Assignment: Personal Analysis Essay

Personal Analysis Essay Introduction

This module will ask you to practice the stages of the writing process.  You will develop an essay about your personal experiences relating to your ethical values, to be finalized by the end of this module.

This essay asks you to reflect on your own ethical values. As a writer, you have two options in crafting this essay:

  1. You can narrate and reflect on the process of “coming to consciousness,” focusing on a personal experience(s) leading to a deeper awareness of a social or ethical issue or a more general commitment to social justice. For example, you might write about one or two key influences on your ethical development. The influence(s) may be person(s), experience(s), religion(s) or text(s) (e.g., books, films). You might write about the development of a generalized social consciousness, or focus on your experiences of becoming aware of social issues such as climate change, hunger, gender inequality, or unemployment.
  2. You can focus on “ethics in action,” reflecting on an experience or moral choice that affirmed a personal commitment to particular ethical or social values. Some writers may choose a pivotal life choice or moral decision, while others focus on “everyday ethics,” smaller expressions of ethical values such as compassion, cooperation, or integrity in daily settings such as colleges, workplaces, homes, houses of worship, or playing fields. You might write about the difficulty of living up to your ethical standards, or narrate an internal struggle or confusion about what you believe in respect to a particular question or issue.

Be richly descriptive in your writing. Take the reader inside the experience(s) to appreciate its power. When focusing on an individual or a setting, for example, use rich description; include dialogue, if appropriate. Alternately, if you are writing about a film, book, or political speech, describe visual images, scenes, quotations, or excerpts to communicate the power of the text(s).

Writing Ideas

If you are (or have been) involved in community service, this assignment enables you to draw on that experience. If you have a strongly held position on a social issue (such as capital punishment, gun control, or abortion rights), this essay offers you the opportunity to trace the roots of that stance or show how your position on this issue influences your daily life. Remember that writing about an internal ethical conflict or confusion is an option.

Assignment Details

The final essay will be 500-750 words long.  It will include a thesis statement that is supported by evidence.  It will be well-organized, and display evidence of careful application of the writing process.

Rubric

In order to successfully complete this assessment, a submitted essay must reach “Meets or Exceeds Expectations” in all categories.

Criteria Ratings
Topic & Thesis Statement Meets or Exceeds Expectations

  • essay topic has been personalized to refine the assignment prompt
  • contains a clearly identifiable thesis statement that drives the essay content
Approaching Expectations

  • essay topic is a generic answer to the assignment prompt
  • contains a thesis statement that relates to most essay content
Does Not Meet Expectations

  • essay topic does not match the assignment prompt
  • does not contain a thesis statement, or thesis statement does not relate to most essay content
Evidence Meets or Exceeds Expectations

  • sufficient and varied evidence provided to justify the thesis statement
Approaching Expectations

  • insufficient evidence provided to justify the thesis statement
Does Not Meet Expectations

  • no evidence provided, or evidence does not justify the thesis statement
Organization Meets or Exceeds Expectations

  • contains a clearly identifiable introduction, body section, and conclusion
  • follows a logical pattern of development
  • applies transitions effectively
Approaching Expectations

  • contains an introduction, and/or body section, and/or conclusion
  • has a pattern of development, but needs further attention to paragraphing
  • insufficient use of transitions
Does Not Meet Expectations

  • missing introduction, body section, or conclusion elements
  • no clear pattern of development
  • little to no use of transitions
Editing and Proofreading Meets or Exceeds Expectations

  • evidence that higher-order editing concerns have been identified and addressed
  • evidence that lower-order proofreading concerns have been identified and addressed, though minor patterns of error might remain
Approaching Expectations

  • higher-order editing concerns may not have been addressed
  • lower-order editing concerns may not have been addressed.  Significant patterns of error remain.
Does Not Meet Expectations

  • fundamental issues with higher-order editing concerns present in draft
  • fundamental issues with lower-order editing concerns present in draft

 

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