Final Written Assignment: Persuasive Essay Due Week 9 and worth 250 points
Instructions: It’s time to finalize your persuasive essay! You should feel proud of everything you’ve
accomplished so far. You’ve developed your ideas, identified counter perspectives,
gathered credible research, and drafted your essay. Now you will use feedback from
your instructor to review, revise, and edit your draft to ensure that you are submitting
your best work.
Your final essay should be submitted in a new Word document and include two
sections: 1.) Persuasive Essay and 2.) Feedback Reflection. You’ll want to deliver a
polished essay that meets all the project requirements and effectively persuades
your reader. Follow the steps below to get started.
ASSIGNMENT4
Step 1
Revisions Revision is about removing, adding, and refining content to improve clarity, idea
development, flow, and the overall persuasiveness of your communication.
Here are some questions to ask yourself that will help ensure you are submitting
your best work.
Effectiveness of Persuasive Position
Logic: Have you fully explained the rationale? Did you provide enough
background information, define key terms, and build from one idea
to the next?
Credibility: Did you build credibility through citing sources and using a
voice (personality), tone (mood), and appropriate words for your
topic and audience?
Emotion: How did you appeal to the emotional side of your audience?
(e.g., voice [personality], tone [mood], vivid descriptions, and/or
personal stories)
Balance: Do you hook your audience in the first paragraph? Do your
appeals work together throughout to create a powerfully persuasive c
ommunication? Do you include a call to action in the last paragraph?
Clarity of Ideas
Have you fully explained your ideas?
Do you build logically from one point to the next?
Is your communication clear?
Is it straightforward and easy to understand?
Do your ideas flow smoothly from one to the next?
Organization and Structure
Introduction/Thesis: Does your thesis statement tell the reader what
your essay is about? Does it communicate your position?
Background Information: Did you provide relevant background
information?
Body Paragraphs: Do you provide an appropriate amount of
information, analysis, and support?
Counter Perspective(s): Did you include one to three counter
perspectives? Do you fully explain why you’re addressing each counter
perspective? Does the counter perspective have flaws or weak
evidence that strengthens your argument?
Conclusion: Do you provide a summary, rephrase your thesis, and
leave a lasting impression?
Step 2
Editing As this is your final essay, you should pay close attention to grammar, mechanics,
punctuation, and formatting. This will ensure that your meaning is clear. You don’t
want to distract your audience or negatively impact your credibility with small
mistakes!
Did you follow APA guidelines?
Cover page, page numbers, double-spaced, 1” margins, headers,
indented paragraphs, and 12-point Times New Roman font.
In-Text Citations
(Author’s last name and date) For example: (Wielding, 2017).
References
All references are in alphabetical order with hanging indent(s). Include
major identifying information for each reference, and apply a
consistent and APA-style flow of information. Author’s last name, first
initial. Title, etc.). For example: Goldberg, N. (1986). Writing down the
bones: Freeing the writer within. Boston, MA: Shambhala.
Step 3
Feedback Reflection List the feedback you received from your instructor on Writing Activity 3:
Rough Draft.
Explain how you used the feedback to improve your essay and create a final,
polished version.
Describe the ways you’ll use the feedback in future writing.
RUBRIC Grading for this activity will be based on the following rubric:
1. Effectiveness of Persuasion
Weight: 30%
The student is
not persuasive or
is inappropriately
persuasive, does
not use a
balanced
approach, and
only applies one
appeal: logic,
credibility, or
emotion.
The student
attempts to be
persuasive and
use a balanced
approach, but
only applies one
or two appeals to
logic, credibility,
and emotion to
persuade the
audience.
The student is
somewhat
persuasive, uses
a somewhat
balanced
approach, and
applies logic,
credibility, and
emotion to
persuade the
audience.
The student is
persuasive, uses
a balanced
approach, and
applies logic,
credibility, and
emotion to
effectively
persuade the
audience.
The student is
highly persuasive,
uses a well-bal-
anced approach
and strong
application of
logic, credibility,
and emotion to
effectively
persuade the
audience.
POINTS: 250
Criteria Unacceptable Below 60% F
Fair 70-79% C
Proficient 80-89% B
Exemplary 90-100% A
Meets Minimum
Expectations 60-69% D
FINAL WRITTEN ASSIGNMENT: PERSUASIVE ESSAY
2. Clarity of Ideas
Weight: 25%
The student does
not explain or
incompletely
explains ideas.
Ideas may not
build logically
from one point to
the next. Commu-
nication is not
clear, straightfor-
ward, and/or easy
to understand.
Ideas do not flow
smoothly from
one to the next.
The student
ineffectively
explains ideas
and ideas
ineffectively build
logically from one
point to the next.
Communication
is not completely
clear, straightfor-
ward, and/or easy
to understand.
Ideas may not
flow smoothly
from one to the
next.
The student
partially explains
ideas and ideas
somewhat build
logically from one
point to the next.
Communication
is somewhat
clear, straightfor-
ward, and easy to
understand.
Ideas flow
somewhat
smoothly from
one to the next.
The student
mostly explains
ideas and ideas
mostly build
logically from one
point to the next.
Communication
is mostly clear,
straightforward,
and easy to
understand.
For the most part,
ideas flow
smoothly from
one to the next.
The student fully
explains ideas
and ideas fully
build logically
from one point to
the next. Commu-
nication is
completely clear,
straightforward,
and easy to
understand.
Ideas flow
smoothly from
one to the next.
3. Organization and Structure
Weight: 15%
The essay is
unorganized. It
may be missing
three or more of
the following: an
introduction,
thesis statement,
background
information, body
paragraphs,
counter perspec-
tive(s), and
conclusion. Body
paragraphs are
not structured to
meet the specific
needs of the
audience,
purpose, and
content.
The essay is
mostly unorga-
nized. It may be
missing two of
the following: an
introduction,
thesis statement,
background
information, body
paragraphs,
counter perspec-
tive(s), and
conclusion. Body
paragraphs are
ineffectively
structured to
meet the specific
needs of the
audience,
purpose, and
content.
The essay is
somewhat
organized. It may
be missing one of
the following: an
introduction,
thesis statement,
background
information, body
paragraphs,
counter perspec-
tive(s), and
conclusion. Body
paragraphs are
partially struc-
tured to meet the
specific needs of
the audience,
purpose, and
content.
The essay is
mostly organized.
It has an
introduction,
thesis statement,
background
information, body
paragraphs,
counter perspec-
tive(s), and
conclusion. Body
paragraphs are
mostly structured
to meet the
specific needs of
the audience,
purpose, and
content.
The essay is well
organized. It has
an easily identifi-
able introduction,
thesis statement,
background
information, body
paragraphs,
counter perspec-
tive(s), and
conclusion. Body
paragraphs are
effectively
structured to
meet the specific
needs of the
audience,
purpose, and
content
4. In-Text Citations and
References
Page
Weight: 15%
Did not appropri-
ately use in-text
citations through-
out the essay. No
References page.
Does not meet
the required
number of
references; all or
most references
are poor-quality
choices. Most
citations are
missing or have
been used
improperly in the
essay and
References page.
Does not meet
the required
number of
references or
there are some
poor-quality
reference choic-
es. Some in-text
citations and
References page
items are improp-
erly placed,
missing, or not
formatted.
Meets the
required number
of references;
most references
are high-quality
choices. In-text
citations and
References page
are mostly
correctly
formatted.
Meets or exceeds
number of
required referenc-
es; all references
are high-quality
choices. In-text
citations and
References page
are correctly
formatted.
5. Grammar, Mechanics,
Punctuation,
and APA
Formatting
Weight: 5%
There are
numerous
mechanics,
grammar, and
punctuation
errors. The paper
contains numer-
ous formatting
errors: it may not
be double-
spaced; font may
be incorrect;
margins may not
be one-inch on all
sides, and there
may not be a
cover page. It
includes none or
only one of the
following:
headers, pages
numbers, or
indented
paragraphs.
There are many
mechanics,
grammar, and
punctuation
errors. The paper
includes two of
the following
elements: is
double-spaced;
font is correct;
margins are
one-inch on all
sides, and there
is a cover page. It
only includes one
of the following
elements:
headers, page
numbers, or
indented
paragraphs.
There are some
mechanics,
grammar, and
punctuation
errors that
distract the
reader. The paper
is double-spaced;
font is correct;
margins are
one-inch on all
sides, and there
is a cover page. It
includes two of
the following
elements:
headers, page
numbers, and
indented
paragraphs.
There are minimal
mechanics,
grammar, and
punctuation
errors. The paper
is double-spaced;
font is correct;
margins are
one-inch on all
sides, and there
is a cover page. It
includes three of
the following
elements:
headers, page
numbers, and
indented
paragraphs.
There are no or
few mechanics,
grammar, and
punctuation
errors. The paper
is double-spaced;
font is correct;
margins are
one-inch on all
sides, and there
is a cover page. It
includes all of the
following
elements:
headers, page
numbers, and
indented
paragraphs.
6. Feedback Reflection
Weight: 10%
The student is
not reflective,
does not make
connections, and
does not include
future strategies
to continue
improving writing.
The student may
not be reflective,
may not make
connections,
and/or may not
include future
strategies to
continue
improving writing
The student is
somewhat
reflective, makes
some connec-
tions, and
includes some
future strategies
to continue
improving writing
The student is
reflective, makes
connections, and
includes future
strategies to
continue
improving writing.
The student is
highly reflective,
makes insightful
connections, and
includes future
strategies to
continue
improving writing.