Definition Essay

Use the following guidelines to help you draft the argument of definition:

1. Consider a term or phrase that you consider      to be controversial or has special meaning that goes beyond a dictionary      definition or an issue of categorizing something that is complex. 
2. Research different      interpretations of the words and issues that are crucial to your topic.
3. Form your own claim/opinion      about the term or phrase. This will be your thesis.
4. Organize your support for your      claim by creating an outline of your body paragraphs. 
5. Write an essay starting with an      introduction that includes background on your term or phrase you are using      in your claim. Then create body paragraphs supporting your definition or      categorization.
6. The last page should be a      Work's Cited page with the citation of any dictionaries, articles, or      other materials you used to write your essay. 
7. Must include at least 2      references 

Grading Criteria:

Use this list, to check that your essay is following the core grading criteria.

A. _____ Is the essay 3-4 pages (not including the work cited page) with MLA formatting?

B. _____ Does the essay fully answer the assignment given?

C. _____ Does the writer avoid grammatical errors?

D. _____ Is the essay logically organized?

E. _____ Is the topic and focus of the paper clear throughout?

F. _____ Does the writer provide quality, unique examples and evidence as support?

G. _____ Is the information from the article analyzed and documented effectively?