Essay One

Draft One due- 9/23

This semester’s draft one essay is based on your option to choose from two general essay questions provided by your instructor to gage an understanding of one, your writing, two, and your views about the topic.  The whole idea of structuring this semester’s essay assignment in this manner is to get you to think about the idea of writing based off of a question(s).    

Writing prompt #1

Can young people make a real impact on society? For example, can they be instrumental in changing laws or policies on issues they care about? How? What examples from the past or present can you think of to support your opinion?

Writing Prompt #2

Do we have a right – even an obligation- to speak out against injustices? Why or why not?

  1. Begin your essay process with researching two sources (all sources must come from an academic database)
  2. Essay must contain a thesis
  3. Must Format in MLA: header, heading, in-text citations, interpretation, work cited page
  4. 500 words in length (2 pages) including the works cited page
  5. Typed, double spaced, Times New Roman font, or be consistent with academic font of choice.
  6. For format assistance, please see PurdueOwl.com or schedule an appointment to see a tutor.
  7. If you have never followed the collegiate format of paper writing, please do not worry you will learn by the end of the semester.  Be where you are and write you’re your paper the best way you know how!

Research Paper

Draft One due- November 4, 2020

Final Draft due- December 9, 2020

For your final research project, you are to write a 5-page paper on any topic of your choice pertaining to this semester’s theme.  Your research paper is an extension of your Essay One. You have learned a lot this semester on activism, advocacy, and social movements.  Given this, you will consider your topic and what you wrote about in your first essay and draw off ideas that you have developed in your essay one.  You will develop your own research question about something that you are passionate about developed in your previous writing.  The idea behind your research project is to show the writing process that you have worked on this semester, as well as mark the connections between your first and research essays.

The process to writing a strong research paper requires you to investigate a topic (any topic related to our class theme), collect information on that topic (be specific and research for sources), evaluate evidence (judge how your sources relate to your topic and thesis), and establish a position, analysis, or strong discussion about on your topic.    

Your paper must be completely formatted in MLA with a works cited page.  It must contain a thesis and quotations (in-text citations) with analysis (interpretation), and connections (ties back to thesis or discussion).  Your paper must use one source of any text (film, book, essays, and articles, speeches, interviews, etc.) from this semester. In addition, you are to do independent research and find three or more sources that support your thesis, and create an argument that you support with your sources.

  1. Develop a question that you want to research
  2. Turn your research question into a thesis (simply answer the question by restating your question as you have learned this semester).
  3. Begin your research process (all sources must come from an academic database)
  4. Begin drafting your essay
  5. Must Format in MLA: header, heading, in-text citations, interpretation, work cited page
  6. 5 pages in length including the works cited page
  7. Typed, double spaced, Times New Roman font, or be consistent with academic font of choice.
  8. Paper must not contain any contractions
  9. Your final paper cannot be written in first or second person.  Your final academic research paper must be written in third person.
  10. For format assistance, please see PurdueOwl.com or schedule an appointment to see a tutor.