Title: Competency Assessment: (CU3 M2) Mini Essay 2
Course: SkillsCom WR 122 15.0 > Section: Credit Unit 3 Module 2 - This I Believe Essay Structure

"This I Believe" analysis and response

Pick two “This I Believe” essays from the site at www.thisibelieve.org - one that you think uses lots of details and uses pathos or ethos well, and one that you think is more general and less effective. You can click on the "Explore" tab to look through the main collection and the "Special Feature" or "Featured Essay" tabs to read and/or listen to essays chosen by the editors. You can also go to this NPR link to listen to audio versions. I would encourage you to read a number of essays, and then listen to the authors read the two you choose. Take a particular look at each essay's use of verbs, concrete nouns, imagery, dialogue, attention-grabbing language, plot and structure.

Write a brief (one paragraph) analysis of each one, answering the following questions:

1. What is the philosophy each writer lives by?
2. How did they come to believe in it?
3. How did they use ethos and pathos to persuade us to consider the value of this life philosophy?

Write a brief analysis (one to two paragraphs) of why you think one is more effective and the other one is less effective. Does the audio version make a difference in their persuasiveness? How or why?

Then, write a conclusion paragraph where you discuss what you’ve learned. What did you learn about the strategies and effectiveness of using pathos and ethos in persuasion? What did you learn about the difference between reading an argument and hearing one? Would you incorporate any new tactics into your own argument?