Paper #3: "Creating a Frame"

Specs:

Pages: Five

Margins: One-inch all sides

Font: Times New Roman

CPI: 12 point

Heading: Your name; course number and section; date [Set the heading at single space]

Spacing: After the Heading, the rest of the paper should be double-spaced

Title: You should have one! Center it.

Paragraph: Indicate by tabbing over [set the Tab at five spaces]

Sources: Marked as cited in the paper

Listed as "Works Cited" at the end of the paper

Page #s: Number each page. You do not need to use the "Header/Footer" function

Content: "Creating a Frame"

Just as the title and the opening sentences grab the reader's attention, the "frame" sets the reader down into the world of the essay by establishing its tone, point of view, rhetorical environment.

Some examples: 1) a personal anecdote that establishes the writer's emotional engagement with the essay topic; 2) a current event that demonstrates the controversial nature of the topic; 3) a description of the physical environment affecting or being affected by the topic. Once you've set the topic within a compelling frame, you're able to zero-in or open-up the scope of the paper knowing that the reader understands where you're coming from. Similarly, the paper can then conclude by reverting back to the frame for comments, questions, reflections.

For Paper #3, you are to choose ONE topic (may/may not be the one you're planning for the research paper) and then create TWO distinctly different frames of approximately similar length.

You (and later your peer reviewers) should then comment on which of the two frames best suits the topic and best captures your own voice.

Your task, in short, is to use your imagination and try out different approaches and voices.