Argument Project Sample Assignment Writing 100 Instructor Argument/Evaluation Assignment (Norton, Chapter 12) Science and Technology:

Evaluating a Mobile Technology Product "A lot of people think that the new economy is all about the internet. I think that it's being fueled by the internet--as well as by cell phones, digital assistants, and like--but that it's really about the customers." ~Patricia Seybold As Seybold notes, no technology is successful without customers. If nobody buys a product, the product disappears. But how do you decide whether to buy a product or not? In this assignment, you will research and evaluate a piece of mobile technology, such as a cell phone, a laptop, an mp3 player, a electronic reader, etc. As noted in Chapter 12 of Norton, evaluation is a judgment. In an evaluation, you develop a set of criteria, judge the product based on those criteria, and provide reasons for that judgment. Your first step will be to choose a specific mobile technology product. You may choose something you already own or something you might consider purchasing, and it should be something you have access to so that you can truly study it. You may also choose a web application you are interested in, such as a video game or a dating website. Find and read at least three articles about the history, development, and marketing of this product. You will use information from those sources to provide some background on the product for your reader. Then, develop a set of criteria on which the product should be judged. Next, study the product, determine how well it fits the criteria, make a judgment about it, and support that judgment with evidence. Learning Objective: To develop skills in research, evaluation, and argumentation. Audience: A reasonable, informed, general reader over the age of 40 who may or may not be familiar with the object under evaluation. Purpose: Provide the reader with background on the product, a judgment of the product, and a sound argument supporting that judgment. Format: Three to five pages, typed, double-spaced. Header, title, and page numbers should be in MLA essay format (refer to Hacker, pp. 48-49). A Works Cited page and parenthetical citation is required for this essay (refer to Norton, Chapter 49). Assessment: This assignment is worth 20% of the final grade. You will be assessed on your ability to construct a fair and balanced argument in which you evaluate the product. You will also be assessed on your incorporation of outside sources to provide support for your claim. Due Date: Weekday, Date

Argument Project Sample Calendar for Students First Class Before class: Read A Writers Reference, pp. 78-86, Norton, pp. 128-132 and David Pogues No Keyboard? and You Call This a Blackberry on pages 719-723 of Norton. In 250-300 words, explain why evaluation, as described in Norton, is classified as a type of argument, as defined in A Writers Reference. Then, identify Pogues thesis and major points. Explain why you were or were not convinced by the evaluation. In class: Introduction to Evaluation Assignment and models Second Class Before class: Read A.O. Scotts 007 is Back, and Hes Brooding on pages 737-40 of Norton. In a journal entry (R.J. 10), identify the authors thesis and major points. Tell whether or not you were convinced by the authors evaluation and why. In class: Audience consideration, topic selection and brainstorming Third Class Before class: Choose a technology product you might use as the basis for this assignment. In a journal entry (R.J. 11), describe the product and why you chose it. Then explain what you find intriguing about it. What unanswered questions remain for you about the product? In class: Testing topics by generating criteria Fourth Class Before class: Choose an alternative technology product you might use as the basis for this assignment. In a journal entry (R.J. 12), describe the product and why you chose it. Then explain what you find intriguing about it. What unanswered questions remain for you about the product? In class: Evidence and support Fifth Class Before class: Choose one of the products you have described in the two previous assignments, and write a draft of at least two pages. In class: Researching the history of the product and other reviews. Sixth Class Before class: Incorporate some of the research you found into the draft. Develop the draft so that it is at least three pages. This draft can be sloppy, but it should offer some history of the product, your evaluation, and some beginning insights. In class: Organizing an evaluation and documenting evidence Seventh Class Before class: Revise the draft into a 3-5 page evaluation, including an introduction, organized body, and conclusion. In class: Revising the paper, particularly the introduction and conclusion. Eighth Class Before class: Continue reworking the draft so that it is ready for peer review. Include solid, specific evidence documented in MLA form with a Works Cited page. In class: Peer Review Ninth Class Evaluation project due.

Argument Project Sample Calendar for Instructors First Class Students should come to class having read A Writers Reference, pp. 78-86; Norton, pp. 128-132; and David Pogues No Keyboard? and You Call This a Blackberry on pages 719-723 of Norton. Introduce evaluation as a specific type of argument. Distribute and review the assignment sheet. Provide some models of student papers from the assignment library and consider the strengths/weaknesses of the samples. Second Class Since students will be re-visioning this project for the multimodal assignment, use this class to focus on audience consideration and its impact on topic selection. Look at a text-based evaluation and a digital evaluation (for example, a N.Y. Times review and an Engadget review of the same product). Consider the different demographics and audience expectations for each piece. Examine how the composers respond to those expectations. Third Class Students should come to class with a possible topic for the assignment. Work on brainstorming criteria for an evaluation of this product, perhaps by round-robin-ing the topics and asking classmates what they would be interested in knowing, and brainstorming types of evidence. Ask students to evaluate the potential of this product for the assignment. Fourth Class Students should come to class with an alternative topic for the assignment. Work on brainstorming criteria for an evaluation of this product and brainstorming types of evidence. Ask students to evaluate the potential of this product for the assignment in comparison with the product considered in the last class. Have students choose which product they will use for their projects. Fifth Class Students should come to class with an exploratory draft of at least two pages. Spend the class researching the history of the product and other reviews of the product. Class could be held in the library if internet access in the classroom is absent or unreliable. Sixth Class Students should come to class with a more fully developed draft that incorporates research. Cover organizing strategies for an evaluation and ask students to evaluate the organization of their current drafts. Work also on fundamentals for incorporating and documenting outside evidence. Seventh Class Students should bring to class a 3-5 page draft, including an introduction, organized body, and conclusion. Work in class on revising the paper, particularly in regards to responding to counter-reviews and counterevaluations. Eighth Class Conduct a peer review session. Ninth Class Evaluation project due. Ask students to compose a reflection on the evaluation project and submit the reflection to the ePortfolio.