Student_______________

Instructor____________

English 1302 – _________

Date

Critical Thinking Essay

Title your Research/Argumentative Essay 

Write an Argumentative/Research essay of four or five fully typed pages (double spaced) that addresses a literary topic of your choosing. Formulate a thesis statement that targets a debatable topic or prompt in fiction, poetry, drama, or a combination of these genres by an author. Develop an Outline to reflect the direction and structure of your paper before using it to develop an Argumentative (Research) essay.   

Alternative prompts are listed below. Please one of these prompts only if you are not able to generate a unique topic. Examples include, but are not limited to:

· Analyze the actions of any major characters in Hamlet, applying two tests which any ethical action must pass: (1) The Golden Rule and (2) universality (Would the person taking the action want all persons to act the same way in a similar situation?).

· Appraise the values of at least one character in The Metamorphosis. Was this character(s) justified in his or her treatment or reaction to Gregor Samsa’s condition?  Defend your reasoning. 

· Analyze several works from one of the authors studied this semester. How does the author’s own ethics resonate with his or her work? 

· Analyze several characters created by one of the authors studied this semester. Evaluate the extent to which the author’s own ethics resonates with each individual character. Describe the impact on the finality of this particular piece. 

· Formulate a thesis involving an answer to an ethical question as it relates to an author or characters from a larger body of works.  

As always, the answer to the question–your thesis–should be defended with at least three points.

Evaluation criteria follow:

Explanation of issues: Issue/problem to be considered critically is stated clearly and described comprehensively, delivering all relevant information necessary for full understanding. 

· Evidence: Information is taken from source(s) with enough interpretation/evaluation to develop a comprehensive analysis or synthesis. Viewpoints of experts are questioned thoroughly. 

· Position: Specific position is imaginative, taking into account the complexities of an issue. (This means that you have written a sophisticated thesis.) Limits of position are acknowledged. Others' points of view are synthesized within position (Basically, these two things are the discussion of the opposing view and rebuttal.) 

· Conclusions and related outcomes: (Other terms might be “implications and consequences”) Conclusions and related outcomes are logical and reflect student’s informed evaluation and ability to place evidence and perspectives discussed in priority order.

· Additionally, your essay will earn the highest points in the component area of written communication if it meets the following criteria.

· Context of and Purpose for Writing: Demonstrate a thorough understanding of context, audience, and purpose of a proposal essay.

· Content Development: Use appropriate, relevant, and compelling content to illustrate mastery of a proposal essay.

· Genre and Disciplinary Conventions: Properly format and organize the essay in MLA style.

· Sources and Evidence: Incorporate at least three citations (at least one source from the library database sources).

· Control of Syntax and Mechanics: Use graceful language that skillfully communicates meaning to readers with clarity and fluency, making almost no errors.

The essay should demonstrate the following ENGL 1302 outcomes: 

• College level spelling and punctuation      skills
• MLA format for margins, header, personal      information, paragraph indention, double spacing
• In-text citations
• Works Cited page
• Clearly stated thesis statement
• Topic sentences that flows from thesis      statement
• Sentence variety
• No egregious grammar mistakes

YOU MUST SUBMIT AN OUTLINE

5% of your Final Exam Grade: Visual Component. 

In your essay, you must accomplish the following in order to receive credit for the visual interpretation component of the assignment.

· Description: Describe the physical image comprehensively demonstrating a full understanding of significant elements of the image.

· Explanation: Provide a well-developed explanation of the meaning or purpose of the image, fully supported by the evidence within the image.

· Consequences & Implications: Presents a detailed, sophisticated discussion of consequences and/or implications of the visual image’s meaning. How does your image connect with the content or subject of your essay?

Part 2:  Comment to Peer's Blog Post — “Editing Proposal” (target 250 words) —(Note, you are receiving a full week to complete your Comment)

Read through your peers' posts and select one to comment upon (try to select a peer who hasn't received a comment).  For your comment, you’ll propose your Editing Plan for your peer’s story: your approach to how you believe the film should be edited.  This is a written proposal. (target 250 words; no penalty for going over, but keep your work close to the target)

Consider carefully the three responsibilities of the editor.  You should specify in your Editing Plan:

1. How the film will begin (e.g. “we fade in slowly…”) and end (e.g. “fast fade out)
2. The specific transitions (e.g. dissolves, cuts)
3. Include at least one Match Cut (these are explored in your reading and in the RocketJump Film School video “Cuts and Transitions 101” available in our Weekly Assignments for Editing).
4. This is a story told in three scenes.  Focus your plan on the transitions between the major scenes (as presented by your peer).
5. Briefly but clearly justify your choices.
6. Value the intention and vision of your peer based on their presentation.

What if you post your comment at the same time as someone else? 

It can happen.  If it does, you can keep your posted comment and receive credit, as long as you make sure your comment is not using the same editing plan used by the other peer who posted their comment before yours.  If your comment uses the same editing plan as the other comment, then you'll need to edit or repost with a different editing plan.  Post early and you're less likely to run into this obstacle.

               below is the blog that you should comment on

        The beginning opens with a shot of our main character with an extreme close shot of his eyes. Our main character, Albert, is a high school basketball player in the championship game. He looks determined and is visibly sweating. His eyes taking up most of the frame create a feeling of intensity in the audience. Time appears to be slowed down and all noise in a part of the background and muffled. These noises include yelling from teammates, squeaking of shoes,  and heavy breathing. The game is very close to ending, with 3 seconds left on the clock. This shot will make or break the game. The pressure is on, especially since there are college scouts watching carefully from the sidelines, and are about to make their final judgments of Albert’s performance. The next shot is a flashback to Albert looking at his brother resting in a hospital bed. His brother had been in an accident a couple months prior, and the hospital bills were costing Albert's family a fortune. They had to take money out of Albert's college funds to pay for treatment for Albert's brother. It is a medium shot of his brother in the bed and resting peacefully. The purpose of this shot is to show how Albert is driven by the love of his brother. He also remembers the distressed looks on his parents' faces as they are struggling to pay for the expensive treatment and having to deal with their son being hurt badly. The final shot is a close up of the ball being shot into the hoop by Albert as the buzzer goes off in the background. The close up shot once again adds intensity to the moment, showing the only thing happening at the time that matters is if the shot makes it or not. As the ball makes it in, Albert is in disbelief as his teammates start going nuts and the scouts in the crowd come down from the stands to approach Albert about their scholarship opportunities.

FIRST PAPER Week 7 Assignment: Final Paper

You are to write a 3- page paper (not including title, abstract and reference pages) in proper APA format. For your paper, you will create a fictional character for a movie. The character should be in a management position. Your paper should utilize appropriate course material (and from your own research). Please review the rubric above prior to writing this paper.

Ensure you address the following topics in your paper:

Describe the personality of your character (this is to help the reader understand the challenges your leader faces).

How did your character develop their management traits?

Identify three management traits that the leader possesses, and explain why they are necessary to a successful manager.

How you can develop each skill or trait in your own life? Training, education, experience, etc. – but be specific (if you create goals they should be SMART).

What are possible disadvantages to having these traits?

How have you seen the selected traits utilized effectively in your own experiences in life?

How can you market the traits (for this I would like to see resume bullets for each of the traits)? – Put yourself in your character's shoes, as if they were writing a resume.

How do you relate to your character? Could you be managed by him/her/it?

Paper must include (all in proper APA 6th edition format):

Cover Page

Abstract

Body 

Reference Page

Two additional resources from APUS online library
Two additional resources from the internet

Wikipedia, or similar sites are NOT acceptable sources for this paper

SECOND ASSIGNMENT

Assessing Strategy

2 PAGES In this Assignment, you will culminate two Course Outcomes by analyzing a business case:

MT460-1:Assess business strategy using a variety of seminal theories, principles, and concepts.

GEL-1.2:Demonstrate college-level communication through the composition of original materials in Standard English.

Synthesizing the various business strategy theories, principles and concepts you have learned thus far, evaluate the strategy of an award winning organization by choosing an “Award Application Summary” from theBaldrige Performance Excellence Program website. You will evaluate the “Award Application Summary” as a business case. Use the following criteria to evaluate your chosen award winning organization by writing a literature review on how the award winning organization applies best practices in relation to the strategy theories, concepts and principles you have learned about through your research:

• Write a literature reviewresearch paper on your chosen award winning organization.
• Provide a thorough synopsis of the business case for your chosen award winning organization on the Baldrige Performance Excellence Program website.
• Critically evaluate the strategic decisions that led to the organization winning the Baldrige Performance Excellence award.
• Explain the organization's strategic source and type of competitive advantage.
• Explain the future strategic direction of the organization by analyzing key decisions in the business case.
• Critically evaluate the vision, mission, purpose, philosophy, and goals of the organization.
• Analyze how the management strategy hierarchy led to competitive advantage for your chosen organization.
• Explain the symbiotic relationship between strategy and policy.
• Use a minimum of three scholarly research resources to develop the literature review.
• Apply proper APA style format. Be sure to use headings and subheadings to create a flow of ideas and topics within your writing.
• Apply Expository writing styleto develop your business report. You should write in third person to avoid bias. Grammar and spelling are important. 

Here is the Unit 2 Assignment grading rubric.

Directions for Submitting Your Assignment

• Before you submit your Assignment, you should save your work on your computer in a location and with a name that you will remember.
• Make sure your Assignment is in the correct file format (Microsoft Word .doc or .docx).
• Submit your completed document to the Unit 2 Assignment Dropbox.

Write a research argument essay in 2000 words. It should be written in MLA format and have a works cited page. You need 5 sources for your paper. Sources should be peer-reviewed if you are using articles. You may use Silent Spring as a source in which case you would need only 4 other sources.

Please include the following for your work on your Research Argument Paper:

1. Your issue of controversy: Should more people go to college?

2. Debate or guiding question: How to help people to go to college? (Your thesis/claim/argument is the short answer to the question. The body of your paper explains the reasons for your short answer and provides further support for both your answer and your reasons. Also, although the book phrases the question as a debate question in order to make sure you answer in the form of a persuasive argument, the word "debate" implies an either/or situation. I would like you to remember that most questions and issues have more than two answers and/or perspectives.)

3. Include a paragraph that explores and explains why this question is important/significant to you: This question is important to me because I'm attending the college right now, but some of my friends did not. Because some of them are doubting the value of getting to college. They think it is wasting time and money for it. They preferred to get the high school diploma and get into the society for jobs. However, I disagree with it. Getting a high education diploma can easier to help them to get into a job, and also they earn more knowledge. But maybe they need some help in getting college such as the money. 

4. Include a paragraph that explores and explains why others might find this question to be important/significant: This question can be important to others because some people also wondering the reasons why people do not want to go to college. They might have the financial problem to get into the college. So they want to find out the way to solve it. 

5. Mention in a paragraph how your question relates to the book, Silent Spring: The Silent Spring presents that people using pesticide to kill bugs, but they don't know when it is overusing, it will hurt themselves and the environment. College will give them more knowledge to learn how to protect the environment and themselves. 

6. Thesis/claim/argument: I believe that more people should go to college as well as getting the high school diploma because it is not only easier to help to find the job in the future, it is also easier to make more money. For some people that need help, we should provide financial support and services. 

Minimum required outside sources: 5 (Three must be peer-reviewed.)

FORMAT: MLA

As with all works cited pages you must list your sources in alphabetical order. List each source in MLA format and write a short annotation in the following format:

Publication's viewpoint (professional medical journal, conservative news paper, feminist magazine, etc.)

Author's viewpoint and credibility (What is the author's profession? Is this person considered an expert in the field he or she is writing about?)

The article's main message (conclusion/thesis/claim) (What is the main message of this piece? )

List any faulty reasoning, lack of credibility, or piece of the argument you disagree with (Is there anything in the article with which you disagree? If so, what is your disagreement with the piece? Are the sources the author used credible? Are there any logical fallacies or other faults in reasoning or logic?

Write how the article will be or not be useful to you in your paper.

Drama Analysis

By the due date assigned, submit your analytical essay as a Microsoft Word attachment.

 Your instructor will assign a play for the class to read and will post the information as a Week 3 Announcement (i.e., The Glass Menagerie, A Doll’s House, or Trifles).

Directions

Select one of the topics from the list below.  Use the questions to develop a short essay of at least three paragraphs and 500 words. In your response, be sure that you have the following: an introductory paragraph with a clear thesis, at least one body paragraph with supporting reasons, examples, and quotations from the play, and a concluding paragraph. Use APA style for formatting the paper and for in-text citations and end references.

Topics

(Choose either Character, Symbol, or Theme)

1. Select one character from the play. What does he or she want? What is the conflict this character encounters? How does he or she attempt to get this desire? What prevents him or her from achieving it? What is the resolution by the end of the play for this character?
2. Select one symbol from the play. What is the meaning or significance of the symbol? How is it used to further the story? How does it help the audience to better understand the characters or message of the play?
3. Select one theme from the play. How would you describe the message that is conveyed? How is the theme expressed in the play? Give examples. How does the theme giving meaning to the drama for the audience?

Reminders

• Use APA style, and include a title page, running header, proper font and spacing, in-text citations, and a separate references page.
• Do not use any outside sources to complete this response; rely on your own insights.
• Quoted material from the play should not exceed 25% of the essay.
• You may exceed the minimum word and paragraph count.

This week, we will examine the elements of drama, including the following: speech, setting, plot, and character. With your classmates, you will read and discuss an assigned play, and in your final assignment of the week, you will write a literary analysis on the play.

IMPORTANT: The play we will be reading and discussing this week will be Trifles by Susan Glaspell.

In our weekly discussion, your response will focus on the setting and stage directions in that assigned play(this part is complete on the discussion the attachement has the discussion for week 3 and this part is already cover), and in our weekly essay, you will analyze the assigned play through the elements of character, symbol, or theme( please this is the ionstruction for week3 project) Since plays are meant to be performed and viewed by an audience, it is recommended that you not only read the script and stage directions but also locate an online performance to view the drama as it is brought to life on stage. Now, the curtain is going up….

Your Learning Objectives for the Week:

• Apply critical reading, thinking, and writing skills to literary works such as fiction, drama, and poetry, analyzing, interpreting, and evaluating their arguments, points of view, and multiple meanings.
• Express, illustrate, and defend claims about literary works in discussions and in analytical essays, using one’s own interpretation, textual evidence, and critical approaches, as appropriate.
• Demonstrate an understanding of the privacy, security, and ownership of information located through the use of correct APA documentation.