Essay One Assignment

ENN 195 Essay Assignment One

Core Competency: Integrative Learning

Communication Ability: Written

Peer Review: See syllabus
Due Date: See syllabus 

Length: at least 4 double-spaced pages, 12pt font

Assignment Goal
The goals of this assignment are: 1) to give you, the student, the opportunity to examine the moral justifications and commonalities across different nineteenth century riots from multiple perspectives; and 2) to give you the opportunity to craft a well-argued, thesis-driven essay that uses textual evidence to support its claims. 

Assignment Description
This assignment asks you to consider two different ways to consider the riots we've read and discussed in class. First, for this essay you will create an argument that identifies some common reasons people rioted in the nineteenth century United States. Second, you will also argue how those reasons are and are not morally justified. 

What Texts You're Using
For this assignment, you can use any of the texts we’re read, both fictional and nonfictional. The basis of this assignment is to figure out what motivated the rioters, how they justified their rioting, and how we can interpret their rioting. Intellectually, this assignment asks you to see the perspectives of both rioters and authorities, and then asks you to convey, in your own words, what you believe to be the larger ideas we should think about in response. You must write about at least two different riots. 

The First Half of the Thesis and Essay: articulate what some riots had in common
The first half of your essay will focus on making connections between different riots in the nineteenth century. Articulating these connections will comprise the first half of your thesis statement and the first half of your essay.  

First, you will decide which moral justifications the rioters had in common; these claims will form the first part of your thesis statement. To make this decision, you’ll need to find some examples from our course texts where you see rioters acting for similar reasons. 

Q: How do I know what their reasons were?
A: You’ll need to consider the fact that not all rioters shared the same motives, even when they rioted side-by-side. Rioters riot for all different kinds of reasons. While not all rioters riot together for the same reason in the same riot at the same time, many people who riot share their reasons with other rioters who riot at another point in history. 

Q: Can you give me an example?
A: Well, first think about why the rioters in the 1837 Bread Riot rioted, but also whether some of the rioters acted for different reasons, too (look at the evidence!). Then, you’ll need to do the same thing for the 1877 General Strike (look at the evidence!). Finally, you’ll need to figure out what some of the folks in 1837 had in common with some of the folks in 1877.

For example, a rioter in 1837 and a rioter in 1877 might be motivated by a desire to express anger at their living conditions, but another rioter in 1837 and another rioter in 1877 might riot in order to ‘have fun.’ You should consider this complexity as you decide what riots you want to write about. 

The Second Half of the Thesis and Essay: articulate some of the moral justifications of the rioters and the moral justifications against rioting
For the second half of the thesis statement and essay, I want you to assess the moral justifications the rioters have in common by making claims from three different perspectives: 

1) by making a claim that supports the perspective of the rioters (you will support the rioters’ justifications by providing support for their explicit or implicit reasons for rioting); 

2) by making a claim that supports the perspective of ‘civic order’ (you will argue against the rioters’ justifications from the perspective of law enforcement); 

and 3) by making a claim using an outside perspective, in which you will bring concepts, ideas, or vocabulary from another class you’re taking, or have taken, here at LaGuardia. You will use this outside perspective to explain something new about the rioters and the riots (you may use texts, notes, and/or other materials from those classes in your paper). 

Each of these claims will be a separate sentence in your thesis statement. They'll also organize one paragraph in your essay, and will be supported by textual evidence. 

Q: How long is my thesis statement, dude?
A: Your thesis statement will probably be 4-6 sentences long. 

Conclusion
In a brief conclusion, focus your reflections on rioting back onto your own life. Reflect on how your own personal life experiences allow you to relate, or to not relate, to the lives, decisions, and/or choices faced by the rioters. This conclusion should be about one paragraph, and should contain evidence or examples to support your claims (this evidence doesn't have to be textual evidence; it can be personal in nature). 
 
Reminder: structure counts!
All of the major claims you make should be present either in a thesis statement or in your introduction. Each paragraph where you defend a claim you’re making should be supported by textual evidence. Structurally, the written product of this assignment follows the standard ENG 101 thesis-driven essay form: an introduction and thesis backed up with supporting claims, textual evidence that's interpreted, and a conclusion. For more details about this structure, click HERE.