Skilled Writing through Inquiry
WR090, Fall 2011
Essay Two:
A Short Essay Analyzing Your Thanksgiving Dinner
Using Food Rules: An Eater’s Manual
Due Date

Final draft: Tuesday, Nov. 29th
Essay Purpose
This essay will serve three primary learning purposes: (1) you will use this assignment in
order to demonstrate that you have beginning skills in writing a short analytical essay, an
essay that is similar to the kinds of essays that will write in essay tests in some of your
college classes, (2) you will use Rule No. 64 (Break the rules once in a while) and two other
rules of your own choice to analyze your Thanksgiving meal, and (3) you will have fun
writing about one of the most enjoyable meals of any given year.
Assignment Description
You will write an essay of around three to four (3-4) paragraphs in which you describe your
meal following the directions below and analyze the meal in terms of three of Michael
Pollan’s rules: Rule No. 64, “Break the rules once in a while,” plus two other rules of your
own choosing.
Your paper will have a descriptive title, one that hints at or summarizes the content of the
essay.
Your introduction will describe your Thanksgiving Dinner. What did you eat? Who prepared
the food? Who was there? Do you say a Thanksgiving prayer or engage in other traditional
ways of eating this special meal? Did you do anything else—watch football (which games),
play cards, take a Thanksgiving walk, play football. Don’t be surprised if you find that your
introduction covers an entire page. Your thesis statement, located at the end of your
introduction, will say whether Michael Pollan would approve or not approve of your meal,
and why. (Hint: Most of what we eat in a Thanksgiving Dinner would meet with Michael
Pollan’s approval. Why?)
Your first and second (and if you write a third) body paragraphs will be each framed by
topic sentences. In your topic sentence you might want to name one or two of the rules you
will use in that body paragraph to analyze your dinner. What about the dinner did or did not
conform to the rule? Even so, why might Michael Pollan agree that either the rule should be
discarded in this case, and hence, approve of the dinner item nonetheless, or disapprove of
the dinner item?
Mt. Hood Community College
Mary Kelly-Klein, Instructor
2
Your conclusion will summarize your major points and reflect back to the thesis. You will not
introduce any new material or major points in your conclusion.
Essay Directions
Your essay will be composed of an introductory paragraph, two to three (2-3) body
paragraphs, and a concluding paragraph. You may write an optional third body paragraph.
Your essay will be between 2 and 3 pages in length, double-spaced, with margins of 1.25
inches on both sides, and use 10 to 12 point standard fonts. You will title your essay with a
descriptive title, and your name and a page number will be present on each page.
Please carefully review and use the essay rubric as you write your paper. I will use it to
evaluate your essay. And please do call me with your questions or concerns!
Citations & Avoiding Plagiarism
You will cite the sources of all material that you either paraphrase or quote, and you will use
quotations marks when you do directly (word-for-word) quote Michael Pollan or any other
source. You will name the person you are quoting in the body of the paragraph itself, and
you will use an appositive to state the credentials or authority of that person. You will cite
by placing the name of the source of your quotation in parenthesis after the quote. If you
use a website, you will copy and paste the specific web address where you found the
material right into the body of the paper, enclosing the in parenthesis as in the example
below. If you omit words from a quote—which you should do if the quotation is lengthy,
you will use an ellipsis (three dots in a row). You will learn how to do official MLA style
citations in WR115 and beyond. Please refer to the sample, below:
Smart-Alec Knowitall, distinguished professor of food science at Elite University and head of the National
Poultry Science Association reminds us, “…food science is an emerging science…” Knowitall adds, “… if
we do not take action soon, we may find ourselves in an untenable situation” within one or two generations
(http://www.npsa.gov).
A Word about Revising and Re-Writing this Essay
Your paper should be carefully revised and proofread for clarity and correctness.
What Must Accompany Your Essay (please check off)
 These instructions, with each box checked
 Your blueprint/out line and rough draft
 Your final draft
 Bring two copies of your essay to class with you, plus your flashdrive with your essay
saved to it.
And as always, call/text with your questions!
Remember, the only silly question is the one not asked!
Mt. Hood Community College
Mary Kelly-Klein, Instructor