Overview: The ability to communicate a message through writing is essential in any career. Effective writing shapes and informs the opinions of its readers. The writing process can be intimidating; however, the more you work with it, the more comfortable the process becomes.
Prompt: For this milestone, you will build on your writing plan from Module Three while incorporating your instructors feedback. Now that you have revised your approach to writing your critical analysis essay in the Feedback and Revision Reflection assignment, be sure to incorporate your new ideas into this draft. Use the prompt questions below to help develop your draft. You will pull out quotes and paraphrases from your selected reading and write summaries that you will use to support your analysis.
When you are done responding to the prompts below, you will have the first draft of your critical analysis essay. In Module Six, you will complete a revision activity to further improve this draft. Specifically, the following critical elements must be addressed:
I. Introduction: The introduction of your essay is where readers will learn what your essay is about. They will also learn about the claim that you plan to support in your essay. Introductions give readers a sample of what is to come. Don’t forget to review your writing plan to make sure you are briefly covering all of the key points you identified. If your claim and key points have changed since the writing plan, that is okay! Seek feedback on your new ideas from your instructor or the SNHU Online Writing Center.
A. Provide an overview of the selected reading you have analyzed, briefly describing main points and your reaction to the authors claim.
B. State your evaluation of the authors claim that you will support in your essay. This statement will give direction to your essay and should be well thought out.
II. Body: The body of your essay is your opportunity to support your evaluation of the author’s argument. Make sure your thoughts and evidence are clear and easy to read and understand.
A. Be sure to write paragraphs that are focused, clearly state their intent, and move logically from one to the other, building the analysis as the essay progresses.
B. Your body paragraphs should support your analysis by combining thoughts and ideas with evidence from the selected reading. There is no such thing as a right or wrong evaluation; the keys are how your analysis is supported and the quality of the evidence used.
III. Conclusion: Think of the conclusion paragraph as a review of your analysis. Use this section to restate your evaluation and remind readers of your supporting evidence. Think of this as your last chance to prove your point. You will also reflect upon your experiences with the writing process.
A. Write an overview of your analysis, summarize your key points from the selected reading, and describe how they helped you form your analysis.
B. Explain the lessons you have learned about critical thinking, analysis, and revision and how they can be applied to future writing activities in your academic or professional life.
Rubric Guidelines for Submission: The draft of your analysis essay should be 12 pages in length. Save your work in a Microsoft Word document with double spacing, 12-point Times New Roman font, and one-inch margins. Then, check your writing for errors. Once you have proofread your document, submit it via the Summative Assessment Part Two Milestone One: First Draft of Critical Analysis Essay link in Brightspace.
