Touchstones are projects that illustrate your comprehension of the course material, help you to refine skills, and demonstrate application of knowledge. You can work on a Touchstone anytime, but you can’t submit it for grading until you have completed the unit’s Challenges. After you’ve submitted a Touchstone, it will be graded and counted towards your final course score.
Touchstone 2.2: Informative Essay Draft
Consider revisiting the Types and Characteristics of Informative Writing tutorial about the purpose and types of informative writing. You might find it helpful to review the section on analytical writing if choosing Prompt A, and the section on definition writing if choosing Prompt B to kick-start writing this informative essay.
ASSIGNMENT: Select one of the following writing prompts and draft a 3-5 page (approximately 800-1300 words) informative essay.
- Prompt A: Image Analysis
- Prompt B: Extended Definition
As a part of your completed draft, complete the color-coding activity described below. In addition, answer the “Think About Your Writing” questions on a separate sheet of paper and include it with your draft submission.
In the next Unit, Touchstone 3 will be a revision of the draft that you submit for Touchstone 2.2 based on the grader’s feedback and suggestions.
Sample Image Analysis Essay: Prompt A
Sample Extended Definition Essay: Prompt B
In order to foster learning and growth, all work you submit must be newly written specifically for this course. Any plagiarized or recycled work will result in a Plagiarism Detected alert. Review Touchstones: Academic Integrity Guidelines for more about plagiarism and the Plagiarism Detected alert. For guidance on the use of generative AI technology, review Ethical Standards and Appropriate Use of AI.
CopyLeaks Originality Checker: All writing will be checked for originality. Avoid using any outside text from third party sources since research is not required to complete Touchstone 2.2. Focus on showcasing your ability to rely on common knowledge for this informative essay.
A. Directions
Step 1: Choose a Prompt and Write an Informative Essay
Choose one of the following prompts for your informative essay.
PROMPT A: IMAGE ANALYSIS
Although we look at print advertisements every day, we often do not consider the ways in which they affect us. Visual images in ads can influence and persuade us, so it is important to evaluate them critically and objectively to understand their meaning and effectiveness. Good image analysis involves an examination of the components of an image (layout, text, color, tone) to gain an understanding of the whole.
- Select an advertisement image to analyze. To find a print advertisement to analyze, you can search the web using the keywords “print ad” or you could even find and take a picture of a local poster or billboard in your neighborhood. We recommend you choose a print ad that includes text, imagery, and color to best complete this assignment.
- Conduct an image analysis: The print advertisement you choose should be directed toward a specific audience. To identify the intended audience, think about the members of the potential audience for the advertisement that you have chosen. Who are they? Ads for a beauty product, for example, may be aimed at young people; ads for a deodorant might target adults; a diaper commercial is likely intended for new parents; ads for cruise trips might be aimed at retirees. You can use any academically-appropriate advertisement to complete this assignment, as long as its intended audience is clearly identified. In your analysis, consider how design components within the image (such as layout, text, color, and tone) appeal to the audience and provide and establish context for the ad’s overall purpose.
- Your thesis must inform the reader of the specific ad chosen and the plan to analyze it. Because you are writing in the informative mode, use objective language and a neutral point of view. For this essay, the informative mode means avoiding writing in the first-person and/or expressing personal bias towards the ad’s overall intention or effectiveness.
- Draft an analytical essay that examines the audience, context, and purpose of the advertising image you’ve chosen.
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HINT
Read the article by Marco Anders titled “Visual Rhetoric in Advertising” found in the Model Informative Essays tutorial for ideas about how to effectively write an image analysis. Your analysis should lead to a conclusion about the ad’s effectiveness, based on an examination of its components. Include the image with your draft.
PROMPT B: EXTENDED DEFINITION
- Extend the definition of one of the following words beyond either the dictionary’s definition or a societal understanding of the word:
- Family
- Success
- Courage
- Art
- Beauty
- In the introduction of your draft, briefly explain how the dictionary or society defines the word you’ve selected, and then explain the extended definition of the word in a single-sentence thesis towards the end that outlines the main points of extension. In the body paragraphs, provide unique examples and explanations to support these points of the extended definition.
- Your thesis must inform your readers of the extended definition and, because you are writing in the informative mode, you must use objective language. For this essay, writing in the informative mode means avoiding writing in the first-person and/or framing personal examples using objective language.
- Draft an extended definition essay that defines or redefines a word or concept.
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HINT
Read the article by Hallie Radcliffe’s titled “Mindfulness: Cutting Through the Noise” found in the Model Informative Essays tutorial for ideas about how to write an extended definition essay.
Step 2. Think About Your Writing
As a part of your completed draft, complete the color-coding activity and include answers to all of the questions below your draft.
PART 1: Color-Coding Activity
Using the color codes provided, evaluate your draft as follows:
- Use red text to indicate your thesis statement.
- Use green text to indicate the topic sentence of each body paragraph.
PART 2: Reflection Questions
- What is the significance of your essay? Why should readers care about what you have written? (2-3 sentences) Sophia says: Think about why you decided to analyze this particular image, or why you picked the word you chose to define. Your interest in your subject matter should be clear to readers.
- Which areas of your draft do you think will benefit most from revision? (2-3 sentences) Sophia says: Consider the organization, style, focus, development, and conventions of your draft. Which areas did you struggle to complete?
- Consider the strengths and weaknesses of your writing. How can you capitalize on your strengths and improve on your weaknesses in future essays? (3-4 sentences) Sophia says: Think about what was easy about writing the draft, and what was more difficult. For example, if you write paragraphs with strong topic sentences, but repeatedly use the same type of sentence to provide supporting details, you can improve your paragraphs by varying sentence structure.
Step 3. Review Rubric and Checklist
Your draft will be scored according to the Touchstone 2.2 Rubric, which considers required elements for either the analysis essay or the extended definition essay, the thesis statement, organization, style and tone, focus, conventions, completion of the color-coding activity, and answers to the “Think About your Writing” questions above.
Refer to the checklist below throughout the writing process. Do not submit your Touchstone until it meets these guidelines.
Essay Prompt: Image Analysis
❒ If you chose the image analysis prompt, have you analyzed and interpreted several design components – and not just described – within the ad’s design?
❒ Have you made conclusions about the audience and effectiveness of the ad?
❒ Did you include the image in your draft?
❒ Did you complete the color-coding activity?
❒ Is your draft 800-1300 words long?
Essay Prompt: Extended Definition
❒ If you chose the extended definition prompt, did you indicate how society defines the word you selected, and then explain an extended definition of it?
❒ Have you included examples and explanations to support the extended definition?
❒ Did you complete the color-coding activity?
❒ Is your draft 800-1300 words long?
Working Thesis
❒ Have you included a clear, focused, and detailed thesis statement?
❒ Does your thesis state the topic and purpose of your essay?
❒ Is your thesis a single sentence that outlines the main points of extension located toward the end of the introductory paragraph?
Focus and Organization
❒ Is there an adequate number of body paragraphs, each with a clear topic sentence that restates the word and focuses on the main points of the extended definition?
❒ Is there a conclusion paragraph that restates the thesis, reviews the main points, and provides final thoughts about the extended definition overall?
❒ Are your draft paragraphs sequenced properly?
❒ Have you used transitions to connect ideas between sentences and paragraphs?
❒ Can your draft be described as having a good flow?
❒ Does your draft have a clear focus?
❒ Are all supporting details relevant?
Style and Tone
❒ Is the tone of your draft unbiased and informative avoiding first-person or personal details that are not framed in an objective manner?
❒ Is it clear that the purpose of your essay is to inform readers about your topic?
❒ Have you carefully considered your word choices?
Conventions
❒ Have you checked your draft for grammatical errors?
❒ Have you used spell-check or another method to check spelling?
❒ Have you punctuated your draft correctly?
Before You Submit
❒ Have you included your name, date, and course at the top left of the page?
❒ Have you completed the “Think About Your Writing” questions and color coding activity?
❒ Is your draft between three and five pages long (approximately 800-1300 words)?
B. Rubric
| Advanced (100%) | Proficient (85%) | Acceptable (75%) | Needs Improvement (50%) | Non-Performance (0%) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Image Analysis / Extended Definition (10 points)Prompt A: Analyze an advertisement using parts to draw conclusions. Prompt B: Define a meaningful word or concept in a unique or compelling way using personal or common knowledge of the subjects.
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Prompt A: Consistently goes beyond description to analyze the design choices made in the advertisement, including layout, color schemes, text, and/or other design components; effectively draws conclusions about the intended audience, and the likely impact and effectiveness of the advertisement. Prompt B: Defines a meaningful and nuanced word or concept in a coherent and compelling way, consistently using critical thinking and thoughtful discussion to explore the definition; consistently goes beyond traditional definitions to define or redefine the word in a new and unique way. Relies on personal or common knowledge. | Prompt A: Primarily goes beyond description to analyze the design choices made in the advertisement, including layout, color schemes, text, and/or other design components; draws conclusions about the intended audience, and the likely impact and effectiveness of the advertisement. Prompt B: Defines a meaningful and nuanced word or concept in a coherent way, primarily using critical thinking and thoughtful discussion to explore the definition; primarily goes beyond traditional definitions to define or redefine the word in a new and unique way. Relies on personal or common knowledge. | Prompt A: Includes some analysis of the design choices made in the advertisement (e.g., layout, color schemes, text, and/or other design components), but focuses primarily on description; somewhat effectively draws conclusions about the intended audience, and the likely impact and effectiveness of the advertisement. Prompt B: Defines a meaningful and nuanced word or concept adequately, but only sometimes uses critical thinking and thoughtful discussion to explore the definition; only sometimes goes beyond traditional definitions to define or redefine the word in a new and unique way. Ideas may be outside the realm of personal or common knowledge without attempted citation. | Prompt A: Focuses heavily on description; analysis of the design choices made in the advertisement is limited or absent; conclusions about the intended audience, and the likely impact and effectiveness of the advertisement are very limited. Prompt B: Defines a word or concept, although critical thinking and thoughtful examination are largely absent; often relies too much on the traditional or dictionary definition and does not sufficiently explore a new or unique definition. Ideas are likely outside the realm of personal or common knowledge without attempted citation. | Prompt A: Does not describe or analyze the advertisement; does not draw conclusions about the advertisement. Prompt B: Does not define a word or concept from the list provided and/or does not explore the definition in a thoughtful or critical manner; relies almost entirely on the traditional or dictionary definition. Contains ideas outside the realm of personal or common knowledge without attempted citation. |
Working Thesis (5 points)State the focused central claim of the essay.
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Has a clear, focused, and detailed working thesis that is expressed in a single sentence that states the central claim of the essay. | Has a clear and focused working thesis that is expressed in a single sentence that states the central claim of the essay. | Has an acceptable working thesis that states a claim, but it may be unclear or unfocused, or consist of more than one sentence. | Has a working thesis, but it is not clear and/or focused and/or it does not state a claim. | Does not have an identifiable working thesis and/or the thesis is extremely unclear or unfocused. |
Organization (5 points)Exhibit competent organization, flow, and writing techniques.
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Includes all of the required components of an essay, including an introduction with a strong thesis; an adequate number of body paragraphs (3-6), each with an effective topic sentence; and a conclusion with an effective concluding statement; the sequence of sentences and paragraphs is logical and flows well. | Includes all of the required components of an essay, including an introduction with a thesis; an adequate number of body paragraphs (3-6), each with a topic sentence; and a conclusion with a concluding statement; the sequence of sentences and paragraphs is predominantly logical and flows well. | Includes all of the required components of an essay, including an introduction with a thesis; an adequate number of body paragraphs (3-6), each with a topic sentence; and a conclusion with a concluding statement; however, some components may be ineffective; the sequence of sentences and paragraphs is somewhat logical, and may lack good flow. | Is missing one of the required components of an essay or most of the components are ineffective; the sequence of sentences and/or paragraphs is frequently illogical and lacks flow. | Is missing multiple required components of an essay or all of the components are ineffective; the sequence of sentences and/or paragraphs is consistently illogical and there is no flow. |
Style and Tone (5 point)Establish a consistent, informative tone and make thoughtful choices.
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Demonstrates thoughtful and effective word choices and uses a wide variety of sentence structures; establishes a consistently unbiased and impersonal tone that is appropriate for an informative essay. | Demonstrates effective word choices and uses a variety of sentence structures; establishes an unbiased and impersonal tone that is appropriate for an informative essay, with occasional minor exceptions. | Demonstrates generally effective style choices, but may include poor word choice, and/or repetitive sentence structures; primarily establishes an unbiased and impersonal tone that is appropriate for an informative essay; but some sections express bias or include personal observations. | Frequently includes poor word choices, and/or repetitive sentence structures; primarily establishes a tone that is biased, and personal observations and opinions are expressed frequently. | Consistently demonstrates poor word choices and/or repetitive sentence structures; tone is consistently biased and the essay is dominated by personal observations and opinions. |
Focus (5 point)Include relevant details and draw effective connections.
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Details are relevant and support the purpose of the essay; the writer consistently makes effective connections between the supporting details and the working thesis. | Details are relevant and support the purpose of the essay; the writer makes some effective connections between the supporting details and the working thesis. | Details are predominantly relevant and generally support the purpose of the essay, though some details may be irrelevant and/or distracting. | Details are often irrelevant and frequently distract from the purpose of the essay. | Details are irrelevant and distract from the purpose of the essay. |
Conventions (5 point)Demonstrate command of standard English grammar, punctuation, spelling, capitalization, and usage.
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There are few, if any, negligible errors in grammar, punctuation, spelling, capitalization, formatting, and usage. | There are occasional minor errors in grammar, punctuation, spelling, capitalization, formatting, and usage. | There are some significant errors in grammar, punctuation, spelling, capitalization, formatting, and usage. | There are frequent significant errors in grammar, punctuation, spelling, capitalization, formatting, and usage. | There are consistent significant errors in grammar, punctuation, spelling, capitalization, formatting, and usage. |
Think About Your Writing (5 point)Answer reflection questions thoroughly and thoughtfully.
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Demonstrates thoughtful reflection; consistently includes insights, observations, and/or examples in all responses; answers all reflection questions effectively, following or exceeding response length guidelines. | Demonstrates thoughtful reflection; includes multiple insights, observations, and/or examples; answers all reflection questions effectively, following response length guidelines. | Primarily demonstrates thoughtful reflection, but some responses are lacking in detail or insight; answers all reflection questions, primarily following response length guidelines. | Shows limited reflection; the majority of responses are lacking in detail or insight; answers reflection questions inadequately: may not answer all of the questions and/or may not follow response length guidelines. | Does not answer the majority of reflection questions or the majority of answers do not follow response length guidelines. |
C. Requirements
- Your essay draft must be 3-5 pages (approximately 800-1300 words), double-spaced, with one-inch margins.
- Informative essay draft and topic selection guidelines must be followed or your submission will not be graded.
- Use a readable 12-point font.
- Composition must be original and written for this assignment and all writing must be appropriate for an academic context.
- Use of generative chatbot artificial intelligence tools (ChatGPT, Bing Chat, Bard) in place of original writing is strictly prohibited for this assignment.
- Plagiarism of any kind is strictly prohibited.
- Submission should include your name, the name of the course, the date, and the title of your essay draft.
- Submission must include both your color-coded informative essay draft and your answers to the “Think About Your Writing” questions.
- Include all of the assignment components in a single .doc or .docx file.
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