Peer Review of Project ¡Yo!

This week, your task is to finish the first draft of your paper for Project ¡Yo! and submitit to the discussion forum for peer review. In turn, one other student will give you feedback on your own paper. Here are some guidelines:

The Big Picture

In Literature of American Minorities, you are reading selected works by several groups of so-called minority authors of the United States. The intent is to learn about some of the important literary movements and themes within their cultural contexts. To apply your learning, you will read and study the novel ¡Yo!, by Julia Alvarez from the Dominican Republic.

Goal

Write a 6-7 page research paper in which you critically evaluate the novel, ¡Yo!, on a structural or thematic level. You may also choose to compare and contrast the structural or thematic elements of the novel with those of another fictional text you have read, either in this course or elsewhere.

Due

Project ¡Yo! is due at the end of Week 11, but preliminary pieces of the assignment are due during Weeks 03-10, according to the following Time Line. You will receive feedback along the way to help you do the best job possible.

Time Line

Technical Requirements

1. Original research paper that is a minimum of 6-7 pages in length. In general, pages consist of:

Title Page - Captivating title, your name, title of the course, date

Body -  6-7 pages in length. Follow this rough outline:

1. Introduction - Introduce topic - Bring focus to your study through dramatic opening, leading into thesis statement.
2. First Point coming out of thesis statement
   1. Support #1 from research
   2. Support #2 from research
   3. Personal observation, backed by facts/text passages
   4. Transition to next point.
3. Second Point coming out of thesis statement
   1. Support #1 from research
   2. Support #2 from research
   3. Personal opinion, backed by facts/text passages
   4. Transition to next point.
4. Third Point coming out of thesis statement
   1. Support #1 from research
   2. Support #2 from research
   3. Personal opinion, backed by facts/text passages
   4. Transition to conclusion.
5. Conclusion - restate thesis and close with striking point or quotation.

References page - in APA format.

1. Proper mechanics: clear, concise, complete sentences and paragraphs, proper spelling, grammar and punctuation.
2. Quote regularly from the primary text ¡Yo! for the paper. In addition, incorporate information from at least four to six secondary sources. (Primary texts are by the author. Secondary sources are critical books and essays about the author.) For an excellent source of material, visit your college's Online Library, which is accessible through the Resources tab . For such academic research, it's best to avoid Internet sites that end in .com, as well as Wikipedia. Any questions on research, consult your Instructor or the online librarian. See also Notes on Quality Research in Course Materials.
3. Use statements and ideas that are your own writing and blend these in with your research. Do not plagiarize. If you want to use actual words from a source, put them in quotation marks with the source. Summarized and paraphrased ideas from sources need to be cited as well.
4. Follow APA format for citing your sources. For APA guidelines, go to your college's Online Library, which you can access through the Resources tab.

Evaluation

Your instructor will use the following guidelines to evaluate your final outline and paper: Rubric for Project ¡Yo! Look for it in Course Materials.