The word "essay" comes from the French word essai, meaning a "trial" or an "attempt." It was popularized by Michel de Montaigne, who used the form to test out his reflections on the world. While you may have learned the "5-paragraph" model in earlier grades, that is really just a set of training wheels. In university, college, and professional research, writing is much more fluid and follows the "Scientific Method" of ideas.
In this assignment, you will find three real academic essays on Google Scholar and use your AI tools to "deconstruct" them: seeing exactly how professional writers build a convincing argument.
Go to Google Scholar and search for your chosen theme from Macbeth or your independent novel. Pick three essays that look interesting.
Mapping the Text: Academic writing can be dense. Use your AI assistant to help you create a "GPS map" for each essay:
In your Google Doc, you will perform a "Color-Coded Autopsy" on your chosen essays.
Overall Structure: Professional essays don't just have an intro, three body paragraphs, and a conclusion. They follow the logic of the argument. Use different highlight colours to identify:
Paragraph Structure (The PEE Method): Most strong academic paragraphs follow a "Point, Example, Explanation" (PEE) flow.
Literary Devices: Professional writers use "tools" like metaphor, irony, or parallelism to make their academic points more persuasive. Ask your AI for a list of common literary devices used in academic writing, then find examples of them in your three essays.
The Process Screencast: Record a short video (using Canva or your preferred tool) to "talk through" your findings:
Before you submit, please complete the Pre-Submission Self-Assessment.
Google Doc including:
Screencast video explaining your analysis and reflection
We are learning to:
Apply effective reading strategies to approach and understand complex academic writing
Develop independent judgment regarding the effectiveness of academic forms and conventions
I can:
demonstrate an understanding of main ideas and supporting evidence within academic texts
recognize and explain the forms, conventions, and stylistic elements of scholarly essays
analyze complex texts using a range of digital and cognitive strategies
evaluate which reading strategies are most effective for different types of difficult writing
| Category | Level 4 | Level 3 | Level 2 | Level 1 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Knowledge/Understanding | Demonstrates a thorough and nuanced understanding of the selected academic texts | Demonstrates a considerable understanding of the selected academic texts | Demonstrates some understanding of the selected texts | Demonstrates limited understanding of the selected texts |
| Knowledge/Understanding | Demonstrates a high degree of understanding regarding academic forms and stylistic elements | Demonstrates a considerable understanding of academic forms and stylistic elements | Demonstrates some understanding of academic forms and stylistic elements | Demonstrates limited understanding of academic forms |
| Thinking/Inquiring | Accurately and insightfully identifies the most effective reading strategies for complex scenarios | Identifies which strategies are more and less effective for a given situation | Often identifies which strategies are more or less effective | Sometimes identifies effective strategies with limited clarity |
| Thinking/Inquiring | Expertly identifies and organizes key elements to support future professional and academic writing | Identifies important elements to support future writing tasks | Identifies a number of elements to support future writing | Identifies a few elements to support future writing |
| Application | Applies a wide variety of reading and deconstruction strategies with exceptional effectiveness | Applies a variety of reading strategies effectively | Applies some variety of reading strategies with limited effectiveness | Applies a limited number of strategies with minimal effectiveness |
| Communication | Written and verbal communication is exceptionally clear, concise, and professionally organized | Written and verbal communication is clear and concise | Writing is often clear and concise | Writing is somewhat clear or concise |
Demonstrates a thorough and nuanced understanding of the selected academic texts
Demonstrates a considerable understanding of the selected academic texts
Demonstrates some understanding of the selected texts
Demonstrates limited understanding of the selected texts
Demonstrates a high degree of understanding regarding academic forms and stylistic elements
Demonstrates a considerable understanding of academic forms and stylistic elements
Demonstrates some understanding of academic forms and stylistic elements
Demonstrates limited understanding of academic forms
Accurately and insightfully identifies the most effective reading strategies for complex scenarios
Identifies which strategies are more and less effective for a given situation
Often identifies which strategies are more or less effective
Sometimes identifies effective strategies with limited clarity
Expertly identifies and organizes key elements to support future professional and academic writing
Identifies important elements to support future writing tasks
Identifies a number of elements to support future writing
Identifies a few elements to support future writing
Applies a wide variety of reading and deconstruction strategies with exceptional effectiveness
Applies a variety of reading strategies effectively
Applies some variety of reading strategies with limited effectiveness
Applies a limited number of strategies with minimal effectiveness
Written and verbal communication is exceptionally clear, concise, and professionally organized
Written and verbal communication is clear and concise
Writing is often clear and concise
Writing is somewhat clear or concise