Project: Hidden Intellectualism-Narrative/Opinion

This first project asks you to read Graff's essay "Hidden Intellectualism" from your They Say I Say book and to ponder your own hidden intellectualism; what are you smart about?  What subject or topic are you sort of an expert on, at least in the sense that you know enough to debate friends, and can talk at length about. You should approach this project as a narrative/opinion piece and include as many details and examples as possible.  You will want to explore the origins of your topic of expertise, how you were introduced or how you came to be involved with this subject, how old you were, and other various circumstances.  Next, discuss the development of your hidden intellect-what did you do to develop your intellect?  How did you do it?  What are some examples of how you developed your knowledge of your topic and/or gained any experience? Finally, discuss how you think your hidden intellect will function in your life (Benefit? Make no difference? Hurt?) in the future. 

In your class readings, you have been able to see different approaches to the narrative genre by writers such as Graff and Alsultany, and you have seen how they use examples and details to support their claims; you should be sure to do the same. You have also seen more effective and less effective ways to express opinion by writers such as Moody and Trask, and you should keep in mind your rhetorical choices and setting up your paper when writing.

Your paper should include the following REQUIREMENTS:

(1) IDENTIFY:  Be sure to clearly identify and define your hidden intellectualism for your audience and clearly focus your paper around that area of expertise-the topic you are smart about and can talk and argue about.

(2) ORIGINS: How did you come to be involved or introduced to your area of expertise? What were the circumstances? Give as much detail and discussion as possible.

(3) DEVELOPMENT: How have you developed your area of expertise? What have you done? How have you done it? Who has helped you? What help is still needed? What do you still intend to do to develop your intellect and knowledge of this topic? Give as much detail and discussion as possible.

(4) FUTURE: How will your area of expertise function in your life in the future?  How will it affect your education? Career?  Family? Other areas of your life?

(5) SOURCES: Use at least two scholarly sources to add to your discussion of your talent or area of expertise.

This project will consist of several parts, and all parts will contribute to your Papers grade.  It is vital that you turn in each part/draft of the project; failure to do so will drop your grade, so you cannot receive an A with a missing part of the project.

This paper, and all of its parts, will follow MLA format: 3-4 pages in length, typed, double-spaced, 12-point font, Times Roman or similar.

Part A: "Hidden Intellectualism" Response

1. Write a response to Graff's "Hidden Intellectualism," responding to at least two passages directly.  This should be 1 to 1 ½ pages long, typed, double-spaced, MLA format.

2. What do you think is your hidden intellect? What are you smart about, or what is your area of expertise?  Come up with a manageable topic.

3. List five (5) things you want to say about your topic; make sure that they are in reference to the requirements set forth in the prompt.

Part B: Chunks

Next, choose two (2) of the five (5) assertions from Part A and develop each claim separately. It is important that you focus on each chunk of text independently and do not worry about connecting to other chunks of text; treat each chunk as its own little essay. You should develop each chunk/paragraph with a topic sentence, keeping in mind how the topic of the paragraph will relate to the topic of your paper and/or requirements of the project. Do not write an essay; do not connect the chunks. A complete and well-done assignment will consist of two separate, well developed, and focused chunks of texts, using as many examples as possible with attention to detail.  Also try to include in your discussion fulfilling at least one of the requirements of the project.

Part C: Sources

Find at least two credible, scholarly sources that support your narrative either through concept and/or example.  Make an Annotated Bibliography, giving the full MLA citation, and then adding a paragraph that sums up the source and explains its relevance to the project.

Part D: Draft

A successful draft will be complete and attempt to meet all requirements of the prompt. Bring two copies of your draft to class for Peer Review.   

Part E: Revised draft with Revision Journal

Your revised draft will probably take longer than your original draft.  You should look at the organizational issues with your paper, then revise at the paragraph level, and then revise at the sentence level.  Finally at the end when your content is organized and makes sense and your claims and arguments follow a logical order, then you should finally proofread and edit. 

You will need to keep a running numbered list of the revisions that you make and provide explanations for each revision; title this your "Revision Journal" and begin this journal the day you turn in your first draft of Project #1.  For each entry made in your Revision Journal, you should provide the date, what paper you are revising, a description of what you are revising and the original text, a description of the revision and the new text, and an explanation as to why you made that revision.  Your explanations should be descriptive enough and provide enough information to stand on their own, using numbering on your working draft for reference purposes.