-On your “Dashboard” go to “Write” and then “Write Post”
- Provide your essay title in the title box and then cut and paste your essay (without works cited) in the post box.
-Cut and paste links and attach images and videos in appropriate spots.
- Proofread your essay and make sure the graphics and format are organized.
- Click “Publish”
Media Project ENC 1101, fall 2007
Final Essay and Oral PresentationThe Web Essay: using a familiar medium (the internet) for academic purposes
Identify a commercial product (any mass-produced consumer item) and critique its marketing campaign, pinpointing particular advertisements. Write a 2,000 word “web essay” analyzing the campaign’s techniques and its impact on consumers. Use photos, video and sound in your essay which should be published as a blog (web log) on either wordpress.com or bloggerspot.com (I prefer using wordpress because it offers more creative options.) The argument:Using the skills we have learned in this class you will create your own argument and/or controversy by analyzing the marketing campaign. It is not enough to claim something like “This ad is effective in selling its product because . . .” or “This marketing campaign is immoral because . . . .” You will want to offer a claim about what this product/ad reveals about American values, what desires or anxieties this ad is tapping into (and perhaps what anxieties the ad evokes for the audience), and how the product offers both the disease and the antidote. Make your claim as specific as possible. Remember that your web essay (just like the printed essay) should have a title, a clear thesis, cohesive paragraphs, be free of spelling and grammatical problems, etc.
Required web pages within your site
In addition to your home page (the essay itself) create a category or page called “Works Cited.” There you will provide a works cited page in MLA format exactly as you would create for a printed essay. Also create a category named “Drafts” where you will provide early ideas, brainstorming and the first draft of your essay.
The Presentation
Share your conclusions and findings with the class in the form of an oral presentation. Use your web essay (the blog) to guide you, but do not read your essay aloud. Rather, prepare a speech that summarizes your main points and clarifies each image that you show the class. Use visual aids (the ads) to illustrate your points. The ads can be taken from printed material, the internet or television. The presentation should be no shorter than five minutes and no longer than ten. You do not necessarily have to have all of your images on the blog (you can bring a jump drive or disk for extra power point files or other types of documents) and you can use links, as long as the presentation goes smoothly. Make sure all the links are working and will lead you directly to the sites you need during the class presentation. Your finished product should be organized and easy to access. This is a chance for you to create a persuasive essay, not only using words but combining your text with images and sound in a medium (the internet) that is flexible.
To help you get started:
Some questions you may want to ask yourself in order to gather ideas:
• How do the ads affect the viewer, especially after a viewer has seen ads like this hundreds, maybe thousands, of times?
• How have ads like these personally impacted you or someone you know?
-Is this a product that most people have purchased at one time or another but don’t necessarily need or really want in the first place? Why do you think we buy “stuff” like this that is unnecessary? Comments: For online writing gradeIf you haven’t been using the discussion board here’s your chance to provide dialogue online. Comment on others’ presentations.
