Informative (and Surprising) Essay Materials

• Purpose of the Informative and Surprising Essay

  Rhetorical Aim = To explore or explain

  Focus of writing = Subject matter on which you present new or needed information based on your own experience or research
  
  What writers do = You provide information your readers need or want, or you arouse curiosity and then present new, surprising information

  Relationship to audience = You, as a knowledgeable teacher, surprise your readers by enlarging their view of a subject; you expect readers to trust your authority and information

  Form = Usually has a closed-form structure

• Pattern, Purpose, and Goal of the Informative and Surprising Essay

  Pattern
  You present the problem, the common answer for your imagined audience, and a surprising reversal.

  Purpose
  Your purpose is to enlarge your readers’ views on a topic by providing new information or to teach them something they didn’t know about the topic.

  The surprising-reversal pattern occurs when you contrast your readers’ original view of a topic with your own new or surprising view.

  Goal
  Your goal is two-fold:

  1. to discover unique knowledge or experience that will give your audience an uncommon perspective on a topic; and

  2. to consider both your topic and your audience (persons who have a mistaken or narrow view of your topic).

• Informative and Surprising Essay Assignment

  For this assignment, you will write an informative (and surprising) essay. In your paper, you will be required to use 3 outside sources from which you either quote or paraphrase, using the correct parenthetical citation techniques when needed. You will also need to attach a Works Cited at the end of the essay.

  The essay must be at least 2 ½ pages in length (double-spaced, typed, with 1-inch margins) and use MLA format throughout.

  The essay will be graded for the following:

  1. Correct grammar/punctuation/spelling
  2. Correct quote introduction, paraphrasing, parenthetical citation, and works cited
  3. Appropriate sources acquired through research
  4. Correct focus (informative and surprising) and structure (closed-form)

  Please follow the steps listed below when writing:

  1. Read and review notes on Introductions, Thesis Statements, and Points and Particulars.
  2. Brainstorm for topics and do exploratory writing.
  3. Write a rough draft.
  4. OPTIONAL (but strongly encouraged): Ask one of your classmates to review your draft (and review one for a classmate).
  5. Proofread and edit the final draft

• Getting Started on the Informative and Surprising Essay

  Exploration
  Consider the following:

  · Based on my personal experience, reading, research, or observation, what information or knowledge do I have about X that is different from the common view of X held by an imagined audience?

  · Although people within my imagined audience commonly regard X this way, my personal experience, observations, or research show X to be this way.

  You don’t have to surprise everyone in the world, just those who hold a mistaken view.

  Your surprising view doesn’t necessarily have to be diametrically opposed to the common view.

  Your surprising view also doesn’t have to be shocking or earth-shattering! It just needs to be different from the common view

• Structure for Informative Essay

  Intro – Catch the reader’s attention, establish common knowledge or attitudes, state the reader’s current level of understanding. End with the thesis—surprises, gives new perspective, leads the reader in a new direction with new knowledgeFirst point – tell what the point is (topic sentence). Support it with particulars from research or my own knowledge. Include citations.Etc. – for as many points as you haveConclusion – review points or give advice to the reader (what to do with new knowledge) or suggest actions for the reader to take or ….