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Essay 1 Directions:
After reading our Week 1 texts, including Carol Dweck’s “The Power of Believing You Can Improve,” Arel Moodie’s “The Secret to Student Success,” Jack Kavanagh’s “Fearless Like a Child,” Chimamanda Adichie’s “The Danger of a Single Story,” Jamil Zaki’s “Self-Care Isn’t the Fix for Late-Pandemic Malaise,” Maya Angelou’s “Alone,” and Cherrie Morgaga’s ” The Welder,” explain two primary factors which can help us to become more successful and resilient in our personal, academic, and professional lives. For example, you might focus on:
growth mindset (Dweck) and asking for help (Moodie)
OR
rising above single stories (Adichie) and finding community (Angelou)
OR
becoming fearless (Kavanagh) and standing up for change (Moraga)
NOTE: the two success and resilience factors you provide will serve as a “working thesis statement” for Essay 1.
Organization Tips:
In the introduction, include a series of hooksintroducing the topic of success and resilience (a quote from someone famous, which is introduced and cited, thoughtful statements, anecdotal story, etc.) and end with a clear thesis in the last sentence listing the two factors you think are most influential inhelping us to reach our goals.
Then develop a full body paragraph on each factor listed in your thesis (make the body order match the order of points listed in your thesis). In body paragraph 1, start with a clear transition and topic sentence showing which success and resilience factor you are discussing, (make this match the first point in your thesis), such as growth mindset (Dweck), or asking for help (Moodie), orbecoming fearless (Kavanagh), or rising above single stories (Adichie), or assisting others (Zaki), or finding community (Angelou), or standing up for change (Moraga). Then follow the topic sentence with your own explanation for why this ingredient is so important. Illustrate your point with details and direct quotes with quote marks (copy the exact words) from one of our Week 1 Module course texts. The two support quotes from one of our Unit 1 texts needs to be in proper MLA format using a clear signal phrase, quote marks around the author’s words, and parenthetical source citation. End body paragraph 1 with a wrap up sentence on the paragraph point for smooth finish.
In body paragraph 2, start with a clear transition and topic sentence showing which success and resilience factor you are discussing, (make this match the second point in your thesis), such as growth mindset (Dweck), or asking for help (Moodie), or becoming fearless (Kavanagh), or rising above single stories (Adichie), orassisting others (Zaki), or finding community (Angelou), or standing up for change (Moraga). Then follow the topic sentence with your own explanation for why this ingredient is so important. Illustrate your point with details and direct quotes with quote marks (copy the exact words) from one of our Week 1 Module course texts, including two support quotes with proper MLA format using a clear signal phrase and parenthetical source citation. End body paragraph 2 with a wrap up sentence on the paragraph point for smooth finish.
Remember to use the MLA format for quotes with a signal phrase at the beginning and parenthetical citation at the end for sources with time stamps (TED Talks), page numbers (articles– when provided), or line numbers (poetry), such as:
Dweck explains, ” ” (5:13).
Zaki states that ” .”
Moraga describes, ” ” (lines 47-48).
Note: since there is no page number for the Zaki quote, there is no parenthetical citation since the author’s name is in the signal phrase. In this case, since there is no page citation, the punctuation goes inside the quote mark: Zaki states that ” .”
After developing two primary factors which help us to become successful and resilient in body paragraphs 1 and 2, add a body paragraph 3 which provides your own example from personal experienceillustrating how these success and resilience factors helped you to achieve a specific academic, personal, or professional goal (excelling in a class, passing a rigorous test, an accomplishment in sports, an improved relationship, completing an important work project, advancing to a supervisory position, etc.) For example, you might describe struggling in a challenging algebra class in high school, but then developing a growth mindset combined with asking for help to improve, trying new study techniques, and finishing the semester with a solid “B.”
In the conclusion, wrap up your thesis points in different words, refer back to your intro. hooks and paper title to frame the paper for your readers, and explain how these success and resilience factors will help you in the future. End on a positive note, encouraging your readers to find their own success and resilience ingredients which will help them to flourish in life as well.
After the conclusion, on a separate page include a Works Cited for the two class sources quoted in your paper (the Works Cited page is not included in the page count).
On a separate page after the Works Cited, list five writing techniques that you used in your paper which we have reviewed together about creating an effective academic essay (engaging intro. hook, clear thesis, clear body paragraph topic sentences, effective quotes, concrete details for response, smooth transitions, conclusion framing paper with intro. and/or title tie-back, etc).
Note: This is not a research essay. Your examples should be based on our Week 1 texts for body paragraphs 1 and 2, as well as your own personal experience for body 3. There is NO OUTSIDE RESEARCH.
Additionally, be sure to include 2 support quotes (copy the exact words and put them in quote marks) from our Week 1 texts in body paragraphs 1 and 2 (4 quotes total).
As you begin writing Essay 1, consider the different strategies and examples that our Week 1 sources use to illustrate their arguments. Use these texts as a model of writers using clear points and vivid examplesto develop the points in their thesis, and be sure to do this in your essay as well.
Brainstorming Questions to Help Develop Essay 1:
The following questions will help generate ideas to create a compelling argument about specific factors which can help us to be more resilient and successful in reaching our goals.
What factors help to create success and resilience?
Which factors in our Week 1 texts resonated the most with you, such as growth mindset (Dweck), or asking for help (Moodie), or becoming fearless (Kavanagh), or rising above single stories (Adichie), or assisting others (Zaki), or finding community (Angelou),or standing up for change (Moraga)?
What ingredients contribute to our ability to face and overcome challenges we encounter?
What obstacles have you overcome during your personal, academic, and professional journeys?
Which accomplishments are you most proud of?
How were you able to reach these goals?
In what ways have these experiences shaped who you are?
Where are you in your personal, academic, and professional journeys right now?
What are your goals for the future?
What have you learned by facing and overcoming challenges and how will this help in other areas of your life as well?
(You don’t need to answer all of these in your essay, but addressing as many as possible will help you to have a well thought out discussion).
Unit 1 Texts
“The Power of Believing You Can Improve” by Carol Dweck
“The Secret to Student Success” by Arel, Moodie
Fearless Like a Child” by Jack Kavanagh
“The Danger of a Single Story” by Chimamanda Adichie
“Self-Care Isn’t the Fix for Late-Pandemic Malaise” by Jamil Zaki
“Alone” by Maya Angelou
“The Welder” by Cherríe Moraga
Essay 1 Grading Criteria:
Has the author created an original and compelling essay in response to the assignment prompt?
Does the author have a strong thesis listing two success and resilience factors?
Does the essay engage the reader? (Use your unique voice to appeal to your audience. Give it a great title and opening “hook.”)
Does the author successfully establish their own claims and evidence to illustrate their thesis? Evidence will consist of two support quotes each for body paragraphs 1 and 2 from the Week 1 texts, as well as the writer’s own specific example from personal experience in body 3.
Is the evidence from two of our course texts integrated and cited correctly in MLA format with smoothly integrated quotes (lead-in point and context, quote with signal phrase, parenthetical citation, quote commentary)?
Is the conclusion of the essay effective? Does it resonate?
Does the essay demonstrate awareness of audience?
Does the writer use an effective structure that carefully guides the reader from one idea to the next? Is the essay well organized? Are paragraphs focused and ideas developed logically?
Is the essay thoroughly edited so that sentences are readable and appropriate for an academic paper?
Does the writer effectively use MLA format with the proper heading in the upper left corner, numbered pages in the upper right corner, a centered title, left-justified paragraphs, double-spaced, Times New Roman 12-point font?
Does the author include a Works Cited page at the end of the essay with two class sources which are quoted in the paper listed alphabetically by author’s last name, double-spaced, with subsequent lines of the same source indented? Are the article titles and TED Talk titles capitalized and in quote marks? Is all of the punctuation formatted properly?
Essay 1 Meets the Following English 120 Student Learning Outcomes:
Use reflective writing to explore aspects of their identities, career goals, interests, learning experiences, and/or values.
Develop and support their own position in relation to academic, social, and/or cultural genealogies of thought.
Analyze academic texts to support claims, identify how authors create meaning, and critically engage with the larger significance of key concepts.
Construct clear, well-organized writing which demonstrates an awareness of audience and purpose.
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