Exploratary essay
Emma1
ExploratoryEssayandReflection.docxExploratory Essay
Related to our course theme of “identity,” we have been reading articles and essays that discuss issues of race, gender, and career identities. We’ve been asking and writing research questions that have intrigued us and certainly merit more investigation.
For this paper, I want you to consider the pieces that we have read for class. As you read, you were hopefully annotating, taking notes, free writing, and asking intriguing questions.
Now, you should seek to ask a research question – one that is controversial and has at least two definitive answers – related (however narrowly) to the work we have read in class and seek to answer it using outside research.
Writing Instructions
You may use your summary from Reading Response
-In the opening paragraph, you will summarize one source from class, identify how you came to ask the question, and then tell us your question at the end of the paragraph.
-In the body paragraphs, you will summarize the sources that you find that help you to answer your question/problem.
-In the conclusion, you will leave the reader with something to think about, such as an insight, a deeper appreciation of the problem, or further research questions that developed in your mind as you wrote.
- You may find another question about the topic and put it the end of essay.
Writing Requirements
-Choose one of our in-class sources to be the basis of your paper.
-Tell the reader what question or problem this reading sparked in your mind in the introduction.
-Find at least three outside sources (as in, not from class) that attempt to answer this question. They should have different answers to this problem.
-This paper should be 4-5 double-spaced pages in length.
-Use correct MLA in-text citations and create a works cited list.
-Use Times New Roman font, size 12, 1-inch margins, double spaced.
-Use the correct MLA heading for papers, including page numbers
-Focus on using correct English grammar, spelling, and punctuation.
Exploratory Essay Reflection
Final Draft Due:
In addition to the Exploratory Essay, I am going to ask you to write a reflection on your research process as well as the sources you used in your essay.
For several weeks, we are going to talk about the issues with the news media that seem to be bombarding us right now. This includes discussions on “fake news,” media bias, and source evaluation. After discussing these issues in class, I will expect you to be well-versed on how to both evaluate and describe the value of a source you have chosen for your paper.
In this assignment you will reflect upon your three outside sources using the CRAAP test as well as other materials from class that will help you to fairly assess their credibility.
Writing Instructions
-For each of your three outside sources, you will need to create a short paragraph assessing that source.
-Use the CRAAP test, as well as class discussions and notes to assess each source from your paper. Seek to say something about audience, bias, currency, authority, etc.
-I want to see a thorough assessment of each source and its credibility for full credit.
However, I do not expect you to tell me that all of your sources are “the best” and absolutely pass the CRAAP test with flying colors. Part of this assignment is simply learning to evaluate a source. Even if the source does NOT pass the CRAAP test, tell me why! You may suggest that while you used it in your Exploratory Essay, you can now see why you would not use it in a more formal, academic essay.
Writing Requirements
-Create one entry for each outside source you used. Tell me the title and the author(s).
-Assess the source using the CRAAP test and other class resources. Be thorough.
-This paper should be 2-3 double-spaced pages in length.
-Use Times New Roman font, size 12, 1-inch margins, double spaced.
-Use the correct MLA heading for papers, including page numbers
-Focus on using correct English grammar, spelling, and punctuation.
