Due: Tuesday, April 4

In the first part of this semester, we devoted our time to thinking about discourse communities, and wrote in Project 1 about how we belong or feel excluded from them. Much of that sense of belonging or exclusion comes from our sense of fluency in the language of that discourse community, in our sense of expertise in its ideas and goals. In our next project, we will think about issues that are important to us–whether in those discourse communities or others that we haven’t written about–while also exploring the genre of the op-ed (also referred to as an opinion essay in The New York Times). In the op-eds/opinion essays we read, the writers use their opinions and experience to present arguments that they support with evidence from credible sources–and so will we.

For Project 2, you will write an op-ed/opinion essay that takes a position on an issue of your choice. Be sure to think about venue, audience, tone, diction, etc since this is by nature a public form of writing. Your op-ed/opinion essay will follow the conventions of the op-ed genre, including

  • writing approximately 750 words
  • including a thesis statement
  • using research to support your position
  • quoting from at least two or three of your sources
  • making reference to at least one counterargument you anticipate an other side making
  • using the appeals of logos, ethos, and pathos to develop a persuasive argument. 

In your op-ed/opinion essay, use MLA in-text citations OR linking (not both), and include an MLA Works Cited page (note: the Works Cited page is not part of the 750-word count minimum). For each entry, include a short explanation of what the source was, what information it provided, and how you used it.

To prepare for this project, I ask that you also write a proposal post (instructions to follow) so that you share a topic and plan. We will meet one-on-one to discuss your project before it is due. When you submit your project, I ask that you submit a reflection and evaluation about your work (questions to follow).

Creative option: if you’re interested, you could write this project using a different persona as author. For example, what would Irene Redfield (main character in Passing) write an op-ed about, where would she publish it, who would her audience be, what research would she use to support her argument? If you have an idea for a creative version of this project, let’s work together to develop your proposal.

Important preview: For Project 3, you will use what you learned from your research and writing in Project 2 to create a multimodal text. That means you’ll be working with your topic for most of the rest of the semester. Please choose something you’ll want to continue working on!

Here are the grading criteria/checklist items for this project:

Your op-ed/opinion essay…

  • has a clear thesis. 
  • uses sources, evidence, and details to back up your thesis.
  • quotes directly from your sources at least two or three times, integrating the quotations into your work, and uses MLA style in-text citations or linking to give credit to your sources.
  • refers to a counterargument.
  • has taken logos, ethos, and pathos (the three appeals) into consideration.
  • uses tone, language, grammar, and sentence structure appropriate for your genre, audience, and purpose.
  • has been carefully proofread.
  • meets the required word count: at least 750 words!
  • includes an MLA style Works Cited page.
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