Unit 2: Proposal Essay Rough Draft Due: Submit Unit 2 (Proposal Essay) to the dropbox labele

Unit 2: Proposal Essay

Rough Draft Due: Submit Unit 2 (Proposal Essay) to the dropbox labeled “Unit 2 (Proposal Essay) Rough Draft” by Monday, March 22nd at 9:35 a.m. (Central Time) (This essay must be completed according to the assignment guidelines outlined in the assignment sheet for the author to receive credit for completing the assignment and to be eligible to participate in the peer review session)

Final Draft Due: Unit 2 (Proposal Essay) due in dropbox marked “ENGL 1020 Critical Assessment” by Wednesday, March 24th at 11:59 p.m. (Central Time)

Purpose: In a proposal essay, your goal is to state a problem that needs to be solved, provide a clear solution for the problem, demonstrate that the solution is realistic and that it solves the problem with convincing evidence, and anticipate and refute objections to your solution.

Tasks (How to write this essay): 

– Write a minimum of 5-6 pages (Must be a minimum of halfway down on the last page for it to count as a page). The essay must also include a correctly-formatted works cited page that does not count toward the 5-6 page minimum page count.

– Write for an academic audience (No contractions, first- or second-person perspective, slang or clichés).

– The writer should start by choosing one problem that s/he would like to propose a solution for in the field of entertainment and the arts. 

– The essay’s argument (thesis) should focus on identifying a problem within the arts and entertainment and arguing that the author has found a realistic solution for the problem. 

– In making this argument, the writer should find a minimum of four research sources that s/he can use to support her/his argument. Now, here’s the interesting part. Remember those reading logs that you have been doing this semester? You can use one (and only one) of those sources from those logs! If you don’t have a source that you like from those logs, then you will have to find new ones, but you have the option to use one of those sources if you choose.

– The first body paragraph(s) should utilize a topic sentence that argues that this is a problem. The author should then use at least one quotation from a source article to support that argument in each body paragraph.

– The next body paragraph(s) should utilize a topic sentence that argues for a specific solution that is offered by one of the sources as a realistic solution to the problem. The author should then use at least one quotation from one source article to support this argument in each body paragraph.

– The final body paragraph(s) should anticipate and refute objections to your solution. Again, you must use at least one quotation from a source article to object to your argument and one quotation from a source article to support your argument in each body paragraph.

– Sources: You must have a minimum of four sources for this paper. Those sources can be either scholarly or non-scholarly, but they should still be credible sources (so no wikis), and dictionaries and encyclopedias are good for building your knowledge about a topic but they should not be used for this assignment. Furthermore, you may choose to have additional sources if you find that four sources are not enough to support your arguments.

– Citation: The writer should provide correctly-formatted signal phrases/attributive tags for all summaries, paraphrases, and quotations that reference material from sources, and correctly-formatted in-text citations must be provided for all paraphrases and quotations. Furthermore, the author should provide full introductions to sources the first time they are mentioned in the paper (author’s full name, the full title of the source, and a one-sentence summary of the main idea of the source), and a works cited page must document all sources and be formatted according to MLA guidelines.

– Format: The essay should be formatted according to MLA guidelines, which are accessible in your textbook or through the Purdue Online Writing Lab.

– Grammar and mechanics: Has ability to write using edited American English. Proofread and edit for issues that include, but are not limited to, those regarding spelling and word usage. Subject-verb agreement, pronoun-antecedent agreement, run-on sentences, sentence fragments, fused sentences, absence or misuse of apostrophes, and absence or misuse of commas exemplify other problematic issues.

Skills (Learning Outcomes Achieved): Demonstrate understanding of and ability to read and respond to 

the demands of the rhetorical situation (author, audience, and 

subject) in both oral and written communication.

Read critically and analyze various types of assigned readings on 

the basis of structure, pattern, and meaning in order to produce 

original papers that show development of topic through 

organization (such as topic sentence, support of the central idea 

through details, and rhetorical patterns).

Invent, write, revise, edit, and rewrite formal essays in response 

to readings which develop appropriate rhetorical patterns (i.e., 

narration, example, process, comparison/contrast, classification, 

cause/effect, definition, argumentation) and other special 

function(s) (i.e., literary analysis or research) while 

demonstrating writing skills from process to product.

Produce final papers that show growth in principles of good 

writing, such as organization (e.g., introduction/body/conclusion 

or outlining), development (clarifying transitions between 

sentences and paragraphs), unity (connected ideas), and which 

demonstrate an understanding of the substance of the topic.

Complete at least one writing assignment that demonstrates a 

limited use of MLA documentation form and basic research 

ability.

Participate in collaborative work with other students via small 

group discussions and presentations, workshop-style classes 

devoted to particular issues (such as paragraph structure or voice 

and tone), and produce, accept, and use constructively feedback 

from writing instructors, other students, and other university 

writers/instructors to take control of your own writing.

Create mechanically sound papers relatively free of errors in 

grammar and mechanics.

Criteria for success: Please consult with the rubric for this assignment.