Explain how standardized tests, like the SAT, promote inequality within society.

Make certain every word means exactly what you intend it to mean.

Informal writing uses words like “feel,” “stuff,” “like,” and other non-specific words while formal writing aspires to be clear and definitive

Colloquial Expressions:

Write clearly without spoken expressions that are approximations

Avoid spoken expressions like “practically,” “very much,” and “a lot of.”

Don’t start sentences with the conjunctions and, or, but.

Jargon:

The use of technical words in an attempt to “smarten,” or make a paper seem more scholarly, even where the usage is irrelevant or even out of place.

“Use the moisturizing cleansing bar with a pressurized hydration system to eliminate the condensed foreign particulate.”

“Use soap in the shower to get clean” works just fine.

Guidelines for Writing Assignments

SUMMARY/SYNOPSIS – What is the main point of the article?

GOAL: Show that you understand the thesis, main ideas, and supporting ideas of the articleyou’re writing about.

The topic or subject matter of what you are responding to. In other words, break it down by the main points
The author’s motive for writing the article—for example, “to highlight the inequality that exists due to wealth,” or “recognizing the growing threat to society posed by environmental issues.”
The author’s sociological perspective in the article.
The author’s primary supporting ideas.

ANALYSIS/EVALUATION-What do you consider to be the strengths and weaknesses of the article?

GOAL: Show that you understand which points the author makes well, and if there are areas that they could improve.

Was the articleconvincing? Was it well-researched? Did the author use valid evidence to make their point?
Did the author overlook or leave out anything important?
Did the author overemphasize or focus too much on anything?
Is the author one-sided, or do they present a balanced view?

YOUR REACTION/EXPERIENCE -How do you react to the piece on a personal level? How does the piece relate to your experience?

GOAL:Share your own impressions and experiences related to the subject matter.

Have you directly encountered the issue(s)?
Do you know someone that has encountered them?
How did you or others deal with the issue?
Would you handle things differently based on what you have learned from the article?

FORMAT

Use 14 pt. Times New Roman, Calibri, or Arial font
Longer than one page, single spaced with 1” margins; three pages max
Organize the paper using Summary, Analysis, and Reaction as headings
Plagiarism will result in zero credit
Use APA 6^th for formatting
If you are not sure, ask the professor

Use this as a template, filling in between brackets

Title

Student Name

Class

Oklahoma City Community College

Paper One

Summary

[Here you are summarizing information on the topic that you have chosen. This section is for providing history and defining key terms related to the question you are answering. You are summarizing the existing information on the topic, not the paper you are writing; do not use “In this paper I will…”]

1-2 Paragraphs

Analysis

[What other information exists on the topic? Is it the same or different than the textbook? Using information from the textbook or other sources you can answer questions about the topic you chose, or compare different viewpoints. Remember to cite any sources other than the textbook that you use.]

2-3 paragraphs

Reaction/Experience

[Here is where you can discuss your reaction to the piece on a personal level. How does the piece relate to your own experiences? The Reaction section is for you to give your opinion and experience with the topic you are writing about. Why you chose to write about it? Provide support for your opinion. Think: “How do I feel about the topic?”]

1-2 paragraphs

References

[New Page; you need to have at least two references on the topic you write about. One will be the textbook. They must be cited correctly in the body of the paper, and in the References. Go to http://www.citationmachine.net/apafor helpon correctly citing sources. The textbook citation is below:]

Andersen, M. L., & Taylor, H. F. (2013). Sociology: The essentials (8th ed.). Belmont, CA: Wadsworth Cengage Learning.

Guidelines for Writing Assignments

SUMMARY/SYNOPSIS – What is the main point of the article?

GOAL: Show that you understand the thesis, main ideas, and supporting ideas of the article you’re writing about.

The topic or subject matter of what you are responding to. In other words, break it down by the main points
The author’s motive for writing the article—for example, “to highlight the inequality that exists due to wealth,” or “recognizing the growing threat to society posed by environmental issues.”
The author’s sociological perspective in the article.
The author’s primary supporting ideas.

ANALYSIS/EVALUATION-What do you consider to be the strengths and weaknesses of the article?

GOAL: Show that you understand which points the author makes well, and if there are areas that they could improve.

Was the article convincing? Was it well-researched? Did the author use valid evidence to make their point?
Did the author overlook or leave out anything important?
Did the author overemphasize or focus too much on anything?
Is the author one-sided, or do they present a balanced view?

YOUR REACTION/EXPERIENCE -How do you react to the piece on a personal level? How does the piece relate to your experience?

GOAL: Share your own impressions and experiences related to the subject matter.

Have you directly encountered the issue(s)?
Do you know someone that has encountered them?
How did you or others deal with the issue?
Would you handle things differently based on what you have learned from the article?

FORMAT

Use 14 pt. Times New Roman, Calibri, or Arial font
Longer than one page, single spaced with 1” margins; three pages max
Organize the paper using Summary, Analysis, and Reaction as headings
Plagiarism will result in zero credit
Use APA 6^th for formatting
If you are not sure, ask the professor

Example Body section:

Summary

As the population of America continues to grow, the resources and land required to support people are consumed at a much faster rate. The consumption of resources and the growing demand for things such as water, food, and land have a direct impact on rural communities. Two major factors contribute to the negative effects. The first is urban sprawl, as expanding cities use up land and cause pollution closer to country populations. The second is factory farming, as larger corporations and manufacturers build farms that are more efficient but contribute to serious water and air pollution. Valuable assets are becoming privatized and the economy is geared towards carelessly using up natural resources in ways that are harmful to the environment and have consequences like global warming.

Analysis

There are several factors that contribute to the environmental problems on rural communities. Taken from the book Social Problems, D. Stanley Eitzen best lists them as continued reduction in the land devoted to farming and ranching; draining of aquifers and overuse of water resources; the use of pesticides, herbicides, and chemical fertilizers. One of the main problems is water consumption and pollution. Industrial farming uses massive irrigation, and drains a significant amount of water from the Ogallala aquifer (Eitzen et al. 2014, p. 150).

Water pollution also stems from the chemicals and preventative crop substances that are sprayed over mass crops. Pesticides and other synthetic materials can seep into the ground and contaminate water sources. These pollutants can have long term effects like “cancer, respiratory problems, reproductive outcomes, and neurological disease” (Merchant et al. 2006).

Yet another environmental effect on rural communities is the growing problem of global warming. An example close to home would be in recent years when Oklahoma and Texas were in a terrible drought for about three years and then was ended by Oklahoma’s wettest month in history in May 2015. In an article written by Eric Holthaus for Slate, “A steadily escalating whipsaw between drought and flood is one of the most confident predictions of an atmosphere with enhanced evaporation rates—meaning, global warming.” The major flooding that plagued Texas and Oklahoma in the spring of 2015 was a shocking follow-up to the incredible dryness of 2011 and 2012. In an NPR reporting project called StateImpact, “According to estimates by researchers at Oklahoma State University, Oklahoma has suffered $2 billion in losses from the 2011 and 2012 drought…. which is the worst since 1956, according to data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.” These major losses directly affect rural communities where they rely heavily on agriculture for their income. Oklahoma has suffered deeply because one of the state’s major crops is wheat, and if there is no rain, there is no wheat.

Reaction

An environmental problem that hits really close to home is global warming and the droughts and rain that have affected Oklahoma. My dad and grandfather are farmers, and during the summer, my dad has a hay-baling business. During the drought years, it was really hard on them to make money because ponds were dry, and they had to spend a lot of extra time moving cattle from pasture to pasture for water. In the spring, the massive amounts of rain made my dad actually lose a lot of profit in his hay-baling business. In order to bale the hay after cutting it, the hay has to dry out. But with the fifteen inches of rain, a lot of those crops never dried or got washed away. Moreover, he had to work later into the season until close to October instead of stopping at the end of August like usual.

Because environment problems affect my family so directly, I feel very strongly about taking action against our contributions to global warming and natural issues as a society. It irritates me that Oklahoma congressmen don’t even believe in the phenomena. I think we need to take action to take care of the earth soon or rural communities won’t be the only part of society that is majorly affected by these things.