DUE TOMORROW FINAL DRAFT

English 112

Exploratory Essay Assignment

For this assignment, you will not be arguing a particular point of view. Rather, your objective is simply to “wallow in complexity:” to research and analyze, to posit thesis (believing), antithesis(doubting), and synthesis(new ideas/your opinions); to challenge the common ways of looking at a problem.

You will begin this assignment, as much good writing does, by posing a question. Your job is to research a (provisional, or temporary) answer (believing). Then you will critique that answer—by reading against the grain and you will find flaws in the answer (doubting). Then you’ll ask another question—a more complex question, based on your research and your rejection of your previous answer. You will attempt to answer that question, debunk that answer, and so on. The purpose is not to find answers, but to ask really good questions—and as a result to probe a topic more deeply than you’ve ever done before.

This assignment differs from others you’ve most likely written before, as a polished thesis statement does not control the organization and development of ideas. Rather, this essay will document the evolution of your thinking on a subject. The exploratory essay should be a first-person narrative of your thinking and research process as you explore and reflect upon your research question. The essay should reflect the organization plan (pg 49), and it might end with a tentative solution to the problem or answer to the question that you will argue in your subsequent essay. Or, it might conclude with plans for further investigation.**Read the sample essay beginning on page 50 and the notes in the margins for further guidance.

The dialectical thinking I have already asked you to engage in with the researched articles you selected in the past few assignments can and should help you as you compose your exploratory essay. Feel free to use parts of your believing and doubting exercises and your engagement with your articles in your paper.

Consider your audience for this paper to be members of the academic community here at TCC. In this paper, you are developing the authority to speak on the topic of your choice.

Research, reflection, and good note-taking are crucial.

Helpful tips:

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· Take time to select a question or problem that interests you and that has significance for your audience.

· Choose a topic you haven’t written about before (in another course) and for which you do not already have a strong opinion. You may, however, choose a topic about which you have already written in this course (for any of your smaller assignments) or choose a new topic altogether.

· The essay should be organized chronologically and indicate gradual development of your thinking with clear transitions and logical development.

· As you detail your research process, you’ll include summaries of and responses to your secondary sources.

· Show how the problem/question is interesting, problematic, and important.

· The paper’s conclusion should provide closure for your reader.

· The paper should follow MLA guidelines for citing sources.

· Your essay should reflect rules of standard edited English.

Format: The final draft should be no less than 4pgs and cite a minimum of 3 sources. Format according to MLA standards, Times New Roman, 12pt, black print, and double-spaced. Refer to the rubric guidelines for guidance on expectations. You can find the rubric under course documents.

Step 1: Use a Prewriting Strategy to help you generate a “complex, problematic, and significant” question (Writing Arguments 51). You have been discussing and researching at least one topic as you have completed your discussion board assignments and weblogs. Look through all of your writing thus far for help in generating your question.

Step 2: Review the Organization Plan for an Exploratory Essay on page 49 of Writing Arguments carefully. It is a step-by-step approach to how to compose each paragraph.

Step 3: Create your own Organization Plan for your essay. Please use the format you see directly on pg. 49. You will be turning this in with your final draft.

Step 4: Compose your draft adhering to the format above.

Step 5: Post your draft in the Discussion Board forum titled, “Discussion Board Peer Review: Exploratory Essay” by Thursday, November 12. This will NOT be graded as your final draft. This will just be part of a discussion board peer review assignment.

Step 6: (You will need to complete this step between Thursday, November 12 and Monday, November 16). Find the peer review questions for the exploratory essay under Course Documents. Complete two peer reviews on your classmates’ drafts by Monday, April 6.

Step 7: Review the rubric for the Exploratory Essay under Course Documents. Revise your essay.

Step 8: Submit your final draft by Thursday, November 19 directly to the assignment link under your Week 4 folder.