FINALS

 
Essay 4 (Argument/Research)
Due: Sunday, December 10th by midnight (any time before Monday) on Canvas

Please note that Essay 4 can not be accepted late (also noted on the syllabus)
Length: 4-6 pages
We have read and discussed a number of writers on the topic of some of the benefits and problems currently in three areas: higher education, education in general, and the effects of technology on education. For this essay you will focus on one of the three aforementioned areas. You will focus on at least three authors for this essay. One author will come from our class readings. The other two will come from your research using the college’s databases. You want to make sure all three of your authors speak to the same topic.

 Like essay 3, you will respond (“I Say”) to many of the authors have proposed (the “They Say” or ongoing conversations on this topic).  Your essay will have a thesis that the rest of the essay will support, and the body of the essay will respond to, and argue using, the ideas and positions of at least three of the authors we have read.  Note: the assignment is not asking for your opinion on this topic in isolation—you are expected to grapple with the ideas of the writers, finding agreement (noting how they contribute to your argument while adding to what they have said) or disagreement (with persuasive reasons why you disagree), or perhaps some of both.  It will be important to anticipate objections to your position (planting “naysayers”), to consider and / or rebut counterarguments.

View the Instructions for Research page for additional information on how to use the college’s databases to find articles for this essay.

View the MLA Instructions page for help with MLA citing and formatting
View the planting a naysayer reading and three ways to respond reading for additional help
The rubric I use to grade your essay will consist of these 11 categories:
Introduction – sets up your argument, briefly mentions the texts you’ll use, and includes a thesis (10%)

Thesis – should appear at the end of the intro paragraph (10%)

Body Paragraphs: develop thesis – body paragraphs each develop the author’s thesis and are organized by ideas, not by authors. (10%)
Body Paragraphs: provide examples – specific examples are used to develop the author’s thesis, quoting and paraphrasing is used to effectively make their points and provide an outside reader with a clear understanding of outside sources/examples. (10%)
Body Paragraphs: planting naysayer – the author addresses contradictory views from the texts and either accommodates or refutes them. (10%)
Focus – author’s ideas are discussed in a focused manner, often focusing on one idea at a time (10%)

Formatting (Times New Roman, 12pt font, double spaced, indented first line for each new paragraph) (10%)
Editing and Presentation (spelling, grammar, etc.) (10%)
Proper use of quoting/paraphrasing (5%)
Topic Sentences (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. are used effectively (5%)
Conclusion – provides readers with an idea about how they should think about this topic, reiterates main points (10%)
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