English 102 essay 2

Ms. C. Badeaux

ENGL 102-I1

Spring 2021

Essay II: A Significant Change

Now that your Prospectus established your project and its focus, this essay will address a significant change or way of looking at your chosen topic. This might include a trend, new discovery or understanding, interventions, uses, or opposition associated with the topic. See your Composition and Rhetoric Guide (and class notes) for specific details about this paper. Unlike in your Prospectus, you will not announce your intentions but instead will make a claim or clear argument about the importance (not to you personally, but for a general audience) of this narrowed topic. Begin with a general stage-setting to introduce the topic and to set up your argument, then use individual paragraphs or blocks of paragraphs to develop your points and provide support (using resource materials). Remember to tie each section back into your thesis statement, to keep the reader focused on your argument. Your conclusion, of course, will sum up your argument (without restating all your points or examples) but also develop the significance more.

This time, you will incorporate your sources into your own writing. Be sure to follow ethical procedures to distinguish your own words and ideas from those of your sources. Use MLA style to do so, and don’t rely on citation tools to correctly do this for you. The best help is in your Seagull handbook, the mla.org website, Purdue OWL, the MSU library website, and the Write to Excellence Center. Your workbook also provides some basic format guidelines. There is no reason to turn in a poorly-formatted essay, and certainly no excuse for plagiarism.

Also, make sure your Works Cited page is part of the same electronic document as your essay so it all uploads smoothly into Turnitin. Do not “orphan” your Works Cited page. It is on a separate page from your essay, but is stapled together with your hard copy and is on the same electronic file.

Get assistance from me or the WTEC tutors if you have questions or concerns. And don’t wait until the last minute.

Source requirements:

3 sources minimum (5 maximum)

· at least 2 scholarly secondary sources (from academic journals)

· at least 1 primary nonfiction source

· If you include additional sources (not substituting the above, required sources), they may include a secondary nonfiction book source (reliable but not necessarily scholarly), and/or a creative media primary source source. The creative source cannot be a nonfiction source or opinion piece: it must be something created (painting, poem, sculpture, story, movie, television show, choreography, etc.). It should be thoughtful and supportive of your argument. Additional sources may include any other reliable source of any type (your choice!) that is appropriate for academic audience and purpose.

Please see me if you have questions about your sources.

Other Essay II requirements:

· 1,000-word minimum length (NOT counting the Works Cited page).

· MLA format (get assistance from WTEC if you need. Essays will not be accepted if not in correct format).

· Must submit materials to the assigned Moodle/Turnitin link, on time. This includes the final draft (with Works Cited included in same file), a thoroughly marked (by you) rough draft (see syllabus and policies), plus electronic copies of source materials.

· Due date: Monday 8 March 2021.

Re-read all instructions here and in Comp. Rhet. book.

Avoid 0 for not following directions!