Online Opinion Piece drafts
due April 28 at 1:30 pm..
Online Opinion Piece due online by May 5 at 1:30 pm. Advise me by
e-mail of address where it is posted, and screen-name used if any.
In your Literature Review/Primary Research Report you focused
primarily on reporting information about your issue without
taking a position, and you have the experience of creating a
documentary. For this last major writing assignment, you will
focus on one aspect of your report topic in order to advocate
for a policy change. A policy is a course of action. It
can be a statement of principle on which people base their
behavior such as an anti-harassment policy at a workplace. Or,
it can be a law or rule that regulates behavior such as setting
up cameras to catch traffic violations at busy intersections.
You will write in the genre of an opinion piece or "op ed." This
is normally a text that expresses an opinion and is commonly
published by newspapers, magazines, and advocacy websites. The
best opinion pieces are supported by research. Yours must draw
upon the secondary sources and/or primary research featured in
your Literature Review/Primary Research Report (you are welcome
to add new research as necessary.) Because you will be posting
this opinion piece on your website, you will be writing it for
the discourse community of your website viewers.
This is a persuasive, argumentative piece. Therefore, you will
need to use each of the rhetorical strategies of logos, pathos,
and ethos – in varying degrees – in order to strengthen the
acceptance of your course of action. Review these by looking at
Chapter 4, pages 80-85 in your Compose, Design, Advocate
textbook.
Compose:
You will write an online opinion piece on some aspect of your
literature review/research report. Based on your research, what
kind of policy change would you like to see? What course of
action should be taken? This change that you are advocating for
should be specific. For example, instead of simply advocating
that UTEP students need to recycle more, suggest what policy
changes and/or actions would encourage UTEP students to recycle
more. Perhaps recycle bins should be located in areas of campus
that students frequent, such as in the Union and Library.
Design:
As you begin, read Chapter 13 in Compose, Design, Advocate
on “Analyzing Editorial and Opinion Pieces.” (In general, an
editorial is written by the editors of a newspaper, whereas an
opinion piece is written by writers who submit the piece to the
newspaper for publication. The authors of the textbook use
these terms interchangeably.) As you read, analyze the genre of
an editorial or opinion piece by examining the writing samples
in the chapter. Analyze their purposes, contexts, arrangements,
and publication media.
Design Plan:
-
What
research will be most persuasive for your audience? Be sure
to cite sources.
-
How
you will use logos, pathos, and—most important for an
opinion piece—ethos?
-
In
what order will you arrange your ideas?
-
How
will you use illustrations or other graphics? How will you
design the layout?
Product Testing:
You will peer review in class, through the Writing Center, or
with your instructor. You’ll also receive comments from the
evaluators.
Advocate:
Submit your opinion piece draft and final draft in the
submissions area of Blackboard. Be sure to use APA in-text
citations and include a correctly formatted reference page.
Key Elements
Checklist:
ü
500-750
words (no title page or abstract needed)
ü
Emphasize
the policy change
ü
Use concise
language
ü
Use and
cite effective research--2 to 3 sources (include reference
page)
ü
Create an
effective design (visuals, layout, color, text wrapping) as
this will be an online product
|
CATEGORY |
A |
B |
C |
D |
F
|
|
Policy change:
20 pts.
|
The policy change is clear and specific. |
The policy change is fairly clear and specific. |
The policy change needs to be clearer and/or specific,
though overall it is adequate. |
The policy change needs to be significantly clearer
and/or more specific. |
The policy change is not at all clear and/or specific. |
|
Ethos:
15 pts. |
The writer uses strong arguments and introduces
evidence to show high quality sources.
|
Most of the writer's arguments and evidence is strong.
Quality of sources is evident. |
The writer's arguments and evidence are uneven in
quality, though overall they are adequate. Source
quality appears questionable. |
One or more of the writer's arguments and evidence is
significantly weak. Source quality appears poor. |
The writer did not use any effective arguments or
evidence. Source quality is poor or unknown. |
|
Pathos:
15 pts.
|
The writer uses effective strategies to appeal to the
reader's values and beliefs. |
Most of the writer's appeals to the readers' values and
beliefs are effective. |
The writer's appeals to the readers' values and beliefs
are uneven, though overall they are adequate. |
One or more of the writer's appeals to the readers'
values and beliefs are significantly inadequate. |
The writer did not use any effective appeals to the
readers' values and beliefs. |
|
Logos:
15 pts.
|
The writer's organiza-tion and logic is strong. |
Most of the writer's organiza-tion and logic is strong. |
The writer's organization/ and logic is uneven; overall
they are adequate.
|
The writer has at least one major problem with
organization and/or logic. |
The writer did not use effective organization and/or
logic. |
|
CATEGORY |
A |
B |
C |
D |
F
|
|
Research:
10 pts. |
Research effectively supports the argument and is
correctly cited, both in-text and on Reference page
or notes. |
Most of the research supports the argument and is
correctly cited both in-text and on Reference page or
notes. |
The research is uneven in quality, though overall it is
adequate, and it is mostly correctly cited both in-text
and on Reference page or notes.
|
Significant portion of research fails to support the
argument and/or is incorrectly cited either in-text and
on Reference page or notes. |
No research and/or fails to support the argument and/or
is incorrectly cited either in-text or on Reference page
or notes. |
|
Writing Fluency:
15 pts. |
There are few, if any, errors. Writing is clear and
concise. |
There are a few surface errors but they are not
distracting. Writing is clear and concise. |
Some surface errors are distracting, though they don't
impede overall communica-tion. Writing is mostly clear
and/or a bit wordy. |
Surface errors sometimes make it difficult to understand
the writer's message. Writing is generally unclear
and/or wordy.
|
Surface errors make it very difficult to understand the
writer's message. Writing is unclear and/or wordy. |
|
CATEGORY |
A |
B |
C |
D |
F |
|
Design:
10 pts. |
Design is profession-al and intended for an online
audience. Text wrap and graphics are used as needed. |
Design is mostly professional and intended for an online
audience. Text wrap and graphics are used as needed.
|
Design somewhat professional and somewhat intended for
an online audience. Text wrap and graphics could have
been better implemented. |
Design is not visually appealing; there is minimal
consideration for an online audience. |
There is no design and no consideration for an online
audience. |
