This document provides instructions for a compare and contrast essay assignment. Students must pick two essays from a list and analyze three elements of the rhetorical situation for each essay. They must write an introduction, six body paragraphs comparing and contrasting the elements, and a conclusion. The assignment requires at least three pages and MLA formatting. It will be graded based on following directions, analyzing the essays, identifying rhetorical elements, effective comparison and contrast, organization, tone, coherence, proofreading, and general requirements.

1. Compare and Contrast Essay Assignment
Length: At least three full pages
Purpose: To compare and contrast the rhetorical situations of
two essays
Audience: Your instructor and classmates (an academic
audience)
Genre: Academic essay
Directions:
1. Pick one of the following pairs of essays we have read this
quarter:
a. “On Dumpster Diving” by Lars Eighner and “The Ways We
Lie” by Stephanie Ericsson
2. Write an essay of at least three pages comparing and
contrasting the rhetorical situations of the two essays. The
parts of the rhetorical situation are as follows:
a. Author
b. Purpose
c. Message
d. Context
e. Audience
i. You don’t have to analyze all five elements. Pick THREE to
be the focus of this essay.
3. Write an introduction that does the following:
a. Hooks your readers
b. Introduces your sources (author’s names and titles)
c. Describes your sources:
i. Briefly explains the main idea of each essay
d. Makes a thesis claim that shows which rhetorical elements
you will be comparing and contrasting and indicates what you
learned by doing this analysis:
i. Example: Through a careful comparison and contrast of the
audience, context, and message of Mukherjee’s and Pollan’s

2. essays, I learned that essays that seem to be about entirely
different topics can both be making significant social
contributions.
ii. Example: Based on the following analysis of the authors,
purpose, and context of Mukerjee’s and Pollan’s essays, it can
be concluded that although they differ in many ways, they share
underlying similarities that make their readers want to become
more socially engaged.
4. Support your thesis by writing at least six paragraphs that
follow this pattern:
a. Paragraph One: Compare the two essays and the first
rhetorical situation element
i. How are the two essays similar with regard to the first
rhetorical situation element?
ii. For example, if you are comparing “audience,” you would
talk about how the intended audience for each essay is similar.
iii. Remember to include a topic sentence and a transitional
sentence.
b. Paragraph Two: Contrast the two essays and the first
rhetorical situation element.
i. How are the two essays different with regard to the first
rhetorical situation element?
ii. For example, if you are contrasting “audience,” you would
talk about how the intended audience for each essay is different.
iii. Remember to include a topic sentence and a transitional
sentence.
c. Repeat this pattern until you have compared and contrasted
all three of the rhetorical situation elements.
5. Write a conclusion paragraph that does the following:
a. Restates your thesis
b. Summarizes your main points
c. Indicates what you learned from your analysis
i. Are the essays more (or less) similar?
ii. Which essay do you like best? Why?
iii. Did anything you noticed in your analysis surprise you?
What and why?

3. iv. What effect did the essays have on you as a reader?
v. What could the authors have done differently to improve their
essays?
6. All quotations must include MLA-style citations.
a. Don’t use quotations of longer than one line.
b. You may only use two quotations.
7. You must have an MLA-style works cited page. If you turn
this paper in without one, it will receive a zero.
Grading Rubric: Compare/Contrast
You must submit a copy of this rubric along with your paper!
Description of Requirements
Point Value
Score and Instructor’s Notes
Assignment Guidelines
All assignment directions are followed.
Writer clearly analyzes two appropriate essays
Writer clearly identifies three parts of the rhetorical situation.
Writer effectively compares the essays.
Writer effectively contrasts the essays.
10
10
10
10
10

4. Organization
Essay is organized appropriately:
1. introduction paragraph
2. thesis statement
3. supporting paragraphs
4. conclusion paragraph
10
10
10
10
Tone
Tone and word choices are academically appropriate.
15
Coherence
Transitional words, phrases, and sentences are used to connect
ideas within paragraphs.
Paragraphs flow smoothly from one to the next. Each paragraph
in the body of the essay has a topic sentence and a transition
sentence.
10

5. 10
Proofreading
Essay is free of typos and spelling errors.
Essay demonstrates an understanding of the correct use of the
parts of speech, subjects and verbs, commas, apostrophes,
pronouns, and capitalization.
Fragments, modifier errors, and run-ons are avoided.
5
10
10
Subtotal:
General Requirement Deductions
(-5 each)
See the “General Requirements for All Papers” handout posted
on Canvas.
Total:

6. Running head: MODULE 3: PORTFOLIO MILESTONE
1
MODULE 3: PORTFOLIO MILESTONE
2
Module 3: Portfolio Milestone
Product Description
These products are kitchen appliances at IKEA. The Hood 1 is
a low price range product with simple design. It can be used as
a built-in or wall-mounted hood with the combination of the
Chimney for Hood 1. The Hood 3 and Hood 4 are medium price
level products with high sales volumes. The Hood 2 is a high
price range product with a higher recorded performance (Asking
& Gustavsson, 2011).
The model specifications are here with presented in Table 1
Total Cost Product
This outcome shows differences in design and performance of
the products. The major difference here is observed between
these two product types, namely; hoods and induction hobs, and
because of this, the results will be analyzed separately in
various sections, the differentiation of reference products, in
terms of design and performance (Asking & Gustavsson, 2011).
The estimated product cost includes full product costs that
consider the cost for tier one supplier. This clearly shows that
the total product cost go higher owing to high internal costs at
IKEA that are added, for example the storage costs, and
overhead expenditure.
The retail prices in Figure 2 are altered by a conversion factor.
The product cost is a concern for every manufacturer as he/ she

7. will be challenged in his bid to locating the right track and
measurement of costs needed during the earlier development
processes (Asking & Gustavsson, 2011). High, complex and
frequent changes concerning the bill of materials bring this
hardship to a number of suppliers.
The Cost incorporates the product changes based on the
cost analysis. This approach allows the right performance of the
cost analysis, creating up to date cost reports that are accurate
as well. Cost gives empowerment for better and smarter
decisions gearing to meet the targeted costs.
References
Asking, P., & Gustavsson, S. (2011). Cost Breakdown Analysis-
A Study Of The Product Costs In The Kitchen Appliances At
IKEA Of Sweden. Retrieved from:
http://studentarbeten.chalmers.se/publication/148459-cost-
breakdown-analysis-a-study-of-the-product-costs-in-the-
kitchen-appliances-at-ikea-of-sweden
Module 5
Critical Thinking: (60 points)
Choose one of the following two assignments to complete this

8. week. Do not do both assignments. Identify your
assignment choice in the title of your submission. When you are
ready to submit, click the Module 5 Critical
Thinking header on the Assignments page to upload the
document.
Note that while there are two options for the Critical Thinking
assignment, there is only one rubric. Review the
rubric to confirm you are meeting the assignment requirements.
Assignment Choice #1: Cost of Production
Paint More, LLC, has organized a new division to manufacture
and sell specialty paint. The division’s
monthly costs are shown below:
Manufacturing costs:
Variable costs per unit:
Direct materials $12
Variable manufacturing overhead $1
Fixed manufacturing overhead costs (total) $100,000
Selling and administrative costs:
Variable 7% of sales
Fixed (total) $31,000

9. Because the production is highly automated, the company
includes its labor costs in its fixed
manufacturing overhead. The gallons of paint sell for $68 each.
During September, the first month of
operations, the following activity was recorded:
Units produced 5,000
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Module 5 - chose assignment 1 or 2. Do not complete both.
Due in 48 hours.
Units sold 4,000
Instructions:
Submit an Excel document with each tab labeled by item
number that demonstrates the following:
1. Compute the unit product cost under:
a. Absorption costing
b. Variable costing

10. 2. Prepare an absorption costing income statement for
September
3. Prepare a contribution format income statement for
September using variable costing
Provide your answers in a clearly organized Excel spreadsheet.
Check spelling and formatting for
readability. Document your sources. Where applicable, written
comments must be in accordance with
the Requirements. Be sure to review the Module 5 Critical
Thinking grading rubric, which may be accessed through the
Course Information page.
Assignment Choice #2: Behavioral Considerations under
Absorption versus Variable Costing
Stellar Packaging Products Company notes the following results
for 2016 for variable versus absorption
costing. The company’s base volume is 4,000,000.
Stellar Packaging Products
Budgeted Income Statement
Variable Costing
units
Absorption Costing
units
For the year 2016 3,800,000

11. 3,800,000
Revenues $ 4,750,000 Revenues $
4,750,000
Variable Costs:
Cost of Goods Sold:
Material $ 950,000 Material $
950,000
Labor $ 950,000 Labor $ 950,000
Variable Overhead $ 570,000 Variable Overhead $
570,000
Total Variable Costs $ 2,470,000 Fixed Overhead $
1,900,000
Contribution Margin $ 2,280,000
Production Volume
Variance $ 200,000
Fixed manufacturing Costs $ 2,000,000 Total
Manufacturing Costs $ 4,570,000
Fixed non-manufacturing Costs $ 100,000 Gross
Margin $ 180,000
Operating Income $ 180,000
Fixed non-manufacturing
Costs $ 100,000

12. Operating Income $ 80,000
The company presently uses absorption costing to provide
additional compensation and incentivize
managers to achieve their production goals. The compensation
formula is 10% of operating income.
Instructions:
Calculate the amount of the difference of additional
compensation between the two income statement
methods. If the decline in volume continues and Stellar makes
3.6 million units in 2017, should the
company switch to variable costing as the basis of
compensation? Why or why not? What might be the
reaction of the production managers if this occurs?
Your paper should meet the following requirements:
-3 pages in length
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13. Portfolio Milestone
For your selected product, begin your estimate of
cost for that item. Submit the following information to your
instructor.
Submit the following:
1. Forecast the variable cost per unit.
2. Forecast manufacturing costs and selling and administrative
expenses as either variable or fixed.
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Portfolio Milestone - due in 48 hours. See other attachment for
product information
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