Trend: Streaming apps (Netflix, Hulu, etc...) Examples: Positive: Cheaper ways to watch TV shows. Negative: Makes people stay late (thus, it will affect grades or working efficiency) Negative: Makes people stay home more and don’t do activates (as we discussed in class) Praising or Critiquing: This trend both ways, it can be good and also it can be bad. But it’s affecting a lot of people, so it’s mostly a bad trend if we still use it this much. Writing Project #2: Commentary Argument Purpose/Goals: Trends rise and fall on an almost daily basis. You see them on the news, on social media and around you every day. Commentary uses analysis and interpretation to find patterns of meaning in events, trends, and ideas and not merely to report findings. Assignment Description: For this assignment, you will analyze and examine a trend. First, you will identify a current pattern or trend. In order to do this, you will find at least three examples of the trend to establish its existence. Second, you will explain its meaning and examine the causes and effects of the trend. Third, you will provide your evaluation of the trend. This means you will either praise the trend or critique it and explain why you feel that way (using evidence to support your claims). These topics are off-limits for this paper: Abortion/Teen Pregnancy, Euthanasia/ PAS, Death penalty, Legalizing marijuana, Gay marriage, Gun control, Lowering the Drinking Age and Sheriff Joe Arpaio. If you turn in a paper on one of these topics, you will automatically earn a zero for this assignment. Source Requirement: You need to find four (4) outside sources for your review. Remember, your research should support your points, not make them for you. The research used in your paper can support your claims on why you are arguing something is a trend. It can also explain or support your discussion of the causes and consequences of the trend or support your evaluation of the trend. At least three of your sources need to come from the ASU library or its databases. Audience: The audience for this assignment will be determined by your trend. Who will care about your topic? What will they need to know before they can understand your discussion of the trend? You need to establish and explain this in your introduction. Length/Format: Your paper must be a minimum of 1200 words and should be no more than 1500 words. Your paper should be in 12 point Times New Roman or Calibri font. It should be double-spaced and have 1” margins on all side. Your paper should follow all MLA formatting guidelines and include a Works Cited page. Grading Criteria: -Your paper should examine a trend, provide examples and provide an evaluation -Your paper should be clearly written, well-organized, and insightfully argued -Your analysis should show evidence of critical engagement with the subject and be supported by outside research -Your analysis should go beyond surface impressions to explore the social and ideologic ...

1. Trend:
Streaming apps (Netflix, Hulu, etc...)
Examples:
Positive: Cheaper ways to watch TV shows.
Negative: Makes people stay late (thus, it will affect grades or
working efficiency)
Negative: Makes people stay home more and don’t do activates
(as we discussed in class)
Praising or Critiquing:
This trend both ways, it can be good and also it can be bad. But
it’s affecting a lot of people, so it’s mostly a bad trend if we
still use it this much.
Writing Project #2: Commentary Argument
Purpose/Goals: Trends rise and fall on an almost daily basis.
You see them on the news, on social media and around you
every day. Commentary uses analysis and interpretation to find
patterns of meaning in events, trends, and ideas and not merely
to report findings.
Assignment Description: For this assignment, you will analyze
and examine a trend. First, you will identify a current pattern or
trend. In order to do this, you will find at least three examples
of the trend to establish its existence. Second, you will explain
its meaning and examine the causes and effects of the trend.
Third, you will provide your evaluation of the trend. This means
you will either praise the trend or critique it and explain why
you feel that way (using evidence to support your claims).
These topics are off-limits for this paper: Abortion/Teen
Pregnancy, Euthanasia/ PAS, Death penalty, Legalizing
marijuana, Gay marriage, Gun control, Lowering the Drinking
Age and Sheriff Joe Arpaio. If you turn in a paper on one of

2. these topics, you will automatically earn a zero for this
assignment.
Source Requirement: You need to find four (4) outside sources
for your review. Remember, your research should support your
points, not make them for you. The research used in your paper
can support your claims on why you are arguing something is a
trend. It can also explain or support your discussion of the
causes and consequences of the trend or support your evaluation
of the trend. At least three of your sources need to come from
the ASU library or its databases.
Audience: The audience for this assignment will be determined
by your trend. Who will care about your topic? What will they
need to know before they can understand your discussion of the
trend? You need to establish and explain this in your
introduction.
Length/Format:
Your paper must be a minimum of 1200 words and should be no
more than 1500 words. Your paper should be in 12 point Times
New Roman or Calibri font. It should be double-spaced and
have 1” margins on all side. Your paper should follow all MLA
formatting guidelines and include a Works Cited page.
Grading Criteria:
-Your paper should examine a trend, provide examples and
provide an evaluation
-Your paper should be clearly written, well-organized, and
insightfully argued
-Your analysis should show evidence of critical engagement
with the subject and be supported by outside research
-Your analysis should go beyond surface impressions to explore
the social and ideological implications of your chosen subject
Grading Breakdown

3. Topic Paragraph: 10%
Individual Conference: 10%
Full Rough Draft/Peer Editing Day: 10%
Content: 50%
MLA Format/Citations: 15%
Grammar and Mechanics: 5%
Due Dates:
Topic Paragraph Due: Tuesday, March 1st in BlackBoard
Full Rough Draft Due/Peer Reviews: Tuesday, March 29th in
Class
Final Draft Due: Sunday, April 3rd in BlackBoard by midnight
Commentary Research
& Prewriting
ENG 108
Professor Way
Off Limits Topics for your Paper
Abortion/Teen Pregnancy
Euthanasia/ PAS
Death penalty
Legalizing marijuana
Gay marriage
Gun control
Changing the Drinking Age
Sheriff Joe
Brief Commentary Outline
Intro-Introduce your topic/issue briefly + thesis statement;
introduce target audience
Body paragraphs

4. Label or identify trend (provide at least three specific
examples): 2-3 paragraphs
Explain trend; draw conclusions-talk about causes and effects :
1 paragraph
Make a judgment/Offer an opinion; Praise or Critique the
Trend: 1-2 paragraphs
Conclusion
Works Cited Page
Creative Titles
Write a fun, interesting title for your paper.
Example:
Big Company Monopoly:
A Commentary on Net Neutrality in America
More Than PhotoShop:
A Commentary on Weight Privilege in Society
Commentary Thesis
Your thesis should include the big picture elements of your
trend and your implied evaluation of it.
Examples:
Communications moguls want to end net neutrality so they can
control everyday internet use and earn a profit.
Instead of interacting with the world around them, people have
become far too attached to using their cell phones in almost
every part of their daily routine.
The fashion industry both creates and benefits from the false
illusion of beauty created by its perfectly airbrushed models.

5. Your Turn…
Briefly identify your trend and your evaluation
Draft a thesis statement that includes these two elements to
form the big picture of your paper.
big picture elements of your trend + your implied
evaluation=thesis statement
Run it by your elbow partner (one other person) and see if it
makes sense
Audience
The audience for this assignment will be determined by your
trend. Who will care about your topic? What will they need to
know before they can understand your discussion of the trend?
You need to establish and explain this in your introduction.
Research
Should support your points, not make them for you
Can support your claims on why
you are arguing something is a trend
causes and consequences of the trend
your evaluation of the trend
Remember that you need at least four outside sources; three
must be from the ASU Library or its databases.