5 page research essay

English 132

Instructor: Tureva Osburn Research Essay Assignment

Format: MLA (Times New Roman, 12-point font, 1” margins, double-spaced)

Total Points Possible: 250 (25 points for author review; 25 points for peer review; 200 points for essay)

Due Dates: Group Conferences for author review Tuesday, Nov. 19th OR Thursday, Nov. 21st

Peer Review with class: Tuesday, December 3rd

Essay Due in class: Thursday, Dec. 5th

Length: Must be at least five (5) full pages and a Works Cited on sixth page.

Sources: Must use at least five sources. Four sources from the Annotated Bibliography and one source

of the student’s choice: scholarly source, source from a website, an interview, a podcast, etc.

Purpose: The purpose of the research essay is to provide students an opportunity to do scholarly research and

locate sources on a issue of their choice, summarize and analyze their chosen sources, and write an argument

essay taking a specific stand on the issue while using quotations as evidence from their scholarly sources and

logical reasoning to back up their stance (their thesis) on the issue.

Instructions: To receive maximum points on this assignment, the student writer should work to follow these

instructions for composing the argument essay:

Introductory paragraph:

First, the student should provide an introductory paragraph that opens the conversation and provides a

focused thesis as the last sentence of this paragraph. The thesis must include the issue as well as the

student’s stand on the issue. Example: Community college should be free. The thesis also may include

an organizational plan for the essay. Example: Community college should be free because the costs for

college prevent many people from attending, grants and student loans do not cover all college expenses,

and more people attending and graduating from college is an investment in the country’s economic

stability.

The first two body paragraphs:

✓ A topic sentence should begin each body paragraph and connect directly to the thesis

✓ These first two paragraphs should be two summary paragraphs that synthesize at least four sources from

the Annotated Bibliography.

✓ The student must introduce the author and the text clearly for all sources

The following body paragraphs:

✓ A topic sentence should begin each body paragraph and connect directly to the thesis

✓ These paragraphs should provide an explanation of the student’s stand on the issue in a logical and

reasonable manner

✓ These paragraphs should be composed around quotations from the student’s sources.

✓ Recognize that each of these body paragraphs must include a quotation from the student’s researched

articles.

✓ Recognize that the student must use at least one quotation from each source, but the student writer may

use more than one quotation from any of the sources.

✓ Recognize that the student’s argument often happens in their responses and explanations that precede or

follow the quotations.

✓ Work to avoid plagiarism. Always use a signal phrase before the quotation, use page numbers in

parenthesis after the quotation if provided, and use quotation marks.

Conclusion paragraph:

➢ This paragraph should be the shortest paragraph

➢ No new information in the conclusion

➢ This paragraph reminds the audience of the thesis

Works Cited page:

➢ Don’t forget the Works Cited page! When a writer uses a quotation from a source, they must provide a

citation on the WC page in order to avoid plagiarism.

➢ Entries on this page must be in alphabetical order by the author’s last name or the title if no author.

➢ WC page must be in MLA format.

➢ Do not include entries on this page that are not used in the essay.

➢ The WC page is a separate page. This should be the sixth page of the essay.

Images in Argument Essay:

❖ The student writer may include images in the essay that connect directly to the topic

❖ The images must be no more than a half of a page in total space used throughout the essay. i.e. the

student may use more than one image, but the total space used must not be over a half of one page.

❖ Images may include graphs or pictures that provide additional information to the audience

❖ The images must have captions that explain what they are, or the student must refer to the images within

the essay explicitly.

Advice:

1. Follow directions, read the instructions for this assignment regularly, and refer to it as you compose this

essay.

2. Go to the AARC. Come see me during office hours.

3. Ask questions! Ask in class or send me an email. Don’t hesitate to ask for help!

4. Make sure you are providing a specific stance on the issue. Do not argue that two sides are correct!

5. Use your writing from the Annotated Bibliography in this essay.

6. Build your body paragraphs around quotations

7. Acknowledge that you can do this! Yes, it’s hard, but you are ready for this challenge!

Optional Research Essay Assignment with Creative Project

The student may choose to provide a creative project that directly connects to their topic. The project may

include any of the following: a model, a professional and collegiate-level poster, a painting or sculpture, a video

or podcast of at least seven minutes or more, a food project that includes the entire class, an original song or

poem, an original short story or play, a power-point or Prezi presentation of at least 10 slides, or another project

that the instructor has approved in advance. If the student chooses to do a creative project, they are still

required to fulfill the essay assignment as follows:

 The student must discuss their project with the professor and get approval!

 The essay must be at least four (4) full pages in length (instead of 5 pages)

 Images are not allowed in the four-page essay

 The student may use four (4) sources in the essay (instead of 5 sources)

 The student must still provide a Works Cited page

 If the student changes their mind about the creative project before the essay is due, the student may still

turn in the original assignment as required without penalty

 The creative project must be professional and collegiate.

Rubrics: 250 total points possible

Rubric for Author and Peer Review:

25 points Author Review: Must attend Conference on assigned date with printed essay draft

25 points Peer Review: Must attend Peer Review with printed draft and include draft in portfolio

50 possible points

Rubric for Argument Essay Assignment:

15 points Introductory paragraph opens the conversation and provides a thesis that makes a stand on an issue

10 points Topic sentences for each body paragraph that connect directly to the thesis

25 points MLA format, grammar and punctuation accuracy

20 points for providing the two summary paragraphs that introduce authors and summarize clearly

20 points for providing accurately formatted quotations and explanations that follow the quotation

10 points for WC page accuracy in format and information

100 possible points (student’s essay score is doubled for a possible 200 points)

Additional Rubric for Argument Essay Assignment with Creative Project

Instead of doubling the score of the essay, the Creative Project is worth 100 points and the score is added to the

essay score as follows:

50 points Creative Project directly connects to student’s essay and enhances the student’s position on the issue

50 points Creative Project is original work and has the quality of professional and collegiate level work

100 possible points (Essay is worth 100 points: Creative Project is worth 100 points; 200 possible points)

225-250=A; 200-224=B; 175-199=C; 150-174=D; below 150=F

Good Luck and Good Writing!