Research Essay (25%)

 

Purpose:The initial purpose for this writing assignment is to inform our audience about a topic in pop culture. The assignment calls for using different rhetorical strategies to create one text. The research essay targets and improves composition skills and critical thinking skills.

Goals:

• Create an academic essay of at least five full pagesof text (no more than seven full pages of text).
• Apply MLA formatting to the essay: 12 pt. Times New Roman font, double-spaced, 1” margins, last name and page number in the upper right hand corner, and a heading including your name, class, instructor’s name, and date. Also include a title.
• Apply basic composition skills: topic sentences, thesis statement, logical and effective organization, effective integration of sources, transitions, and incorporating appropriate content.
• Understand and apply standard written English. Use appropriate vocabulary and avoid mechanical and grammatical errors.
• Integrate and use 4-7 credible sources (books, journal articles, NC Live, etc.).
• Create a works cited page (does not count towards the overall word count of the actual essay).

 

Assignment:Choose a topic that is a part of contemporary pop culture.Pop culture is short for popular culture; therefore, anything that appeals to the masses, resulting in trends or increased popularity, could be considered a part of pop culture.

Examples:

• A technological trend
• Contemporary films (such as a particular genre)
• A particular sport
• Reality television
• Social media and its effects
• A topic of your choosing (as long as it is approved)

 

You are to educate and inform your audience about why the topic is considered part of pop culture. For example, what are some of the trends when it comes to a particular technology? Why are certain sports, such as hockey and mixed martial arts, gaining popularity? Be prepared to use the definition and illustration rhetorical strategies. You can also compare and contrast certain technologies or discuss the cause and effect of certain popular trends. The floor is open to numerous topics and approaches as long as the topics are classroom appropriate and not argumentative.

 

Your research should not be more than five years old.

 

Sources:Use your sources to reinforce your position. Do not start paragraphs with quotations, and do not end paragraphs with quotations. You should always assume control by using the evidence to support your claims, not writing claims to support your evidence. Your words should always outweigh the quotations. Also, make sure to use attribution to effectively integrate sources. Do not let a quotation act as its own sentence. You must incorporate your research throughout the entire essay.

 

Note: The following sources will not be accepted:

• com
• org
• Yahoo voices or Yahoo answers
• Primary or secondary educational resources (websites, study guides, etc.)
• com
• Blogs, op-eds, summaries, etc.
• Any other reference/encyclopedia type sources that are similar to any of the sources listed above.

 

Instead of relying on basic Internet searches through Google, Yahoo, etc., use the databases accessible through the school’s library. For the best resources, use NCLive or JSTOR.

 

 

CATEGORY	Exceptional	Very Good	Good	Fair / Poor
Thesis   _____/5	Thesis is compelling, exceptionally clear, multi-layered, and well-composed.	Thesis is compelling and clear but not enough so to be considered exceptional.	Thesis is present and does the job. It may be misplaced, too broad, or too narrow to adequately cover the topic and/or convey a significant purpose.	Thesis is missing, misplaced,inappropriate, underdeveloped, and/or unclear.   Review LB chapter 3a and class notes.
Organization and  Structure   _____/25	Topic sentences reflect the thesis explicitly.  They are exceptionally composed, assertive, and appropriately transitional. Body paragraphs are fully-developed, structured logically, and ordered effectively, as appropriate for the assignment. Paragraph (and/or section) ending syntheses are exceptionally composed.  They connect clearly to topic sentences and reveal significance.	Topic sentences reflect the thesis explicitly.  They are assertive, clear, and appropriately transitional. Body paragraphs are well-developed, structured logically, and ordered effectively, but not enough so to be considered exceptional. Paragraph (and/or section) ending syntheses are clear and appropriately connected to topic sentences.	Topic sentences are mostly clear but ordinary.  Perhaps transitions, clarity, distinction, or some key component was left out or confused. Body paragraphs include minor areas where development, structuring, or organization is in need of attention. Paragraph (and/or section) ending syntheses are mostly clear but ordinary.  Some key component specific to the assignment may have been left out or confused.	Topic sentences are often unclear, missing, underdeveloped, or inappropriate for the assignment. Body paragraphs are often underdeveloped, unclear, illogically ordered, or inappropriately structured for the assignment. Paragraph (and/or section) ending syntheses are often unclear, underdeveloped, missing, or inappropriate for the assignment.
Supporting Details   _____/20	Supporting Information is significant, unified, well-qualified, clear in presentation, specific in detail, and entirely appropriate. Supporting sentences are coherent, varied, vivid, and eloquent.  They use sophisticated vocabulary, and their transitions are well-placed, forging clear relationships between ideas. Introduction and conclusion are well-developed, clearly composed, and compelling.	Supporting information is unified, qualified, specific, clear, and appropriate for the assignment but not enough so to be considered exceptional. Supporting sentences are coherent and varied, making use of clear and appropriate vocabulary.  Their transitions are well-placed. Introduction and conclusion are clearly written and may be compelling but not enough so to be considered exceptional.	Supporting information is mostly clear and unified; some details may be generalized, colloquial, lacking evidence, and/or incomplete. Supporting sentences are often ordinary.  There may be areas of redundancy, wordiness, choppy structuring, or limited transitioning. Introduction and conclusion serve the purpose, but they are not necessarily compelling.  They might benefit from further development	Supporting information is often unclear, disjointed, incomplete, confusing, or generalized. Supporting sentences tend to ramble or lack collegiate-level conventions with regard to organization, development, structure, or transitioning. Introduction and conclusion lack collegiate-level conventions with regard content and/or development.
MLA documentation   _____/20	Works Cited page is perfect.   Source integration is sophisticated, error free. Sources are introduced, attributed, & synthesized effectively. In-text citation is without fault.	Works Cited page is nearly perfect.   Integration/citation of source content is virtually error free, including appropriate attribution and synthesis.	MLA documentation and/or integration of source content may not meet all standards; but, the student demonstrates a strong familiarity and the essay requires minimal edits.	Many errors in documentation. Attribution and/or syntheses of source content are often missing.   Please refer to LB chapter 56 for MLA guidelines.
Grammar, mechanics, and Spelling   _____/30	Writer makes no major errors in grammar, mechanics, or spelling. There may be few minor errors.	Writer makes 1-2 major errors in grammar, mechanics, or spelling. There may be few minor errors.	Writer makes 3-4 major errors in grammar, mechanics, or spelling, some of which distract the reader from the content. There are minor errors that also hinder content.	Writer makes 4+ major errors in grammar, mechanics, or spelling, many of which distract the reader from the content. There are numerous minor errors throughout the essay.
Total ____/100