english assignment help

English assignment help

Assignment:  Reading Analysis Table, Reading Analysis Essay,

Thesis, Outline, Rubrics, and MLA citation

 

Minimum Length: 2 pages, double-spaced, 12 pt. font.

 

Point Value:   40 for the Table. See rubric, template, and example.

                       100 for the Essay. See outline and essay example.

18 for the in-text citation and the Work Cited entry.

Due Dates:                                                                                                                                        

Regular Term:   Weeks Seven-Ten – Submit Reading Analysis Table, Outline, & Final Draft

 Summer Term:   Weeks Four-Five – Submit Reading Analysis Table, Outline, & Final Draft

 

 

The following assignment is designed to develop and demonstrate the following skills:

• Structuring the essay into three distinct parts, mindful of the individual features and requirements of each: introduction, body, and conclusion.
• Creating explicitly-worded thesis opinions with subtopics that are supported in body paragraphs.
• Creating explicitly-worded topic sentences that directly correspond to thesis opinions and subtopics.
• Identifying multiple literary devices to analyze how they reveal theme.
• Supporting topic sentences with clear, cogent arguments, accurate paraphrases,
•  and well-chosen quotes.
• Documenting borrowed ideas including proper citations and a corresponding Works Cited entry.
• Editing to ensure sentence mechanics are consistently clear and correct and diction is precise, standard, concise, and sensory.

 

 

 

Objectives: Regardless of major, discipline, or career-track, every competent student must be an analytical reader. Understanding the purpose, targeted-audience, style and methods of persuasion that a writer employs will enlarge a student’s emotional, cultural, and intellectual sensibilities.  Moreover, exposure to a writer’s diction and technique enhances the student’s writing in turn. This assignment will demonstrate your ability to analyze a story or essay to reveal the author’s purpose and methods.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Instructions:

 

1. From our class text, The River Reader, select a story or essay to write about.

Do not choose a story that I have discussed in lectures.

 

2. Read the work and analyze it for purpose and persuasion. In a sense, your essay will be answering three essential questions: Who are the intended audiences? Who most benefits from the text? What literary devices does the author use to deliver themes /messages? What themes/messages does the writer want audiences to accept? What thoughts, feelings, or actions does the writer want us to adopt?

 

3. Your introduction should formally announce/introduce the work that you are responding to, provide exposition of the writing circumstance, describe the work so that anyone unfamiliar with the work can understand your essay, and include a full range MLA-compliant in-text citation and works cited entry to the work you are using.

 

4. Your body should be a direct support of thesis ideas, beginning with your own explicit

topic sentence opinions that guide development, including relevant quotes

and paraphrases from the work that illustrate your opinions.

 

5. The conclusion should bring the discussion full circle with an amplification of the

author’s purpose and theme. Here you can show how the work reaches beyond the

targeted audience and has significance for others as well. Explain how other readers can

benefit from the author’s work.  Demonstrate your understanding of and appreciation

for the author’s ideas, message, or purpose.

 

6. Using strict MLA format, provide a Works Cited entry for the borrowed essay or story.

Use the NoodleTools site (access through the RTC library) to create the entry.

 

Note: Be sure to choose Advanced options and the source will be Anthology—not book.

 

 

Reading Analysis Table: Devices and Themes

 

Objective:  In preparation for composing your Reading Analysis Essay, you will want to identify literary devices (prominent features) that convey themes (messages). Careful readers should pay attention to all literary devices as they are designed to persuade us to accept the writers’ themes.

 

After completing the Table, at least three devices (subtopics) should then be included in your actual Reading Analysis thesis that illustrate just one of the themes–also listed in this table.

 

Share this table with your instructor for feedback before submitting to Canvas and before composing the thesis, outline, and essay.

 

 

The following rubric will be applied to your completed Table:

 

Rubric	Non or Minimally Responsive	Responsive / Full points
Identify the title with correct punctuation, author, and full-range page numbers from the text.        +02
Specific Audiences are identified and explained.        +08
A minimum of four literary devices are identified with quotations with specific reference and page numbers.                    +15
A minimum of four literary themes are defined as explicit messages from author to audiences. Themes are in-depth and based on close reading.             +15

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The following Table can be used as your template.

Copy and paste it into your own Word file.

See the following completed example for an idea of what yours should look like.

 

 

 

Author & Title of Work, including full-range page numbers:	Primary & Secondary Audiences—the readers who will most enjoy and/or benefit from the reading	Literary Devices—prominent features that you notice when reading, providing clues to theme	Themes and Universal Themes—messages to the reader that tell us what we should or should not do, feel, think, or act

 

 

EXAMPLE of COMPLETED TABLE:

Author & Title of Work, including full-range page numbers:	Primary & Secondary Audiences—the readers who will most enjoy and/or benefit from the reading	Literary Devices—prominent features that you notice when reading, providing clues to theme	Themes and Universal Themes—messages to the reader that tell us what we should or should not do, feel, think, or act
“The Human Cost of an Illiterate Society,” by Jonathan Kozol   Pages 323-327	Primary audience might be educators, teachers, social workers—anyone with compassion and authority to make a difference.   Secondary audience might be family, friends, neighbors, people who know illiterate people personally who could better understand them or get them help.	Facts, observations, research, quotes, real-life examples, Figures, p. 204   Sincere, direct,  & serious tone, p. 203   precise, literal,  & factual Diction, p. 204	We should be patient with people because they may be hiding problems that they are embarrassed about. We should show compassion for illiterate people because they are suffering. Illiteracy is dangerous and hurts the individual and society. We should take responsibility and action to improve their lives.

Working Thesis based on Table:

 

To inform the audience of the challenges and miseries that illiterate people face on a

daily basis, Kozol presents realistic dialog, real-life examples, and research

and urges his readers to invest in literary educational resources for the benefit of the

individual and society.

STUDENT EXAMPLE OUTLINE:

 

Thesis:

To inform the audience of the challenges and miseries that illiterate people face on a

daily basis, Kozol presents realistic dialog, real-life examples and research,

and urges his readers to invest in literary educational resources for the benefit of the

individual and society.

Topic Sentence # 1:

The author uses realistic dialog to show that illiterate people have difficulty trusting others since they are not able to function in everyday activities.

1. bills
2. notices                     list examples and quotes that support the topic sentence
3. bank accounts

Topic Sentence # 2:

Also realistic are Kozol’s descriptions of real-life examples from individuals whose illiteracy makes them vulnerable to frustrations and hazards on a daily basis.

1. menu
2. “allergenic risks”
3. phone numbers list examples and quotes that support the topic sentence
4. maps
5.    signs

Topic Sentence # 3:

Not only is illiteracy an inconvenience and threat to the individual, but using research, Kozol informs his audience how illiteracy is also detrimental to democracy and society.

1. not informed
2. cannot participate list examples and quotes that support the topic sentence
3. “60 million”

 

 

 

OUTLINE BECOMES ESSAY

 

Create your own outline. Save it as a Word document with a distinguishing name, something like RAO.doc

 

Show it to your instructor for feedback.

 

 

When you have approval, save the document again; this time use Save As and give it a new distinguishing name, something like RAE.doc.

This way, the outline becomes the first draft. Your job is then to flesh out the outline structure.

 

 

 

 

Thesis:

author  + device, device, and device + theme

 

Topic Sentence # 1:

d.

 

 

 Topic Sentence # 2:

 

d.

Topic Sentence # 3:

 

 

 

 

 

STUDENT EXAMPLE READING ANALYSIS ESSAY WITH NOTES:

Notice how the essay “fleshes out” the bones of the outline.  The thesis and topic sentences form the structure of the analysis essay. However, don’t hesitate to modify your original plan at any time if you think can improve the composition. Note: Key features are in bold.

                                                                                                                                                      Introduction contains

Beth-Ann Weir                                                                                  •summary & citation of work

English Composition 101             standard heading                                      • audience identification

Reading Analysis Essay                                                                    • device & theme thesis

August 1, 2009

↓

the title reflects theme          What We Don’t Know Can Hurt US

In “The Human Cost of an Illiterate Society,” educator and author Jonathan Kozol informs readers of the hardships faced by illiterate citizens, and urges his audience

to take responsibility and action for their improvement (396-406). Kozol directs his writing to educators and social workers, as well as those who take an interest in equality and helping others in need.  To inform the audience of the challenges and miseries that illiterate people face on a daily basis, Kozol presents realistic dialog, real-life examples, and research, and urges his readers to invest in literary educational resources for the benefit of the individual and society.

The author uses realistic dialog to show that Illiterates have difficulty trusting others since they are not able to function in everyday activities. The author describes how they cannot read bills, notices, or bank account statements they receive in the mail. They are totally reliant on others to read it for them. One example Kozol gives is of a woman in Washington D.C. who was reported saying, “I couldn’t understand the bills, and then I couldn’t write the checks to pay them. We signed things we didn’t know what they were” (400).

Also realistic are Kozol’s descriptions of real-life examples from individuals whose illiteracy makes them vulnerable to frustrations and hazards on a daily basis. He shows that illiterate people are totally dependent on others for simple tasks such as not being able to read the menu in a restaurant to life and death situations of not being able to read important instructions on bottles of medication or other potentially hazardous material. Kozol writes, “Illiterates cannot read instructions on a bottle of prescription medicine. They cannot find out when a medicine is past the year of safe consumption; nor can they read of allergenic risks, warnings to diabetics, or the potential sedative effect of certain kinds of nonprescription pills” (399). Illiterates are not able to read instructions on food packets or emergency numbers in telephone directories. They also cannot find their way around and are easily lost since they don’t know how to read directions on a map or road sign. The author fittingly states that as an illiterate, “they are immobilized in every sense we can imagine” (402).       

Not only is illiteracy an inconvenience and threat to the individual, but using research, Kozol informs his audience how illiteracy is also detrimental to democracy and society.  He writes that illiterate citizens are not able to fully participate in a democratic society. Because they are unable to read, they cannot make sound, informed decisions based on written information regarding their government. He states that “so long as 60 million people are denied significant participation, the government is neither of, nor for, nor by, the people” (398).

 Kozol urges his readers to break the cycle of educational deprivation by investing their time and wealth in the education of illiterate people. Providing them with the opportunity to learn how to read not only creates a means for them to become independent and respect themselves; it also gives them a chance to survive. He writes, “we are speaking now of human suffering and of the ethical dilemmas…faced by a society that

looks upon…suffering with quantified concern but does not take those actions which its wealth and ingenuity would seemingly demand” (396-397).

I thought the author did an excellent job of giving solid examples, research, and dialog to bring his point across. His manner of writing and the emotional appeal adequately fits the audience of it was intended for. Reading his work made me more aware of this problem, and made me feel the sense of urgency to do my part.   At times we can forget how much we rely on our ability to read that we can take it for granted. There are millions of people who struggle every day with illiteracy, and investing in their education will not only improve their lives, but also the lives of future generations.

Work Cited

Author. “Short Title.” Long Title. Ed. Name. City: Publisher, date. pages.

 

 

 

 

RUBRIC

Assignment Compliance: Follows all assignment instructions, including length and format.                                                                                                                                                              + 05

Introductory paragraph provides a clear and complete identification and description of the work. Clear exposition includes audience identification and an accurate in-text citation. + 10

Thesis provides explicit analysis-opinion: author + action verbs + literary devices + theme/message.                                                                                                                               + 15

Topic sentences are explicit and directly support thesis, including device + theme. + 15

Quotes are well chosen and relevant to topic sentence statements of device and theme. + 10

Examples are specific, clear, and convincing. The writing shows instead of tells. + 15

Conclusion: Discussion makes full circle. Discussion emphasizes importance of thesis. Paragraph is fully developed and offers sense of importance of purpose and finality. + 10

Appropriate, clear, specific, concise expression. Logically connected ideas, and proper sentence mechanics.                                                                                                                       + 20

The borrowed source(s) is properly documented (citation & Work Cited) as an anthology in MLA format. + 18

Any inclusion of plagiarized, undocumented material receives no credit.                           – 118