research

Final Essay

Process & timeline: 1. Select the essay with the topic you were most interested in, have the most to

say about, found the best quality sources for, etc. [by Tues., Apr. 12] 2. Choose another fictional text that shares the same or a very similar theme. If it

is not from our text, please check the story with me before you proceed. [Note: I will help you with the selection of a story, but search on your own first. This requirement is partly testing your ability to synthesize, so I won’t tell you what other story to use.] [Note: Reading Journal 10 should be completed over the additional fictional text you choose to use in your final essay. If you choose to use a story we have already read in class and that you have previously completed a reading journal over, you should choose any story out of our book that you have not completed a reading journal over to earn the 10 points for the final reading journal AND as a way to work toward one of the course objectives regarding interpretation of literature.] [by Thurs., Apr. 14]

3. Evaluate the sources you used for the paper previously. Are they good, or could your paper be improved by finding better sources? Find the best sources you can through conducting diligent research. [by Tues., Apr. 19]

4. Search the internet for mainstream news* about your theme/topic. [by Tues., Apr. 19]

5. Write your annotated bibliography, which will contain two new database sources and a mainstream news source. [by Thurs., Apr. 21]

6. Write your outline. [by Thurs., Apr. 28] 7. Synthesize and write, write, write to produce a rough draft! [by Tues., May 3] 8. Spend plenty of time on revision; this paper is worth 1/4 of your course grade!

It CAN make a big difference to your grade. Write your self-evaluation. [by Thurs., May 5]

_________________________________

I have highlighted the important things.

Length: 7 double-spaced pages minimum (not including Works Cited page). Sources required: 7 minimum

• 2 fictional texts (one of which you’ve already used) • 4 database sources (possibly two of which you’ve already used) • 1 recent news article

Annotated Bibliography due: Thurs., Apr. 21 04.21.16 Outline due: Thurs., Apr. 28 04.28.16 Draft #1 due [FOR PEER REVIEW]: Tues., May 3 05.03.16 Final draft due [via BB AND PRINTED]: Thurs., May 5 05.05.16 Self-evaluation [PRINTED]: Thurs., May 5 05.05.16 Points possible: 175 total


Self-Evaluation

A 25-point, two-page self-evaluation is also due with the final draft of this essay on Thurs., May 5. You should answer the following questions IN DETAIL:

o What are the strengths of this essay? What are the weaknesses? Why? o Is this final essay a good example of your writing ability and skills

overall? Why? o Why did you choose this one of the three essay possibilities for this final

essay? o What grade would you give yourself on this essay? Why? o What grade would you give yourself in this course? Why?

Mainstream News Source

*Your news article MUST be from one of these sources:

While we should always be critical readers and thinkers, and there can be significant issues with “trusting” any news sources (including the ones above), these are the sources that present the most credible news accounts.

You must include a relatively current news article in your paper as a way to show both how these issues of race, gender, and class are still social problems and as a way to show that things either have or haven’t gotten better since your selected stories were written. In addition, many news stories provide real people’s accounts of their situations, which could help you bolster the pathos in your essay.