This is a summary and response essay on the article written by Sherman Alexie titled "Superman and Me" I can provide the pdf if needed. I will submit the writing template as well. College level writing.
ENG 111: Essay #1: Summary, Analysis, and Response
Purpose
In Essay #1, we’ll practice seeing texts as part of a conversation, and our own writing as a way of entering that conversation. Specifically students will practice the skills of critical reading, summarizing, analyzing rhetorical context, and responding to ideas.
This essay will give students the chance to learn and practice the genre conventions of academic writing, which will help them succeed in other college writing assignments and participate in reason-based, civil discourse in both professional and personal interactions.
Task
You’ll write an academic essay about one of the four articles we have read so far this semester in which you summarize the article, analyze the rhetorical context (audience, purpose, rhetorical situation), respond with your own ideas (agree with a difference, disagree, or agree and disagree), defend your ideas from naysayers, and tell why it matters.
- Chimimanda Ngozi Aditchie’s “The Danger of a Single Story”
- Gerald Graff’s “Hidden Intellectualism”
- Amy Tan’s “Mother Tongue”
- Sherman Alexie, “The Joy of Reading and Writing: Superman and Me”
Here are some suggestions for how to approach your essay, and keep in mind that we will have several smaller deadlines, practice skills you’ll use in each step, and get feedback along the way. We’ve already started this process with Journals 1 and 2, where you’ve already done some of these steps!
- Start by selecting an article to write about. Read it again, critically, annotating even more.
- Then summarize it (hint, you probably already did this on Journal 1 or 2, but I bet you can make your summary better by looking over your graded journal entry).
- Then generate your ideas for the essay. The prewriting handout will help. Remember, your task is to add something new to the author’s ideas, not just repeat his or her ideas. This is where a lot of the thinking for the essay happens, and it will be one of the longest steps.
- Create an outline. I’ll show you how to create and outline, and then I’ll read your outline and give you feedback before you write your draft.
- Draft your ideas into an essay. Writing time varies for everyone, so give yourself enough time to do this well put a lot of thought into it, proofread it, and make it your best. In class you’ll participate in peer review, and a classmate and I will give you feedback for improving your essay.
- I recommend that you also do another draft and then talk to me about your new draft, seeking ways to make it even stronger.
- Revise your essay, drafting your final draft.
- Reflect on the process of writing this essay.
Format
Your essay of about four pages must be typed and double spaced, and have a works cited page. Most of you will have only one source on your wc, the article to which you are responding, but, if you use other sources, you will be expected to cite them correctly.
Deadlines
Prewriting Tues., Sept. 1 (homework grade)
Outline Tues., Sept. 9 (homework grade)
First Draft Tues., Sept. 15 (10 points on final paper)
Peer Review Thursday, Sept. 17 (quiz grade)
Final Draft Tues., Sept. 22 (10 % of final course grade)
ESSAY #1 GRADING RUBRIC
Please staple this sheet to your final draft.
Introduction
________ Introduces larger conversation. (3 points)
________ Introduces author, title, and subject of the article. (2 points)
________ Ends with a clear thesis statement that responds to the article. (5 points)
Focus and Development
________ All body paragraphs have topic sentences that express ideas and provide focus for the paragraph. (5 points)
________ Fulfills the assignment: summarizes the article, identifies the rhetorical context (purpose, audience, larger conversation), responds to the argument and adds something new to the conversation, addresses naysayers and answers their objections. (23 points)
________ Demonstrates a clear understanding of the article and ability to summarize accurately. (5 points)
________ Uses convincing specific, concrete examples, good critical thinking skills, and convincing arguments. Adds something new to the conversation. (11 points)
________ Uses at least two quotations effectively to support or explain ideas. (6 points)
________ Uses appropriate transitions between paragraphs. (5 points)
________ Expresses ideas clearly (5 points).
Conclusion
________ The conclusion restates the thesis (but does not repeat or summarize the essay!). (3 points)
________ Tells why the ideas of the essay matter. (3 points)
Manuscript and Documentation (MLA Format)
_______ The paper was properly formatted. (5 points)
_______ There is a correct works cited page. (7points)
________ All parenthetical citations and quote integrations are correct. (10 points)
Grammar, Usage, and Spelling
________ Major Errors (5 points each): Run-ons, fragments, and subject/verb agreement errors.
________ Minor Errors (2 to 3 points each): errors in possessives, verbs, parallelism, pronoun usage, word usage, capitalization, punctuation, and spelling; use of contractions, slang, or second person pronouns.
Special Circumstances
________ No first draft (-10 points) ________ Late (-5 points per day)
________ No works cited page or ________ Creative expression or major
plagiarism (0) essay revision/improvement (+5 points)
Content Grade: Mechanics Grade:
ESSAY GRADE:
Comments:
Essay #1: Prewriting
What issues or concerns in society is the writer responding to? How could this article relate to topics that are in the news right now?
Who is the audience for this article? Remember, here we’re trying to figure out who the author intended to target with this article, not everyone who could benefit from reading it. How do you know it was written for this particular audience? What evidence can you find in the word choice, examples that were chosen, the tone, and particularly in the writer’s conclusion.
What does the writer hope to accomplish with this article? What changes does he or she hope to make in the way readers think, feel, or act after reading this?
Is the writer disagreeing or agreeing with something, and if so what?
What is the writer’s purpose? What does he or she hope to accomplish by writing this article?
Write down what clues in the text you have to back your opinions up.
Do you agree with the author? Disagree? Agree with a difference? Or are you completely ambivalent? Remember, you could agree with the author’s main point, but disagree about a smaller point he or she makes in the article.
What makes you agree or disagree or both with the author? What new information, insights, personal experience, connections can you add to this conversation?
Who might disagree with your view?
If you were having a conversation with those people who disagree with you, how might you and answer their objections?
What is valid in the naysayers’ objections?
Who cares about this topic? Why is this conversation worth having? Who does it affect? What implications will it have in the future?