Essay 2: Article Review Visual & Performing Arts Essay

Learning Outcomes
After completing this exercise, students will be able to:
identify the thesis of a written work
distinguish the author’s purpose for writing an article
express any biases in the author’s presentation of written material.
Overview
The purpose of the article review essay is to critically analyze an article written on a topic represented in the course.
Download Articles
Articles (ZIP, 18 MB)
Procedure
Download and choose an article from the ZIP folder. Read the article with care, and ensure that your essay addresses the following information:
Your name and the date
Author(s)
Bibliographic info (title, source, date, page numbers)
Subject of article (brief synopsis)
Thesis of article (focus or controlling idea)
Your essay must also address the following questions:
How does the author support the thesis (examples, description, opinion, anecdotes, or other means), and how do these examples, etc. specifically support the thesis? Give some examples.
What is the purpose of the article (to persuade, argue, describe, explain, entertain)?
Are the issues raised in the reading addressed adequately, passed over, or even ignored?
Can you detect any biases in the author’s presentation of the material in the article? These could be lurking under the surface, unconscious to the writer, and stem from the author’s background, including education, social class, etc.—all of which might contribute to how the material in the article has been framed or presented.
What are your biases or preconceptions about the subject of this reading? Do these in any way modify how you respond to the article?
Submission and Due Date
Save a draft of your file in DOCX format, named as follows:
lastnamefirstinitial_essay2draft.docx
for example, John Doe would name the file “doej_essay2draft.docx”.
Rubric
Exemplary Accomplished Basic Below Expectations
Contribution to Learning Community
Points:
25 (25.00%)
Aware of needs of an online community; frequently attempts to motivate the group discussion; provides feedback and or asks questions of group members
Points:
21.25 (21.25%)
Frequently attempts to direct the discussion and to present relevant viewpoints for consideration of the group; interacts with respect
Points:
18.75 (18.75%)
Occasionally makes meaningful reflection on others comments; marginal effort to be involved with discussion
Points:
0 (0.00%)
Makes little or no effort to participate in learning community as it develops; postings seem indifferent to other posts
Relevance and Detail
Points:
25 (25.00%)
Responses address several techniques or criteria relevant to the assignment/course. Suggestions are fully detailed to a degree that permits response or adoption of changes.
Points:
21.25 (21.25%)
Responses address techniques or criteria relevant to the assignment and course. Suggestions are detailed to a degree that permits response or adoption of changes.
Points:
18.75 (18.75%)
Responses address techniques or criteria relevant to the assignment and course. Suggestions can use additional detail that permits response or adoption of changes.
Points:
0 (0.00%)
Responses address factors not relevant to the assignment or course.
Critical Thinking
Points:
25 (25.00%)
Postings make connections to previous or current content or to real-life situations with insightful analysis, synthesis and evaluation
Points:
21.25 (21.25%)
Postings make connections to previous or current content to real-life situations, but the connections may be too obvious or unclear.
Points:
18.75 (18.75%)
Postings attempt to develop connections of course content to real-life situations, but the connections are limited.
Points:
0 (0.00%)
Postings make limited, if any, connections with any other materials and may be off topic.
Timeliness
Points:
25 (25.00%)
Original posts are often submitted by the required time or ahead of schedule, and responses to others are posted with ample time for reflection by recipients; posts continue throughout the discussion.
Points:
21.25 (21.25%)
Original posts are submitted by the required time, and responses to others meet critical deadlines; posts continue throughout the discussion.
Points:
18.75 (18.75%)
Original posts are submitted by the required time, but give others little time to respond; posts may or may not continue through the discussion.
Points:
0 (0.00%)
Original posts were not submitted by the required time and posts did not continue throughout the discussion.