Analysis essay: public spaces
Essay topic, Purpose, and Audience
Topic: Select a designed public space that intrigues you in some way; you must pick something that can be viewed (as you will need images for this essay) and something that has research potential (others may have written something about it: if not the space, then aspects of the design or location that will compliment your own analysis). You may need to do some Internet surfing to determine the worthiness of your possible choices, and note that you cannot choose any of the spaces on our campus or near the civic circle since these will be our in-class examples. As well, be sure your topic is narrow; even with a choice such as the LCC campus, there are various smaller spaces that warrant their own unique analysis. I encourage you to consider spaces outside of your hometown, state, and even country. I will approve of your choices and ensure that each student selects a different topic. As you write, you will combine rhetorical analysis (use the tools and skills we have developed in class via "The Scarecrow" and "Right 2 Dream 2") with ideas supported in textual sources (from the LCC library online and the public space’s home page on the Internet, if this is available) in order to make an interesting and arguable claim about the design of the public space.
“Short n’ Sweet” Purpose: To make an interesting, arguable claim about the effective/ineffective design of your chosen public space that can be supported primarily with rhetorical analysis (supplemented with online research).
Audience: I am your literal audience for this essay, along with your classmates. However, you need to practice writing for a larger audience. Keep your language formal and academic, assuming your readers are educated but need background information to understand the specific topic, but try to engage as many readers as you can. In other words, make it interesting and relevant!
Audience: I am your literal audience for this essay, along with your classmates. However, you need to practice writing for a larger audience. Keep your language formal and academic, assuming your readers are educated but need background information to understand the specific topic, but try to engage as many readers as you can. In other words, make it interesting and relevant!
samples
While former students were limited to memorials, a type of public space, we can look at their essays to better inform our own process:
information to gather, create, and include...
- Background information: about the design/construction of the space, the historical and geographical location, the style, the purpose of the public space, etc. (This will vary greatly depending upon your topics)
- Summary: detailed description of the public space
- Rhetorical analysis: visual, audio, spatial, gestural, and linguistic design (ethos? pathos? logos?) How do all of these things shape the meaning and effectiveness of the public space?
- Context: what is going on behind the scenes that might change the meaning?
- Author: who are they? how do they contribute to the meaning of the space?
- Audience: who are they? how do they feel? how do they respond?
Minimum Requirements
You must meet these minimum requirements in order to receive comments and a grade for your first essay.
- 1,000 words minimum (no more than 1 quote of 4 lines or longer, in MLA style)
- Should be at least 6 developed paragraphs (more than 5 sentences each)
- MLA Works Cited entries must be included at the bottom of the page with matching in-text citations in the body of the essay
- Formal/academic style or voice (eliminate first and second person references- "I" and "you")
- Font and visual layout should increase legibility and meaning
- Include at least one image (properly cited in your Works Cited section- you may use Easy Bib to create your image citations, only: http://www.easybib.com/cite/form/photo. Citations are required for all images that you did not take personally)
- 5 sources minimum, not including your image (you must find 2 credible sources within the library databases) - NO Wikipedia
- Free of plagiarism (copy and paste, substitution, and over-quoting)
description of expectationsFor each of the expectations listed to the right, you will receive one of the following ratings:
These expectations are published in Canvas as a rubric, but you need to ignore the point values, which are a Canvas requirement and do not amount to a letter grade. I will determine your overall letter grade considering how you have done for each of the categories, and prioritizing both strengths and weaknesses that are crucial for success in English 101. If you have questions or comments after listening to my comments and viewing your score, please reach out to me. |
publish & submit
Be sure to click on "update" when you've finished your posting your essay on your website (on the page called "Analysis," or whatever you decide to call it). As well, click "publish" to ensure that the most current version of your website is live and accessible. When all of this is complete, you can submit your assignment through Canvas. You'll need to copy and paste your site URL into the submission space. Follow the link below...