Fluent Essays

· Writing Your Argument Section Writing Your Argument Section The purpose of the Argument section is to convince your readers that your thesis is making a valid point. To do that, you should reiterate your thesis in a brief introduction to the section. Then, each of your 4 body paragraphs will seek to prove that your thesis is valid and important. You will integrate sources into the body paragraphs (as you did in Paper 1) in order to show readers that its not only you who think this but others support your thesis as well. Instructions 1. Watch  this video on writing the Argument section  .  Note: Once again, the video was made for Spring 2021. Instead of writing the structure of the Argument section on the Paper 2 Assignment Sheet, you will find it in numbers 4, 5, 6 and 7 below. 2. Open your Paper 2 Word Doc and write Argument (bold, centered) below the last paragraph of the Literature Review. 3. Write a brief introduction (no anecdote, statistic, or offset quote necessary), no longer than 1/4 of a page. Make sure the thesis is the last sentence of this brief introduction. 4. Write your 4 body paragraphs supporting the thesis. Your body paragraphs must: a. Begin with a topic sentence that references the thesis of the paper--it should be one claim as to why the thesis is true or reasonable. Do not cite a source here. If you need help developing topic sentences, see  this link  (although remember that this time your topic sentences will be argumentative rather than explanatory).  b. Integrate several of your 10 sources to support your argument. Whereever possible, use paraphrases instead of quotes. Cite  using APA 7 formatting . If you need help with integrating sources, see  Integrating Sources into Your Body Paragraphs . c. End with a concluding sentence that sums up the paragraphs argument. Do not cite a source here. d. Body paragraphs should be 3/4 of a page long each. 5. There is no conclusion to your Argument section. There should be a brief Introduction and 4 body paragraphs for a total of 5 paragraphs. 6. When you are finished writing the Argument section, mark this item as reviewed and you will see what you need to write next. 7. Follow the 80/20 rule: 80\% is you talking, only 20\% is evidence from sources. Do not use quotes over 3 lines long! And do not summarize your sources. Argue for your thesis.  Reviewed · Writing the Conclusions section for Paper 2 Writing the Conclusions section for Paper 2 Conclusions section infographic     The Conclusions section has two purposes. First, to share with your readers an important realization or finding that occurred to you during your research. Your object in sharing this information is to make an impact on readers. Second, to be transparent. A research project cannot cover everything having to do with the topic. So...what could you not cover or find out? Why? Should other researchers take on the task of finding these things out? By teling readers this information, you are giving them ideas of what still needs to be looked into regarding your topic. Instructions 1. Watch  this video on writing your Conclusions section  . Note: Once again, the video is from Spring 2021 sothe information that the video says is on the Paper 2 assignment sheet is written below. 2. Make sure that you understand that there are 2 paragraphs to the Conclusions section. a. Paragraph 1 is where you look through your sources, find a surprising realization that you learned from one of your sources, and write about that, citing the source of course. b. Paragraph 2 (the limitations paragraph) is where you tell us what your paper could not cover and why. This is for transparency--you want other readers to understand that not all important or significant concepts could be covered and that there is room for others to research.  3. Open your Paper 2 Word Doc. 4. Below the Argument section, write the word Conclusions (bold and centered). 5. Switch back to left alignment and write your two conclusions paragraphs. 6. Mark this item as reviewed.  Reviewed · Writing Your Recommendations Paragraphs Writing Your Recommendations Paragraphs Hopefully, your argument section has been strong enough to really fire up your readers, make them want to do something to change the situation. Your job in the Recommendations section is to find two concrete actions readers can take now. These 2 actions must be in the form of activism. What can they physically do to effect change?  Instructions 1. Watch  this video on writing the Recommendations   for Paper 2  . Note: Yes, this video is from Spring 2021. Instead of being on the Paper 2 assignment sheet, the information I talk about is described below. 2. Think of 2 activist actions readers can take that are connected to your thesis. These activist actions must be concrete and you must provide concrete steps how to do each action. If you say, for example, that readers should be wary of social media posts about protests, you are required to give them a concrete plan of action regarding how they can weed out predatory and false information. Note: Do not tell readers to simply change their attitudes about something. Changing ones attitude is not an activist action. 3. Open your Paper 2 Word doc and write the word Recommendations below the Conclusions section (centered and bold). 4. Switch back to left alignment, and write 2 paragraphs, one about each activist action that you recommend. Cite sources if and where necessary.  5. Copy and paste your References page (see Journal 7) and place it below the completed Recommendations section. 6. When you have marked this item as reviewed, you will see the instructions on writing the Abstract.  Reviewed · Writing the Abstract for Paper 2 Writing the Abstract for Paper 2 An abstract is a short, paragraph-long summary of a paper that appears between the title page and the Introduction of the paper. For our paper, you should provide one sentece for each of the following parts of  your essay: the thesis, the four topic sentences, the first paragraph of the Conclusions section, and the two recommendations. Beneath the abstract, keywords are provided that are specific enough to become search terms that would help future researchers find further information on this topic. Instructions 1. Go to our  1302 LibGuide  and click on the Abstract DIY tab to watch a video on abstract writing. 2. Watch  this video on writing the Abstract for Paper 2   . And again, the video is from Spring 2021, so the information is explained below for you and in this video rather than on the assignment sheet itself. 3. Open your Paper 2 Word Doc and scroll to the top of the page. 4. Above your Introduction, write the word Abstract (bold and centered). 5. Switch back to left alignment and write your Abstract including keywords.  6. When you have completed this task, you will be able to see the Revising Skills folder and will be able to upload your completed rough draft to the Paper 2 Peer Review.  Reviewed English 1302 Fall 2021 Dr. Wedes /4 Paper 2: The Researched Argument Due Dates Draft Due Date Document Format Submission Info Grading Rough Draft 10/11 11.59pm This due date is firm if you want points for the rough draft & peer review. Word Doc, in APA Format Posted to Paper 2>Revising Skills>Peer Review Paper 2-- share the draft to the group or else we will not be able to read your draft. 5 DW points for turning in a draft. 5 DW points for reviewing a draft. Final Draft 10/15 You will be unable to begin Paper 3 until the final draft is submitted. Word Doc, in APA Format Posted to Paper 2>Revising Skills>paper 2 Final Draft Turn In . Letter grade worth 20\% (200 pts) of your total course grade. This is an A+CE Signature Assignment: The purpose an A+CE assignment: To develop your ability to introduce, integrate, evaluate, discuss and reflect on information from academic texts in order to make a successful academic argument; to practice the type of research and writing that is often a part of upper-division courses; to be able to distinguish peer-reviewed academic research from non-peer-reviewed and educated-audience sources. Purpose To discover through research and then argue in favor of a unique position you are taking on protest movements. To learn how to present a STEM-style research paper such as might be written for science, technology, engineering, or mathematics courses. Please note: For this paper you will not be focusing on one specific protest movement. Rather, you must research a theory that you have about protest movements as a whole to see if the theory holds water. For example, when do protest movements have a right to commit violence? Or at what point can a protest be considered an insurrection (like what happened on January 6, 2021)? There are hundreds of such questions that you might have about protest movements. Choose one that does not have a yes/no answer and research it. You may use individual protest movements as an example to illustrate a point within the body paragraphs of the argument section of the paper, but do not write a thesis about one protest movement. The thesis must be about the question/theory you were researching. This paper is not Paper 1 and should not look like Paper 1. Sources To educate yourself about your theory/question about protest movements, you must do research in academic sources. Paper 2 requires you to use the following 10 sources: · 5 peer-reviewed articles (you learned how to find these in Library Unit 1 ). · 2 book chapters from non-fiction books or 2 more peer-reviewed articles (see Library Unit 2 ). · 3 fact-based media sources. Do not use media sources that are propagandistic and/or politically biased (see Library Unit 2 ). What happens if the sources you use are the wrong ones or you don’t have all the required sources for the paper? The paper receives a failing grade. What do you do if you can’t find all of the required sources for the paper? Email me at [email protected] or set up a Zoom meeting with me. Developing a thesis · Look at what others are already saying about protest movements. Test what others are saying about protest movements by looking up facts written by people who are not politically biased (peer-reviewed articles, fact-based media sources, non-fiction book sources). · What interesting ideas did you discover in Journal 6 , your peer-reviewed articles, fact-based media, and non-fiction books? Focus on information that your readers might not be aware of regarding protest movements. · Consider your audience. Whatever thesis you decide on must be geared toward an academic audience, one that wants to see solid evidence for every claim that you make. · Develop a thesis that must be answered through complex research and discussion. Use “how” and “why” to turn your questions about protest movements into a potential argumentative theory. Do this by asking open-ended questions about protests. For example: “Why do some groups choose violent over non-violent protest?” or “How do protest movements fail?” or “How do protest movements succeed?” or “How should authorities respond to protests given the First Amendment right of people ‘peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances?’” or maybe, simply, “How do protest movements work?” (Feel free to develop your own question) · Evaluate your thesis. Ask yourself: · Is your thesis on topic? It’s purpose must match the assignment: To discover through research and then argue in favor of a unique position you are taking on protest movements. · Is your thesis focused? It must be very specific so that there are searchable terms within it for you to use to find fact-based information on it. · Is your thesis complex enough? It cannot be answered with a simple, one-word answer like “yes” or “no.” It must require research and analysis. The question/theory must not be answerable from your own knowledge. · Are there four unique ways you can support your thesis? The argument section is 5 paragraphs long (an introduction and 4 body paragraphs). You must be able to write 4 paragraphs that are ¾ of a page long each to support your thesis without being repetitive. Structure of the Paper This paper is 14 paragraphs long: the Abstract (1 paragraph, to be placed first, but written last), the Introduction (1 paragraph), the Literature Review (3 paragraphs), the Argument (5 paragraphs), the Conclusions (2 paragraphs), the Recommendations (2 paragraphs). Paragraphs should be ½ to ¾ of a page long. To learn how to write each paragraph, you will go to the Paper 2>Writing Skills folder on Blackboard and complete each of the 6 units, including Journal 8. After you have completed all units in the Writing Skills folder, you should have a complete and correct rough draft of Paper 1. Paper 2 must be organized in APA 7 format and in this order: · Title Page (on a page by itself, containing the title, your name, the school name, the course name, my name, and the due date of the final draft). · Abstract (brief, 1 paragraph summary of your paper including keywords, on a page by itself) · Introduction (1 paragraph, with title of essay written above it in bold and including either an offset quote, statistic, or anecdote from one of your sources and the thesis as the last sentence) · Literature Review (3 paragraphs, telling why your sources consider the thesis puzzling and giving an overview of arguments sources have already made and what your sources have already said about your thesis). · Argument (5 paragraphs including an introduction and 4 body paragraphs supporting your thesis). · Conclusions (2 paragraphs, 1 discussing a major discovery uncovered by your research and 1 limitations paragraph talking about what your research was unable to discover). · Recommendations (2 paragraphs where you discuss two specific actions that readers can take to enact change in regards to your thesis about protest movements and tell them step-by-step how to take those actions). · References (see Journal 7 , consisting of your 10 required sources). To get a visual of the format, click on the Example Paper . Please note: Anyone who attempts to copy the thesis, arguments, recommendations, or conclusions or use the sources cited in the Example Paper will be charged with plagiarism and asked to write a whole new paper. Document Format · Word Doc · 1” margins, left aligned. · Indented, double-spaced paragraphs. · No extra line spaces between headings, paragraphs, references, or titles. Use this video for help. · 12 pt professional-looking font (Times New Roman, Arial, Calibri). Grammar Pronouns, wordiness, vagueness: · No personal pronouns may be used anywhere in this paper. Personal pronouns include: I, me, my, mine, you, your, you’re, yours, we, us, our, ours. · Directly worded, specific sentences. No wordiness, no vagueness. Use this link for help with wordy sentences: Wordy Sentences Other grammar Grammar errors should not impede the readers’ ability to understand your paper. Here is a list of grammar errors to watch for and links to explanations about them: · Apostrophes (possessives, contractions) · Plural words (s on the end) · Comma splices, fused sentences (run-ons) · Capitalization · Fragments and vague pronouns (which, it, this) Paper 2 and the Portfolio This paper, heavily revised, must be included in your course portfolio (due on the class day) along with a reflection essay. This portfolio is also the final exam and is worth 30\% of your total course grade. Do not attempt to do this essay until after the final draft has been graded. Grading Criteria is on page 4... Grading Criteria Skills Criteria How you did Points possible Reading Skills The paper’s success proves that the writer closely followed the instructions on the Paper 2 assignment sheet. 10 It is clear from the new ideas and specific details provided in the paper, that the student thoroughly researched this topic and learned some new and exciting information about it. 20 Researching Skills The writer successfully researched Paper 2 as is proven by the 5 peer-reviewed articles, 2 book chapters or 2 more peer-reviewed articles, and 3 fact-based media sources that are paraphrased and/or quoted within the paper and appear on the Reference page. 30 The writer provided an accurately formatted APA 7 Reference page after the Recommendations section of Paper 2 with all 10 required sources listed. 10 Writing Skills The Abstract is brief, summarizes the thesis, topic sentences, conclusions (first paragraph), and recommendations. Has searchable keywords. 10 The Introduction is engaging and intriguing and catches readers’ attention with an offset quote or an anecdote or a startling statistic. 10 The thesis is the last sentence of the Introduction, is on topic, and is the focus of the entire 14-paragraph paper. The thesis is argumentative (takes a side), not factual or explanatory. 10 The Literature Review is 3 paragraphs, each paragraph dealing with the topics as listed in Journal 8. All 10 required sources were paraphrased. 20 The Argument section is 5 paragraphs, with a brief introduction & thesis and 4 focused, well-researched body paragraphs. 10 The Argument section is clearly a product of research with sources integrated into each body paragraph. Each body paragraph argues for the topic sentence which is clearly connected to the thesis. It does not summarize any sources. 10 The Conclusions section has one paragraph that describes an important realization made by the writer and cites the source that helped the writer reach that realization. It has a second paragraph that discusses the limitations of the writer’s study. 10 The Recommendations section is two paragraphs long and discusses two concrete, physical actions readers can take and how to take those actions. 10 Sources are correctly integrated into the paper in APA 7, including paraphrases and transitions (signal phrases) into quotes. No quote takes up more than 3 lines of the paper. 10 Revising Skills The paper is complete: there are 14 paragraphs and a strong attempt has been made to ensure that each section is on topic and well-supported with sources. 10 The writer wisely chose important areas of the paper to revise based on the comments they received during peer review. 10 The writer made use of the Writing and Reading Center or used the links on the Paper 2 assignment sheet to edit for grammar, as is evidenced by the polished state of the essay. 10 Total Pts 200-179 pts = A; 178-159 pts = B; 158-139 pts = C; 138-119 pts = D; 118-0 pts = F 200