{"id":1523,"date":"2026-07-16T11:15:35","date_gmt":"2026-07-16T16:15:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/assessment-committee\/?page_id=1523"},"modified":"2026-07-16T11:15:36","modified_gmt":"2026-07-16T16:15:36","slug":"writing-and-rhetoric-prompt-examples","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/assessment-committee\/writing-and-rhetoric-prompt-examples\/","title":{"rendered":"Writing and Rhetoric Prompt Examples"},"content":{"rendered":"
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ILO #2) Develop a research-driven project.<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t<\/header>\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t
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Definition Essay on Twenty First Century Dating Advice<\/strong><\/h2>\n

A definition essay goes beyond just a dictionary definition of a word. Dictionary definitions usually define a word or concept using only one sentence, and they rarely place the word in context. The purpose of a definition essay is to critically examine the social, historical, and theoretical usage of a particular word or concept that relates to dating or relationship advice. A definition essay demonstrates a detailed account of the writer\u2019s opinion of a word or concept, and the writer utilizes credible examples, details, personal experiences, descriptions, and analysis to support their opinion.<\/p>\n

For this course, your definition essay must focus on a specific dating or relationship <\/strong>concept. <\/strong>Although you will discuss the positive aspects of your word, you will also address any misconceptions that outsiders have about your word, as well as any arguments or disagreements that occur within your subculture. For example, if you chose incels, people within the incel subculture disagree on whether or not someone is born an incel or becomes one due to their environment.<\/p>\n

Requirements:<\/strong><\/h3>\n

Introduction (1 paragraph)<\/h4>\n
    \n
  • The introduction will provide an overview of your topic. You will provide the historical and social context that your audience will need to understand the definition you are writing about.\n
      \n
    • For example, if you were writing about hipsters and dating, you would provide the social and historical background behind the concept of hipsters. When did the term first appear in American culture? What are the differences between the historical usage of the term and the contemporary usage of it?<\/li>\n
    • The purpose of the introduction is to captivate your reader and make her want to continue reading the rest of the essay. You can use anecdotes to start your essay, and you can insert your personal opinion here.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

      Thesis Statement (1 sentence, at the end of the introduction)<\/h4>\n
        \n
      • Your thesis statement will succinctly define the word that is the focal point of your essay.<\/li>\n
      • Be specific. Your thesis statement should not say \u201cA lot of people have misconceptions about incels and my essay will address those misconceptions,\u201d nor should your thesis statement use a dictionary definition to define your word.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

        Body Section (4-5 pages)<\/h4>\n
          \n
        • In the body section, you will utilize different forms of evidence to support your thesis statement about the American subculture you chose. You can utilize the following forms of evidence:\n
            \n
          • Anecdotes<\/li>\n
          • Data and Statistics<\/li>\n
          • Personal Experience<\/li>\n
          • Recent News Events<\/li>\n
          • Scholarly Journal Articles<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

            Conclusion (1 paragraph)<\/h4>\n
              \n
            • The conclusion will summarize your essay, as well as leave your reader with food for thought. After your reader finishes your essay, what do you want them to learn? What is the essay\u2019s takeaway message? Why is your essay important?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

              Other requirements:<\/strong><\/h3>\n

              Sources:<\/h4>\n
                \n
              • You need to consult and cite at least 4 credible sources when constructing your essay. At least 1 of those sources must come from a peer reviewed, scholarly journal.<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                Avoiding Strawman Arguments:<\/h4>\n

                Avoid making broad generalizations about \u201ceveryone\u201d and \u201cpeople.\u201d Instead, make references to specific<\/em> people.<\/p>\n

                Possible Topics:<\/h4>\n
                  \n
                • Incels<\/li>\n
                • Femcels<\/li>\n
                • Manosphere<\/li>\n
                • Red Pill<\/li>\n
                • Pansexual<\/li>\n
                • Swingers<\/li>\n
                • Situationship<\/li>\n
                • Friends with benefits<\/li>\n
                • Chad<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/article>\n\n\t\t\t\n
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                  Final Research Paper Assignment<\/strong><\/h2>\n

                  For your final paper, you will write a research essay (length: 6-7 pp.) on a musical work, artist, or movement of your choice from the 1960s or early 1970s.<\/strong> Your paper will advance an argument about the meaning or significance of a particular artist, musical work or movement, and it will do so in conversation<\/em> with other secondary sources<\/strong> that you will find in the course of your research.<\/p>\n

                  In the final few weeks of the semester, you will plan, research, and write this paper through a sequence of steps, beginning with a prospectus<\/strong> and annotated bibliography<\/strong>, a \u201cbig picture\u201d outline<\/strong>, a rough draft<\/strong> and a final draft<\/strong>; each of these steps will have its own due date. It is very important that you do all you can to meet the deadlines along the way, as they are intended to both make the process less onerous for you and to make your final paper better. (Note the due dates on the Moodle syllabus.)<\/p>\n

                  Phase One: Developing your idea and researching a relevant connection<\/strong><\/h3>\n

                  Choosing a Topic:<\/strong><\/h4>\n

                  During the course of the semester, we\u2019ve looked at (and listened to) a variety of songs, albums, artists, and movements, and we\u2019ve studied them in a variety of contexts, from the civil rights and Black power movements to the rise of student activism, drugs and the hippie counterculture, the Vietnam War protests, and the rising movements for women\u2019s and gay rights. For this essay, you will choose a musical topic and research it, determining the scholarly and journalistic \u201cconversations\u201d that have taken place around your topic, and contributing your own \u201ctake\u201d or argument to that conversation.<\/p>\n

                  As you consider possible topics, you might choose an artist or a single album, or you might choose a theme or pattern found in music by more than one artist. Whatever you choose, you will want to do some research into the connection between the music and one or more events or social developments of the 1960s. You may revisit an artist or work we have already discussed (so long as you don\u2019t cover the same material as we covered in class), or you may want to explore an artist from the time that we did not cover. You may explore some of the broader social, cultural and historical issues we discussed or explore a fully different context. And while you may of course focus on Britain or America, you might be interested in music from Jamaica, Latin America, Africa, or Asia. The only limit is historical: the subject matter must take place, at least in part, during the 1960s or early 1970s.<\/p>\n

                  It\u2019s best to choose something that you are interested in enough to work on it for several weeks, but perhaps something you don\u2019t love \u201ctoo much\u201d because you will want to be able to treat your topic in a critical an unbiased way.<\/p>\n

                  Figuring out what to explore:<\/strong><\/h4>\n

                  As we\u2019ve seen, music can be analyzed in a variety of ways, which means that there are different directions you can go in your research.<\/p>\n

                    \n
                  • You may want to do something along the lines of what we did in our Motown essay, where you develop an argument about the significance of your topic and present it in critical \u201cdialogue\u201d with other arguments about its significance (in this case, you will research what other critics or readers have said, and develop an argument that is distinct from the other sources).<\/li>\n
                  • Alternatively, you may want to do something along the lines of what some of you did in the journalism essay: to analyze a text, artist, or movement in a broader cultural, social, or historical context. In this case, your research will likely involve finding out about an important historical development or event taking place around the time of the creation of the music or researching a belief system or ideology that the music seems to be responding to.<\/li>\n
                  • Finally, there may be other possibilities that arise once you figure out what you want to study or interpret. For example, you might want to do some research on gender- or racebased theories about art and bring those sources to bear on your chosen topic. I will be there to give you feedback on your ideas as you develop them.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                    Phase Two: Conducting Your Research<\/strong><\/h3>\n

                    You will conduct your research using a variety of different tools. Our class\u2019s research librarian will be visiting our class to introduce you to our library\u2019s resources and give you tips for using Catalyst and other research databases. Using those tools, we will devote some class time to helping you find helpful and relevant secondary sources.<\/p>\n

                    The requirement for sources will be that you include at least one scholarly source (either an academic book or book chapter or an article from an academic journal). Because of the nature of your topics, it is also likely that you will find relevant journalistic sources (newspapers and magazines, as well as respected journalistic websites). We will talk during the library session and during the research phase about how to determine if a journalistic or web source is reliable.<\/p>\n

                    Phase Three: Organizing and Writing the Paper<\/strong><\/h3>\n

                    Outlining and Drafting<\/strong><\/h4>\n

                    Once you have an idea for an argument and you\u2019ve done some research into the text and\/or its contexts, you will need to figure out what you want to say and in what order you want to say it. We will use class time and conferences to plan and execute these stages of the process. We will share our ideas and our prospecti; we will review each other\u2019s broad outlines; and each of you will meet with me during the rough draft stage. Your final version of the paper will be passed in on the last day of class for this course (May 13).<\/p>\n

                    See our Moodle syllabus for due dates for each stage: Prospectus, Annotated Bibliography, Outline, Rough Draft, Final Draft, Abstract. See the document \u201cResearch Paper: Guidelines for Each Step\u201d for more information about what expected.<\/p>\n

                    Citation Method and Mechanics<\/strong><\/h4>\n

                    Part of what we learn about in the process of doing this paper is how to use one of the common academic citation forms. You will choose between the MLA style (parenthetical citation) or the Chicago (footnote) style, and both are described in detail in our online text, \u201cWriter\u2019s Help.\u201d Your final paper will be double-spaced, Times New Roman, and will include a title, page numbers, and proper citation.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/article>\n\n\t\t\t\n

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                    Portfolio 3: Persuasive Essay on a Social Issue<\/strong><\/h2>\n

                    For this assignment, you will conduct research and write a persuasive essay around an issue or topic you feel strongly or passionate about that are related to the central themes and issues of this course. If writing is indeed fighting, you will use your words to fight against harmful images, narratives, logics, and ideas that work to sustain, justify, and legitimate racial inequality and the subjugation and oppression of historically marginalized groups (e.g., BIPOC, 2SLGBTQIA+, disabled, etc.). You will write to help bring about some aspect of social change, as we use the power of writing to destroy \u201cthe house that racism built\u201d and build a new \u201chouse.\u201d<\/p>\n

                    You will write a persuasive essay<\/strong>, where you take a stance on a policy, practice, law, or issue that either reinforces or challenges systems of oppression. Topics may include issues around:<\/p>\n

                      \n
                    • Policing, Mass Incarceration, Surveillance vs. Abolition #DefundthePolice<\/li>\n
                    • Reparations & #LandBack efforts<\/li>\n
                    • Ceasefire in Palestine<\/li>\n
                    • Education (e.g., anti-CRT laws, charter schools, private vs. public)<\/li>\n
                    • Healthcare (private vs. universal) and Reproductive Rights<\/li>\n
                    • Voting Rights<\/li>\n
                    • Segregation and Gentrification<\/li>\n
                    • Representations in Media and Culture<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                      Some questions to consider as you develop your analysis and argument:<\/p>\n

                        \n
                      • What\u2019s the primary question being addressed by this policy\/practice\/issue?<\/li>\n
                      • What\u2019s the driving motivation\/conflict\/problem behind this policy\/practice\/issue?<\/li>\n
                      • What are the underlying assumptions that each \u201cside\u201d of this issue is bringing to the table?<\/li>\n
                      • What\u2019s your position\/stance? In other words, what\u2019s your answer to the primary questions being addressed? (This becomes the ingredients for your thesis) And why? (This becomes your ingredients for your supporting evidence)<\/li>\n
                      • What assumptions are you bringing to the table?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                        NOTE: You must get my approval of your topic by Thurs, April 18th<\/sup><\/strong> (Week 11).<\/p>\n

                        GUIDELINES:<\/strong><\/h3>\n
                          \n
                        • This is not<\/strong> a summary of an issue but an analysis<\/strong> that leads to an argument you are making about the issue.<\/li>\n
                        • You need to take a position<\/strong> (a.k.a., answer to the primary question\/thesis) and persuade the reader of your position.<\/li>\n
                        • This paper should have an introduction<\/strong>; a body<\/strong> that supports your thesis with smooth transitions and effective, concise sentences; and a conclusion<\/strong> that states the significance of your position\/interpretation.<\/li>\n
                        • As always, please underline your thesis statement.<\/strong><\/li>\n
                        • As always, you need to apply what you\u2019ve been learning; therefore, please integrate at least three (3) different course materials using MLA style.<\/li>\n
                        • Conducting outside research is needed in order to write your essay. A minimum of 2-3 credible sources must be cited in your paper.<\/li>\n
                        • Page number requirements: 5-6 pages (not including Works Cited page)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/article>\n\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t<\/div>\n\n\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\n\n\n\t\t\t\n\t\n\t\t\t
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                          ILO #5) Reflect on their learning during the course and articulate how they will apply it to their college experience.<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t<\/header>\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t
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                          Assignment Prompt: Final Course Reflection<\/strong><\/h2>\n

                          Over the past fifteen weeks, we\u2019ve talked, written, and read about both writing and the environment.<\/p>\n

                            \n
                          • We\u2019ve written to observe, to educate, to analyze, and to call people to action.<\/li>\n
                          • We\u2019ve moved away from the five-paragraph model toward the essay designed as an arc, following a string of topics.<\/li>\n
                          • We\u2019ve found ways to create conversationality in formal writing and avoid some of the traps of bad academic prose.<\/li>\n
                          • We\u2019ve worked extensively with research\u2014finding it, making sense of it, incorporating it, and responding to it.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                            And we\u2019ve also:<\/p>\n

                              \n
                            • Considered environmental guilt and grief, as well as wonder and hope.<\/li>\n
                            • Engaged in environmental action and heard how others are taking action themselves.<\/li>\n
                            • Focused on one\u2019s personal carbon footprint may not be the best way to take meaningful environmental action<\/li>\n
                            • Explored topics related to personal environmental knowledge: what we do about lawns and gardens, pets, propaganda, etc.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                              At the same time, you\u2019ve been becoming part of the St. Olaf community. And so on our last day of the course, I\u2019d like you to reflect on what our learning has, or could, mean to you.<\/p>\n

                              Please write a short response\u2014informal, conversational (think: like an email)\u2014reflecting on where you’ve been and where you’re going from here. Here are some questions that you can use to shape what you want to reflect on:<\/p>\n

                                \n
                              • How will you take what we\u2019ve done here and apply it moving forward?<\/li>\n
                              • How can you make things we’ve tackled be of use in future classes, future semesters, and so on?<\/li>\n
                              • Is there anything we\u2019ve read or done that you hope to do again in another course, or which has shaped how you will approach other college experiences, like co-curriculars?<\/li>\n
                              • If this is the beginning of the rest of your college career as a writer and environmentally aware person, how will you shape that career?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/article>\n\n\t\t\t\n
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                                Final Reflection Assignment<\/strong><\/h2>\n

                                Purpose<\/strong><\/h3>\n

                                This final reflection invites you to reflect on both your course learning and your entire experience.<\/p>\n

                                You\u2019ll write a two-page, double spaced letter that answers two main questions:<\/p>\n

                                  \n
                                1. What one or two course concepts from this semester transformed how you understand your environment and how you live and want to live in it? These concepts must be different from the concepts you discussed in your creative statement.<\/strong> Consider your experiences in the classroom, beyond the classroom, and living in community that helped you form your understanding.<\/li>\n
                                2. What elements from the year-long program most deepened your understanding of yourself as an environmental creature? Explain how.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                                  Audience<\/strong><\/h3>\n

                                  Address your letter to your course instructor OR<\/strong> to your first-day-of-college self.<\/p>\n

                                  Process<\/strong><\/h3>\n

                                  This reflection requires more than pasting together your three reflective posts. Use the following steps to integrate and develop ideas from your posts.<\/p>\n

                                  Reflect and Pre-write<\/h4>\n

                                  List five course concepts that have stuck with you.<\/p>\n

                                  With those concepts in mind, reread your three reflections, looking for seeds of ideas, ways that your thinking has changed, and feedback that will help you write this final reflection.<\/p>\n

                                  For your letter, choose one or two concepts that are different from the concepts you discussed in your creative statement, feel transformative, and inform your experience in the three areas we\u2019ve focused on.<\/p>\n

                                    \n
                                  • Classroom learning and experience<\/li>\n
                                  • Development beyond the classroom (in your work and activities, individual or with organizations) outside of classes<\/li>\n
                                  • Living in community<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n

                                    If you need a refresher on how to reflect, go back to this guide and video.<\/p>\n

                                    Draft and Revise<\/h4>\n

                                    Draft your letter, keeping in mind our models of letters: \u201cOne Hundred Forms of Homespace\u201d, Maynard and Simpson, and \u201cA Letter to Adults,\u201d Villase\u00f1or (AWCS)<\/p>\n

                                    As you draft and revise,<\/p>\n

                                      \n
                                    • Address your letter with an appropriate greeting (Dear ___, To ____).<\/li>\n
                                    • Be sure to answer both parts of the question (both course and program)<\/li>\n
                                    • Signal your logic and structure with clear claims, topic sentences, and transitions to guide the reader.<\/li>\n
                                    • End your letter with the tone or idea that you want to stay with your reader.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/article>\n\n\t\t\t\n
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                                      FINAL REFLECTION:<\/strong>
                                      \nLETTER TO A FRIEND<\/strong><\/h2>\n

                                      This assignment is your chance to reflect in a more focused way about your development as a student and a member of various campus communities at St. Olaf. To do this, you will write a letter to a close friend or relative (not a parent). In a letter of approximately 700 words, you will cover two main topics:<\/p>\n

                                        \n
                                      1. Introduce your Feature and reflect on your learning during this course.<\/strong> This class is not only about writing and composition but also about rhetoric, which means that its course content extends beyond the writing classroom and into any and all social situations. How does your feature display your awareness of rhetorical situations and your ability to respond intuitively and flexibly to different rhetorical situations? How have you noticed yourself attuned to our course topics and themes (related to rhetoric and\/or to aesthetics) outside of the classroom?<\/li>\n
                                      2. Reflect on your college experience<\/strong>. How do you see your answers to question one informing your development as a community member on campus and beyond? What challenges have you encountered in college trying to form community and new relationships? How have you pushed yourself to get involved in co-curricular activities on campus and what impact have those activities had on you and your well-being? Looking ahead to next semester and beyond, what goals or plans do you have for getting more involved in community and campus life in ways that might improve your life and the lives of others around you?<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

                                        This letter should answer these questions in the form of a normal letter. It should begin with a salutation of some kind (Dear so and so) and end with a farewell (Your Bestie, [Name]). It should also address your friend in second person (you, your, yours), while speaking about yourself in first person (I, me, my, mine). You should address your friend in a way that feels natural and comfortable for you, but you should also retain a higher degree of thinking, clarity, and reflection than you might normally display while texting or catching up over the phone. Be yourself, but also take advantage of this assignment as an opportunity to think seriously and with a sense of purpose about questions
                                        \nthat really matter.<\/p>\n

                                        While it is not a requirement for you to actually send your letter to your friend, I highly encourage you to do so.<\/p>\n

                                        Your letter will be double spaced, 12 pt professional font, and will be around 700 words. It will include a works cited page in MLA format (if relevant) for any sources cited in the letter.<\/p>\n <\/div>\n <\/div>\n <\/article>\n\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t<\/div>\n\n\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\n<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":2679,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-1523","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/assessment-committee\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1523","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/assessment-committee\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/assessment-committee\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/assessment-committee\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2679"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/assessment-committee\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1523"}],"version-history":[{"count":7,"href":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/assessment-committee\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1523\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1544,"href":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/assessment-committee\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/1523\/revisions\/1544"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wp.stolaf.edu\/assessment-committee\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1523"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}