In Class:

Collect Essay I Final Drafts

Have everything organized and ready to turn in:

1. Rubric (filled out and paperclipped on top)
2. Final Draft (on top)
3.  Edited Rough Draft
4.  PRI document (blue)
5. Signed invention Exercise I

 

Introduction to Evaluation: WOW Chapter 9

Everyday Value: Using Evaluation

Discuss Reading: Product Evaluations

Complete Evaluation Essay Structure and Organization Worksheet in class

 

 

 

Assignment:

Read “Review: Fitbit Charge HR” by Christina Bonnington

Complete Response 2

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Writing Workshop Quiz

 

 

1. I want to go visit as many countries in Europe as possible. Because I want to become an experienced traveler. (1)

 

*2. When a student learns how to effectively communicate they will also gain self-confidence.  (1)

 

3. Sammy hopes to go to college and he also hopes to get married. (1)

 

4. Before I leave for school I need to check my messages. (1)

 

*5. The shopkeeper looked all over the store for the missing tooth, and manages to find it behind a shelf. (1)

 

6. Martha enjoys shopping at thrift stores yet she gets frustrated when she can’t find designer clothing. (1)

 

7. Tori was late for the game so she had to sit on the sideline until the second quarter. (1)

 

*8. Frank understands that it will require a lot of hard work to become an American Ninja Warrior however when you are done, the rewards will be amazing. (2)

 

 

 

9. I do not limit my reading to one genre of books, there is never a moment when I won’t try something new. (1)

 

 

10. He loaded the bottles and cans into his car he planned to go to the recycling center after work. (1)

 

11. Scott enjoys reading true crime novels because he wants to be a psychologist. (1)

 

 

12. When I go to the lake and dip my toes in the water. (1)

 

 

13. My husband and I enjoy playing trivia games therefore we usually try to go play Quizzo on Monday nights. (2)

 

 

14. The man looked down at his toe nails and decided to give them a trim. (1)

 

 

15.  Putting herself in his position and hoping that she was able to understand his pain. (1)

 

 

16. As Douglass expresses his frustration anger and confusion he also illustrates his sense of hope. (3)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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WOW Chapter 9: Evaluating an Experience

Rhetorical Strategy: Evaluation

 

Read page 255

 

 

 

INTRODUCTION AND OVERVIEW

 

Arguments over evaluations occur whenever people disagree about the positive or negative qualities of a thing.

 

When we judge something as good or bad, or when we say we like or dislike something, we have a standard of evaluation underlying our judgment. In life, often, we may not express what that standard is, but over time, because of our experience and education or because of cultural experience, familial influences, or peer influences, we develop a standard of evaluation.

 

Evaluation arguments set out criteria and then judge something to be good or bad or best or worst according to those specific criteria (WOW page 275). Usually we rely on these criteria in order to evaluate something:

 

• aesthetic standard (judgement based on appearance--beauty, size, shape, color, etc.)
• The aesthetic standard is commonly used to judge works of art or the "performance" aspect of an activity, such as a political candidate's speaking skills or a figure skater's technique. When you evaluate by an aesthetic standard, you ask one or more of these questions: Is it well constructed, beautiful, pleasing to the senses? Is it well performed? Is it a good example of its kind? Each of the following claims -- that trees are beautiful, that a rock concert was electrifying, that a political speech was fumbling and ineffective -- is based on an aesthetic standard.
• practical standard (judgement based on usefulness, functionality, cost/value, accessibility)
• When you use the practical standard of evaluation, you judge things by their feasibility and usefulness, according to such criteria as cost and efficiency.
• ethical standard (judgement based on ethics and morals)
• when you use the ethical standard, you judge things by their moral worth, their rightness or wrongness according to particular moral, ideological, or religious values.

 

 

In order to understand how we use evaluation criteria, let's think about how we use evaluation on a daily basis.

 

How many of you would describe yourselves as informed consumers?

 

 

What makes you consider yourself an informed consumer?

 

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The internet has given way to the evaluation game--everyone can write reviews (or rate) just about everything (products, restaurants, services, etc.).

 

There are also venues for evaluating individuals (this are usually professionally motivated/connected with businesses and services). Examples?

 

Soon, we'll be able to write reviews about everyone: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/the-intersect/wp/2015/09/30/everyone-you-know-will-be-able-to-rate-you-on-the-terrifying-yelp-for-people-whether-you-want-them-to-or-not/

 

 

We read reviews to get information and to make decisions about what we buy, where we go, and what classes we should take, but when we consult reviews, we also evaluate those reviews. We determine how valuable or how credible they are. How do we do this?  What makes a good evaluation?  What makes a bad one?

 

 

 

 

 

Example:

Rate My Professor and Appeals to Ethos and Logos

 

 

X was a horrible English teacher. You have to use your book a lot cuz he gives students quizzes on the reading assingments. If you don't go to class, it's hard to keep up and pass the class.

 

I fell asleep often. He drones on all the time and has high expectations.

 

Never worked so hard for an A. Loved the material, and his lectures were stimulating and hilarious. He’s hot too, great outfits.

 

X was one of the most inspiring teachers I've had. She's a reasonably tough-grader, but only because she believes in her students' improvement. I went into her class a dreadful writer, and by the time the course was over, I had improved tremendously. With a motivated group, this class encourages the kind of debate college was meant for.

 

 

 

In each category of reviews, there are standard criteria that legitimize or discredit a review.

 

Example: What basic criteria are used to evaluate restaurants?

How do restaurant reviewers appeal to ethos in their reviews? How might they call their credibility into question?

Do we evaluate all restaurants equally? Do we use the same criteria to evaluate a diner-style restaurant and a farm-to-table gastropub?

 

Generally, what types of criteria would we use to evaluate the following:

a photograph?

a website?

a pair of shoes?

 

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Road Map for writing an Evaluation

 

We can think about evaluation arguments as having similar structures. 

At the core of every evaluation is a skeleton thesis.  (What is a thesis?)

 

Evaluation:

Something is a good ( or bad, the best, the worst) because  of A, B, C, etc.  (standard practical, aesthetic, ethical criteria).

 

Variations of this basic argument?

 

 

 

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Product Evaluations

“Start Your Engines: Remote Possibilities” (pages 266-269 in WOW)

by Steve Campbell

 

 

 

-basic evaluation essay of a product in general

-would we see this kind of evaluation essay today?  How would it be different?

 

 

Paragraph 1: What does this first paragraph of the evaluation do?

Note point of view--why is "YOU" okay here?

 

Paragraph 2:

Introduction of solution/product

Evaluation Thesis

 

Something is good because of criteria A, B, and C.

 

 

 

Evaluation Thesis Statement:

Remote starters are a beneficial purchase because they are undeniably convenient, easily obtainable, and reasonably priced.

 

What type of criteria are these?

Aesthetic, Practical, or Ethical

 

Notice the mechanics of this thesis statement--how each item in the list is parallel.

Remote starters are a beneficial purchase because they are

undeniably convenient

(because they are) easily obtainable

(because they are) reasonably priced.

 

 

As opposed to an evaluation thesis like this:

Remote starters are a beneficial purchase because they offer undeniable convenience, it is easy to obtain one, and reasonably priced.

 

(because they) offer undeniable convenience

(because they?) it is easy to obtain one

(because they?) reasonably priced

 

 

If we wanted to begin like this:

Remote starters are a beneficial purchase because they offer undeniable convenience...

how would we make the other two criteria parallel?

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Determining the Structure/Organization of an Evaluation Argument

 

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Worksheet Doc

Evaluation Argument Structure and Organization Worksheet

 

“Start Your Engines: Remote Possibilities” by Steve Campbell

 

 

This essay is organized into 5 sections which all serve a different purpose in developing the Evaluation Argument:

 

I. Introduction

II. Background Information

III. Criteria 1 Support

Feature A

Feature B

IV. Criteria 2 Support

V. Criteria 3 Support

 

However, the essay does not follow the 1 section=1 paragraph structure. Instead, each section is split into multiple paragraphs, and Campbell uses bold headings to help organize the essay.

 

I.

Paragraph 1: Introduction—describing the problem/setting up a need for the product

Paragraph 2: Continues Introduction—presents product as solution to the problem

Presents Evaluation Argument Thesis/Road Map for the Essay

Remote starters are a beneficial purchase because they are (1) undeniably convenient, (2) easily obtainable, and (3) reasonably priced.

 

II.

Paragraphs 3 and 4: Provides background information about how remote starters work and how functional and efficient they have become

 

Now, we move back to the road map—to explaining and supporting the criteria for evaluation

 

III(A)

Paragraph 5 begins to support ______________________ (what criteria?)

 

through the example of _______________________ (feature A)

 

What does Campbell specifically illustrate about feature A in order to support his evaluation argument?

 

 

 

 

 

Paragraph 6

Continues to focus on _________________ (what same criteria?) by providing more

 

Information about __________________ (feature A).

 

What is this claim?

 

 

 

Paragraph 7

Continues to focus on _________________ (what same criteria?) by offering yet another

 

example about ____________________(feature A).

 

What is this claim?

 

 

 

III (B).

Paragraph 8

Continues to focus on______________________ (still the same criteria) but moves on to

 

another example, which is __________________________ (feature B)

 

What is Campbell’s first claim about feature B in this paragraph?

 

 

 

Paragraph 9

Continues to focus on ______________________(still the same criteria) by offering

 

another example about ________________________(feature B).

 

What is this example about feature B?

 

 

 

Paragraph 10

What is the purpose of this paragraph?

Does it still focus on Criteria 1/feature B? Does it do so in the same format as Paragraphs 8 and 9?

 

 

 

 

 

IV.

II. Paragraph 11

Shifts to ________________________(a different criteria)

 

and offers support for this criteria through __________________________________________________________(what example?)

 

 

Paragraph 12

Continues to focus on ____________________(the same criteria)

 

and offers support for this criteria through

__________________________________________________________(what example?)

 

 

V.

Paragraph 13

Shifts to ____________________________(a different criteria)

 

And offers support for this criteria through

____________________________________________________(what information?)

 

 

Paragraph 14

Continues to build on __________________________(the same criteria) by connecting it

 

to the related topic of __________________________________ and presenting the

 

reader with _______________________________________________(what important, final impression?)

 

 

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I. Introduction (paragraphs 1 and 2)

1. undeniable convenience 2. easily obtainable 3. reasonably priced

How does the essay follow the road map?

Remote starters are a beneficial purchase because they are undeniably convenient, easily obtainable, and reasonably priced.

 

II. Background about Remote Starters and current innovations (Paragraphs 3 and 4)

III. 2 categories of Support for Criteria 1: Two-Way System and Timers

1. The Two-Way system is one feature that provides undeniable convenience because

• it has all the functionality of a remote fob and more (paragraph 5)
• it eliminates guesswork (paragraph 6)
• it has interactive and easy to understand display and alerts (paragraph 7)

2. Timers are another feature that provides undeniable convenience because

programmable to start at predetermined times and run for a set duration of time (8)

timers can also be programmed to activate heater/ uses temperature sensor (9)

a warning--remember to shut it off

III. Support for Criteria 2: easily obtainable

can be added to your vehicles existing system (11)

can also accommodate diesel engines (12)

IV: Support for Criteria 3: Cost and Installation

make sure you are getting what you pay for/professional installers (13 and 14)