The Perspectives of Evaluation through Personal Argument

Big A, Little a: The Perspectives of Evaluation through Personal Argument
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Evaluations are everyday arguments. We make dozens of these a day: How much coffee is just enough?
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homework important? For each case, we have applied criteria to a particular problem and then made a
decision. But now, we are going to dive in a bit deeper to see how these everyday choices we make can be
applied to the genre of argument in a more sophisticated way.
For this researched paper, you will use your critical thinking
skills to successfully argue an evaluation argument based
upon the question: Is Street Art Real Art µJRRG¶) or
Vandalism µEDG¶? You must make a specific claim and
support it with credible evidence. This is NOT you just
taking a side and offering an opinion. You must support your
argument. Persuade me! These are personal arguments so
there are many elements to consider such as cultural ideals
and beliefs, value systems, social class, gender and sexuality,
geographical points, political views, etc. The perspectives
that form your basis of your argument, will have to be
understood and (de)constructed so you can effectively make an informed evaluation. In other words, what
has contributed to your opinion.
Basic Requirements of Final Draft: The paper will take the form of an
academic research paper approximately 2400 – 3000 words in length with 6
– 8 sources. Your audience for this paper will be your academic peers, and
you will follow MLA formatting to demonstrate your understanding of
academic writing conventions. You will also need to submit a formal
proposal for this assignment, prior to the first draft of your paper. This
paper will include three rough drafts and three guided peer reviews.
Forming a Counterargument(s): Another important aspect to this paper is
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but rather counters them. We will work in groups over two weeks to define
art and vandalism and, while listening to your peers describe their opinions
and reasonings for their argument, you will form 1-2 counterarguments to
include in your paper.
Components to Support Your Argument: An annotated bibliography is required for this paper (and
necessary for any research). Also, upon submission you will have a guided reflection component that will
include a brief rhetorical rationale. Since your argument will be based on specific art, styles of art, or an
artist of either, you will need to include (at least) two properly formatted images in your paper. Creatively
incorporate the image but do so in a way that successfully supports your argument (more on this later).
Call-to-Action: Once we have completed the academic argumentative essay, you will then create a public
call-to-action for the Undergraduate Research Symposium. This call-to-action will visually support your
argument of the art, art style, or artist. We will discuss genre options, but the areas that fall under the
options for the symposium are either a poster, a 3-minute YouTube video, or an oral presentation. We will
welcome guest speaker Dr. Lavonna Lovern from the Undergraduate Research Council to speak more on
Examples to Consider
x Graffiti
x Various types of Street
Art (paint, chalk)
x 3D Art
x Stickers and Posters
Street Art
x Yarn Bombing
x Public Art
x Body Art
x Cultural Art
x Landscape Art
x Architectural Art
Photo of Street Art by David Walker, La Tour Paris 13 in
Paris, France. Photographer unknown.
Art and Art Styles to Consider
for this Project.