The goal of this assignment will be to listen to one of the podcast episodes listed below and then write an essay where you first summarize and then evaluate the episode for its content, structure, and tone. To summarize, you will describe the main topic under discussion in the podcast and the specific position(s) or point(s) of view addressed by the host. Then, you will evaluate how the podcast was presented and whether it helped to inform and sustain your interest on the topic. To help you reflect on the podcast and brainstorm questions that you will want to address and answer in your assignment, you will read and annotate Abbey Mullens article for college students who are assigned to listen to a podcast.

Suggested Structure:

Introduction that includes a brief summary of the podcast episodes main idea and position on the topic it is addressing. Imagine that the reader of your essay is not familiar with the podcast episode and needs an explanation.
A thesis statement (at the end of your introduction or somewhere in your first body paragraph) that states whether the podcast episode successfully informed and/or interested you on the topic and identifies how it did or did not succeed. For example, you could identify what strategies the host used to help explain the topic, such as defining unfamiliar words, appealing to the listeners emotions, telling stories, comparing/contrasting a present event with the past, or using fact-based evidence such as statistics.
At least three body paragraphs where you support and expand on your thesis by exploring specific examples from the podcast. Make sure to paraphrase and/or quote directly from the episode. 
A conclusion where you wrap up your explanation and identify subjects raised that you like to research further (such as a frequently used term, a historical figure, or a law).