Paper Three

Your third paper will be based upon the topic of your choice, but I am asking you to compose and revise with an awareness of style, tone, and diction.Remember, tone creates mood, diction refers to choices at the word level, and style creates your presence in the piece. Your tone should complement your topic, and your word choice should help the reader understand the complexities of it. Style should do both these things as well, but also, bring a unique voice to the piece while maintaining academic tone.

By this point in the term, you have read essays and articles that illustrate very different ways of approaching a subject, so consider the result in terms of meaning and impression left on the audience. Since this will be your longest paper to date and will require a careful incorporation of at least two outside sources, you will need to write through your information and look for a full understanding of your topic to emerge as you find your structure.

Purpose: To write an engaging and informative essay that offers a unique perspective and original voice

Topic Ideas:

• Consult your text for topics (note that paper ideas can be found at the end of each chapter)
• Review the national and local news
• Think about issues that complicate or enhance your life: financial aid, mass transit, bond measures, insurance, credit cards, mortgages, health, relationships, etc.
• Is there someone you admire or an interesting historical event that you have always wanted to research?
• Contact me with specific questions or ideas.

General Requirements:

• MLA format and citation style
• Two or more outside sources
• An academic paper of four or more pages
• Awareness of appropriate essay organization and ability to match topic with structure
• Attention to developing a strong, unique voice
• Appropriate tone and diction
• Participation in peer review

Objectives:

• Work with outside sources
• Reflect upon and offer analysis of outside sources
• Enter into your topic by questioning, keeping an open mind
• Arrive at a firm thesis based upon evidence, logic, and analysis
• Cite all outside sources