Assignment Prompt & Instructions
please see attached
– 2 years ago
**files (3)**
– ## lu11_checklist_new1.docx
– ## lu09_assignment_new1.pdf
– lu09_topics_new1.pdf
**## lu11_checklist_new1.docx**
| | |
| — | — |
| ENG 105: Composition I | Assignment Checklist |
## Checklist for Synthesis Essay
Use this checklist to evaluate your essay before submitting it to the submission area for a final grade. This checklist is for your use only–do not submit this document, as you will not receive a grade for completing this.
1.
**Write the thesis statement here:** ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____ My thesis is specific and clear.
_____ My thesis addresses the connections among the sources.
2.
**I formatted the essay correctly.**
_____ I placed a header on each page (upper right hand corner) with my last name and the page number.
_____ I placed the identifying information (student name, instructor name, class, etc.) in the upper left hand corner, and I double spaced this information.
_____ I double spaced the entire essay, including the Works Cited.
_____ I centered my title at the beginning of my essay.
_____ I indented each paragraph.
3.
**I included a Works Cited page.**
_____ I formatted the Works Cited page following proper MLA style format.
_____ I cited each source following proper MLA style format.
_____ I cited all of the essays (at least five) that I integrated into my essay.
4.
**I included textual examples within my essay.**
_____ I included in-text citations for all quotes, paraphrases, and summaries.
_____ All quotes appear within quotation marks.
_____ I have changed the words and the sentence structures in all of my paraphrases and summaries.
_____ I have used textual examples (quotes, paraphrases, and/or summaries) to help me write a developed discussion.
_____ I have integrated at least five of the assigned essays into my essay.
5.
**I have met the page requirement of the assignment.**
_____ My essay is at least five full pages in length.
6.
**I have supported my thesis.**
_____ Each discussion within the essay works to support my thesis.
7.
**I have avoided redundancy.**
_____ I worked to avoid overusing words, phrases, and sentence structures.
8.
**I have edited my essay for tense and P.O.V. shifts.**
_____ I am consistent with my tense and P.O.V. I avoid using 2nd person P.O.V. (you, your).
9.
**I have edited my essay for dangling and misplaced modifiers.**
_____ I effectively modify the intended word or phrase in the sentence.
© Kameo Cragoe and Indian Hills Community College
Page 2 of 2
**## lu09_assignment_new1.pdf**
ENG 105: Composition I Essay Assignment
Page 1 of 4
Synthesis Essay Assignment
Purpose: By this point in the term, you have read several essays about various topics related to our
experiences in contemporary culture. In this final paper, then, you will write an essay which brings
together ideas and data from multiple sources to inform the audience about a specific topic (listed
below).
Writing this essay will require you to 1) look for connections among the ideas in five assigned essays
from Inquiry; 2) develop a thesis statement and main points which make an informative claim (based on
the assigned essays’ content) in response to your research question; and 3) synthesize information from
your sources to support and explain your main points. Your goal will be to effectively and accurately
synthesize the source material in order to inform your audience. A secondary goal will be to integrate
and document sources correctly.
Topics: Choose one of the following writing prompts:
Conversations about gender: What messages do we receive about gender, and from where do
they come? How do these messages shape our experiences, identities, and world?
If you decide on this topic, you will want to consider how our environment impacts our
perceptions of gender as well as our experiences. You might consider the perceptions that our
society has regarding gender and how these perceptions compare and/or contrast with the
individual experience. You could investigate the various gender roles that are often cultivated by
society and perpetuated by the media and/or the range of definitions of femininity and
masculinity (including definitions of beauty, strength, power, and weaknesses) found in our
society. Once you have considered these various concerns, you might decide to narrow your
topic to one of these research areas, or you might decide to cover multiple areas.
Conversations about race and ethnicity: What messages do we receive about race and
ethnicity, and from where do they come? How do these messages shape our experiences,
identities, and world?
If you decide on this topic, you will want to consider how our environment impacts our
perceptions of race and ethnicity as well as our experiences. You might consider the perceptions
that our society has regarding race and ethnicity and how these perceptions compare and/or
contrast with the individual experience. You could investigate various definitions and
stereotypes involving race and ethnicity as well as the way these might shape an individual’s
experience in America. In addition, you may consider how race and ethnicity might influence the
ways in which individuals navigate and interact with various American institutions and networks
(places of employment, educational institutions, social media platforms, etc.). Once you have
considered these various concerns, you might decide to narrow your topic to one of these
research areas, or you might decide to cover multiple areas.
ENG 105: Composition I Essay Assignment
Page 2 of 4
Conversations about class: What messages do we receive about economic class, and from
where do they come? How do these messages shape our experiences, identities, and world?
If you decide on this topic, you will want to consider how our environment impacts our
perceptions of class as well as our experiences. You might consider the perceptions that our
society has regarding class and how these perceptions compare and/or contrast with the
individual experience. You could investigate various definitions and stereotypes involving class
as well as the way these might shape an individual’s experience in America. In addition, you may
consider how class influences the ways in which individuals navigate and interact with various
American institutions and networks (places of employment, educational institutions, social
media platforms, etc.). Once you have considered these various concerns, you might decide to
narrow your topic to one of these research areas, or you might decide to cover multiple areas.
Conversations about social responsibility: In what ways might we engage in or avoid civic
action, and how might these actions shape our experiences, identity, and world?
If you select this topic, you will consider the extent of our social responsibilities as individuals.
You may consider the ways in which our behaviors and attitudes might contribute to the health
of our planet, the health of humankind, the empowerment and/or oppression of individuals, the
strengthening and/or weakening of communities, etc. You could investigate how business and
marketing practices as well as the practices of established institutions influence our decisions as
consumers and citizens as well as impact the fate of our planet, our health, and our identity.
Once you have considered these various concerns, you might decide to narrow your topic to one
of these research areas, or you might decide to cover multiple areas.
Conversations about technology: How does technology shape our experiences, identity, and
world?
If you select this topic, you will investigate various technological advances as well as their
influences upon our lives. You might consider how technology impacts and/or shapes education,
personal relationships, individual identities, communication practices, perceptions of reality,
consumption practices, news and information, entertainment, etc. Once you have considered
these various ideas, you might decide to narrow your topic to focus on one research area, or you
might decide to cover multiple areas regarding technology.
Conversations about education: What does it mean to be educated, and how does education
shape our experiences, identity, and world?
If you select this topic, you might consider the qualities that contribute to a “good” education as
well as the purpose of an education. You could investigate who does and does not have access
to education as well as what and how we learn about ourselves and the world when we become
ENG 105: Composition I Essay Assignment
Page 3 of 4
“educated.” How does being “educated” influence the ways in which individuals navigate and
interact with various American institutions and networks (places of employment, educational
institutions, social media platforms, etc.)? Once you have considered these various concerns,
you might decide to narrow your topic to one of these research areas, or you might decide to
cover multiple areas concerning education.
Content:
Introduction: Your introduction should follow the inverted triangle model in your textbook and
should provide a context for the rest of your essay by providing some background of the cultural
situation which has precipitated the “conversation” regarding the issue about which you’re
writing. That is, it should lead us into the topic as well as provide a context for the topic by
explaining the cultural problem to which the academic “conversation” is responding.
Thesis: Your thesis statement should avoid making a persuasive opinionated claim, and instead
should make an informative claim which represents the ideas you’ve encountered in your
sources. It should acknowledge agreed-upon components of the academic conversation but also
make mention of diverging views (when appropriate). You might use one of the following
templates:
o Although scholars do not agree upon ______________, they largely agree that
_______________.
o Despite widespread agreement among cultural critics about ____________, they cannot
agree upon ______________ .
o Scholars widely agree ______________________ and all point to research which
supports the belief that ________________________________________.
o Experts tend to agree that _________________________ impacts ___________ as they
work together to present a view that _____________.
o Scholars agree that through _________________________________, the
_____________ impacts individuals in a ________________ manner.
Body: This section of your essay should provide any additional background necessary and should lay out
the major claims in support of your thesis. Your goal here is NOT to merely summarize each of your
sources. Instead, you need to have topic sentences which put forward a point and then use information
from multiple sources to help explain and support that point. That is, your topic sentences will put
forward overarching areas of agreement or contention you’ve seen across multiple sources (or
conclusions about the issue you’ve come to through reading all of your sources), and your paragraph
content should explain the topic sentence through providing your own discussion as well as information
synthesized from your sources.
ENG 105: Composition I Essay Assignment
Page 4 of 4
Conclusion: Your conclusion should bring appropriate closure to your essay, tying together the claims
made in the body, reinforcing the thesis, and perhaps even commenting on the potential further-
reaching implications of this issue for culture.
Additional Content: Either in the body or as part of the conclusion, you might choose to briefly explore
issues, counterarguments, or implications the sources failed to address or overlooked.
Source Requirements: Refer to the “Topic Choices and Reading Assignments” handout.
Documentation: Your essay should follow MLA documentation guidelines, including source integration
methods, in-text citations, and a Works Cited page.
Formatting: Please use twelve-point Times New Roman font, one-inch margins, and MLA formatting.
Length: 5-7 pages, double-spaced (not including the Works Cited page)
© Kameo Cragoe and Indian Hills Community College
**lu09_topics_new1.pdf**
This file is too large to display. [View in new window](https://www.sweetstudy.com/files/lu09-topics-new1-pdf)
**lu09_topics_new1.pdf**
This file is too large to display. [View in new window](https://www.sweetstudy.com/files/lu09-topics-new1-pdf)
**## lu11_checklist_new1.docx**
| | |
| — | — |
| ENG 105: Composition I | Assignment Checklist |
## Checklist for Synthesis Essay
Use this checklist to evaluate your essay before submitting it to the submission area for a final grade. This checklist is for your use only–do not submit this document, as you will not receive a grade for completing this.
1.
**Write the thesis statement here:** ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____ My thesis is specific and clear.
_____ My thesis addresses the connections among the sources.
2.
**I formatted the essay correctly.**
_____ I placed a header on each page (upper right hand corner) with my last name and the page number.
_____ I placed the identifying information (student name, instructor name, class, etc.) in the upper left hand corner, and I double spaced this information.
_____ I double spaced the entire essay, including the Works Cited.
_____ I centered my title at the beginning of my essay.
_____ I indented each paragraph.
3.
**I included a Works Cited page.**
_____ I formatted the Works Cited page following proper MLA style format.
_____ I cited each source following proper MLA style format.
_____ I cited all of the essays (at least five) that I integrated into my essay.
4.
**I included textual examples within my essay.**
_____ I included in-text citations for all quotes, paraphrases, and summaries.
_____ All quotes appear within quotation marks.
_____ I have changed the words and the sentence structures in all of my paraphrases and summaries.
_____ I have used textual examples (quotes, paraphrases, and/or summaries) to help me write a developed discussion.
_____ I have integrated at least five of the assigned essays into my essay.
5.
**I have met the page requirement of the assignment.**
_____ My essay is at least five full pages in length.
6.
**I have supported my thesis.**
_____ Each discussion within the essay works to support my thesis.
7.
**I have avoided redundancy.**
_____ I worked to avoid overusing words, phrases, and sentence structures.
8.
**I have edited my essay for tense and P.O.V. shifts.**
_____ I am consistent with my tense and P.O.V. I avoid using 2nd person P.O.V. (you, your).
9.
**I have edited my essay for dangling and misplaced modifiers.**
_____ I effectively modify the intended word or phrase in the sentence.
© Kameo Cragoe and Indian Hills Community College
Page 2 of 2
**## lu09_assignment_new1.pdf**
ENG 105: Composition I Essay Assignment
Page 1 of 4
Synthesis Essay Assignment
Purpose: By this point in the term, you have read several essays about various topics related to our
experiences in contemporary culture. In this final paper, then, you will write an essay which brings
together ideas and data from multiple sources to inform the audience about a specific topic (listed
below).
Writing this essay will require you to 1) look for connections among the ideas in five assigned essays
from Inquiry; 2) develop a thesis statement and main points which make an informative claim (based on
the assigned essays’ content) in response to your research question; and 3) synthesize information from
your sources to support and explain your main points. Your goal will be to effectively and accurately
synthesize the source material in order to inform your audience. A secondary goal will be to integrate
and document sources correctly.
Topics: Choose one of the following writing prompts:
Conversations about gender: What messages do we receive about gender, and from where do
they come? How do these messages shape our experiences, identities, and world?
If you decide on this topic, you will want to consider how our environment impacts our
perceptions of gender as well as our experiences. You might consider the perceptions that our
society has regarding gender and how these perceptions compare and/or contrast with the
individual experience. You could investigate the various gender roles that are often cultivated by
society and perpetuated by the media and/or the range of definitions of femininity and
masculinity (including definitions of beauty, strength, power, and weaknesses) found in our
society. Once you have considered these various concerns, you might decide to narrow your
topic to one of these research areas, or you might decide to cover multiple areas.
Conversations about race and ethnicity: What messages do we receive about race and
ethnicity, and from where do they come? How do these messages shape our experiences,
identities, and world?
If you decide on this topic, you will want to consider how our environment impacts our
perceptions of race and ethnicity as well as our experiences. You might consider the perceptions
that our society has regarding race and ethnicity and how these perceptions compare and/or
contrast with the individual experience. You could investigate various definitions and
stereotypes involving race and ethnicity as well as the way these might shape an individual’s
experience in America. In addition, you may consider how race and ethnicity might influence the
ways in which individuals navigate and interact with various American institutions and networks
(places of employment, educational institutions, social media platforms, etc.). Once you have
considered these various concerns, you might decide to narrow your topic to one of these
research areas, or you might decide to cover multiple areas.
ENG 105: Composition I Essay Assignment
Page 2 of 4
Conversations about class: What messages do we receive about economic class, and from
where do they come? How do these messages shape our experiences, identities, and world?
If you decide on this topic, you will want to consider how our environment impacts our
perceptions of class as well as our experiences. You might consider the perceptions that our
society has regarding class and how these perceptions compare and/or contrast with the
individual experience. You could investigate various definitions and stereotypes involving class
as well as the way these might shape an individual’s experience in America. In addition, you may
consider how class influences the ways in which individuals navigate and interact with various
American institutions and networks (places of employment, educational institutions, social
media platforms, etc.). Once you have considered these various concerns, you might decide to
narrow your topic to one of these research areas, or you might decide to cover multiple areas.
Conversations about social responsibility: In what ways might we engage in or avoid civic
action, and how might these actions shape our experiences, identity, and world?
If you select this topic, you will consider the extent of our social responsibilities as individuals.
You may consider the ways in which our behaviors and attitudes might contribute to the health
of our planet, the health of humankind, the empowerment and/or oppression of individuals, the
strengthening and/or weakening of communities, etc. You could investigate how business and
marketing practices as well as the practices of established institutions influence our decisions as
consumers and citizens as well as impact the fate of our planet, our health, and our identity.
Once you have considered these various concerns, you might decide to narrow your topic to one
of these research areas, or you might decide to cover multiple areas.
Conversations about technology: How does technology shape our experiences, identity, and
world?
If you select this topic, you will investigate various technological advances as well as their
influences upon our lives. You might consider how technology impacts and/or shapes education,
personal relationships, individual identities, communication practices, perceptions of reality,
consumption practices, news and information, entertainment, etc. Once you have considered
these various ideas, you might decide to narrow your topic to focus on one research area, or you
might decide to cover multiple areas regarding technology.
Conversations about education: What does it mean to be educated, and how does education
shape our experiences, identity, and world?
If you select this topic, you might consider the qualities that contribute to a “good” education as
well as the purpose of an education. You could investigate who does and does not have access
to education as well as what and how we learn about ourselves and the world when we become
ENG 105: Composition I Essay Assignment
Page 3 of 4
“educated.” How does being “educated” influence the ways in which individuals navigate and
interact with various American institutions and networks (places of employment, educational
institutions, social media platforms, etc.)? Once you have considered these various concerns,
you might decide to narrow your topic to one of these research areas, or you might decide to
cover multiple areas concerning education.
Content:
Introduction: Your introduction should follow the inverted triangle model in your textbook and
should provide a context for the rest of your essay by providing some background of the cultural
situation which has precipitated the “conversation” regarding the issue about which you’re
writing. That is, it should lead us into the topic as well as provide a context for the topic by
explaining the cultural problem to which the academic “conversation” is responding.
Thesis: Your thesis statement should avoid making a persuasive opinionated claim, and instead
should make an informative claim which represents the ideas you’ve encountered in your
sources. It should acknowledge agreed-upon components of the academic conversation but also
make mention of diverging views (when appropriate). You might use one of the following
templates:
o Although scholars do not agree upon ______________, they largely agree that
_______________.
o Despite widespread agreement among cultural critics about ____________, they cannot
agree upon ______________ .
o Scholars widely agree ______________________ and all point to research which
supports the belief that ________________________________________.
o Experts tend to agree that _________________________ impacts ___________ as they
work together to present a view that _____________.
o Scholars agree that through _________________________________, the
_____________ impacts individuals in a ________________ manner.
Body: This section of your essay should provide any additional background necessary and should lay out
the major claims in support of your thesis. Your goal here is NOT to merely summarize each of your
sources. Instead, you need to have topic sentences which put forward a point and then use information
from multiple sources to help explain and support that point. That is, your topic sentences will put
forward overarching areas of agreement or contention you’ve seen across multiple sources (or
conclusions about the issue you’ve come to through reading all of your sources), and your paragraph
content should explain the topic sentence through providing your own discussion as well as information
synthesized from your sources.
ENG 105: Composition I Essay Assignment
Page 4 of 4
Conclusion: Your conclusion should bring appropriate closure to your essay, tying together the claims
made in the body, reinforcing the thesis, and perhaps even commenting on the potential further-
reaching implications of this issue for culture.
Additional Content: Either in the body or as part of the conclusion, you might choose to briefly explore
issues, counterarguments, or implications the sources failed to address or overlooked.
Source Requirements: Refer to the “Topic Choices and Reading Assignments” handout.
Documentation: Your essay should follow MLA documentation guidelines, including source integration
methods, in-text citations, and a Works Cited page.
Formatting: Please use twelve-point Times New Roman font, one-inch margins, and MLA formatting.
Length: 5-7 pages, double-spaced (not including the Works Cited page)
© Kameo Cragoe and Indian Hills Community College
**lu09_topics_new1.pdf**
This file is too large to display. [View in new window](https://www.sweetstudy.com/files/lu09-topics-new1-pdf)
**## lu11_checklist_new1.docx**
| | |
| — | — |
| ENG 105: Composition I | Assignment Checklist |
## Checklist for Synthesis Essay
Use this checklist to evaluate your essay before submitting it to the submission area for a final grade. This checklist is for your use only–do not submit this document, as you will not receive a grade for completing this.
1.
**Write the thesis statement here:** ______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
_____ My thesis is specific and clear.
_____ My thesis addresses the connections among the sources.
2.
**I formatted the essay correctly.**
_____ I placed a header on each page (upper right hand corner) with my last name and the page number.
_____ I placed the identifying information (student name, instructor name, class, etc.) in the upper left hand corner, and I double spaced this information.
_____ I double spaced the entire essay, including the Works Cited.
_____ I centered my title at the beginning of my essay.
_____ I indented each paragraph.
3.
**I included a Works Cited page.**
_____ I formatted the Works Cited page following proper MLA style format.
_____ I cited each source following proper MLA style format.
_____ I cited all of the essays (at least five) that I integrated into my essay.
4.
**I included textual examples within my essay.**
_____ I included in-text citations for all quotes, paraphrases, and summaries.
_____ All quotes appear within quotation marks.
_____ I have changed the words and the sentence structures in all of my paraphrases and summaries.
_____ I have used textual examples (quotes, paraphrases, and/or summaries) to help me write a developed discussion.
_____ I have integrated at least five of the assigned essays into my essay.
5.
**I have met the page requirement of the assignment.**
_____ My essay is at least five full pages in length.
6.
**I have supported my thesis.**
_____ Each discussion within the essay works to support my thesis.
7.
**I have avoided redundancy.**
_____ I worked to avoid overusing words, phrases, and sentence structures.
8.
**I have edited my essay for tense and P.O.V. shifts.**
_____ I am consistent with my tense and P.O.V. I avoid using 2nd person P.O.V. (you, your).
9.
**I have edited my essay for dangling and misplaced modifiers.**
_____ I effectively modify the intended word or phrase in the sentence.
© Kameo Cragoe and Indian Hills Community College
Page 2 of 2
**## lu09_assignment_new1.pdf**
ENG 105: Composition I Essay Assignment
Page 1 of 4
Synthesis Essay Assignment
Purpose: By this point in the term, you have read several essays about various topics related to our
experiences in contemporary culture. In this final paper, then, you will write an essay which brings
together ideas and data from multiple sources to inform the audience about a specific topic (listed
below).
Writing this essay will require you to 1) look for connections among the ideas in five assigned essays
from Inquiry; 2) develop a thesis statement and main points which make an informative claim (based on
the assigned essays’ content) in response to your research question; and 3) synthesize information from
your sources to support and explain your main points. Your goal will be to effectively and accurately
synthesize the source material in order to inform your audience. A secondary goal will be to integrate
and document sources correctly.
Topics: Choose one of the following writing prompts:
Conversations about gender: What messages do we receive about gender, and from where do
they come? How do these messages shape our experiences, identities, and world?
If you decide on this topic, you will want to consider how our environment impacts our
perceptions of gender as well as our experiences. You might consider the perceptions that our
society has regarding gender and how these perceptions compare and/or contrast with the
individual experience. You could investigate the various gender roles that are often cultivated by
society and perpetuated by the media and/or the range of definitions of femininity and
masculinity (including definitions of beauty, strength, power, and weaknesses) found in our
society. Once you have considered these various concerns, you might decide to narrow your
topic to one of these research areas, or you might decide to cover multiple areas.
Conversations about race and ethnicity: What messages do we receive about race and
ethnicity, and from where do they come? How do these messages shape our experiences,
identities, and world?
If you decide on this topic, you will want to consider how our environment impacts our
perceptions of race and ethnicity as well as our experiences. You might consider the perceptions
that our society has regarding race and ethnicity and how these perceptions compare and/or
contrast with the individual experience. You could investigate various definitions and
stereotypes involving race and ethnicity as well as the way these might shape an individual’s
experience in America. In addition, you may consider how race and ethnicity might influence the
ways in which individuals navigate and interact with various American institutions and networks
(places of employment, educational institutions, social media platforms, etc.). Once you have
considered these various concerns, you might decide to narrow your topic to one of these
research areas, or you might decide to cover multiple areas.
ENG 105: Composition I Essay Assignment
Page 2 of 4
Conversations about class: What messages do we receive about economic class, and from
where do they come? How do these messages shape our experiences, identities, and world?
If you decide on this topic, you will want to consider how our environment impacts our
perceptions of class as well as our experiences. You might consider the perceptions that our
society has regarding class and how these perceptions compare and/or contrast with the
individual experience. You could investigate various definitions and stereotypes involving class
as well as the way these might shape an individual’s experience in America. In addition, you may
consider how class influences the ways in which individuals navigate and interact with various
American institutions and networks (places of employment, educational institutions, social
media platforms, etc.). Once you have considered these various concerns, you might decide to
narrow your topic to one of these research areas, or you might decide to cover multiple areas.
Conversations about social responsibility: In what ways might we engage in or avoid civic
action, and how might these actions shape our experiences, identity, and world?
If you select this topic, you will consider the extent of our social responsibilities as individuals.
You may consider the ways in which our behaviors and attitudes might contribute to the health
of our planet, the health of humankind, the empowerment and/or oppression of individuals, the
strengthening and/or weakening of communities, etc. You could investigate how business and
marketing practices as well as the practices of established institutions influence our decisions as
consumers and citizens as well as impact the fate of our planet, our health, and our identity.
Once you have considered these various concerns, you might decide to narrow your topic to one
of these research areas, or you might decide to cover multiple areas.
Conversations about technology: How does technology shape our experiences, identity, and
world?
If you select this topic, you will investigate various technological advances as well as their
influences upon our lives. You might consider how technology impacts and/or shapes education,
personal relationships, individual identities, communication practices, perceptions of reality,
consumption practices, news and information, entertainment, etc. Once you have considered
these various ideas, you might decide to narrow your topic to focus on one research area, or you
might decide to cover multiple areas regarding technology.
Conversations about education: What does it mean to be educated, and how does education
shape our experiences, identity, and world?
If you select this topic, you might consider the qualities that contribute to a “good” education as
well as the purpose of an education. You could investigate who does and does not have access
to education as well as what and how we learn about ourselves and the world when we become
ENG 105: Composition I Essay Assignment
Page 3 of 4
“educated.” How does being “educated” influence the ways in which individuals navigate and
interact with various American institutions and networks (places of employment, educational
institutions, social media platforms, etc.)? Once you have considered these various concerns,
you might decide to narrow your topic to one of these research areas, or you might decide to
cover multiple areas concerning education.
Content:
Introduction: Your introduction should follow the inverted triangle model in your textbook and
should provide a context for the rest of your essay by providing some background of the cultural
situation which has precipitated the “conversation” regarding the issue about which you’re
writing. That is, it should lead us into the topic as well as provide a context for the topic by
explaining the cultural problem to which the academic “conversation” is responding.
Thesis: Your thesis statement should avoid making a persuasive opinionated claim, and instead
should make an informative claim which represents the ideas you’ve encountered in your
sources. It should acknowledge agreed-upon components of the academic conversation but also
make mention of diverging views (when appropriate). You might use one of the following
templates:
o Although scholars do not agree upon ______________, they largely agree that
_______________.
o Despite widespread agreement among cultural critics about ____________, they cannot
agree upon ______________ .
o Scholars widely agree ______________________ and all point to research which
supports the belief that ________________________________________.
o Experts tend to agree that _________________________ impacts ___________ as they
work together to present a view that _____________.
o Scholars agree that through _________________________________, the
_____________ impacts individuals in a ________________ manner.
Body: This section of your essay should provide any additional background necessary and should lay out
the major claims in support of your thesis. Your goal here is NOT to merely summarize each of your
sources. Instead, you need to have topic sentences which put forward a point and then use information
from multiple sources to help explain and support that point. That is, your topic sentences will put
forward overarching areas of agreement or contention you’ve seen across multiple sources (or
conclusions about the issue you’ve come to through reading all of your sources), and your paragraph
content should explain the topic sentence through providing your own discussion as well as information
synthesized from your sources.
ENG 105: Composition I Essay Assignment
Page 4 of 4
Conclusion: Your conclusion should bring appropriate closure to your essay, tying together the claims
made in the body, reinforcing the thesis, and perhaps even commenting on the potential further-
reaching implications of this issue for culture.
Additional Content: Either in the body or as part of the conclusion, you might choose to briefly explore
issues, counterarguments, or implications the sources failed to address or overlooked.
Source Requirements: Refer to the “Topic Choices and Reading Assignments” handout.
Documentation: Your essay should follow MLA documentation guidelines, including source integration
methods, in-text citations, and a Works Cited page.
Formatting: Please use twelve-point Times New Roman font, one-inch margins, and MLA formatting.
Length: 5-7 pages, double-spaced (not including the Works Cited page)
© Kameo Cragoe and Indian Hills Community College
**lu09_topics_new1.pdf**
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