Research Essay
In order to successfully complete the course, you are required to submit a semester project in the form of a Document Essay– six to seven-page paper-in which you will explore a topic of interest, make a claim about that topic, and integrate source material to support your claim. To make this process easier, I suggest you use as a starting point any of the readings on the supplementary reading list (which I will update) or readings in the Comparison, Definition, and Argument modules, and develop into a theme or question you wish to further pursue. Should you wish to undertake another approach, you can make an appointment to meet with me virtually. I understand some of you may wish to explore the topic of social injustice, specifically regarding black and brown citizens. For your information, The New Yorker has made free any articles on George Floyd or related subject. I also recommend using a section of Claudia Rankine’s Citizen as a starting point, but she largely sheds light on race and microaggressions– you may or may not like her. I am familiar with her work and can walk you through the reading. If you, for whatever reason, wish to develop a topic using James Baldwin’s “Letter from a Region in My Mind, ” I can help with that. Overall, whatever you decide, I will steer you in the right direction.
2. As a way to engage classmates and receive feedback from your peers, you will be required to submit short journal entries on the development/stages of your research.
3. In Module 13, you will be asked to both submit and present an outline of your topic and relevancy of your source material to your thesis. For that week, we will split class into two sessions: the first half, Argumentation; second, presentations of outline.
4. Unless noted otherwise, the completed research project is due November 23rd, 11:59 PM EST. I strongly recommend you decide on a topic no later than the first week of school, as it will take time to angle your argument, find source material, organize your thoughts, and outline your paper. (The earlier you begin, the more time you will have to submit multiple revisions.)
