Toyota Cars' Reliability, Functionality, Accessibility and Aesthetics

Evaluation Argument on Toyotas
Final Draft: 2+ pgs
MLA Format
The Assignment:
(Side Note): I would like for my topic to be about how well made cars are.
For your first essay in this course, you will evaluate something you think is designed well or something you think is designed poorly. Choose something specific to address as well-thought out or problematic. You do not have to discuss the entire design. Make sure to provide the criteria you use to evaluate the design (that criteria should be supported by evidence). Your design must serve a human need and you should evaluate the design by its functionality, its accessibility, its accessibility, its equitability, its aesthetics, or any other criteria that relate to its use by human populations.
Academic work does not start with a paper but is a series of steps that leads to a substantial and convincing paper. As part of our commitment to both understanding argument and writing as a process, we will work through several stages of creating an effective argument. This first assignment is intended to allow you to practice some of the basic argument and writing skills that you will need for the bigger projects later in the semester. It also allows you to start familiarizing yourself with the topic for our course and what you might find interesting about that topic. For that reason, I encourage you to pick something you are passionate about. You might want to discuss green technological advances, or how an algorithm is sexist; you might examine how a college classroom is or is not accessible for people with autism, or how functional a dorm design is. There are a plethora of topics within the genre of design so pick something you love to talk about or a problem that you obsess over.
Paper Requirements:
1. Topic Selection Criteria:
a. It must be relevant and a current topic of interest (ie not a historical review)
b. It must evaluate the way something is designed by a clearly stated criteria
c. It must be appropriately narrow so that you can complete the project within a short deadline. Do NOT write a paper on “carbon emissions and global warming” as that is, at least, a book length writing enterprise. You can, however, write about one, small issue within global warming such as how the system of fast fashion heavily contributes to pollution.
2. Argument Requirements:
a. You must clearly articulate a specific argument
b. You must write an evaluation argument. You must clearly articulate the criteria you are using to craft your evaluation.
3. Research Requirements
a. You must use at least 2 secondary sources. You can also use primary sources. You may engage in your own field research.
b. You must use reliable sources. It is your responsibility to evaluate a source’s reliability.
4. Community Requirements
a. This is an academic essay. It is not an essay to be read on social media or published in a blog. You are expected to be formal with your writing and to adhere to academic writing expectations.
b. An argument offers an answer to a debatable issue between reasonable people. Your paper, therefore, must clearly articulate a claim within a current (academic or socio- cultural) debate. It should also avoid addressing extremist viewpoints or debates.
c. Research Papers are not written in a vacuum. In writing this paper you are expected to both be aware and address a community that would be interested in reading your work. Your evaluation should also not simply parrot back evaluations that have been made before. Your evaluation should offer something to the conversation.
d. Make sure to practice academic transparency by using current, relevant research; offering proper credit to any sources or influences; and including any relevant counterpoints.
As part of this assignment you will practice your skills at:
Argument:
1. Selecting a topic that can be covered sufficiently in a short paper
2. Selecting reliable sources to support your position
3. Articulating a stance on a social issue
4. Clearly identifying appropriate criteria to assess your topic
5. Analyzing your topic using your selected criteria
6. Addressing Kairos by contributing to the larger conversation about your selected topic
Writing:
1. Managing a tight deadline
2. Turning your own interests into academic work
Grading:
Your paper first and foremost will be graded on content. Content refers to the strength of your claim (is it a specific claim, does it add understanding to the issue/conversation, etc.) and the strength of your evidence (do I believe your claim based on the evidence you provide). I will also be examining how well you situate and articulate your argument in response to the community conversations on your chosen topic (Kairos). Secondly, your paper will be graded on structure. Structure refers to how well you put together and organize your paper (do I know what to expect from your introduction, is your evidence well connected in each paragraph, do you include topic sentences, a map in your introduction, am I expected to make gross leaps in logic, etc.). I am interested, mainly, in whether your paper flows smoothly from point to point and whether I can follow, with ease, your argument. Finally, I will grade your paper on grammar. A missed comma here or there will not severely affect your grade but numerous misspelled words, improper MLA use, and a general disregard of Standard English will. Your paper should be easy to read.