Task: Integrate research that provides a sociocultural framework for the topic and articulates a position. (final running word count: min 3,750 words)
Your final project of the term asks you to learn more about your topic. You’ll investigate the topic, form a guiding question for your research, and attempt to answer the question, using course texts and sources outside the course. You’ll integrate these sources into your own writing, ultimately coming to a (perhaps tentative) conclusion or claim (thesis) from your research and learning.
As you did for the first assignment, you’ll be revising and writing additional material at the same time. Unit 3’s prompt asks you to add and integrate your Unit 2 storytelling and Unit 1 Rhetorical analysis into this writing, AND to revise your Unit 2 material by addressing the three revision tasks you’re provided in conferences.
In essence, you’re writing one ever-expanding essay for this class. How you choose the organize the essay is up to you. You may want to separate the three units of writing into different sections, like little mini-”chapters.” You may want to go through your Unit 2 draft and find places to add storytelling elements. As long as you fulfill the grading criteria, you can add, revise, and remix your writing however you like.
Goal 1: Generate primary and secondary research questions.
Goal 2: Write an annotated bibliography of four sources, with the intention of integrating the material you have explored into your writing. Bring it to our conferences.
Goal 3: Write at least 1,250 new words towards Assignment 3, incorporating researched argumentation.
Goal 4: Revise to the three noted revision tasks you receive in your Assignment 2 feedback.
Goal 5: Produce a 200–250-word abstract to place in front of your semester-long essay.
FINAL PRODUCT: Produce a document for all three primary semester assignments that is cohesive—whether interlaced or in chapters—and written to a general academic audience. It should be identifiable and readable as an essay to someone who doesn’t know about our class.
- Give it a TITLE and, if appropriate, SUBSECTION TITLES.
- PROOFREAD it.
- NUMBER YOUR PAGES.
- Include a WORK CITED PAGE.
Assignment 3: Research-Based Argument (18% of course grade)
Three points (3%) each:
- Provide a cover letter demonstrating how the draft has addressed revision tasks from Unit 2 and incorporated new material for Unit 3. Include in your cover letter a defense of your choices.
- Submit all writing on time (for Nov. 12 (250 new words), Nov. 19-21 (annotated bibliography), Nov. 26 (3,500 words + abstract), Dec. 19 (final draft, 3,750 words) deadlines). Complete and attend peer review.
- Meet minimum length requirements. Off-topic writing or excessive quoting will reduce your grade.
- Incorporate substantive research, including at least four credible sources. The research is integrated with signal phrases as appropriate, using in-text citations and a work cited page. Write in MLA style.
- Have a controlling idea and/or central claim, developed from your research and writing from other units.
- Final draft is fully edited, proofread, and formatted. It is presented as a single document meant to be read in full—one that incorporates the genres of writing across units/assignments 1–3.