smg10e

Choose a subject to evaluate.

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When choosing a subject for evaluation, keep in mind that it must be

one that has strengths or weaknesses you could write about;
one that you can view and review (for example, a location you can visit; a printed text; or a Web site or digital recording from which you can capture stills or video clips to use as examples in a multimedia presentation);
one typically evaluated according to criteria or standards of judgment that you understand and share with your readers.

You may alrein mind. If you do, skip to Test Your Choice below. If you do not, the following topics, in addition to those following the readings (pp. 368, 374, and 381), may suggest one you can write about effectively.

Subjects Related to school

Evaluate some aspect of your high school or college—for example, a particular program or major you are considering; a residence hall, library, or lab; the sports facilities or teams; a campus research institute or center; or campus work-study or student support services.
Evaluate an article, an essay, a textbook, or another book assigned in a course; a campus newspaper blog, editorial, or opinion piece; or a campus performance, exhibit, or film series.

Subjects Related to your Community

Evaluate how well one of the following meets the needs of residents of your town or city: public library, health clinic, neighborhood watch or block parent program, meals-on-wheels program, theater, or symphony.
Evaluate a law or a proposed law, such as the Dream Act, the Stop Online Piracy Act, the Defense of Marriage Act, the balanced budget amendment or the equal rights amendment to the Constitution.

Subjects Related to work

Evaluate a job you have had or currently have, or evaluate someone else you have observed closely, such as a coworker or supervisor.
Evaluate a local job-training program, either one in which you have participated or one that will allow you to observe and interview trainees.

TEST YOUR CHOICE

After you have made a provisional choice, ask yourself the following questions:

Do I know enough about the subject, or can I learn enough in the time I have?
Do I already have a judgment (either tentative or certain) about this subject?
Do I know what criteria or standards my readers are likely to use for judging something of this kind? Would I use the same criteria?

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To try out your choice of a subject and ideas about criteria, get together with two or three other students:

Presenters. Take turns describing your subject.

Listeners. Briefly tell the presenter what criteria or standards of judgment you would use to evaluate a subject of this kind.

As you plan and draft your evaluation, you may need to reconsider your choice of subject (for example, if you discover your criteria for evaluating are different from those your readers would use). If you have serious doubts about your choice, discuss them with your instructor before starting over with a new subject.