ENG 1921: RESEARCHED ACADEMIC ARGUMENT: A COLLABORATIVE PROJECT
One of the goals of this course is to help you improve your skills in critical analysis by articulating your original insights and by organizing and polishing formal presentations of them.
Throughout the term we have identified and discussed many of the "big ideas" of science fiction through an examination of science fact, through an examination of science fiction film, and through the analysis of science fiction novels.
This assignment asks your group to work collaboratively to identify one significant facet you perceive in one particular science fiction work and to explore its implications. Select an excruciatingly focused angle for, minimally, a manuscript of FOUR FULL PAGES up to SIX full pages using MLA-style format.
Your group will compose one paper together, but you will receive two separate scores--one for the paper written by the group and a grade that you earn individually (for which you will be graded by your group members). See further details about collaboration below.
FINDING A TOPIC:
The rule here is simple: the more particular the better. First, select one work (this can be a film or a novel) and focus on one specific aspect of it. Trying to jam two or more different works into one discussion when you're thinking of this project in terms of "filling pages" will backfire, because, in a word, your paper will lack academic rigor and detailed analysis. Instead, treat this one work either as isolated and valuable in its own right or as a chosen representative example of a wider cultural phenomenon. Next, find something original to say about your selected work: a unique perspective on the piece, a specific theme or motif, a striking implication, possibly a detail you think is peculiar (if it does prove to have significance when you think it through). These works may have been discussed for a long time; so ideally you want to find a new angle on them, something unusual and arcane that no one else will think of. Papers lumbering through hackneyed topics will be disappointing -- all around! Also, the focus should be on your perceptions rather than your evaluations or on you (e.g., "I feel that Ender's Game is a great book!"). Cleverness and creativity (of a scholarly sort) are both desired and expected.
NOTE: YOU CAN WRITE ABOUT A WORK OF SCIENCE FICTION THAT WE HAVE EXAMINED AS A CLASS OR SELECT ANOTHER OF YOUR OWN CHOOSING.
EXAMPLES OF POSSIBLE TOPICS
-Lonliness and Alienation in Margaret Atwood's Oryx and Crake
-The Implications of Humor in Luc Besson's The Fifth Element
-The Powerless and the Powerful: Who's in Charge in Orson Scott Card's Ender's Game?
-The Human Spirit and the Power of the Machine in James Cameron's The Terminator
-Empathy and Freedom in Philip K. Dick's Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?
AUDIENCE
When you begin writing, assume that you are writing this essay for publication in an academic journal. Remember that an effective explanation has a point and has a clear claim and an interesting angle or slant. Be sure to support your claim with a clear explanation that utilizes specific support such as facts, data, examples, illustrations, statistics, comparisons, analogies, and images. Remember that your claim is a general assertion about the relationships of the specific parts and the support you use to prove that claim should help your reader identify those parts and see those various relationships. All examples that you use should be relevant, interesting, convincing, representative, accurate, and specific.
This is a formal academic essay. Do not use contractions, informal language or slang, or the first person (“I”).
This assignment is designed for you to learn to explore complex issues and difficult, abstract, or unusual ideas and in the process discover and learn something about yourself and the world. As a writer you have a responsibility to your readers to make these difficult concepts concrete and understandable. While writing, try to avoid vague generalizations. Where do you get the examples to develop your essay? Which examples support your claim? Which do not? Which are the most convincing? Which are the most likely to interest readers and clarify meaning?
RESEARCH REQUIRED
You will need to conduct outside research on your topic. You must use dependable, reliable sources. These include book chapters, articles taken from books, magazine articles, journal articles, and newspaper articles.
You must use signal phrases and include in-text MLA citations to note the ideas of your sources and include a works cited page as well.
Papers handed in without signal phrases, in-text citations, or a works cited page will not be accepted.
YOU CANNOT USE SOURCES FROM THE WORLD WIDE WEB! You must use sources from the library's databases or other sources from a library (i.e. books, magazine, journal, or newspaper articles, videos, etc.)
A Neutral, Unbiased Voice
FORMAT
Your essay should have a title. It should also be typed, double spaced, with one-inch margins all around, Times New Roman Font, & 12 pt. Your paper should be 4 FULL pages - 6 FULL pages and have a works cited page. Refer to OWL at Purdue for questions about MLA format and citations.
RULES FOR COLLABORATIVE WORK
Everyone in the group must make a significant contribution to the final product. You will create one essay as a group.
Do not write individual sections and try to piece together an essay. This is a bad idea! Follow the scenario I mentioned in class.
If a majority of the group members feel an individual student is not contributing his or her share to the project, this person may be voted out of the group. If this occurs, the individual voted out of the group must complete the project on their own and must forfeit the points for individual scoring (see below).
I suggest making someone group captain/manager. It will be this person's responsibility to keep everyone on task.
At the end of the project, everyone within the group will grade one another anonymously.
Total Possible Points: 60/
Individual Scoring (18 points):
Score for individual score for contribution to in-class drafting/invention and overall contribution to project (graded by group members).
Group Scoring (42 points ):
Final Draft, evaluated on the following criteria:
Focus (12 points): Does essay have a clear purpose? Focus on a main idea and clearly identifiable thesis? Are reader’s expectations set and then met? Ideas, examples, and reasons developed in the body of the paper are clearly related to the main focus?
Development (12 points): Are supporting examples, showing details, and data rich and relevant to the main idea? Are the writer’s assertions immediately followed by supporting evidence? Appropriate research supports the writer’s main idea or thesis? The writer shows how or why evidence is relevant to main idea or claim?
Organization (12 points): Do ideas and paragraphs proceed in logical and apparent sequence or pattern? Does writer use sufficient audience cues to let the reader know what has been discussed, what is being discussed, or what will be discussed? Does writer use attention-getting title and lead-in, essay map, summary and forecasting statements, paragraph hooks, transitional words and phrases? Do effective conclusions guide the reader from beginning to end?
Style (3 points): Is language clear direct and readable? Are sentences clear, concise, and easily read by intended audience? Is word choice appropriate for audience? Do sentences reveal and sustain appropriate voice and tone?
Mechanics (3 points): Are there obvious errors in spelling, punctuation, and grammar? Are there patterns of error?
NO 1ST DRAFT ON DUE DATE (-5 POINTS)
NO PEER CRITIQUE (-5 POINTS)
NO REFLECTION (-5 POINTS)
NO PROCESS OR PROPER CITATION OF SOURCES=NO GRADE
Grading scale:
A 54-60
B 48-53
C 42-47
D 36-41
F 0-35
