Analysis asks us to look closely at the parts of a text, object, or artifact to examine how the text, object, or artifact conveys its main idea. In other words, good analysis requires us to look at the parts of a text, object, or artifact—its thesis, evidence, arguments, assumptions, biases, rhetorical moves, grammar, structure, genre, etc.—so that we can understand how the parts and the whole work together to express something meaningful. While you may immediately associate analysis with literature, this assignment will ask you consider digital texts, objects, and/or artifacts and work to understand how these digital items make meaning in unique and interesting ways.
You will write an analysis essay that addresses the following points:
Project 2 will ask you to apply the following course outcomes:
Your audience for this essay will consist of your peers and a general, academic audience. As a genre, analysis seeks to explain a particular topic to audiences. Thus, we might usefully say that the goal of Project 2 is to deeply learn about your selected digital text, object, or artifact so that you can explain it to your peers and a general, academic audience.
When writing your essay, you should assume that your peers will have some understanding of the topic, but you also want to remember that you are looking at specific parts within your digital text, object, or artifact. Therefore, you'll want to write in a way that will clearly explain pertinent information and examples to your audience.
The minimum requirements for this assignment are as follows:
Your assignment is to write an analysis essay that informs your readers on how your selected digital text, object, or artifact makes meaning AND why this meaning matters for other readers. To do this, you must include:
You will want to use the genre formatting for Analysis to effectively complete Project Two. We'll spend time in class discussing analytical writing, and there are plenty of excellent guides on the subject (see, for example, Purdue University's Guide to Organizing an Analysis Essay). However, as a brief overview, be aware that analysis essay typically include:
Your essay should be submitted by no later than 11:59pm on Tuesday, October 24th. Please note that you will be granted a 24-hour window to submit this essay late with no penalty.
Papers may also be submitted up to three days (72 hours) after this 24-hour window, but the assignment will be considered late for the purposes of the grade contract. After the three day (72 hour) late submission window, the assignment will be locked, and no further submissions will be accepted.
The full requirements for this assignment can be reviewed in the Project Two rubric. Please note that the following areas are what will be assessed:
I will provide you with some sample analysis essays during the weeks we begin discussing analytical strategies and how to analyze. Those sample essays will be found in a folder title "Sample Student Analysis Essays."
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Exemplary/ A |
Proficient / B |
Developing/ C |
Needs Improvement/ D/F |
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Intro/Conclusion __/10
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9 to 10 points Introduction (5) is clear, well-developed, well-composed, and provides an overview of the main ideas of the essay. Conclusion (5) is well-developed and well-composed; it clearly demonstrates the significance of the topic. |
8 to 8.9 points Introduction (5) is clear and appropriately developed. Conclusion (5) is clear and appropriately developed. |
7 to 7.9 points Introduction (5) serves the purpose but is overly general AND/OR would benefit from further development and/or revision. Conclusion (5) serves the purpose but is overly general AND/OR would benefit from further development and/or revision. Introduction OR Conclusion is strong while the other would benefit from further revision or development. |
0 to 6.9 points Introduction (5) is underdeveloped, confusing, and/or lacks collegiate development. Conclusion (5) is underdeveloped, redundant, overly general, fails to demonstrate significance of the topic, and/or lacks collegiate development. Introduction OR Conclusion is appropriately developed while the other would benefit from further revision or development. |
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Thesis ___/10
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9 to 10 points Thesis is interesting and goes beyond the obvious, clearly presents the main idea, serves as a blueprint for the rest of the essay, and is appropriate for the assignment. |
8 to 8.9 points Thesis presents the main idea, serves as a blueprint for the rest of the essay, and is appropriate for the assignment. |
7 to 7.9 points Thesis is complete and is appropriate for the assignment, but it may be misplaced, too broad, or too narrow to adequately cover the topic or convey a significant purpose. -OR- Thesis presents the main ideas, serves as a blueprint for the essay, and is appropriate for the assignment, but an issue with sentence structure affects the readability. |
0 to 6.9 points Thesis is missing, misplaced, underdeveloped, unclear, and/or in some other way inappropriate for the assignment.
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Content/Development
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22.5 to 25 points Essay meets the required length and completes all parts of the assignment. Body paragraphs are well developed. Very few areas, if any, include supporting points and/or details that readers would find unclear. Supporting sentences are coherent and unified. They follow the topic sentences and use appropriate repetition of key words specific to the assignment and smooth transitioning throughout. |
20 to 22.25 points Essay may fall slightly short of the required length but completes all parts of the assignment. Body paragraphs are generally unified, but some supporting points may seem generalized, lacking in evidence, or in need of further explanation to improve clarity and/or establish connection to thesis. Supporting sentences are coherent and unified. A few might benefit from stronger transitioning and/or alignment with the main idea. |
17 to 19.75 points Essay may fall slightly short of the required length and/or completes only parts of the assignment. Body paragraphs are underdeveloped, unclear, disjointed, and/or incomplete. Supporting sentences are often coherent and unified but mostly broad. They may include areas of wordiness, redundancy, choppy structuring, ineffective organization, and/or limited transitioning. |
0 to 17.25 points Essay does not meet the required length, complete all parts of the assignment, or effectively respond to the writing situation. Body paragraphs are often underdeveloped, unclear, disjointed, confusing, and/or incomplete. Supporting sentences tend to lack collegiate-level conventions regarding coherence and unity.
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Organization _______/10
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9 to 10 points Body paragraphs begin with assertive topic sentences that reflect the thesis explicitly. They are appropriately transitional and make clear their paragraphs’ purpose. Organization is sequential and appropriate to assignment; paragraphs are appropriately divided; ideas linked with and effective transitions. |
8 to 8.9 points Body paragraphs begin with assertive topic sentences that reflect the thesis clearly. Competent organization. Competent paragraph structure; lacking in effective transitions. |
7 to 7.9 points Body paragraphs begin with topic sentences that are clear but too broad and/or too narrow in clarifying a main idea about the subject and/or connecting appropriately to supporting points and details. Organization, while attempted, was unsuccessful. No evident transitions or planned sequence. |
0 to 6.9 points Topic sentences in one or more paragraphs are missing, unclear, underdeveloped, and/or in some other way inappropriate for the assignment. Organization, if evident at all, is confusing and disjointed; paragraph structure is weak; transitions are missing, and/or illogical. |
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Source Integration
_____/20__
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18 to 20 points The required source(s) are used with purpose to support main points and to demonstrate an insightful grasp of the material that moves beyond mere summary (5). Source integration is smooth, including effective lead-in phrasing, attribution, and synthesis (5) In-text (parenthetical) citations (5) and Works Cited page/essay format (5) effectively follow MLA documentation rules with no obvious errors. Essay format is free from major MLA errors. |
16 to 17.8 points The required source(s) are used appropriately to support main points and to demonstrate a clear understanding of the source material (5). Source integration mostly includes appropriate lead-in phrasing, attribution, and synthesis, but there may be an area that needs minor revisions. (5) In-text (parenthetical) citation (5) and Works Cited page/essay format (5) conform to MLA documentation rules with no distracting errors beyond minimal punctuation issues. Essay format is free from major errors in MLA.
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14 to 15.8 points The required source(s) are referenced in the essay, but their connections to main point(s) might benefit from further development (5). Source integration may not meet all standards, but it demonstrates a strong familiarity (5) In-text (parenthetical) citation (5) may have minor errors, though it is still a clear attempt at MLA. Works Cited page/essay format (5) may be inconsistent in conforming to MLA documentation rules. Essay format may contain errors in MLA. -OR- The required sources are used appropriately with smooth source integration (10), but there are many errors regarding MLA format and/or citations (10). -OR- Citations are properly conforming to MLA rules (10) and the required sources are appropriately used, but the source integration may benefit from revisions (10). |
0 to 13.8 points Student may not have referenced, understood, or effectively used the required source(s). Connections between source(s) and point(s) made in the essay are often missing, unclear, or insufficient. (5) Elements of source integration are often missing, inaccurate, or weak. (5) In-text (parenthetical) citation (5) and/or Works Cited page/essay format (5) include several distracting MLA documentation errors. Essay format has distracting errors. |
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Conventions
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22.5 to 25 points Writing is free from patterns of major errors in grammar, punctuation, and mechanics, such as run-on sentences, fragments, subject-verb agreement, spelling errors, or incorrect verb tense, and uses appropriate tone and point of view. |
20 to 22.25 points Writing contains minor (non-distracting) errors in grammar, punctuation, or mechanics AND/OR a few major errors, such as run-on sentences, fragments, subject-verb agreement, spelling errors, or incorrect verb tense, and appropriate tone and point of view is mostly used.
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17.5 to 19.75 points Errors in grammar, punctuation, and/or mechanics are present and distract the reader from content AND/OR appropriate tone and point of view is mostly used though there may be instances of inappropriate tone or point of view. |
0 to 17.25 points Errors in grammar, punctuation, and/or mechanics significantly distract the reader from the content AND/OR inappropriate tone and point of view is used. |
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Grade:
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