Focus
Project Ten Assignment
After finding your sources, you must take a definitive position about one specific problem in higher education, either in the US or in China and argue it in a convincing, well-organized 4 page paper, using correct MLA style. You must use at least 4 different outside sources for support in the paper, which all must be properly cited in your paper. You may use the source from Project Nine, if necessary, but all other sources must come from the Academic Search Complete database.
Topic Ideas
Topic Ideas
Funding/ Student Loans/ Financial Aid
Entrance Exams/ Admissions
Discrimination
Safety (school shootings, sexual assault, cyberbullying)
Career Choice
Mental Health
Corruption/ Fraud
Earning/ Career Possibilities
College Readiness
Online Education
Social Media/ Freedom of Speech
Requirements
This paper should have:
An argumentative thesis statement. This should follow Amber’s rules for thesis statements:
-Identify the main point from the overall thesis that is the focus of this section
-Clearly argue your specific position
-Specify at least 2-3 subpoints that you will argue in this section (see your outline)
-Appear at the end of your first paragraph, bolded
A short introduction paragraph, ending with the thesis.
Several paragraphs for each of the 2-3 subpoints (not just one paragraph for each point). Please avoid using the 5-paragraph theme structure. There should be three full pages of argument for the main points that support your position.
A clear argument. Remember, your goal is to convincingly argue this point, not simply give information about it! Avoid using the word “you” in your argument. Your audience is an academic one, so it should be more formal.
Argumentative topic sentences. These should come at the beginning of each body paragraph, should identify which subpoint from the mini-thesis the paragraph is arguing, and strongly argue your position. Here is an example: “Another social problem that results from using social media too much is narcissism.” In this case, the focus of the section is social problems, the specific subpoint is narcissism, and the position is negative. See how that topic sentence directly identifies all of those things?
Be at least 4 pages long, not including the Works Cited page
Include a Works Cited page that includes the citations for any source used in the paper. Remember, use the citation generator from Academic Search Complete and copy and paste these into your list.
Source Use
Your paper must follow these rules regarding source use:
Use at least 4 different, credible, academic sources for support. You can use any source from Project Nine; however, any other source that you use must come from the Academic Search Complete database. You may also use more than 4 sources; but 4 is the minimum.
You may paraphrase, quote, or summarize freely. But every time you use a source, you must correctly provide in-text citations (required) as well as tag lines (if necessary).
You must also create a Works Cited page that includes each of the sources cited in this paper, and only those sources. The page should be part of your attachment, with page numbers, but on a separate page. Use the citation generator in Academic Search Complete to generate these sources.
Use the sources to help argue, but don’t let them argue for you. You must incorporate those sources into your own argument. You should have about a 50-50 ratio of source use and your own argument.
Never to start or end a paragraph with a source. Use your own argumentative at the beginning (topic sentences) and your own analysis at the end to help argue your point.
Don’t forget, there is a self-check dropbox in the Syllabus module where you can submit drafts yourself to check for plagiarism using the TurnItIn software. I highly encourage you to use this function to be sure to avoid plagiarism.
