1. Evaluations Make a claim about the merit of something

2. Why Evaluate? • Evaluations and reviews are so much a part of our lives that you might only notice them when they are assigned. • Product Reviews: as a good consumer you scour online resources on the latest SLR Camera before purchasing. • Arts Review: Check out any newspaper or magazine and you’ll see the latest Black Eyed Peas CD up for ‘evaulation’. • Social Satire: Tired of students who are always on their cellphone at social events? Mock them in a social satire.

3. Does this look common?

4. What to Evaluate • You will evaluate your peer’s work when we do Peer Reviews on your essays this month. • When you back up opinion with evidence, you actually get others to take you seriously! • Evaluations involve people debating matters of taste – which draws good sense and wit in the the mix.

5. “Persistence of Memory” – Salvador Dali Write your Observation on left side. Write Evaluation on right side. • Your opinion • If you know background info, include that! • Objective objects • Things you notice

6. Video Evaluation http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uBENnHkmqdw&playnext=1&list=PL4B5D4AF297437246&feature=results_video

7. Necessary Ingredients • Established & Defined Criteria • Criteria: standards by which objects are measured. (What do you look for in a good running shoe? What makes a good movie?) • When readers agree with your criteria, you need to explain a little about them, when they don’t you have to defend them.

8. Offer Convincing Evidence • In the form of fats, statistics, examples, other reviews. • This is the link between evaluative claim and criteria. • Could include anything from numbers to harrowing tales of personal woe. (quantitative of qualitative)

9. Offer Useful Advice • Some evaluations are just for fun: consider all the hoopla arguments about sports rankings generate. (football fans?) • When done right, they also provide useful info: • Restaurants (Yelp!), Travel (Trip Advisor), Movies (Rotten Tomatoes), Product Reviews.

10. How to Measure Criteria? • How do you measure something like Jay-Z’s last recording, or a dance recital? • Do research on similar topics have been evaluated or discussed. Get familiar with critics on topics). • Examples: pg.119 (How to Write Anything) James Morris Explains why he believes American Television is often better than Hollywood films. [take out book and read excerpt]

11. Structure of Essay Introduction leading to evaluative claim (Thesis) including….. Criteria of evaluation stated + defended (Thesis) BODY of Essay: • Subject measured by first criterion + evidence • Subject measured by second criterion + evidence • Subject measured by third criterion + evidence Conclusion – restate Thesis and tie it up!

12. Meet Me in Mayaguez! • First Essay will be written for scholarly audience visiting Mayaguez, Puerto Rico. Think of it like an academic’s “Tripadvisor” magazine essay. • Find local restaurants, stores, places of interest, beaches, zoo, parks, places that aren’t often advertised. • Write an Evaluation essay, MLA Style, min 500 words, works cited (if referencing outside material), DUE: OCT 31st