In a 2- to 3-page paper, you will try to persuade me to bump your overall grade. To accomplish this, you must rely on the classical argument structure, making multiple claims regarding why you deserve the bump and addressing possible counterarguments that I would make.
If you build a convincing argument, you will be rewarded with an A or A+ grade which would boost your score. If your argument is not convincing or counterproductive, this paper might negatively impact your score.
Some narratives you might pursue for your rhetorical reflection:
• Progress: you could make the argument that your later work indicates your inculcation of various concepts and should be weighed more heavily.
• Extracurricular Application: have you applied your knowledge of argumentation, research, analysis, or composition to other classes or your daily life? Are you using the skills in a way that I can’t see?
• Uncredited Efforts: have you distinguished yourself in any way that I don’t necessarily give points for (e.g., discussion moderator, team leader, peer tutor/guide)?
• Revision: Can you illustrate at least one revision you would apply to an already graded paper. For example, if you were marked down on paper two because your thesis wasn’t clear, explain the problem (is it too vague? Is it buried in the paragraph among other possible theses? Did you simply not have one?), and then describe how you would fix the issue in hindsight.