"They Say"
Assignment Guidelines

Objective

Write a persuasive piece that examines arguments in two different essays in They Say / I Say in one of the book's five topic areas—political polarization, higher education in the US, technology, the environment, and freedom.

Procedure

1. Choose one of the five topic areas in They Say / I Say and then two essays within that topic area that are of particular interest to you.

2. Take notes identifying elements in those two essays that make them especially appealing or thought-provoking.

3. Write a working draft of at least three (3) pages, and share it with a classmate on 2 October 2024 for peer-editing in accordance with guidelines to be provided. Once peer-editing is complete, be sure to share a copy of the edited draft with me, so I can assign your peer-editor a peer-editing grade.

4. Attend a one-on-one Zoom conference with me to discuss plans for revising the working draft into a final draft.

5. Make a new copy of this draft, then revise it with the help of peer-editing feedback. Clear out or resolve all of your peer-editor's comments and suggestions before submitting the draft through the Canvas assignment page on 9 October 2024.

Working Draft (3-4 pages)

Refer to specific examples in each essay to answer the following questions:

• Which unique perspective does each essay contribute to the topic?

• Which techniques does each essay use to persuade its audience?

• What is the ideal audience for each essay?

• How do the two essays work together to facilitate discussion of the topic?

Print up a hard copy of this draft and bring it to class on October 2nd, 2024, to share with peer-reviewers as a GoogleDoc, so they can provide you with feedback in accordance with peer-editing guidelines that I will hand out in class on that day.

Sign up for a one-on-one conference with me on October 7th or October 8th to discuss paper revisions. Be sure I have access to a draft of this paper during the conference.

Final Draft (3-4 pages)

Revise your working draft in response to feedback you receive from peer editors and from me at the one-on-one conference. Submit this final draft through the Canvas assignment page by the end of the day on 9 October 2024.

Grading standards

This paper is worth 20% of your final grade, and I will base your grade on the following criteria:

1. A clear explanation of the strengths and weaknesses of each of the two articles under consideration along with a central argument for the importance of giving this topic consideration.

2. Appropriate support of your essay's claims with a careful selection of paraphrases and direct quotations from the chosen two articles.

3. An understanding of the expectations of the essay's audience and acknowledgment of possible counterarguments that might emerge from this audience.

4. Effective organization of the argument, sign-posted with clear topic sentences, transitional expressions and keywords.

5. Adequate documentation of the two essays in accordance with the MLA format governing in-text and end-of-paper references.

6. A command of Edited Standard Written English demonstrating that the writer has carefully revised and proofread to remove grammatical and spelling errors.