference page? Are your answers thoughtful and included insights, observations, and/or examples in all responses?
❒ Does your submission include your essay, followed by your reference page, followed by your Think About Your Writing questions?
B. Rubric
Advanced (100%) Proficient (85%) Acceptable (75%) Needs Improvement (50%) Non-Performance (0%)
Argumentative Topic and Thesis Statement
Take a clear position on a debatable topic. (5%)
Includes an argumentative thesis that takes a well-articulated, clear, specific position on one side of a debatable issue. Includes an argumentative thesis that takes a clear, specific position on one side of a debatable issue. Includes an argumentative thesis that takes a clear position on one side of a debatable issue; however, it lacks specificity. Includes an argumentative thesis on a debatable topic; however, it lacks specificity and/or does not take a clear position. Does not include a thesis, includes a thesis that does not take a position, and/or the topic is not debatable.
Argument Development and Support
Have a clear argument on a debatable topic and sufficient support. (20%)
Details are highly relevant and clearly support the argument of the essay. Argument is thoroughly developed; the argument is consistently and effectively supported using rhetorical appeals and source material. Details are relevant and support the argument of the essay. Argument is well developed; the argument is supported using rhetorical appeals and source material. Details are predominantly relevant and generally support the argument, though some details may be irrelevant and/or distracting. Argument is not fully developed; the argument is supported by rhetorical appeals and source material; however, some aspects of the argument or support are neglected. Details are often irrelevant and frequently distract from the argument of the essay. Argument is poorly developed; there is little evidence of rhetorical appeals and/or source material support. Details are irrelevant and distract from the argument. Argument is not developed and/or the composition is not argumentative.
Organization
Exhibit competent organization and writing techniques. (20%)
Includes all of the required components of an argumentative research paper, including an introduction with relevant and engaging background information and an argumentative thesis, an adequate number of body paragraphs each with a topic sentence, a body paragraph addressing counterargument(s), and a conclusion with a concluding statement. Includes all of the required components of an argumentative research paper, including an introduction with background information, an argumentative thesis, an adequate number of body paragraphs each with a topic sentence, a body paragraph addressing counterargument(s), and a conclusion with a concluding statement. Includes nearly all of the required components of an argumentative research paper; however, one component is missing. Includes most of the required components of an argumentative research paper, but is lacking two components. Sequences ideas and paragraphs such that the connections between ideas (within and between paragraphs) are sometimes unclear and the reader may have difficulty following the progression of the argument. Lacks several or all of the components of an argumentative research paper. Sequences ideas and paragraphs such that the connections between ideas (within and between paragraphs) are often unclear and the reader has difficulty following the progression of the argument.
Flow
Establish and maintain a logical flow. (10%)
Sequences ideas and paragraphs logically and uses smooth transitions (within and between paragraphs) such that the reader can easily follow the progression of ideas. Sequences ideas and paragraphs logically and uses transitions (within and between paragraphs) such that the reader can easily follow the progression of ideas. Primarily sequences ideas and paragraphs logically and uses sufficient transitions (within and between paragraphs) such that the reader can generally follow the progression of ideas. The progression of ideas is often difficult to follow, due to poor sequencing, ineffective transitions, and/or insufficient transitions. The progression of ideas is consistently difficult to follow, due to poor sequencing and lack of transitions.
Research
Incorporate sources through effective quotations, paraphrases, and summaries. (10%)
Incorporates sources smoothly and effectively through direct quotation, paraphrase, or summary. References at least 2 and no more than 4 credible primary or secondary sources. Primarily incorporates sources effectively through direct quotation, paraphrase, or summary. References at least 2 and no more than 4 credible primary or secondary sources. Acceptably incorporates sources through direct quotation, paraphrase, or summary. References at least 2 and no more than 4 credible primary or secondary sources. Generally incorporates sources through direct quotation, paraphrase, or summary. References at least 2 and no more than 4 primary or secondary sources, but some sources may not be effective or appropriate for the essay’s argument. Does not reference sources and/or sources are not credible or appropriate.
Style
Establish a consistent, informative tone and make thoughtful stylistic choices. (10%)
Demonstrates thoughtful and effective word choices, avoids redundancy and imprecise language, and uses a wide variety of sentence structures. Demonstrates effective word choices, primarily avoids redundancy and imprecise language, and uses a variety of sentence structures. Demonstrates generally effective style choices, but may include occasional redundancies, imprecise language, poor word choice, and/or repetitive sentence structures. Frequently includes poor word choices, redundancies, imprecise language, and/or repetitive sentence structures. Excessively demonstrates poor word choices, redundancies, imprecise language, and/or repetitive sentence structures.
Conventions
Follow conventions for standard English. (10%)
There may be a few negligible errors in grammar, punctuation, spelling, capitalization, formatting, and usage. There are occasional minor errors in grammar, punctuation, spelling, capitalization, formatting, and usage. There are some significant errors in grammar, punctuation, spelling, capitalization, formatting, and usage. There are frequent significant errors in grammar, punctuation, spelling, capitalization, formatting, and usage. There are consistent significant errors in grammar, punctuation, spelling, capitalization, formatting, and usage.
Formatting
Execute formatting according to requirements. (10%)
Consistently adheres to APA formatting requirements for in-text citations and the References page. Primarily adheres to APA formatting requirements for in-text citations and the References page, such that formatting errors are minimal. Adequately adheres to APA formatting requirements for in-text citations and the References page, such that formatting errors are occasional. Inadequately adheres to APA formatting requirements for in-text citations and the References page, such that formatting errors are common. Does not adhere to APA formatting requirements for in-text citations and the References page, such that formatting errors are pervasive.
Think About Your Writing
Reflect on progression and development throughout the course. (5%)
Demonstrates thoughtful reflection; consistently includes insights, observations, and/or examples in all responses. Answers all reflection questions effectively, following or exceeding response length guidelines. Demonstrates thoughtful reflection; includes multiple insights, observations, and/or examples. Answers all reflection questions effectively, following response length guidelines. Primarily demonstrates thoughtful reflection, but some responses are lacking in detail or insight. Answers all reflection questions, primarily following response length guidelines. Shows limited reflection; the majority of responses are lacking in detail or insight. Answers reflection questions inadequately: may not answer all of the questions and/or may not follow response length guidelines. Does not answer the majority of reflection questions or the majority of answers do not follow response length guidelines.
C. Requirements
Your essay should be 4-6 pages (approximately 1000-1500 words), double-spaced, with one-inch margins.
Argumentative essay guidelines must be followed or submission will not be graded.
Use a readable 12-point font.
Composition must be original and written for this assignment and all writing must be appropriate for an academic context, including academically credible sources.
Use of generative chatbot artificial intelligence tools (ChatGPT, Bing Chat, Bard) in place of original writing is strictly prohibited for this assignment.
Plagiarism of any kind is strictly prohibited.
Submission should include your name, the name of the course, the date, and the title of your essay.
Submission must include the argumentative essay, reference page, and your answers to the reflection questions.
Include all of the assignment components in a single .doc or .docx file.
