Write a 750-1000 word illustrative essay. Select one aspect of a topic to argue in detail, using specific examples to illustrate your side of the argument. Your essay should avoid opinion and focus on persuading your audience with detailed explanations and factual evidence from at least two reliable sources. Begin your discussion by stating a generalization about the topic. Then support that generalization (in the form of a thesis statement) by choosing to write a single-example illustration essay or a multiple-example illustration essay (see Unit V, Lesson 2). The article should be written in the style and form described within Unit V.
Sample Topic Choices:
Lebron James is the greatest basketball player of all time.
Kenny Rogers is a country music icon.
Major League Baseball should eliminate the use of designated hitters.
Dark chocolate is superior to all other chocolates.
Purpose: Throughout Unit V, we have discussed the conventions of the illustration essay. This assignment aims to measure mastery of those conventions by putting your knowledge to practice. In a larger context, the purpose of writing an illustration essay is to convey an idea to the reader by providing illustrations (examples) that will give readers a clear picture of your stand on a specific topic.
Process: For the illustration essay, you will complete the following steps:
Choose a topic: See the methods for developing a case and the suggested list of issues in Unit V, Lesson 3.
Decide if you want to write a single-example or multiple-example essay: See Unit V, Lesson 2, for more instruction on the differences between single-example and multiple-example essays.
Collect illustrations: See Unit V, Lesson 1, for more information about different kinds of pictures. See Unit V, Lesson 4, for more information about how to gather images.
Craft your thesis statement: See Unit V, Lesson 5, for more information on how to write a thesis. Note that you want to craft your thesis according to whether you choose to write a single-example or a multiple-example essay.
