Evaluative Writing Project

Overview: Your second project is a review. You will use criteria to evaluate the quality of a film, book, website, artwork, event, or another chosen topic. Your judgments should be supported by evidence, and you should address at least one alternative viewpoint. Goals: Choose something meaningful to evaluate. Identify and research your audience. Define your criteria and where you will get your evidence. Synthesize evidence from your sources, make your judgment, and defend it with evidence. Create multiple drafts, give and receive peer feedback, and prepare a final draft that reflects a multiple-step process and real consideration of feedback, proofreading, and revision Consult writing handbook, the writing center, peers to proofread and control surface features

Procedure: 1. Invention: use brainstorming techniques like listing, freewriting, clustering, and/or mapping to create a pool of possible subjects to evaluate. 2. Decide on the audience and how much the audience knows about the subject, how much they are invested in the subject, and what their attitudes about the subject may be. a. Once you decide who you want to deliver your review to, make a survey of at least five questions to find out what your audience already knows, how they Possible genres already think, and how much your review will matter to them. b. Interview or survey at least five people that represent a sample of your audience (For example, if your audience is college students, survey five college students. If your audience is movie-goers, survey five patrons at the theater.) 3. Decide what criteria you will base your judgments on. 4. Do your research. You may need to watch the film again, reread the book, go to the exhibit, visit the website, test drive the car, run a mile in the shoes. You will also want to read about the experiences that others have had with your subject. 5. Summarize or give a brief description of your subject. 6. Write a draft/sketch/very detailed outline that describes the subject, defines the criteria, and makes an evaluation. Address one opposing viewpoint to your judgment. Bring this sketch to class September 28. Product Review Media Review Place Evaluation Progress Report Evaluative Essay

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7. We will hold a peer review workshop for you to receive and give feedback about this project on October 1. Peer reviewers will do two things: reviewers can let you know if there were any parts of your project that they found confusing and can tell you the impression your project had on them. 8. After peer review, decide how to address confusions and if reviewers received from your writing the message and impression you had intended. Make necessary edits. 9. With a partner, exchange papers in class to proofread papers for surface features in October 3 class. Make necessary edits before turning in final draft. 10. Write a short (1-2 pages) performance review that evaluates your work. Your criteria are how well you demonstrated the WPA outcomes (found on page 1 of your syllabus). I am your audience for this review. 9. Submit your evaluative writing and performance review through Blackboard on October 5.

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Addressing WPA Outcomes

Rhetorical Knowledge

State your purpose, identify a specific audience, research that audience, and react to their knowledge, attitudes, and investment in your subject. Critical Thinking

Evaluate your subject, read what others have already said about your subject, agree or disagree based on clearly defined criteria Processes

Create multiple drafts (including invention, sample audience survey, outline, rough drafts, peer review, revisions, proofreading, and final draft). Consider feedback and return to invention and drafting more than once. Give and receive feedback based on the criteria in the rubric. Knowledge of Conventions

Apply appropriate format, tone, and mechanics for the genre and rhetorical situation. Proofread for grammar, punctuation, spelling, and word usage. Composing in Electronic Environments

Use the available means (word processor, desktop publisher, photo editing software, blogging sites, and/or online databases) to best deliver your message to the intended audience Submit your final draft and performance review through email in Blackboard.

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