Touchstone 3: Informative Essay

ASSIGNMENT: Select ONE of the following writing prompts and draft a 3-5 page (approximately 800-1300 words) informative essay. 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.

In order to foster learning and growth, all essays you submit must be newly written specifically for this course. Any recycled work will be sent back with a 0, and you will be given one attempt to redo the touchstone.

Note: Touchstone 4 will be a revision of the draft that you submit for Touchstone 3. 

A. Instructions

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 to understand their meanings. Good image analysis involves examination of the components of an image to gain an understanding of the whole.

Select an advertisement to analyze. The advertisement you choose should be directed towards 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 girls; ads for a deodorant might target men; 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.

Your thesis must inform the reader of your topic and purpose. Because you are writing in the informative mode, use objective language and a neutral point of view.

Draft an analytical essay that examines the audience, context, and purpose of the advertising image you’ve chosen. Read the article by Jenna Pack titled “Breaking Down an Image” for ideas about how to write an image analysis. Your analysis should lead to a conclusion about the ad’s effectiveness, based on examination of its components. Include the image with your draft.

PROMPT B: EXTENDED DEFINITION: Define or redefine one of the following words:

• Family
• Success
• Courage
• Art
• Beauty

In your draft, briefly explain how society, or the dictionary, defines the word you’ve selected, and then explain your unique or extended definition of the word. Provide examples and explanations to support your definition. Your thesis must inform your readers of your new definition and, because you are writing in the informative mode, you must use objective language.

Draft an extended definition essay that defines or redefines a word or concept. Read the article by Dan Richards titled “Digital Ethics” for ideas about how to write an extended definition essay.

B. 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: Questions
1. 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 in your subject matter should be clear to readers.
2. 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?
3. 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.

C. Informative Draft Guidelines

DIRECTIONS: Refer to the checklist below throughout the writing process. Do not submit your Touchstone until your draft meets all of the guidelines. Print this checklist!

Essay Prompt: Image Analysis

❒ If you chose the image analysis prompt, have you analyzed and interpreted — and not just described — 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 your definition (or an extended definition) of it?
❒ Have you included examples and explanations to support your 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, and is it located in the introductory paragraph?

Focus and Organization

❒ Is there an adequate number of body paragraphs, each with a clear topic sentence?
❒ Is there a conclusion paragraph that makes a concluding statement?
❒ 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?
❒ 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)

G. Requirements

• Your draft must be 800 to 1300 words in length (approximately 3-5 pages).
• Informative Guidelines and Topic Selection Guidelines must be followed or your submission will not be graded.
• Double-space your draft and use one-inch margins.
• Use an easily-readable 12-point font.
• All writing must be appropriate for an academic context.
• Your draft must be original and written for this assignment. 
• Plagiarism of any kind is strictly prohibited. 
• Your submission must include your name, the name of the course, the date, and the title of your draft.
• Your submission must include both your color-coded informative draft and your answers to the “Think About Your Writing” questions. 
• Submit a only single file that contains all of the assignment components.
• Acceptable file formats include .doc and .docx.

Touchstone 4: Informative Essay Revision

ASSIGNMENT: Review the in-text comments and summary feedback you received on your Touchstone 3 draft to deepen and extend your analysis of your topic. Submit a revision of your Touchstone 3 draft that reflects the feedback. Include a copy of your Touchstone 3 draft below the “Think About Your Writing” questions for this unit. 

A. Instructions

All writers revise their work as part of the writing process. For Touchstone 4, submit a revised version of your Touchstone 3 essay. The process of revising involves “re-thinking” your essay. Your revision should reflect your attention to the following:

• rhetorical situation
• focus
• organization
• flow
• style
• clarity

As you consider possible revisions, evaluate how your essay can be improved in each of the areas above. Focus your attention on the areas that would benefit most from revision. You can add, delete, or move text as you revise your essay.

Note the following revision guidelines:

• Do not draft a new essay. You must revise your Touchstone 3 draft.
• Allow time between drafts so that you can see your original work from a new perspective.
• Revision is different from editing and proofreading; however, be sure to edit and proofread your revised essay before you submit it.

Revise your Touchstone 3 essay using the revision strategies you learned in Unit 4. This revision should reflect significant changes from your first draft, and should incorporate the feedback you received on Touchstone 3.

B. Think About Your Writing

Include answers to all of the following reflection questions below your completed revision.

1. How much time did you spend revising your draft? Which revision strategies did you use, and which of them worked best for you? (2-3 sentences) Sophia says: A good revision takes time. This is your opportunity to re-think, re-arrange, and re-evaluate your writing. Which revision strategies did you use? Do you still agree with your thesis? Do you believe that your evidence supports your thesis, and that you have met the requirements of the assignment?

2. How did the revision process improve your essay? (2-3 sentences) Sophia says: Compare your draft to your revision. Have you added relevant details or removed irrelevant ones? Have you changed the order of details or paragraphs? Have you added transitions for better flow? In which ways is your revision better than your draft?

3. What did you learn about your writing process or yourself as a writer? (2-3 sentences) Sophia says: Think about the entire process of drafting and revising this essay. Did any part of the process surprise you or reveal something unexpected?

C. Revision Guidelines

DIRECTIONS: Refer to the checklist below throughout the writing process. Do not submit your Touchstone until your essay meets all of the guidelines. Print this checklist!

Editing and Revising

❒ Have you significantly revised your essay, making adjustments in areas that include organization, focus, and clarity?
❒ Have you made comprehensive changes in word choice, sentence variety, and style?
❒ Have you made revisions that are based on the feedback provided by your evaluator?

Essay Prompt: Image Analysis

❒ If you chose the image analysis prompt, have you revisited your analysis and interpretation of the image to ensure that you’ve done more than describe it?
❒ Have you revisited your conclusions about the audience and effectiveness of the ad?
❒ Did you include the image in your essay?
❒ Is your draft 800-1300 words long?

Essay Prompt: Extended Definition

❒ If you chose the extended definition prompt, did you make sure that your definition is unique, and doesn’t rely too heavily on the traditional definition?
❒ Did you revisit the examples and explanations that support your definition?
❒ Is your essay 800-1300 words in length?

Thesis

❒ Have you revised your thesis statement?
❒ Did you make sure that your thesis states the overall claim of the essay?
❒ Is your thesis one sentence that is located in the introductory paragraph?

Focus and Organization

❒ Have you reviewed your body paragraphs and made sure that each one has a clear topic sentence?
❒ Have you revisited your conclusion paragraph and concluding statement?
❒ Have you reviewed the sequence of your ideas?
❒ Have you improved your transitions to connect ideas between sentences and paragraphs?
❒ Have you improved the flow of your essay?
❒ Does your revision have a clear focus?
❒ Have you maintained a clear focus and included only relevant details?

Style and Tone

❒ Have you ensured that the tone of your essay is unbiased and informative?
❒ Have you informed the reader about your topic?
❒ Have you reconsidered 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 essay 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?
❒ Is your essay between three and five pages (approximately 800-1300 words) in length?

G. Requirements

• Your essay should be three to five pages (approximately 800-1300 words) in length.
• Informative Guidelines and Topic Selection Guidelines must be followed or your submission will not be graded. 
• Double-space the draft, and use one-inch margins.
• Use an easy-to-read 12-point font. 
• All writing must be appropriate for an academic context. 
• Your draft and revision must be original and written for this assignment. 
• Plagiarism of any kind is strictly prohibited. 
• Your submission must include your name, the name of the course, the date, and the title of your draft.
• Your submission must include, in the following order: your revised essay, your answers to the “Think About Your Writing” questions, and a copy of your original essay (from Touchstone 3).
• Submit only a single file only that contains all assignment components. 
• Acceptable file formats are .doc and .docx.