Evaluation Argument Essay

Evaluation  Argument  Essay     The  final  essay  in  this  class  is  an  evaluation  argument.    Like  a  classical  argument,  you  will   be  stating  and  supporting  an  opinion,  but  this  time  around,  your  job  is  to  make  a  value   judgment.     Many  types  of  essays  are  evaluations:  film  and  restaurant  reviews,  committee  and  program   evaluations,  to  name  a  few.    However,  for  this  assignment,  you  need  to  evaluate  something   that  differs  from  the  accepted,  standard  view.    Keep  this  point  in  mind:  “Write  an   evaluation  argument  for  an  audience  of  skeptical  readers  who  have  some  degree  of  initial   resistance  to  your  evaluation  (378).    This  means  that  your  evaluation  of  something  should   differ  from  the  popular  view.      Consider  topics  like  film,  television,  or  other  forms  of   entertainment,  as  long  as  you  can  offer  a  different  evaluation  (say  that  the  popular  show   Downton  Abbey  is  rife  with  historical  inaccuracies).    You  can  also  evaluate  a  social  service,   government,  or  corporate  program:  public  schools,  the  WIC  program,  RTD  transit.  The   sample  essays  in  the  text  should  give  you  some  ideas.         This  assignment  requires  you  to  use  at  least  two  outside  sources.    If  you  have  any  questions   about  this,  please  let  me  know.     All  source  material  must  be  correctly  cited  using  MLA  guidelines,  and  you  must  include  a   correctly  formatted  Works  Cited  page.         In  order  to  be  successful,  your  essay  must  have  the  following:    

1) An  evaluation  of  something  that  offers  a  perspective  outside  of  the  common  view.   2)  A  clear  claim  with  reasons  that  is  stated  in  your  intro  (thesis)   3) A  section  that  clearly  lays  out  your  evaluation  criteria   4) Evidence  and  arguments  that  supports  your  evaluation  and  these  must  be  based  

on  your  criteria.   5) Precise  and  appropriate  word  choice   6) Clear  transitions  and  bridge  sentences  between  paragraphs  that  maintain  your  

essay’s  continuity.   7) At  least  two  outside  sources   8) Correctly  cited  and  punctuated  quotes  that  support  (not  stand  in  for)  your  

argument.   9) Enough  development  to  convince  your  audience.    This  essay  should  be  between  

900-­‐1200  words  (3-­‐4  double-­‐spaced,  MLA  formatted  pages  not  including  Works   Cited).  

  Before  you  get  started  with  this  assignment,  please  be  sure  to  read  AB  Chapter  14  carefully   and  closely.