Week 1
Writing Assignment: Topic Submission
For this assignment, you need to submit your finalized topic
choice for final instructor approval.
Due Sunday, 11:59 p.m. (Pacific time)
Use the feedback you received from the discussion as you submit
your proposed topic.In your response of at least two paragraphs, include the
following information:
Explain the broad topic you will be covering.
Explain the controversy you will be presenting both sides of the
issue on.
Explain your purpose for choosing this topic and its relevance to
current issues.
List the audience that you plan to address and why.
Discuss any challenges that you believe you might face or
obstacles you can foresee that you will have to overcome to write about your
chosen topic.
Remember to use appropriate formatting as per APA (6th ed.):
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/0
Week 2
Writing Assignment: Thesis Statement and Source Analysis
For this assignment, you will write the thesis statement for your
research paper and provide a preliminary list of at least six sources for
approval by your instructor.
Due Sunday, 11:59 p.m. (Pacific time)
Create a single-sentence thesis statement that provides an
overview of your debatable topic as well as the two major arguments relating to
that topic. Keep each of these hints in mind as your craft your thesis:
Your thesis statement should match your approved topic from week
1.
A thesis statement is a single declarative sentence (not a
question).
It must be written in the third person only.
Create an APA-formatted reference page with at least six potential
sources that you plan to use both for your annotated bibliography (due next
week) and your final research paper. Keep in mind the following hints:
The appropriate heading for your reference page is the single word
References, which should be centered in lightface Roman font (not boldface,
italics, or underlined.)
The reference page should be written using Times New Roman 12
point font, double-spaced with 1" margins, and no extra spaces between
citations.
Entries should be listed in alphabetical order by author’s last
name.
When you cite an author in the reference page, list the last name
first, then the first initial (Lincoln, A.). Do not write the full first name
when using APA formatting.
In an APA citation, only the first word and proper nouns are
capitalized in an article or book title. The first word after a colon is also
capitalized (e.g., “The strange quirks of APA: Understanding capitalization”).
For each citation, all lines after the first line of each entry
should be indented one half-inch from the left margin.
Refer to this website for great help on exactly how to properly
cite sources and format your reference page:
http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/05/.
You will be required to use at least ten scholarly sources for
your final paper, and you may list all ten here for approval if desired.
Week 3
Writing Assignment: Outline
This week you will be writing an outline for your final paper.
Your outline must include introduction, body, and conclusion sections and be in
outline format.
Due Sunday, 11:59 p.m. (Pacific time)
In the introduction section of your outline, include the thesis
statement you submitted for your Thesis Assignment, making any necessary
revisions based on instructor feedback. Your outline should stem directly from
your revised thesis statement. You should also include topic sentences (for
each section) and paragraph transitions that help tie your major points
together.
Remember that your final essay must be a minimum of 5 pages long
not counting your cover page or references, so you will need somewhere between
6-8 body paragraphs.
Helpful hints:
Your outline should remain without bias. You must equally present
the arguments of both sides of the issue without revealing which side you agree
with.
Your outline must be written in third person.
Each topic sentence should directly relate back to the thesis
statement.
You may use the outline template provided. Remember to use
appropriate formatting as per APA (6th ed.):
https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/0
Expository Essay Outline Template
When you write an expository
essay that presents two sides of an issue without revealing bias, there are
three primary organizational tactics that can be used:
1.
Present all
the major arguments on one side of the issue, and then present all the major
arguments of the opposing viewpoint.
2.
Present one
of the major issues relating to the overarching topic, and in the same
paragraph, discuss the viewpoints of both sides on this particular issue.
3.
In one paragraph, present one of the
viewpoints on one major aspect of the controversy, and then follow that
paragraph with another paragraph presenting the opposing views’ arguments
related to the same aspect of the controversy. You then repeat that pattern one
to three more times.
Carefully consider these options,
choose one, and continue with this organizational strategy for your entire
essay.
You may use the below outline
template:
I.
Introduction
a.
Hook:________________________________________________________
b.
Thesis
statement:_______________________________________________
II.
Body Paragraph 1
a.
Transition:_____________________________________________________
b.
Topic
Sentence:_________________________________________________
i.
Supporting detail
1:________________________________________
ii.
Supporting detail
2:________________________________________
iii.
Supporting detail
3:________________________________________
III.
Body Paragraph 2
a.
Transition:_____________________________________________________
b.
Topic
Sentence:_________________________________________________
i.
Supporting detail
1:________________________________________
ii.
Supporting detail
2:________________________________________
iii.
Supporting detail
3:________________________________________
IV.
Body Paragraph 3
a.
Transition:_____________________________________________________
b.
Topic
Sentence:_________________________________________________
i.
Supporting detail 1:________________________________________
ii.
Supporting detail
2:________________________________________
iii.
Supporting detail
3:________________________________________
V.
Body Paragraph 4
a.
Transition:_____________________________________________________
b.
Topic Sentence:_________________________________________________
i.
Supporting detail
1:________________________________________
ii.
Supporting detail
2:________________________________________
iii.
Supporting detail
3:________________________________________
VI.
Conclusion
a.
Transition:_____________________________________________________
b.
Restatement of
thesis:___________________________________________
Week 4 Writing Assignment: Introduction and Conclusion
This week, you will be using
information from your assigned readings and the Toolwire assignment to draft
the introduction and conclusion of your research paper.
Due Sunday, 11:59 p.m. (Pacific
time)
Keep these tips in mind:
Your introduction should begin
with a hook that draws the reader in.
You need to provide background
information on the issue at large and explain the two major arguments you will
be exploring related to your issue.
Your thesis statement must be
present in your introduction paragraph and is typically the last sentence in
the paragraph.
Your conclusion should effectively
summarize your paper, reminding your audience of the two major sides of the
argument that you explored.
It should bring closure to the
essay.
Both paragraphs should be written
in third person.
Be careful not to overuse tactics
such as rhetorical questions or anecdotes.
Outside sources are typically
reserved for body paragraphs. If used in the introduction or conclusion, they
must be used sparingly and include appropriate in-text citations according to
APA style: https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/02/.
Week 5 Writing Assignment: Annotated Bibliography
This week, you will focus on
determining which sources you will use for your final assignment.
Due Sunday, 11:59 p.m. (Pacific
time)
For your final paper, you will be
required to have eight credible and scholarly sources. For this assignment, you
must choose a minimum of five of those sources to create an annotated
bibliography.
Use the Annotated Bibliography
Handout Click for more options for help
with formatting.
For each source, you will first
need to have an appropriately formatted APA reference citation, immediately
followed with a citation entry.
The citation entry should address
the following components:
A short summary of the articles
An evaluation of the author’s
background or authority
A description of the intended
audience
A comparison of this work with
other sources you have selected
An explanation of how this source
supports or opposes your topic
Remember that your entire
annotated bibliography should be double-spaced with no extra spaces between
entries.
Your bibliography needs to be
correctly indented with the first line of each reference list citation flush
left with the left-hand margin (no indentation), and the second and proceeding
lines should have a one-half inch hanging indent from the left-hand margin.
Your annotation begins on the line
following the end of the reference, and lines up with the indented portion of
the reference.
Your citations should be listed in
alphabetical order by author’s last name.
Week 6 Writing Assignment: Rough Draft
This week, you will put together
the first draft of your essay.
Due Sunday, 11:59 p.m. (Pacific
time)
Use your outline from Week 3 and
adding body paragraphs to the introduction and conclusion you submitted in Week
4.
A rough draft is not expected to
be polished, and as such, this assignment will be graded on a completion basis.
However, in order to receive full credit for the assignment, the following
components must be met:
Rough draft includes an
introduction, a minimum of four body paragraphs, and a conclusion.
Body paragraphs include
transitional statements and topic paragraphs.
A minimum of eight references are
incorporated as support into the essays.
References are cited using correct
APA formatting in both in-text citations
(https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/02/) and a references page
(https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/05/).
Furthermore, keep in mind the
following tips as you draft your essay:
Ensure that you remain without
bias in your essay and you fairly present both sides of the argument on your
issue.
Do not write in first or second
person (avoid the use of pronouns such as I, me, mine, we, us, ours, you,
yours, etc.)
Be sure to revise your
introduction and conclusion paragraphs based on the feedback you received on
your Week 4 assignment.
Use the outline you posted for
Week 3 as a guide, but if you find that changing some pieces makes more sense
as you draft, that is fine.
Remember to use appropriate
formatting as per APA (6th ed.): https://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/560/0
Week 8 Writing Assignment: The Final Paper
ENGL 240 Signature Assignment
(Research Paper)
The Research Paper assignment is
broken into two key parts:
? Part A: Research Paper
Components:
o Week 1: Topic Submission
o Week 2: Thesis Statement &
Source Analysis
o Week 3: Outline
o Week 4: Introduction &
Conclusion
o Week 5: Annotated Bibliography
o Week 6: Rough Draft
o Week 7: Peer Review
? Part B: Research Paper Final
Draft: This is also the Signature Assignment for this course.
Due Week 8
Purpose: The research paper will
explore a controversial topic in an informative style. This
means that the writer must present
an equal amount of information for both points of view
related to the topic. The topic
should be a debatable topic concerning social, political or cultural
relevance. The paper must present
both sides of the argument without providing personal
thought or opinion. Each side will
be neutrally presented allowing your audience to make their
own decision as to which side to
support.
Some things to think about as you
approach this undertaking:
? Will I be able to refrain from
interjecting personal thought, opinion, and ideas?
? Will I be able to find at least
eight credible sources from books, journal articles, academic
websites, interviews, etc.?
? Will my sources be at
up-to-date? (Please don't use anything more than 8 years old
without approval.)
Research Paper Requirements: These
should all be met in the final paper due in week 8.
1. No personal opinion should be
given. Please refrain from “I think” or “I believe.”
2. Five to seven pages, not
including the title and reference pages.
3. Minimum of eight resources for
your final paper.
4. In-text citations should be
provided throughout the paper, giving credit for the sources
used.
5. Reference page should be
written in APA style, using the sixth edition of the manual.
6. Do not use Wikipedia; it is not
a credible resource.
7. All assignments related to the
research paper will be due on Sundays.
Note: The paper is broken down
into several pieces during the class. Your final paper will be due
in week 8. Please read the weekly
assignments carefully!
Guidelines for writing: The
Structure of an Informative Paper
? Introductory paragraph: Sets the
stage for the topic and earns the audience’s interest.
Historical context and other
features of an introduction (preview of topic, thesis
statement) should be contained in
the introductory paragraph.
? Thesis statement: States the
scope of your paper. For example, “Before deciding which
side to take, readers should be
aware of both positions regarding “X”. It should be the last
sentence of your first paragraph.
? Background information: Gives
readers the basic information they need for
understanding your thesis and its
support. As appropriate, you might include definitions
of key terms, historical or social
context, prior scholarship, and other related material.
Often times this can be included
in the introduction or in a paragraph immediately after it.
Some topics have great historical
context and some don’t.
? Evidence and reasons as related
to point-of-view “A”: The first part of your paper should
present information that people
agree with from the “A” point of view: This is the core of
the essay. Each reason or piece of
evidence usually consists of a general statement
backed up with specific details
and examples. Evidence needs to meet the standards for
critical thinking and reasoning to
be logical. Depending on the length of your essay, you
might devote one or two paragraphs
to each reason or type of evidence. For organization,
you might choose to present the
most familiar reasons and evidence first, saving the most
unfamiliar reasons and evidence
for last. Alternatively, you might proceed from the least
important to the most important
point so that your essay builds to a climax, leaving the
most powerful impact for the end.
? Evidence and reasons as related
to point-of-view “B”: The second part of your paper
should present information that
people agree with from the “B” point of view: and as
stated earlier, each reason or
piece of evidence usually consists of a general statement
backed up with specific details
and examples. Evidence needs to meet the standards for
critical thinking and reasoning to
be logical. Depending on the length of your essay, you
might devote one or two paragraphs
to each reason or type of evidence. For organization,
you might choose to present the
most familiar reasons and evidence first, saving the most
unfamiliar reasons and evidence
for last. Alternatively, you might proceed from the least
important to the most important
point so that your essay builds to a climax, leaving the
most powerful impact for the end.
? Concluding paragraph: Ends the
essay logically and gracefully—never abruptly. It often
summarizes the controversy,
elaborates its significance, or calls readers to action.
? Sources: A source is any form of
information that provides ideas, examples, information,
or evidence. A primary source is
an original work created by groups or individuals being
studied, including original
documents, letters, diaries, poems, books, paintings, artwork,
films, news footage, etc. Nothing
stands between you and a primary source. A secondary
source reports, describes comments
on, or analyzes someone else’s work. When
completed, your research paper
will be a secondary source.
? Plagiarism: Plagiarism is the
intended or unintended use of someone else’s words and/or
ideas as your own. According to
Troyka, “plagiarism occurs when you take ideas or
words from a source without
revealing that you used a source” (p. 17)
