ENGLISH 1010

Essay 2 Assignment Instructions (See below for Essay 2 Reflection Instructions)

This assignment requires you to critically examine the similarities, differences, or both between two subjects.

Topic/Thesis/points of comparison for Essay 2 are due by Sunday, June 13, 2021. These should be submitted as a Journal using the link in Module 2. The instructions for submission are on page 6 of Module 2. This portion of the assignment is crucial to making sure you are on track prior to writing your essay.

Topics (Choose ONE of the following):

1. A stereotype is a fixed, oversimplified belief or opinion about a person or a group of people, which is often erroneous and damaging. Create an essay where you compare/contrast reality with perceived stereotypes of ONE of the following: gender, culture, ethnicity or religion. Incorporate support that shows how these stereotypes may be perpetuated through the media (for example, movies, TV shows and commercials, music lyrics/videos, memes and so forth).

2. The way a group of people is portrayed on a particular television series is often exaggerated or dramatized in comparison to real life. Some examples might be married couples, mothers, fathers (including single mothers or single fathers), traditional or alternative families, doctors, police officers, lawyers, computer “geeks,” firefighters, forensic technicians, teenagers, etc.). Choose a television series and explain the similarities and differences between how a particular group is portrayed on the show and what that group of people (or type of person) is like in real life. The difference between this topic and topic #1 is that here you are not choosing stereotypes of a marginalized group but rather characteristics of a fictional representation and real life.

3. Compare and contrast online courses versus in-person, traditional face-to-face classes.

For this topic, you may wish to limit your scope to asynchronous online courses or you may wish to include synchronous remote classes (where students and instructors have regular class meetings via an online platform such as Zoom).

4. Choose a current issue such as voting rights, civil rights for a marginalized group (such as LGBTQ+ or undocumented immigrants), reproductive care, or approaches to economic growth, social welfare, or climate change. Compare and contrast two different perspectives on the issue you choose. These perspectives can be based in political ideology, but the perspectives do NOT have to align with a particular political party (especially in the US). If you have lived in a country other than the United States, one of your two topics may address how the issue is perceived in your home country. For the purposes of this assignment, the essay should NOT take a side, but rather it should present each perspective in an objective and analytical way.

5. The approach US Presidents take to the major issues of the day differ greatly from administration to administration. These issues included the economy, taxes, foreign policy, domestic policy, immigration, infrastructure and social issues. Choose two US Presidents from the past 100 years to compare on three issues of the day; at least one President has to be within the last 30 years, and there has to be some similar context (such as dealing with war or some other catastrophe) that both men share.

Content Requirements Your essay should include the following:

• an engaging, relevant introductory paragraph with a thesis statement. Your thesis statement should identify the subjects that will be compared or contrasted, clearly indicate if the focus will be on similarities, differences, or both, and state the main point of the comparison. Your thesis is an assertion concerning the two subjects chosen for your essay, indicating the specific significant difference between the two and the major divisions of your essay.

You may use this format for your thesis: Although A and B are (similar in some way or ways), A (is in some particular way different than or superior to) B because of (major criteria: the divisions of your essay).

• body paragraphs that are organized using either the Point-by-point or Subject-by-subject model. The topic sentence for each paragraph should clearly indicate the point of comparison you are focusing on in that paragraph. Balance is important in comparison/contrast, which means your coverage of points for each topic should be fairly similar in length and depth.

• at least three properly cited paraphrases or quotations must be distributed over at least two body

paragraphs (See Essay 1 for how to incorporate these.). At least two outside sources must be used. Sources do not have to be “academic,” but they MUST be reliable (see table and information below under Source Evaluation). Please do not use quoted or paraphrased material in your introduction or conclusion!

• transitions that show comparison or contrast and add cohesiveness to your body paragraphs. Some

examples include: also, in the same manner, similarly, likewise, but, however, on the other hand, in contrast, nevertheless, still, even though, on the contrary, yet, although.

• a compelling concluding paragraph. One important thing to keep in mind when writing your conclusion

is that your comparison has to have some larger implication for your audience other than just saying, "here are the similarities and here are the differences." Ask yourself why does this comparison matter? (i.e. “So What?”) You do not [as writers] have to force a point on the reader, but you do have to at least lead us to think about something meaningful—that at least slightly transcends your immediate topic.

Pro Tips:

• Your essay should have a title, ideally one more creative or original than “A vs. B.” (The “ ” are mine; they should NOT be used in a title.)

• In addition, you must assert something about the subjects, indicating the specific significant difference between the two. Be sure not to state merely that one “is better than” or “superior to” the other; rather, define a specific, significant difference, one that all of your details support. So, for example, “A is funnier than B because...” or “A is both simpler and more economical than B because...”

• For Topic 2, although you choose only one television show, you will need to cite the specific episodes from which you draw quotations. See Scribbr for how to cite an episode.

Grading Criteria:

You will be graded on your ability to include the guidelines below and use them to create a well- written, college-level essay. Please see “Explanation of Essay Grading” below for details. The essay is worth 135 points, and the reflection is worth 15 points for a total of 150 total points for the assignment. Basic Requirements:

• 2-3 pages (or approximately 500-700 words) in length • MLA style format overall (including 1” margins, double spacing, and 12pt. font size) • 1st and 2nd person POV are NOT allowed. • No contractions (didn’t, can’t, etc.) • Tone should be suitable for a college-educated audience. • You must include an MLA works cited page at the end of your essay. Failure to do so

will result in an automatic failing grade. • A relative freedom from errors in grammar, mechanics, and spelling • A Reflection MUST be submitted with your essay.

Reminder of strategies to consider when writing this essay: The following approaches might be helpful for you when you write this assignment:

1. Choose a topic that you can easily relate to and that you already have some knowledge of or at least interest in. For all topic choices except #3, you will need to narrow your topic to create a specific enough narrowed topic.

2. If you choose topic #2, you will need to watch at least an episode or two of the television show you will use.

3. It may be helpful to construct a “t” chart with one topic on each side. This way you can jot ideas side by side to see if there is enough information on any given point for comparison. This may also aid in thesis construction and in presenting these ideas to your audience.

4. Jot down any phrases, or brief passages you believe should be quoted directly because the particular way they are worded contributes to the meaning. Be sure to record where they came from so that you can cite them appropriately.

5. Construct a “working” introduction with the thesis at the end. If you are not “inspired” to come up with something you love or even just something adequate, move on to writing some other part of your essay. There is no law that says the introduction must be completed first.

6. Write topic sentences for the body paragraphs that relate to the thesis and incorporate the important supporting points.

7. Develop the content of each body paragraph by adding paraphrases and/or direct quotes. Be sure that you utilize a lead-in for direct quotes and be sure that each quote is explained and not just “dropped in.” (I call these quotes “orphans” since they seem to be all alone—without lead in or explanation.)

8. Write a final draft, editing for smooth transitions as well as sentence level and grammatical correctness.

9. Remember not to “over-quote”—meaning that your entire submission is just direct quote after direct quote. Be selective and choose direct quotes that you feel best suit the essay and are unique to the author.

Source Evaluation Examples of sources that are often the most credible:

● Some official government websites (a few government agency web sites, such as the EPA, which have had information altered, politicized or deleted; some, such as the CDC or NASA are still credible and reliable) ● Institutional sites that represent universities, regulatory agencies, governing bodies, and respected organizations with specific expertise (e.g., the Mayo Clinic) ● Peer-reviewed journals ● Reputable news sources (see Media Bias Fact Check web site to determine reputation/bias) Examples of sources that are often considered less credible (so DO NOT USE THESE):

● Blogs ● Web forums ● Individual or business websites ● Materials published by an entity that may have an ulterior motive

Quick Check Chart for Source Evaluation Factors to consider Least reliable Possibly reliable Most reliable

Type of source Unfamiliar website Published material Official websites, institutional sites, academic journals

Author’s background Uncredited Educated on topic Expert in the field

Date published None Outdated Recently revised Depth of review Controversial reviews Good public

response; general approval

Peer-reviewed by reliable sources

Sources cited None Credible sources Citations referencing other well-cited works

Objectivity Clearly biased Sponsored source Balanced, neutral

Essay 2 Reflection

This portion of the assignment should be on a separate sheet and included at the end of your essay (AFTER the Works Cited page) and labeled with the title “Essay 2 Reflection.” Instructions: In one or two paragraphs (double spaced, in an appropriate font and font size), respond to the following (note that there is an additional question for this assignment):

• Describe your process for completing this assignment. What was easy for you? What was difficult? Describe any obstacles you encountered and how you approached and overcame them.

• What do you think is the strongest part of your essay? What do you think is the weakest part?

• Did you take any risks in either your approach to this assignment? If so, what were they? If not, why not?

• Did you do anything differently from the first assignment to this one? Briefly compare/contrast how you approached/wrote your last essay versus this one.

• What is one thing you need to work on for the next assignment? Is there anything you will do differently for the next assignment? What/How?

• Feel free to add any other insights you gained in the writing of this essay. These could be about your process, the content that you read, or the assignment itself.