Essay Assignment: Exploring Current Events Essay Assignment
Exploring Current Events:
Linking Issues in to Real Life
This assignment will result in a 4 page essay that links an issue in an article to what is happening in our world today. Your job will be to focus on a certain issue. How was it addressed in the article? How is the issue affecting the world around you? What do the experts have to say about this issue?
Steps to follow in writing this paper:
Decide which issue/article you want to discuss in your paper and have it approved (first come/first served; no two students can have the same topic). It is best to find an article to which you can relate or that interests you.
Write a statement that mentions the article, the issue, and your opinion, which will be the focus of the paper. In other words, what do you want to focus on in your paper? How will you direct your thoughts? What do you want to prove?
Write topic sentences that support your statement. There is not a specific number of topic sentences. As long as your paper meets the minimum page requirement, you may have any number of paragraphs necessary to cover the issue.
Submit your outline (a statement and topic sentences) for approval. We will work on outlining in class, but if you can get a head start, do it.
Next, write your essay with only your own thoughts and ideas. You will want to include a few quotes, paraphrases, and summaries from the article to prove your points and/or develop your essay, but DO NOT USE ANY RESEARCH YET. This essay should be a minimum of 2 ½ pages at this point, but the more you write at this stage, the easier your job will be later!
Find 3 additional sources. These sources will be sources that focus on the issue . However, a information from the main article itself is a necessity. For your additional sources, use Rose State’s online databases. Sources must be current (published within the last 5 years).
Incorporate your sources using MLA or APA format by a combination of paraphrasing, summarizing, and direct quoting.
Make sure you are documenting your sources properly through parenthetical documentation. Use lead-ins for the bulk of your research information and include an in-text citation at the end of all research information.
Create a Works Cited or References page for your paper following MLA or APA guidelines (you should have 4 total sources: your original article and three online database sources).
