English 103- Major Essay Project #1
Complete a semiotic reading of a selected subject and an in-depth analysis of the topic.
Directions:
Address a controversial topic on FREEDOM OF SPEECH from ONE of the following:
Option 1- College students’ rights in expressing themselves on social network sites (e.g., Facebook)
Option 2- Social trading sites (e.g., Craig’s List), that allow people to advertise prostitution of underage girls
Goal:
Explore the following on your selected topic:
• What does the issue say about our social and cultural values?
• How has the nature of the topic changed over time?
• What may this topic portray American culture to the global community?
• How does all of this relate to Freedom of Speech?
Considerations:
The following are guidelines to help begin exploring your selected topic:
• Should college scholarship committees or future employees have the right to use students’ postings on FB to determine if they are to be awarded scholarships or an interview for a job?
• Should sites like Craig’s List censor what people may “sell”?
Purpose:
The purpose of this essay is to make a claim and support it with evidence from the assignedreadings and outside research. You must engage in the discussion intelligently and creatively. Establish a sound warrant and make sure backing and rebuttals are adequate for an academic audience. You are attempting to prove something while at the same time attempting to persuade your reader to hold your position. Remember that claims without support are just opinion, so extensive support will be necessary.
Requirements
• 1500 Words Minimum*
o Minimum word counts include PARAGRAPHS ONLY
• MLA Style with Proper Heading
• 4Academic SourcesMINIMUM
o At least 2 Assigned Readings and 1 Outside Source
• No Block Quotes (i.e. long quotes)
• Turnitin Originality: 20% or less
• Times New Roman Font
• 12pt Font Size
• 1” Margins
• Works Cited
*You must meet the minimum word count requirement. One (1) point will be deducted from your grade for every 10 words missing from the submission (e.g., if your rough draft is only 480/500 words, 2 points will be deducted from your grade. Minimum Word Counts include the essay PARAGRAPHS ONLY. To determine your word count when using MS Word, highlight your introduction paragraph through your concluding paragraph, and look at the bottom left of the screen.
Only the Final Draft may be considered for a late submission (with point deductions). If you know you will need more time to complete your Final Draft, please contact me before the due date to request a one-time extension.
Major Essay Project 1 Grade Sheet
Essay Requirements
All work must be uploaded as a Microsoft Word attachment by 11:59PM on the listed due date
Prompt Annotation:Due Sunday Week 2 5 Points
• Complete all 7 Steps
• Answer the last 4 Questions
• (See Understanding Prompts Lecture)
Invention Strategy: Due Sunday Week 3 10 Points
• Complete Thoughts
• Effort Evident
Rough Draft: Due Sunday Week 4 25 Points
• Creative Title
• Working Thesis Statement
• Complete Topic Sentences
• Development of Argument
• One Source Minimum
• Proper MLA Formatting
• 500 Word Minimum
Peer Review: Due Tuesday Week 5 10 Points
• Post Rough Draft
• Constructive Criticism
• One “Good” Comment Maximum (See Canvas)
• Two Completed Reviews Minimum
Final Draft: Due Sunday Week 5 80 Points
• Revised Thesis Statement
• Sufficient Revision
• Organization and Development
• 1500 Word Minimum (Paragraphs Only; Does not include long quotes)
• Effective and Logical Argument
• Academic Discourse
• Four Sources Minimum
• Works Cited and Parenthetical References
• Proper Formatting & Submission
Major Essay Project 1 130 Points Possible