Fluent Essays

English Elective Business-class Description Getting Started For Touchstone 2 you will be writing an argumentative essay on a topic of your choice. The topic you choose must be debatable and you must take a clear stand on one side of the issue. Your topic must also be on a small enough scale that it is appropriately narrow for a 3-5 page essay. Your essay must include a title, an introductory paragraph, which contains your argumentative thesis statement, at least three body paragraphs, which provide support for your argument and a conclusion paragraph. Research from at least two outside sources is required to provide evidence and support for your argument. Research must be cited using APA style. You must include a reference page, which lists the specific sources you used and properly cite the sources within your essay. An example essay is provided below for reference. Please read this before writing your essay. In order to foster learning and growth, all essays you submit must be newly written specifically for this course. Any recycled work will be sent back with a 0, and you will be given one attempt to redo the touchstone. Choosing a Topic You may choose any topic you wish as long as the topic has two clear sides and is not agreed upon by most of society. Your topic should be current and should have a narrow focus appropriate for a 3-5 page essay.   Essay Guidelines Refer to the checklist below throughout the writing process. Do not submit your Touchstone until your essay meets all guidelines.  We also suggest reading the complete sample essay before you begin writing. Argumentative Thesis Statement and Focus · Does the topic of the argument have two clear sides?  · Do you take a clear position on the argument in your thesis statement?  · Is the topic appropriately narrow for a 3-5 page essay? Development and Support · Are all details relevant to the argumentative thesis statement?  · Is your position supported through use of rhetorical appeals? · Is your position supported through evidence? Essay Structure and Organization · Does your essay have an introductory paragraph with a thesis statement? · Does your essay have at least three body paragraphs, which support your thesis statement? · Does your essay have a conclusion paragraph that wraps up the essay? · Are the essay paragraphs logically sequenced? · Have you used transitions to connect ideas between sentences and paragraphs? · Is it easy to follow the argument? Style  · Have you checked your essay for redundancies and imprecise language?  · Does your essay employ a formal style and objective tone? Sources and Citations · Have you referenced at least two outside sources as evidence for your argument? · Are your sources current and credible?  · Have you properly cited the sources using APA style within your essay and included a reference page? Conventions · Have you checked your essay for grammatical errors? · Have you used Spell-Check or another method to check spelling? · Have you used punctuation correctly? · Have you checked your essay for sentence run-ons and sentence fragments? Reflection · Have you answered all of the reflection questions thoughtfully and thoroughly? · Are your answers to the reflection questions included on a separate page below your essay? · Have you met or exceeded the required length for each reflection response? Before You Submit · Have you given your essay a title? · Have you included your name, date, and course at the top left of the page? · Is your essay between 3-5 pages (1,000-1,500 words)? Reflection Questions 1. How did your purpose and audience shape the way in which you wrote your argument? (1-2 sentences) 2. What was the most difficult part of writing your argumentative essay? (2-3 sentences) 3. Which appeals did you use and how do you think they strengthened your argument? (3-4 sentences) 4. How has your understanding of argumentative writing changed after completing this unit? (2-3 sentences) Sources and Citations You are required to use at least two outside sources as evidence for your argument. The sources an author uses can either build or degrade his/her credibility. In addition, improper citation of sources is a form of plagiarism and is not acceptable in academic writing. Be sure the sources you choose are credible and unbiased. As a general rule of thumb- online sources that end in “.edu”, “.gov” or “.org” are usually more reliable than websites that end in “.com.” However, online news sources or online encyclopedias are credible sources as well. See the tutorials on credible research and research citation linked in the “helpful tutorials” section below for a reminder on how to properly cite sources in APA style and how to find online sources that are credible. Requirements · Your essay, excluding your reference page and reflection questions, should be 1,000-1,500 words (approximately 3-5 pages) in length. · Double-space the essay and use 1-inch margins. · Use a readable 12-point font. · All writing must be appropriate for an academic context. · All writing must be original and written for this assignment. Plagiarism of any kind is strictly prohibited. · Submission must include your name, the name of the course, the date, and the title of your composition. · Submission must include your argumentative essay, your reference page with at least two outside sources and your answers to the reflection questions on a separate page. · Submit a single file only, including all assignment components. · Acceptable file formats include .doc, and .docx. Description Getting Started For Touchstone 1, you will be writing two separate, distinct paragraphs. You will write one paragraph in the informative mode and one paragraph in the descriptive mode. The informative paragraph must be written in a non-biased tone and explain, teach, or inform. The descriptive paragraph must use sensory details to describe a person, place or object. In order to foster learning and growth, all essays you submit must be newly written specifically for this course. Any recycled work will be sent back with a 0, and you will be given one attempt to redo the touchstone. Choosing a Topic For the informative paragraph, be creative and choose a topic that you already know something about. (You do not need to conduct any research for this paragraph.) Be sure to write in an objective and non-biased manner with your intended audience and purpose in mind. You may write about any topic you wish that you know something about, however; below are some sample topics that may help you get started.  · The background, history, or rules of a particular game or sport · The materials, tools, background or approach for a hobby you enjoy · The action/process for an activity such as driving, planting a garden, grilling a steak, etc. · The history of a place that you know a lot about (a city, state, natural attraction, etc.) · A scientific process or concept that you are very familiar with For the descriptive paragraph, use sensory language and vivid details to describe a person, a place or a thing. Sensory details describe how something looks, sounds, feels, smells or tastes. You should use precise language to “show” rather than “tell” about what you are describing.  Be sure to write with your intended audience and purpose in mind. What you write about is entirely up to you as long as you use vivid details and sensory language to bring the description to life. However, below are some sample topics that may help you get started.  · Describe a room in your house  · Describe your favorite spot to spend time    · Describe a person who is special to you    · Describe a meal that you enjoy eating or cooking   · Describe a unique family tradition Paragraph Guidelines Refer to the checklist below throughout the writing process. Do not submit your Touchstone until your paragraphs meet all guidelines. Paragraph Structure · Does each paragraph include a topic sentence that depicts the controlling idea of the paragraph? · Does each paragraph include supporting sentences that effectively support your topic sentence? · Are all sentences or details in the paragraph relevant to the topic sentence? · Does each paragraph include a concluding sentence that gives closure to the paragraph? Paragraph Cohesion · Is the sequence of all sentences within each paragraph logical (topic sentence first, logical sequence of supporting sentences, concluding sentence last)? · Are transitions used effectively to connect ideas within the paragraph? · Is the paragraph easy to read? Sentence Structure · Are all sentences complete and correct? · Are there any run-on sentences? Have you used conjunctions and correct punctuation between independent clauses? · Are there any sentence fragments? Does each sentence have a subject and verb and express a complete thought? Descriptive Paragraph · Does the writing "show" the reader details rather than "telling" about them? · Does the paragraph describe a person, place or object? · Have you touched on at least three of the senses in your use of sensory language? Informative Paragraph · Does the paragraph clearly inform the reader about a topic? · Is the paragraph based on information or facts rather than opinion? · Is the tone of the paragraph neutral and objective? Conventions · Have you checked your paragraph for grammatical errors? · Have you used Spell-Check or another method to check spelling? · Have you used punctuation correctly? Before you Submit · Have you underlined your topic sentence, one supporting sentence and your concluding sentence in each paragraph? · Have you clearly labeled each paragraph as either "Descriptive" or "Informative"? · Have you clearly identified the intended audience and purpose above each paragraph? · Have you included your name, date and course at the top left of the page? · Is each paragraph between 200-300 words? Reflection · Have you answered all of the reflection questions thoughtfully and thoroughly? · Are your answers to the reflection questions included on a separate page below your paragraphs? · Have you met or exceeded the required length for each reflection response? Reflection Questions 1. What do you think your strengths and weaknesses are in terms of sentence construction and paragraph development? (1-2 sentences) 2. Explain how writing for a particular purpose and audience shaped each of your paragraphs. (3-5 sentences) 3. Discuss your feelings about writing in different modes. Is there a particular mode you enjoy writing in more than another? (3-5 sentences) 4. Explain how different writing modes that you have learned about might be applied to scenarios in your real life. (3-5 sentences) Requirements · Each paragraph should be 200 to 300 words (approximately 1/2 page) in length · Double-space the paragraphs and use 1-inch margins · Use a readable 12-point font · All writing must be appropriate for an academic context · All writing must be original and written for this assignment · Plagiarism of any kind is strictly prohibited · Submission must include your name, the name of the course, the date, and the title of your composition · Submission must include both your descriptive and informative paragraphs and your answers to the reflection questions following each · Submit a single file only, including all assignment components · Acceptable file formats include .doc, and .docx. OL 215 Final Project One Milestone One Guidelines and Rubric For this assignment, due in Module Two, you will submit a 1-2 page (maximum) document that will identify your chosen successful company from the suggested list. You are expected to provide a brief overview of the successful company that you have chosen to benchmark for management best practices. You should also include specific examples related to the fundamental principles of management and the company’s mission and vision statement. Instructor feedback should be applied to your Final Project One submission. You must select a company from the list of suggested companies below. Resources related specifically to the successful companies listed are provided. SAS  SAS.com  SAS: A New No. 1 Best Employer  How SAS Became the World’s Best Place to Work  An Interview With the Godfather of Data Analytics, SAS’s Jim Goodnight Google  Google.com  How Google Motivates Their Employees With Rewards and Perks  Lessons From Google’s Management Style  Google’s Management Style Grows Up  Google’s Greatest Innovation May Be Its Management Practice Zappos  Zappos.com  No Managers Required: How Zappos Ditched the Old Corporate Structure for Something New  Zappos: A Workplace Where No One And Everyone Is The Boss  Zappos Company Culture (5:41) o The captioned version of the video located in this document may be accessed in the following link: OL-215 Zappos Company Culture (CC) Southwest Airlines  SouthwestAirlines.com  Southwest Airlines Opens for Business - Customers  Effective Management at Southwest Airlines http://www.sas.com/en_us/home.html http://archive.fortune.com/2010/01/21/technology/sas_best_companies.fortune/index.htm http://www.fastcompany.com/3004953/how-sas-became-worlds-best-place-work http://www.forbes.com/sites/peterhigh/2014/05/12/an-interview-with-the-godfather-of-data-analytics-sass-jim-goodnight/ https://www.google.com/intl/en/about/ http://thinkingleader.hubpages.com/hub/How-Google-Motivates-their-Employees-with-Rewards-and-Perks http://www.forbes.com/sites/timworstall/2013/06/21/lessons-from-googles-management-style/ http://www.forbes.com/2009/08/12/google-intel-pg-leadership-clayton-christensen-chrome-netbook.html http://www.fastcompany.com/1720052/googles-greatest-innovation-may-be-its-management-practice https://www.zappos.com/about/ http://www.fastcompany.com/3024358/bottom-line/no-managers-required-how-zappos-ditched-the-old-corporate-structure-for-somethin http://www.npr.org/2015/07/21/421148128/zappos-a-workplace-where-no-one-and-everyone-is-the-boss https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WiIeImBFRK4 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajP06-h_wgA https://www.southwest.com/html/about-southwest/index.html?clk=GFOOTER-ABOUT-ABOUT http://www.forbes.com/sites/airchive/2014/04/22/southwest-airlines-opens-for-business-customers/ http://www.slideshare.net/Slash621/southwest-group-presentation  Southwest Airlines: Strategy Genius or Common Sense? (8:32) o The captioned version of the video located in this document may be accessed in the following link: OL-215 Southwest Airlines: Strategy Genius or Common Sense? (CC) Apple  Apple.com  Apple Management Lessons Every Company Should Steal  8 Management Lessons I Learned Working at Apple  Steve Jobs Talks About Managing People (2:26) o The captioned version of the video located in this document may be accessed in the following link: OL-215 Steve Jobs Talks About Managing People (CC) Specifically, the following critical elements must be addressed: I. Provide a brief overview of the successful company that you have chosen to benchmark for management best practices II. Include specific examples relating to the fundamental principles of management and the company’s mission and vision statement Guidelines for Submission: Submit assignment as a Word document with double spacing, 12-point Times New Roman font, and one-inch margins. Critical Elements Proficient (100%) Needs Improvement (75%) Not Evident (0%) Value Overview Provides a brief overview of the successful company that was chosen to benchmark for management best practices Provides an overview of the company that was chosen to benchmark for management best practices but details lack relevance or are cursory Does not provide an overview of the company that was chosen 40 Principles of Management/Company's Mission and Vision Includes specific examples relating to the fundamental principles of management and the company’s mission and vision statement Includes examples relating to the fundamental principles of management and the company’s mission and vision statement but examples are not specific or explanation is lacking in detail Does not include specific examples relating to the fundamental principles of management and the company’s mission and vision statement 40 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Szn-TbvEL2I https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-L2WrtSuvlo https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-L2WrtSuvlo https://www.apple.com/about/ http://www.businessinsider.com/how-to-run-your-company-like-apple-2012-2 http://www.businessinsider.com/management-lessons-i-learned-working-at-apple-2010-7 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f60dheI4ARg https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nTGIOCEBh9c https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nTGIOCEBh9c Articulation of Response Submission has no major errors related to citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, or organization Submission has major errors related to citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, or organization that negatively impact readability and articulation of main ideas Submission has critical errors related to citations, grammar, spelling, syntax, or organization that prevent understanding of ideas 20 Total 100%