Literacy in Middle School
1. Paper 2 Assignment Sheet
Response to Research
Paper 2 in the Context of the Larger Project
The larger aim of the course is to identify a problem in your local community and propose a workable, realistic solution for it. In order to realize this aim, to both fully understand the scope and nature of the issue and to communicate to your reader the significance of the problem and the suitableness of the solution, we will craft a series of papers that address the background facts of the situation, the reasoning behind what should be done, and a clear plan for action. In the second paper, after adequately presenting pertinent facts in an unbiased, objective manner, you will show how these facts led you to conclusions about how to approach the problem. You need to persuade your audience that the particular demands of your problem in its local form make certain approaches more desirable and more apt to produce the best outcomes. By demonstrating how the information in the first paper leads to certain conclusions about what can and should be done, the second paper should lay the argumentative grounds for the solution presented in the third paper. The third paper will present your solution in detail. The fourth paper will combine the previous papers into one sustained and cohesive researched argument.
About Paper 2
Paper 2: Response to Research should be a minimum of five pages in length and should conform to all of the guidelines for written work for the course. This is an analytical, evaluative response to the facts presented in Paper 1. It draws upon the sources presented in Paper 1 and does not introduce new sources. The paper evaluates the sources in comparison with one another and with the specific conditions of the local problem. What had been presented objectively in the first paper can now be evaluated. The aim is to present the conceptual basis for developing a practical solution. By discussing the facts that were presented in Paper 1, this paper seeks to convince the reader of the most practical and advisable courses of action concerning the problem. This paper does not, however, present the specific solution.
Often, there is a practical necessity to continue research after submitting Paper 1; upon receiving feedback on Paper 1, you may find that additional resources are necessary or you may come across new and better sources on your own. You can include these new sources in Paper 2, but they cannot be introduced in Paper 2. If you are making reference to new sources in Paper 2, the assumption is that you will return to Paper 1 and introduce the sources there. If you do so, you must submit Paper 1, with the added portions highlighted or bolded, through email when you submit Paper 2 through Blackboard.
When writing Paper 2, you are drawing on Paper 1 and preparing for Paper 3:
Remember that you will be presenting a local solution in Paper 3, so arguments, discussed in Paper 2, about what can and should be done must always turn back to the practical realities of the local situation.
Present the basis for the arguments you will make in Paper 3, for the solution that you will present and defend. Remember that this is not the space to present the solution but to show how the information from Paper 1 leads you to certain conclusions.
Use your, properly cited, sources from Paper 1 to make your arguments.
All papers must be written at a college level. All papers should be word-processed, in Times New Roman, 12-pt font, with 1-inch margins and your last name followed by the page number as a header. Papers should be submitted in .doc or .docx format.
Consider Content Focus with an Example If a student were to look at the rise in a certain medical condition or the increased spread of a particular disease in a particular area, one for which there is an established cause, and to consider proposing a solution, the solution to this problem would need to conform to the realities of the local situation. Establishing how a solution might meet these realities is the aim of Paper 2. In Paper 2, the student might want to show, for example, that the national trends show an increase in one demographic while the local trends are in another. This would influence the way in which a solution is developed. The student might point out that while certain solutions were successful in other places (precedent), these other places faced a problem that followed the national demographic trends. The student might look at other successful programs, all introduced in the first paper, and consider ways in which the iterations of the problem that these are responding to are like and different from the local problem that the student has chosen as her focus. She would highlight what appear to be the most important local factors in determining a solution. She would want to discuss why some solutions would not be relevant given these factors – perhaps the lack of availability of certain infrastructure resources. She would want to argue for ways in which existing solutions might be combined or modified to meet the needs of the local situation.
Consider Your Audience You will have established background information for your audience, free from bias, in Paper 1. You must assume that a reader, given the information that you have provided, might come to a number of conclusions as to what would be feasible and advisable given the local problem. You should come to your argument in Paper 2 from that perspective.
This assignment is due Sunday, October 15 by 11:59pm.
4. A Few Notes on Paper 2
As explored in the last module, the three papers you will write this semester engage different forms of argumentation. Whereas Paper 1 is a report, Paper 2 is an evaluation. (And Paper 3, as will be covered in the next module, will be a thesis-driven argument.)
So, what does it mean to evaluate?
In its most basic form, evaluation is an assessment, a judgment about the value of something. In popular culture, the Academy Awards is an example of evaluation. Using a specific set of criteria, experts judge, for example, the value of actors’ performances in this year’s films. There are specific conditions that govern which actors and which films can be nominated in certain categories. There are also generally agreed upon criteria for what constitutes a good performance or a worthy film that form the basis of the experts’ evaluation.
An evaluation written for an academic argument has parallels to this more popular form of evaluation. When you evaluate for an academic audience, you also judge the worth of something, but you are expected to explicitly define the set of criteria by which you will evaluate and this set of criteria must respond directly to the specific conditions of the thing you are evaluating. To be more specific, in Paper 2, you will judge the merits of precedent—other solutions already proposed or implemented that attempt to eliminate or mitigate the problem you’ve identified. In order to evaluate successfully, you will need to create a set of criteria for evaluation that takes into account the specific local conditions of your local problem. Instead of simply naming a winner without explanation (as happens in receiving an Oscar), you will explain to your readers in detail exactly what the pros and cons are of the precedent you’ve found based on how well that solution would work in your local situation.
We will discuss precedent in more detail below, but, first, let’s explore the structure of Paper 2.
Where should I begin?
Paper 2’s focus will be evaluating precedent, but before you jump into how well other solutions have worked or will work in your particular situation, you need to provide a bit of context for your readers. Therefore, you will need to begin Paper 2 with a synthesis of the information that you have presented in Paper 1. A synthesis is a presentation of the overall conclusions that you drew from the information you presented in Paper 1. Remember that Paper 2 serves as a bridge from Paper 1, your reportage on the problem, to Paper 3, your proposed solution to the problem. You have established precedent in your first paper; now, you will need to consider how you will evaluate it in your second paper, in order to establish a basis upon which to build your solution. The introductory synthesis will transition your reader from Paper 1 to Paper 2, which will be necessary for Paper 4, the Integrated Paper, but is also important as it lays the foundation for the evaluation of precedent to follow.
· Paper 3 Assignment Sheet
Paper 3: Argument for a Local Solution
Paper 3 in the Context of the Larger Project
The larger aim of the course is to identify a problem in your local community and propose a workable, realistic solution for it. In order to realize this aim, to both fully understand the scope and nature of the issue and to communicate to your reader the significance of the problem and the suitableness of the solution, we will craft a series of papers that address the background facts of the situation, the reasoning behind what should be done, and a clear plan for action. In the first paper, you objectively presented the background for the issue, based upon your research, with the aim of providing your reader with a body of knowledge and a vocabulary with which to engage the issue. The second paper responded to the research, positioning your ideas within the body of knowledge presented in the first paper, demonstrating how the information in the first paper leads to certain conclusions about what can and should be done. The third paper will present your solution in detail. This paper should be a detailed description of the solution and a defense of the solution as both meeting the problem and representing the best course of action. The fourth paper will combine the previous papers into one sustained and cohesive researched argument.
About Paper 3
Paper 3: Argument for a Local Solution should be minimum of fifteen pages in length. It must include proper in-text citations and a works cited page. It is a persuasive paper. It draws upon the sources presented in Paper 1, and analyzed in Paper 2, as the basis for designing a new solution to a local problem. There should be no new sources introduced in this paper. It is an extension of the arguments presented in Paper 2; this paper shows how the conclusions reached in Paper 2 can be practically applied. It presents a realistic solution for the local problem in detail and with attention to the specific conditions surrounding the local problem. It may compare the newly proposed solution to other solutions (precedent), only if these other solutions are initially presented objectively in Paper 1. The aims of the paper are to describe in detail a particular implementable (practical and viable) local solution to the local problem and to argue for that particular local solution to the local problem.
All papers must be written at a college level. All papers should be word-processed, in Times New Roman, 12-pt font, with 1-inch margins and your last name followed by the page number as a header. Papers should be submitted in .doc or .docx format.
Key Points to Consider Remember that the aim is to be as thorough as possible in your presentation of the solution. Consider what preparations will have to be made in order to implement the solution. Consider what ongoing work, beyond the initial implementation, will need to be done to maintain the solution. Consider costs and timelines. Consider locations and individuals involved.
While each solution will have its own demands, every solution will need to reflect attention to some key areas. This list is not exhaustive, but consider whether your paper addresses these points:
Who is in a position to enact the change? Are these persons or entities addressed in the solution?
Who will be affected by the change? This does not only mean those who will be positively affected by solving the problem. Others will potentially be affected by the solution, even if they were not affected by the problem.
Is this a long-term or short-term solution? Either can be effectively argued for, but the paper must make clear the extent to which the solution is expected to eliminate or mitigate the problem.
How will you be able to measure the effectiveness of the solution?
There are many more questions that you will want to consider, but they all will, in some way, come back to two: Have you described the solution in such detail that action at this time someone could use your paper as the blueprint for implementing the solution? and Have you defended your solution in such a way that the reader will see it as the best course of?
Example 2
Working Thesis: Because research suggests that the more planned and supervised activities there are available for teenagers, the less opportunity they have for getting into trouble, I propose that the City of Smallville identify a network of community volunteers - perhaps from among the active retirees in Smallville - and an existing location in town where teens can go after school for help with homework and to meet their friends in a supervised situation. Proposed Solution: Smallville needs a supervised setting and after school activities for teenagers.
Is there an empty location currently located in Smallville where the owner would be willing to donate or lease for a minimal amount to the city for an after school program location?
Would insurance be required by the program?
How would it be paid?
If a building is not available, is there a local church which would be willing to act as a center?
Is it possible for the city to waive taxes and fees for an after school center?
Would local utility companies be willing to waive utility fees or would the city be willing to pay for the monthly utilities?
Does Smallville have the funds to do something like this?
Are there grants available for this kind of project?
Who should locate the appropriate grant to apply for?
Who would write the grant?
Who will oversee the grant process and the spending of grant funds?
Who will write the final report to the granting agency?
Are there active retirees in Smallville who would be willing to supervise an after school activity from 3:00 to 5:00pm, Mondays through Thursdays, during the school year?
Is there a retiree who would be willing to organize the schedule, oversee the programs, and be responsible for the building?
How would funds be raised to provide the center with supplies?
Who would be in charge of purchasing and overseeing the use of supplies?
Where will supplies be kept?
How will teenagers be attracted to the center?
How will they be convinced to join programs and stay in them?
How will undesirable elements be discouraged from coming?
Why are teenagers being targeted?
What about latchkey children?
As you can see here, when the project is changed to include volunteers and an existing building that could be donated, the project seems much more plausible and easier to enact. Some of the issues will remain the same, but many become much easier to deal with. Concentrate on what is realistic to accomplish. The more carefully you think through the brainstorming process, the easier it will be to construct the 15-page description of your proposed solution for Paper 3. Your working thesis will then need to be refined for the draft to include a clear claim with reasons/evidence to back the claim. Review the sample paper for an example of a draft (versus a working) thesis statement.
Now that you’ve completed the research, you should have a good idea of what you think a workable solution would be for the problem you’ve identified. Your plan should be specific and detailed regarding the steps it will take to achieve your solution. Remember that your solution must be a practical and viable local solution for the problem. Don’t attempt to solve all the world’s problems in one fell swoop. That’s an impossible task. Limit yourself to something that you realistically can achieve and something that does not rely on a miracle solution, such as winning the lottery, to get it started. I have not provided a checklist for this paper, as were included in the previous modules, in part because I would like for you to practice writing your own. Consider, as well, the fact that your solutions will need to be individualized. This means that you will need to create an individualized checklist with detailed answers to questions modeled on the previous section--questions that relate directly to the local conditions of your local problem. The basic requirements for Paper 3 are included in this PowerPoint, but I encourage you to draft your own checklist after reviewing the attached PowerPoint presentation, which presents the logistical structure of the three papers before discussing Paper 3 in depth. Regardless of the particulars of your local situation, Paper 3 should begin with a comprehensive thesis statement that includes both a description of your solution in brief (claim) and a description of your defense of the solution in brief (reasons/evidence).
The semester ends with what should reflect the culmination of your work not only in this class, but throughout your college career--the integrated research project. UNIV 401, Senior Capstone Experience, is the culmination of your degree, and your work should reflect the research, writing, argumentation, and critical thinking skills honed across disciplines in your time at the University of South Carolina. As we enter the final weeks, I encourage you to reread the syllabus, especially the course description and learning outcomes, to reflect on and celebrate your progress as you've nearly completed this challenging and rewarding semester-long project.
As this module will make clear, the integrated project requires more than simply cutting and pasting the three previously submitted papers together into one document. Paper 4 is a carefully-crafted, fully-integrated argument, with additions to create a logical structure and editing to streamline the argument. It should also include thoughtful revisions of each previously submitted paper that take into account the detailed comments and suggestions for improvement.
This module we will be doing the following:
integrating and finalizing Paper 4
considering a sample paper
developing strategies for revision and integrating existing papers, including drafting a new comprehensive introduction and conclusion.