ESSAY 3 CHECKLIST
Essay is on-topic: a social justice issue somehow related to The Handmaid’s Tale
Length meets requirements: 5-7 pages (1625-2275 words) not including cover page and
references page(s)
The primary audience is clear, and support has been tailored to this audience
The first paragraph includes problems/questions/issues and context or rationale for
presenting the argument
A clear thesis with a strong assertion is presented in the introduction
An organizational statement/plan of development is presented in the introduction
Necessary definitions and background information are included
Quotations and paraphrases have direct comments that link to the topic sentence of the
paragraph; comments move beyond summary or paraphrase and offer unique perspectives
Essay contains effective counterarguments
The essay is unified (all support is on topic) and coherent (all support flows and transitions
are used effectively), as are paragraphs
The conclusion restates the thesis and includes implications and consequences, importance
of claims, or future possibilities for research
Essay contains a clearly unique and original visual element that is no larger than half of a
page or a video of less than five minutes; how the visual enhances the thesis/essay is clearly
explained in the essay
Essay contains proper APA formatting, including a properly formatted cover page (author’s
note and abstract are not required) and references page. Therefore, the essay will be 7-10
total pages. Place word count below college name on cover page.
Essay correctly uses APA in-text citations, including years, commas, and p. when
appropriate. All APA conventions are adhered to. Headings within the essay are optional.
Essay does not contain any first or second person pronouns, except as used in direct quotes
Essay is extensively edited and proofread. Essay has been read aloud at least once.
“Impotence of Proofreading” errors and pet peeves have been avoided.
Feedback from previous essays has been applied to this essay – for both content and
grammar/mechanics
The syllabus and/or formatting checklist has been checked and guidelines have been
followed.
Bibliography check list
o The bibliography uses APA formatting.
o I have a variety of sources (books, journals, periodicals, websites, videos).
o Most of my sources have come from the databases.
o I have, minimally, used the equivalent of one source per page (5-7 sources minimum
for this essay).
o Every source that is cited in the essay is listed in the bibliography.
o Every source listed in the bibliography is used in the essay.
o All visual sources are listed in the bibliography.
o The entries are in alphabetical order.
o A hanging indent has been used.
ESSAY 3 CHECKLIST
ENC1102 MULTIMODAL RESEARCH PAPER – ESSAY 3
Topic
You will write a paper on a topic or question that has arisen while reading Margaret Atwood’s The
Handmaid’s Tale. Your topic should be related to a social justice issue and to the novel. Keep in mind
that Atwood (1998) asserted, “[T]here is nothing new about the society depicted in” the novel (316).
Therefore, you may take a historical or contemporary perspective of your topic. I would like you to
choose a topic that is different from your Essay 2 topic. You do not have to explicitly utilize the novel in
your essay.
The Assignment
This essay and the presentation are 35% of your overall grade [30% for the paper; 5% for the
presentation]. The essay will be 1625-2275 words long (5-7 pages) and will be written using APA
formatting, abstract, in-text citations, and bibliography. Word/page length does not include bibliography
or cover page; therefore, the total essay will be 7-10 pages in length. The essay will be written in third
person. The primary audience of this essay will not be me; instead, you will determine to whom you are
directing your argument. The essay will also incorporate an original visual element.
What is a Multimodal Essay?
Multimodal essays are just that – essays that use multiple modes of communication. In this increasingly
digital world, knowing how to incorporate visual elements into your argument is fundamental; how
many times have you read something online that does not contain a visual element? The answer is
probably never! In fact, you probably already write multimodal texts all of the time. Ever use an emoji?
If so, you have written a multimodal text (literally and figuratively!). ☺ While multimodal includes visual,
audio, and other modes, for this essay, you will incorporate an original visual element.
More about multimodal texts can be found at http://rhetoric.olemiss.edu/student/multimodal/ and
http://kcwritingcenter.weebly.com/multimodal-projects.html.
Visual
Options for the visual argument are listed below, but you may incorporate any type of visual you wish.
All visuals must be original. However, if you utilize any visual elements that are not your own in the
creation of your original visual element, you must cite them. Cite all sources used in your visual
(including yourself by using your pseudonym if applicable) in your bibliography. Free resources for
creating these visuals are readily available through a Google search. Failure to cite the source(s) of your
visual element will result in a grade of zero on the essay.
❖ Meme
❖ Photograph
❖ Powtoon
❖ Infographic
❖ Video (5 minutes max)
❖ Word Cloud
❖ Editorial cartoon
❖ Chart/graph
❖ Original Drawing
Multiple sources of information concerning creating visual arguments, including a textbook chapter,
handouts created by other professors, and a PowerPoint are available as attachments in Course
Materials/Essay 3. I STRONGLY recommend you utilize these resources. Two excellent places to start are
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a1r1-Jjyfzk and
http://www.ablongman.com/html/productinfo/ramagebrief/RAMA.09.pdf.
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Presentation – graded as a separate 5% of the overall essay category grade
During the last week of class, you will present your visual to the class. Presentations will be no more
than 3 minutes each (unless you have created a video). The checklist below will be used to grade your
presentation.
Visual is clearly unique and original.
Student stated thesis of essay. (20 points)
Student identified the intended audience of the essay. (10 points)
Student correctly explained the intended type of appeal (ethos/pathos/logos) of the visual. (10
points)
Student explained how the visual is original. (20 points)
Student discussed how the visual was used to support his/her argument. (10 points)
Student discussed how The Handmaid’s Tale influenced his/her essay topic. (20 points)
Presentation was no more than 3 minutes without a video; no more than 8 minutes with a video.
Presentation was well prepared, organized, and concise. (10 points)
Requirements:
• The requirement for this essay is 1625-2275 words long (5-7 pages). Please remember that grossly
exceeding or not meeting the word length will result in losing at least 10%. Cover page, abstract, and
bibliography do NOT count towards word/page length. (To determine accurate word length, select the
essay content; then look at the bottom left of the screen; Microsoft will do the counting for you.)
Students who aim for the lowest possible word count will receive a grade reflective of their efforts.
• The abstract should be properly formatted and contain a concise (150-250 words) summary of your
thesis and major points. Go to https://owlcation.com/humanities/Format-the-Abstract-Page-in-APAStyle and https://blog.apastyle.org/apastyle/2011/03/making-a-concrete-abstract.html for info on
writing abstracts.
• You will use APA formatting. Information about APA is available in Blackboard or at the end of this
document. I am not requiring an author’s note on the cover page; I am also not requiring headings,
but you may use them. Essays that utilize MLA will receive a grade of zero.
• The primary audience of this essay will not be me. You will determine to whom you are directing your
argument.
• A good rule of thumb for sources is one per page; be prepared to read/view at least twice as many
sources to find the best sources possible.
• Use the Academic Search Complete and Academic OneFile databases to begin your research. The
databases Issues and Controversies and Opposing Viewpoints in Context will be excellent resources for
some of your topics.
• Sources will include academic journals, news periodicals, government sites/legal documents, and/or
visual such as videos. Use the databases and not Google. With few exceptions like www.rainn.org, I
would like you to refrain from using websites unless they are linked to a printed, published source.
Limit your use of nonprofit sources. I expect your bibliography to contain a variety of credible sources.
• I strongly recommend you use the SLC Writing Lab, reference librarian, and my office hours as you
work on your essay.
• Only a final draft will be graded.
• The essay will be submitted to Blackboard. You will be submitting this essay anonymously. Therefore,
do not include your name when you save it. Save the essay as Essay3.docx. In addition, do not include
your name on your essay. Please use a pseudonym. Keep the pseudonym clean. A link for submitting
the essay will be available in Blackboard under Assignments/Essay 3.
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Use the questions/points below to help you develop your essay.
Thesis:
1. What is your topic?
2. What is your assertion about your topic?
3. Is your point of view unique? If a reader asked you “So what?” about your thesis, how would
you respond?
4. What is your side of the argument? What is the opposing viewpoint?
5. What terms in your thesis or major supporting points may need to be defined?
Audience:
1. Who is your audience? Is your audience an agent of change for this topic? If not, you may want
to select a different audience.
2. What values and beliefs are important to your audience? To what kinds of examples and
arguments are they likely to respond?
3. What does your audience need to know? What background information do you need to give
them?
4. What types of evidence will audience expect from you? What details, examples, or information
might interest or persuade them?
5. Different audiences will not only require different types of support but also different types of
counterarguments to be persuaded by your claim. Complete the chart below before you commit
to an audience for this essay.
6. What kind of approach will they expect? Formal? Informal? Casual?
7. What kind of formats, layouts, or visuals will appeal to them?
(Adapted from “How do you write for an audience?” at Pearson Writer)
More info on audience can be found at https://writingcenter.unc.edu/tips-and-tools/audience/.
Counterargument:
Brainstorm possible supporting points for your thesis. Then, determine an opposing viewpoint for each
supporting point based on audience. In other words, different audiences will bring different background
knowledge to the argument, so each audience may require different evidence. You will not use all of
these opposing viewpoints in your essay, but you should be aware of them. How does the
counterargument change depending upon the audience?
Audience
Point
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Counterpoint
Type of Appeal:
1. How would you incorporate each type of appeal into your essay?
a. Ethos, an ethical appeal calling upon the “writer’s character, knowledge, and authority”
(Hacker and Sommers 152)
b. Logos, a logical appeal relying on evidence, inductive reasoning, and deductive
reasoning (Hacker and Sommers 152)
c. Pathos, an emotional appeal to the reader’s values and beliefs (Hacker and Sommers
152)
2. Which type of appeal will be most persuasive to your audience?
3. Which appeal will you rely on most strongly for this essay? How will you use this appeal in your
essay?
Adequate Support:
1. This essay is 5-7 pages long, so you will have major supporting points and minor supporting
details. You should expect to have 2-4 major supporting points, which will be developed over
multiple paragraphs; in other words, each major detail will be developed as a mini-essay within
your essay.
2. The minimum expectation for number of sources for an essay of this length is 5-7, but you
should not count sources. The key is that you have enough support that your audience is
convinced to act.
3. Choose reliable sources.
4. Comment on quotes so that the reader will understand why or how the quote supports your
assertion. Comments should move beyond summary, be specific, not be wimpy, and draw
conclusions.
More Info:
Blackboard is full of helpful information! Examples of “A” essays, an outline, the APA document
template, a list of essay ideas, an essay checklist, and additional supporting information is available
under Course Materials/Essay 3. As always, Course Materials/Writing contains many handouts
explaining how to complete the various parts of an essay and Course Materials/MLA & APA contains
APA info.
APA Resources:
• My libguide: http://palmbeachstate.libguides.com/wilberenc1102/home
• APA Style Central database: http://palmbeachstate.libguides.com/c.php?g=693923&p=4917942
• Excellent, generic APA info! http://blog.apastyle.org/apastyle/2009/11/the-genericreference.html
• Purdue’s OWL
https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/apa_style/apa_formatting_and_style_guide
/general_format.html
• Citation Generator: http://www.citationmachine.net/apa/cite-a-book
• APA Style Resource Center: APA Web sites/Tools PBSC Libguide:
http://palmbeachstate.libguides.com/c.php?g=313251&p=6222449
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