For Professor Anthony

Background & Purpose:

This report will investigate a sensation- or thrill seeking activity that could be a leisure or recreation activity that is taken to an extreme level. This assignment helps you to practice research, present different sides of an argument, and integrate your own evaluation of your chosen sensation- or thrill seeking behavior.

Topic: Young adults, such as students at UCD, are very likely to engage in thrill-seeking behavior. You will select a sensation seeking activity (subject to instructor approval) that exemplifies a leisure or recreational activity that is taken to an extreme level.

Task:

Write a well composed analytical paper that includes the following four components.

Introduction to the topic

Introduce your sensation- or thrill seeking activity and describe how this activity is done. Cite a real life example of it that you have researched. Use this example as your hook. It will be necessary to provide background information about why this activity might be classified as a thrill- or sensation seeking activity and what may be the motivation for individuals to engage in this activity.

Analysis of risks and rewards

Next, provide analysis of why this activity is both risky and rewarding for its participants. In this portion of the paper, discuss what risk factors participants have to deal with in order to do their activity and why such factors are important. Address any possible outcomes that may occur if the activity goes awry. Balance your analysis with a discussion of the possible payoffs participants may gain from doing this activity. Point out any rewards the participants may reap while achieving their goals.

Argument

Lastly, use the information from your analysis to argue whether engaging in this activity is truly dangerous or not. Be sure to develop your reasoning adequately in this section and consider 1-2 counterarguments.

Conclusion

Conclude your analysis by recommending whether this activity is a viable leisure or recreation activity for most people and point out what can be gained from observing such behaviors and those that participate in thrill- or sensation seeking activities.

Genre and Audience:

Your paper should be written in formal language for an educated audience. Use APA citation style and add a reference list at the end of the report. Prepare your paper with interesting headings for individual sections. If you choose, you may include images of the activity that may support your analysis give the reader a sense of the actual activity. However, you must include references to all sources and images that you use.

Sources to Consult

Your analysis must cite two of the required readings we read for this unit (readings we read after the midterm). In addition, you must include 2-3 additional sources that will supplement your analysis of the activity. It is recommended that these sources be from either scholarly sources, newspapers, or current events magazines. However, you are encouraged to consult other websites, newspapers, books, journals, and magazines.

Length

Your final draft should be between 1,100 – 1,200 words.

Evaluation:

You will receive teacher feedback and peer feedback throughout the process of preparing this report. Keep in mind that this is a paper for your portfolio, and will not be scored separately. You may also consult with tutors and others who can provide you with useful responses to your writing. The peer and teacher feedback will be based on the following criteria.

Assignment 2 Feedback Rubric

Feature	Description
Content and Ideas	· The paper clearly addresses all aspects of the prompt · Ideas in the paper demonstrate critical thinking beyond simple observations · Analysis is effectively supported by evidence from sources and research about the users (Millennials/Generation Z) and social media and news sites · Analysis uses a specific framework/set of criteria for organization · The background description of the event is vivid and accurate · The conclusion appropriately synthesizes the points made and makes an evaluative statement about the success of the sites in informing their readers · The report demonstrates audience awareness by using formal language and using research to demonstrate knowledge of the topic and issue
Organization	· The formatting provides structure to signal the various sections of the report · Each section is focused on one main point · Sections work together to build a logical analysis · Transitions link ideas within and between paragraphs · Key words in the report appear in paragraphs to provide a sense of cohesion
Language & Mechanics	· Higher order grammatical errors (such as verb tense and form, sentence structure, word order, word choice) are rare and demonstrate careful editing · Lower order grammatical errors (such as articles, word form, subject-verb agreement) are rare and do not interfere with meaning · Language mistakes (such as spelling, punctuation errors) are not noticeable · Vocabulary words used in the paper demonstrate an effective mix of academic and topic-specific words · Writing demonstrates a variety of sentence structures · Sources are correctly introduced and attributed to the original author(s) · The paper uses appropriate style and tone for a report