In your top-level post, answer the following questions (adapted from EmpoWord p. 286-287 – where there are also examples of types of answers to these questions) (40 points):
Your subject. Introduce your topic — try not be too general; be specific enough to give the reader a sense of grounding. INCLUDE: potential primary sources — review Final Project Guidelines
Your occasion (and stakes). You’ve hopefully chosen an issue that matters to someone, meaning that it is timely and important. To establish the significance of your topic, explain what’s prompting your writing and why it matters, and to whom.
Your research question or path of inquiry. After introducing your subject, occasion, and stakes, now post your research question.
Your position as a working thesis. Articulate your position as a (hypo)thesis—a potential answer to your question or an idea of where your research might take you. This is an answer which you should continue to adjust along the way; writing it in the proposal does not set your answer(s) in stone.
The difficulties you anticipate in the research and writing process and how you plan to address them. In your proposal, you are trying to demonstrate that your path of inquiry is viable; therefore, it is important to show that you’re thinking through the challenges you might face along the way. Consider what elements of researching and writing will be difficult, and how you will approach those difficulties.
A working list of sources consulted so far in your preliminary research. This shows that you are working toward understanding your place in an ongoing conversation. You could list Wikipedia here — it’s ok as part of preliminary research — as well as things found trying out suggestions for “Internet Stumbling” on p. 293 of our textbook EmpoWord
Rough ideas for the multi-media portion of the project (see Final Project Guidelines and Choosing a Medium document) What mediums are you considering – digital, visual, audio, PowerPoint, video, podcast, etc. – and why? For example, why might a video or photo montage address your ideas better than a podcast format or writing and performing a song?
heres some sources
Yellopain — “My Vote Don’t Count”
Link
My Vote Dont Count Lyrics
Word Document
Jamila Lyiscott Ted Talk/Spoken Word: “3 Ways to Speak English”
Link
“The People in Me” by Dr. Robin D.G. Kelley
PDF document
“Why Gender Equality is Good for Everyone” — Michael Kimmel 2015 Ted Talk
Link
“Feminism for Men” Floyd Dell 1914 (Word Doc)
Word Document
The Men We Carry in Our Minds — Sanders
PDF document
ENGL 122 Gender Text lecture notes
Word Document
heres the rest of the directions –
ENGL 122 COMP II: Final Project Clauer
PURPOSE: To demonstrate mastery of all of the Levels of Analysis (see Course Docs) by presenting and proving a
central argument based on your interpretation and analysis of connected primary texts using support from researched,
scholarly, secondary sources.
UNIT 3 Final Project Related DUE DATES:
Final Project Proposal (50 pts): Week 12
Annotated Bibliography (75 pts): Week 13
Final Project Peer Reviews (50 pts): Week 14
Final Project Essay (75 pts): Week 15
Multi-media portion DB (75 pts): Week 16
Reflection: Final Project and Semester Self-
Assessment (100 pts): Week 16
FOCUS: The focus of our final project will be on exploring big questions. To begin, think about your answers to these
questions: What are some big questions you’ve wondered about recently and that you want to explore/research
further? To what larger societal issues do your questions connect?
BASICS:
1. Primary Sources – Two total. Choose two (2) sources you see as in “conversation” with each other in
some way. Specifics/additional information:
a. One primary source must be from our assigned texts AT ANY POINT in the semester, so your final
project has an “anchor” to our shared work this semester. Reminder: “text” = the general term for
any of our assigned readings, Ted Talks, videos, etc. Some options:
Choose from the Unit 3 readings exploring some big questions
Choose from any of the Unit 1 or Unit 2 assigned readings you didn’t use for an essay
OR choose a text from Unit 1 or Unit 2 that you used in one of our previous essays if you have
something new to say.
b. One primary source must be one you find on your own regarding your “big questions” subject.
c. At least one of your 2 primary sources must be written (i.e. not a Ted Talk or other video)
2. Scholarly Secondary Sources – Three total. Research to find three (3) scholarly, secondary sources (aka
external sources) with which you will interact to support your central argument. These sources will come
from those you found for your Annotated Bibliography. Secondary source specifics:
a. Your external sources must be scholarly (See information re: evaluating sources on the Annotated
Bibliography criteria). Use the LCC library to access databases, e-books, hardcopy books, etc.
b. Refutation (arguing in opposition) can be a strong way to interact with an external source.
c. Use the ENGL 122 LibGuide (link to ENGL 122 LibGuide) and also…
d. Make time to ASK A LIBRARIAN (in all caps because, yes, yelling a little. Students never regret
asking a librarian for help doing research). There is an ASK A LIBRARIAN button in the top right
corner on every page of the LCC Library Website.
3. Present and prove your own argument/thesis, (1250-word min. not including Works Cited page), that
a. Makes a central claim (i.e. present and prove a thesis) connected to analysis of your primary
sources.
b. Asserts the “so what” of the big ideas you’re identifying, analyzing, and connecting.
c. Incorporates interaction with your three secondary, scholarly sources, in the body of the essay, to
help support your thesis – your secondary sources are NOT part of your intro/thesis but are part
of your evidence/analysis.
d. Embrace the concept of “inquiry-based research” from our textbook EmpoWord Ch. 8. which
means this is neither a report (i.e. purely informational) nor a simple pro/con “position” essay.
e. Continue to explore Rogerian approaches.
BASICS (continued)
ENGL 122 COMP II: Final Project Clauer
4. The essay portion of your Final Project must include:
a. An introduction that engages your audience which sets up
b. A clear thesis presenting your arguable claim in connection with your analysis of your primary
sources – ask yourself “what am I adding to this conversation?” to help avoid just summarizing
the sources.
c. Multiple body paragraphs in a purposeful structure (see Thesis/Structure Prompts) which contain:
an arguable topic sentence connected to your overall thesis
direct reference to the primary texts using textual evidence to help support your argument
analysis of the textual evidence (quotes) you chose from the primary sources
direct reference to the scholarly, secondary sources using textual evidence to help support
your argument
d. Sections where you practice a Rogerian approach where you acknowledge multiple viewpoints
and seek common ground (see p. 239-243 in our textbook EmpoWord).
5. Follow MLA guidelines (See Purdue OWL MLA Works Cited section) for: Essay formatting, in-text citations,
and the Works Cited page. Note: your Works Cited page for this essay will have 5 entries: 2 primary
sources and 3 scholarly secondary sources.
6. Multi-media requirement (75 points/DB Wk 16): Take a portion or aspects of your final project that you
want to highlight or analyze in-depth/creatively and translate that into a multi-media format. There are
lots of possibilities – find one that connects to your tech abilities OR one that pushes your tech use. Make
use of the LCC Library Technology Lab for help and resources if needed. See the “Choosing a Medium”
document in the Week 12 folder. Examples (there are lots more possibilities – be sure to communicate
your ideas to me):
a. Make a Google Slides or Powerpoint being sure to go beyond static slides – i.e. embed short
video, audio clips or even animation clips
b. Play around with Podcasting (or record an interview on your smartphone)
c. Use your smartphone to make a movie (or…just one scene…)
d. Write and record a song or poem; paint or draw, i.e. create original art in some form
Tools from our course-site and our textbook EmpoWord:
1. Review the Example Final Essay Intro/Thesis in the Example Assignments folder.
2. Use the Thesis Worksheet (Course Documents folder) to deconstruct primary sources and craft a thesis.
3. Reverse Outline exercise – to help you deeply revise your rough draft.
4. Color-coding technique – use on a complete rough draft to help you revise.
5. SOAP: Review p. xlviii (Gen. Intro section) regarding Subject, Occasion, Audience, Purpose.
6. Logos, Pathos, Ethos, and Kairos: Review p. 243-249. Consider how you will employ and balance these.
7. Use the Engaged Reading Strategy “kits” on p. 472-473 to help you deconstruct your primary and
scholarly texts and identify “steps of the argument” among other aspects.
Rubric: Your Final Essay grade (out of 75 points) will focus on:
Did you meet the requirements listed under “Basics” also paying attention to the specifics in the ENGL 122
Formal Writing Assignments Rubric (content, structure, style, mechanics and research) and avoiding
logical fallacies? (60 points)
Did you take risks and “get to that 4th thing” – i.e. move beyond surface analysis – to really analyze and
prove a compelling argument? Did you explore concrete, vivid language…and maybe an analogy or two?
Did you push yourself to try something new in the multi-media portion of the assignment? (15 points)
Multi-media portion (75 points) – Did you fully answer the DB questions; does it connect to your essay
and show effort/creativity?
YOU DONT NEED TO WRIITE THE ESSAY JUST THE PROPOSAL-
HERES A FELLOW CLASSMATES EXAMPLE-
Final Essay Proposal
Subject: The importance of a father in the home. The consequences of fatherless homes. What (if any) are the lifelong differences between children raised in homes with their father as opposed to those raised in homes without their fathers.
Primary Sources:
Children’s Bureau. “A Father’s Impact on Child Development.”
Franklin. “The Importance of a Father in a Child’s Life.”
Kruk, Edward. “Father Absence, Father Deficit, Father Hunger.”
Popenoe, David. “Families without Fathers: Fathers, Marriage, and Children in
American Society.”
Occasion: I am a father of two small children, I maintain a traditional home (my 2 children, my wife, and myself); I am curious about the contrast between traditional familys and fatherless families, and what (if any) effects does this have on childhood, adolescents, and adulthood.
Research Question: Is there statistical data that shows a contrast in life results between traditional family homes and fatherless homes, and if so, why does the media, politicians, and the public ignore these differences?
Position: There are huge differences in life results for children and effectively adulthood for those raised in traditional family homes and those raised in fatherless homes, and that the media and politicians remain silent on the subject.
Anticipated Difficulties: Conflicting data, misinformation, authors bias (theirs and mine).
Working List:
Children’s Bureau. “A Father’s Impact on Child Development.”
Franklin. “The Importance of a Father in a Child’s Life.”
Kruk, Edward. “Father Absence, Father Deficit, Father Hunger.”
Popenoe, David. “Families without Fathers: Fathers, Marriage, and Children in
American Society.”
Multi-media Project: Power point presentation
HERES A SOURCE- I DONT I USED IT IN UNIT 2!
“Reading in the Age of Distrust” by Alison J. Head (pub. 2021)
