Exploratory Essay English Assignment

Overview of the Assignment: You will write an exploratory essay using the following process:

1. Choose a specific social issue you can explore with an open mind.
2. Consider alternative views through exploring 3-4 relevant articles that make diverse points.
3. Compose an essay that describes your investigative process and your critical thinking based on your exploration of the articles.

Audience for the Assignment: Educated adults who have not read the articles you will explore

Detailed Instructions: Your essay should consist of 3-4 typed, double-spaced pages (not counting your Works Cited page).

Include these parts in your essay: Title

• Catch the reader's attention with a creative, relevant phrase.
• Avoid a too-general title (for instance, "Educational Standards" or "Gun Control").

Introduction paragraph (no more than 10 lines)

• Begin with an attention-getting "hook." Don't begin with a question.
• Include a thesis statement that identifies the issue to be explored.

Each body paragraph (3-4 depending on how many articles you explore)

• In your first sentence, state the article title, the author's full name, and the article's main idea. (Many past students have lost points for ignoring this part of the instructions.)

• In the rest of the paragraph, respond to 1-3 of the source's ideas by explaining how each idea has influenced your thinking about the issue. Here are some ideas for developing these paragraph:

- What does your reading make you realize about the issue?

- Based on your reading, what do you want to know more about to understand the issue?

- What opinions from the article do you agree or disagree with and (most importantly), why? Use valid logic and evidence to support your views. Don't oversimplify the issue.

Things to avoid:

- Don't use long statistical studies unless you want to wade through the entire study. I'll show you in class how to find reasonably long and in-depth sources.

- Don't use Wikipedia as a source because it's not always credible.

- Don't mention an author's idea and then just explain your own opinion about the social issue. In other words, keep your discussion connected to the ideas in the article. Remember, the main purpose of this essay is to explain your critical thinking about the article.

- Don't mostly summarize the article. Half of each paragraph should consist of your own critical thinking about what you are reading.

- Don't oversimplify the issue. If the issue were simple to solve, society would have solved it by now. Acknowledge the complexity of the problem.

Conclusion paragraph (no more than 12 lines)

• Provide closure for your discussion.
• Avoid simply restating the research steps you took. Instead, explain your current thinking about the problem or issue based on your research and consideration. You might also identify aspects of the issue you want to research more.

Documentation (using MLA style) for all quoted and paraphrased information

• Use "attributing tags" (for instance, "Roosevelt notes,") when quoting, paraphrasing, or summarizing an idea from the article.

• Put exact quotes in quotation marks and change wording and sentence structure enough when paraphrasing. (Review pgs. 546-560 in your textbook, "Skill 22.2: Know When and How to use Summary, Paraphrase, and Quotation.")

• Include in-text citations and a Works Cited page. (Review pgs. 561-566 in your textbook, "Skill 23: Citing and Documenting Sources.")

• Don't "wing it" with your MLA documentation. Many past students have lost points for guessing at how to create this part of the assignment, especially in-text citations. In the "Research Help" section, I posted a link to a great web site for creating in-text citations. Use it.

Tips and Reminders:

• Use this assignment sheet as a checklist.
• Use the format stated in the syllabus (Times New Roman 12 point font, double-spaced, etc.)
• You may use "I" in this essay if needed, but do not use "I" as in "I think that ...," "In my opinion," etc.
• No matter where they appear, always put article titles in quotation marks.
• Capitalize titles correctly. If you're not sure how to capitalize a title, look this up online.

• Tutors are available on the 3rd floor of the L Building and online through the English Comp Corner and online through My Writing Lab. If you want to consult a tutor, do not wait until the day the paper is due. The My Writing Lab online tutors need around 24 hours to give you input on your work.