BA 5

Unless you have talked to me personally, you should use the same article for BA 5 as you used for BA 4.


Your BA 5 should be organized like this:

Thesis statement

1. "Example" (Featherstone 225).

Explanation 

2. "Example" (Featherstone 226).

Explanation

3. "Example" (Featherstone 227).

Explanation

4. "Example" (Featherstone 228).

Explanation

5. "Example" (Featherstone 225).

Explanation

Remember:

You should only include one thesis statement; therefore, based on the graders comments choose your best thesis statement. If you have not yet received a grade on BA 4, choose what you believe is your best thesis statement.

Your explanations should answer all of the questions listed below (where will it fit in your organization, etc.) and they should be complete sentences in well-organized paragraphs. In your explanation you should specifically state which rhetorical device is found in each quotation (and this rhetorical device should be one of the devices listed in your thesis).

You should cite the author's last name, not their first name.

You should cite page numbers, not paragraph numbers.

Brief Assignment 5: Integrating and Evaluating Quotations

Objective: To identify and evaluate quotations for use in your analysis essay.

Purpose: Quotations pose several challenges for writers. The purpose of this assignment is for you to select quotations from sources you plan to use in your analysis essay, evaluate their usefulness, and discuss how and where you might use these in your upcoming draft.

Description: Begin by writing your working thesis at the top of your assignment. Then, select a minimum of five quotations from the article that you plan to incorporate into your draft as examples of particular rhetorical devices. Write a brief assessment of why each quotation would be useful to you in composing your draft. Your assessment of each quotation should include your answers to the following questions:

Where will this quotation fit in your organization?

How does it demonstrate the points you are trying to make about the author's writing?

Will you use it as a quotation or paraphrase the selection, and why?

Your analysis, not counting the quotations, should be 500-650 words.

NOTE: You may find that in identifying and evaluating your quotations, you modify and improve your original thesis statement.

What the graders are looking for:

For BA 5, you will apply four of the criteria listed on the critical thinking rubric: 1, 3, 5, and 7:

1) Issue Identification and Focus

If the student doesn’t understand what a rhetorical analysis is, this criterion, evidenced by the choice of quotations and analysis, will not score well.

3) Sources and Evidence

Critical criterion here—consider the choice of quotations, balance of quotations used to identify v. quotations to analyze original author’s choices. Most of the time, this and communication will determine whether the analysis is an A, B, or C piece.

5) Own Perspective

How well the writer can explain how the quotations will be used in the analysis is critical here. Vague or non-existent explanations will not score well

7) Communication

Explanations should be clear.