Recognizing elements of argument in written texts.

Task
Description:
For this essay, you will look at the complexities of argument and learn to recognize elements of argument in written texts. This writing project requires searching the library databases for a scholarly article on the topic of STEAM. I would encourage you to choose an article that you have a strong reaction to, whether it is a positive or negative one.
Once you have found an appropriate article, which is both interesting and argumentative, you will then analyze and evaluate the argument/s in that article in the form of a 2-3 page academic essay. Your essay should break apart the article’s argument/s in order to demonstrate the parts of the argument (claim, reasoning, etc.), and then evaluate the effectiveness of those elements. You should pay close attention to the textbook readings and class discussions in order to acquire the tools necessary to complete this assignment. Remember that you are focusing on analyzing and evaluating the writer’s argument/s; you are not taking a stance on the author’s topic at this point. Therefore, your rhetoric should be more “truth-seeking” than “persuasion” based.
Purpose:
This assignment will introduce you to the basic structure of argument and introductory research practices. More specifically, this assignment will help you begin to develop critical reading skills in order to identify and analyze individual arguments according to criteria accepted by the larger academic community.
Specifics and Worth:
Citation – Include a properly formatted Works Cited Page and incorporate direct quotes with appropriate in-text citations.
Length – 2-3 pages
Scholarly Articles That Would Be Acceptable for the Assignment:
• Feminist Essays by Adrienne Rich (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
• Cultural Essays on the Fairy Tale Red Riding Hood (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
• Interpretive Essays on Postmodern Fairy Tales (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
• Research Articles from the SAO/NASA Astrophysics Data System (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
Elements of Argument:
• Ethos
• Pathos
• Logos
• Organization
• Diction
• Syntax
• Analogy
• Evidence
• Philosophy
• Description
• Evaluation
Auburn Database (Cryonics): http://catalog.lib.auburn.edu/vufind/Search/Home?lookfor=cryonics&type=all&submit=Find