Competition

Essay #2.  Examine the impact of competition

An article titled “It’s Not Just How We Play That Matters” by Suzanne Sievert, published in Newsweek magazine on 3/19/10, says the “new trend” is to have “[g]ames and contests where no child loses.”  Sievert, however, argues that competition – having winners and losers – is important.

For this essay, you will explore the impact of competition using evidence from references and your own experiences.

• Persuasive Purpose: 

Discuss the degree to which you believe competition is necessary.  You may discuss competition as it relates to children and/or adults in any or all of the following areas: school, work, games, and/or sports. (If you choose this purpose, you need to develop a thesis which makes a clear claim about competition: overall is it beneficial or harmful?

OR

• Informative Purpose:

Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of competition as it relates to children and/or adults in any or all of the following areas: school, work, games, and/or sports.  (If you choose this purpose, you need to develop a thesis which conveys the significance of your discussion. State why is it important for your reader to consider the advantages and disadvantages?)

Essay Due Dates:  

2/23: Prewriting workshop and outline: Post one online source relevant to this topic to the

         Discussion Board by class time.

2/25: Write in-class draft – hand write 

3/1:   Due: Reading Assignment #2

3/15: Revised, 5 page draft for peer review 

         Dropbox AND two hard copies due in class

3/17: In-class writing lab. Final Revised Essay #2 due in Dropbox at midnight

Essay Guidelines

• The main ideas in your essay must be your own.

• You must include support from your own experiences and observations.

• Your essay must integrate information/support from the two readings you analyzed for Reading Assignment #2 

• Your essay must be at least 5 pages in length and typed, double spaced in standard 12 point font.  

• The format should follow MLA guidelines.  

• You may use direct quotations (no more than three lines) or paraphrased or summarized information from your references.  Use in-text citations for all referenced sources. 

• All information from your sources must be properly cited in-text in MLA format.  

• Your essay must have a title.

• Your essay must conclude with a “Works Cited” list.  

301B Essay Rubric

Focus

. Topic and purpose are clear. 

. The essay is consistently focused on the topic. 

. The essay responds to all aspects of the assignment. 

. Claims are supported with appropriate reasons and evidence. 

. Supporting details are relevant and necessary. 

. Information provided is accurate and consistent with the original sources.

. The Writer’s point of view is present and clear.

Organization

 The thesis statement is clear, interesting and compelling. 

. The essay is coherent – all body paragraphs have clear, single main points. 

. Ideas and support are presented in an order appropriate for the writer’s purpose. 

. All parts of the essay relate to the overarching focus and purpose. 

. Transitional devices of some kind guide readers through the text. 

. Important ideas are given appropriate emphasis. 

. The ending brings the essay to closure by summing up, restating, commenting, evaluating, or by some other appropriate method. 

Reasoning 

. The significance of the topic is clear. 

. When appropriate, assumptions are recognized and made explicit. 

  Ideas are developed thoroughly and deeply and demonstrate complexity of thought.

. Analysis is logical, consistent, and well-developed. 

. Any source material is integrated smoothly and analyzed and synthesized. 

. The writer integrates his/her examples and analysis. 

. The writer acknowledges, respects, and represents accurately other points of view. 

. Conclusions follow logically from claims and the evidence presented.

Conventions 

. The writing demonstrates control of sentence structure, grammar, punctuation, spelling, and 

   mechanics; errors will not impede meaning to any significant degree nor affect the reader’s

   view of the credibility of the writer. 

. Sources are appropriately cited and identified according to MLA Style. 

. The genre is appropriate for the task and for the writer’s purpose. 

. The form of the essay is appropriate for the writer’s purpose. 

. Tone and voice are appropriate for the topic, task, and audience. 

(Rubric Adapted from Composition SCO Measurable Objectives)

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