Category: English

Begin by choosing a topic for your comparison/contrast essay. You are free to se

Posted on | by Laureen

Begin by choosing a topic for your comparison/contrast essay. You are free to se

Begin by choosing a topic for your comparison/contrast essay. You are free to select your own topic, or you may use one of the sample topics listed below. However, you should choose a topic that you have some personal knowledge of so that you have sufficient points of comparison or contrast to discuss in your essay. Avoid choosing subjects that require extensive outside research that require citation (you will learn how to properly cite in a later unit). Consider subjects and points that fall under “common knowledge”: information that the average educated reader would accept without needing a source citation to back it up. 
You will need to compare or contrast two or three primary points about the two subjects you choose to write about, resulting in an essay with either four or six body paragraphs, an introductory paragraph, and a conclusion. The writing for this assignment should be informative and objective, avoiding the first-person voice or any personal details that may inform bias or personal opinion. 
The following are some ideas that can help you to select a topic for your essay:
Compare or contrast two cities you’ve visited or that you’ve lived in
Compare or contrast two sources of news 
Compare or contrast two singers in different music genres 
Compare or contrast two historical figures
Compare or contrast two artists (e.g. two painters or two photographers)
Compare or contrast two television series
Compare or contrast two types of technologies (for example, two smartphone brands or two gaming consoles)
Remember that the two subjects you choose should have a meaningful connection so that you can draw comparisons or contrasts between the two.
Step 2. Write a Comparison/Contrast Essay
Write a comparison/contrast essay that meets the following criteria:
Properly applies elements of a comparison/contrast essay using personal or common knowledge of the subjects: Makes a clear and meaningful connection between two subjects related to one of the writing prompts; effectively organizes body paragraphs in one of the two prescribed ways and consistently uses transitional words or phrases to comparison/contrast ideas. Relies on personal or common knowledge.
States the focused central claim of the essay with the clear purpose of comparing/contrasting two subjects: Has a clear, focused, and detailed thesis expressed in a single sentence that states the central claim of the essay; the thesis statement effectively communicates the two subjects that will be compared or contrasted and the two or three main points of comparison/contrast.
Exhibits competent organization, flow, and writing techniques: Includes all of the required components of an essay, including an introduction with a strong thesis, an adequate number of body paragraphs (4-6), each with an effective topic sentence and a conclusion with an effective concluding statement; the sequence of sentences and paragraphs is logical.
Establishes an informative tone and makes thoughtful choices: Demonstrates thoughtful and effective word choices and uses a wide variety of sentence structures; establishes a consistently objective and impersonal tone that is appropriate to an informative essay.
Demonstrate command of standard English grammar, punctuation, spelling, capitalization, and usage: There are few, if any, negligible errors in grammar, punctuation, spelling, capitalization, formatting, and usage.
Step 3. Think About Your Writing
Below your completed comparison/contrast essay, include answers to all of the following reflection questions:
Did you use the point-by-point or block method to organize your body paragraphs? What made you decide to organize your essay in this way (3-4 sentences)? Sophia says: Consider the ways a comparison/contrast essay can be organized. Which organization did you choose and why?
In what ways did writing a comparison/contrast essay differ from the Narrative essay you wrote in Touchstone 1? Give specific examples (3-4 sentences). Sophia says: Consider how the structure, point of view, and purpose of the two essays differ.
Remember that the writing process is a recursive process, and your first draft of an essay is rarely your last. What part of the draft did you struggle with (3-4 sentences)? Sophia says: Think about how you could improve the draft if you continued the writing process with revision and editing.
Step 4. Review Rubric and Checklist
Your essay will be scored according to the Touchstone 2.1 Rubric, which considers required elements for a comparison/contrast essay, the thesis statement, focus, organization, style and tone, conventions, and answers to the “Think About your Writing” questions above.

Research Paper Draft 3 Due: Specifications:            Minimum 10 pages Minimum

Posted on | by Laureen

Research Paper Draft 3
Due:
Specifications:            Minimum 10 pages
Minimum

Research Paper Draft 3
Due:
Specifications:            Minimum 10 pages
Minimum 12 sources
Minimum 7 scholarly sources
*This draft should be as close to the final product as you can produce at this point in your project
Draft 3 should:
1  Have an engaging and descriptive Title (and Subtitle, if desired)
1 Begin with an Introduction which orients your reader about the issues, terms, and researched positions with which your essay is most concerned.  The Introduction should:
1  State the goal or purpose of your paper- what you hope to accomplish
1  Mention the theory or disciplines you will draw on
1  Explain the nature and significance of your topic
1  End with a thesis that explains your own position or that underscores your unique angle,                               approach, or contribution to the discussion  Your intro can be several paragraphs long, if needed
1  In the Body of the paper you should:
1  Use case and theoretical materials together
1  Support claims with relevant evidence
1  Analyze examples with relevant theory
1  Sustain a balance of case, theory, and your own original analysis.
1  At least 2 of your sources should offer counter-arguments, differing perspectives, or ask questions that complicate or add new layers of analysis to the issue.  This is one key to doing well in this course. 
1  The Body should have Subheadings:
1  Subheadings should clearly delineate different sections of the paper
1  Each subsection should consist of at least two or three paragraphs, with the first paragraph containing a clear statement of the topic or claim covered in that section
1  You should have a tentative Conclusion subheading that should do one or more of the following:
1  Suggest recommendations based on what you have discovered
1  Revisit the most original or surprising of your findings              
1  Ask new questions that emerge from your analysis           
1  End with a Works Cited page, written in MLA format, on a separate additional page.

Requirements: Minimum of 2 double-spaced pages At least one primary source (one

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Requirements:
Minimum of 2 double-spaced pages
At least one primary source (one

Requirements:
Minimum of 2 double-spaced pages
At least one primary source (one of the assigned readings from the Ancient World section of your textbook)
At least one secondary source from Galileo or similar scholarly database (Google Scholar, JSTOR, EBSCOHost, etc.). This can be another interpretation of your primary text or contextual/background information about the text you chose
Some specific academic documentation style (APA, MLA, Chicago, Tiberian, ASA, etc.). I recommend you practice the style typical to your major or the style you are most comfortable with.
Choose one of the assigned texts from the Ancient World section of your textbook: The Epic of Gilgamesh.
Develop an analtyical thesis about how the text defines heroes or heroism. For example: The Epic of Gilgamesh depicts the transformation of Gilgamesh from an unfit ruler to a heroic figure through a hero’s journey narrative arc.
Use secondary sources and examples from your chosen text (through CITED quotes or paraphrases) to support your interpretation and analysis of the story. Remember that the expectation for academic writing is that your essay will engage with an outside source at least once per paragraph.
In order to write an analytical essay, your topic sentences should reflect an arguable, interpretative statement about the text. For example: At the beginning of the story, Gilgamesh is shown to be an unfit ruler.
Your essay should reflect a fully realized three-part essay (introduction with an appropriate analytical thesis, main body of multiple paragraphs interpreting specific parts of your chosen text, and conclusion that restates the thesis and resolves the essay). There should be a citation/references page listing the required sources and types in the academic documentation style you have chosen.

Read “Chapter 4: The Value of Controlled Discipline” of Be a Leader for God’s Sa

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Read “Chapter 4: The Value of Controlled Discipline” of Be a Leader for God’s Sa

Read “Chapter 4: The Value of Controlled Discipline” of Be a Leader for God’s Sake (by Bruce Winston).
The summary must be 250-300 words (citations included). 
You should give a clear overview of the chapter from beginning to end, so you must be judicious in how you utilize this short word count.
Use Active Voice. Do not use passive tone (“to be” verbs – am, is, are, was, were, be, being, or been).
Do not first or second person (No using “I think…”, “You are…”, etc.)
Paraphrase whenever possible instead of directly quoting the material you’re summarizing. 
If you absolutely need to use a quote, you must limit the quote to 3-4 words. No exceptions.
Write behind the author as your source. This means consistently mentioning him as you summarize his material: e.g., “Winston explains…”, “According to Winston, …”, etc. (This will get you into the practice of using your sources as the authority in research writing, not you).
Provide a one to two-sentence summary of the entire chapter at the beginning of your first paragraph and a one to two-sentence conclusion in your last paragraph.
Utilize APA 7 formatting.  For such a short summary, you do not need a title page, abstract, or table of contents.
Include in-text citations and a reference page.