writing Good essay paper

Minimum 4 to 5 pages.

·

· Throughout the term, as you are reading the textbook, studying for exams, etc., it is recommended that you keep notes of ideas that surface and which are related to your personal development, which you may later incorporate into this paper.

· Beyond the textbook & other reference sources, you are required to conduct at least one personal interview of someone who has been instrumental in your development (Examples:  parents, grandparents, caretakers, siblings, teachers, etc.).  If possible, it would be best to conduct these interviews in person but if that is not possible, phone, FaceTime, skype, etc. interviews are acceptable.

· If available, you can also include information from baby books, scrapbooks, medical records, and anything else that may be applicable to your personal development.

· The following is a list of possible topics that can be addressed within the body of your paper.  This is simply to generate ideas but should not limit you to only writing about only these matters:

· Discuss and draw connections between how your childhood experiences influenced your adolescence and how your adolescence influenced your adulthood.

· Relate your personal experiences to theories, concepts & research related to class.

· Address your physical, cognitive, language, social and personality development.

· Include demographic information and how this has contributed to your development (examples: your birth cohort, ages of parents at the time of your birth, your birth order [if you have siblings], culture, religion, socio-economic status, etc.)

Grading Rubric:

· 50 pts. –  Fulfillment of assignment objective described above.  (in-depth self-analysis & clearly illustrated associations between course material and personal experiences.

· 25 pts. – Clearly and professionally written paper (introduction, organization of ideas and conclusion.

· 15 pts. – Grammar, punctuation and spelling

· 10 pts. – Following APA style and other format instructions listed above (NOTE: 0 points will be awarded for this criterion if the paper is not APA or doesn’t meet the length requirement)