I attached copies of two different essays that have feedback from the professor for you to review. Also review Topic Development attachment to set up for part 2 of this discussion post. I also added description of week’s 7 research paper so you know what it entails. List of all literature from class attached as well.
This week’s skill building activity has two main components. First, you’ll review your performance and grade feedback on a paper submitted earlier in the quarter. Then, you’ll develop a topic and thesis statement for your final research paper (due in Week 7).
Part I: Review and Revise
Look over either one of the Response Papers you’ve submitted so far in the course. Review your work and the professor’s grade feedback (as well as any tutoring feedback you may have received from tutors), then discuss the following in paragraph form:
What did you do well? What aspect or aspects of your paper, in your opinion, were strongest?
What doesn’t work in your paper, and needs improvement? Or, what could you improve on further– even if this aspect was mostly adequate in your earlier paper?
Have you used the free tutoring service linked in GMC online courses? If so, what was your experience like? If not, why not?
Part II: Topic and thesis
Keeping what you’ve learned in the above exercise in mind, start to brainstorm a topic for the final research paper. Make sure to review the guidelines for the final research paper as well as the “Topic Development” Online Learning Resource from this week.
1. First, base your choice of texts on one of the following options:
A topic focusing on at least 2 texts (but no more than 3) by different authors. All of the chosen texts must come from class-assigned literature unless given prior approval by the instructor.
A topic focusing on at least 2 texts (but no more than 3) by the same author. All of the chosen texts must come from class-assigned literature unless given prior approval by the instructor.
2. Then, using the method outlined in the “Topic Development” document in this week’s Online Learning Resources, show what you plan to write about. Make sure to include:
Topic and Literary Theory (the author[s] and works you plan on writing about, and the theory you plan to apply to the literature you’ve chosen)
Research Question (the basic question that interests you about this topic, or the question your thesis intends to answer or address)
Working Thesis Statement (the one-sentence, declarative statement that announces the hypothesis or purpose of your eventual research paper. Another way to think about it is like the proposed answer to your research question)
Works Cited entries (supply the works cited entries for the literary works you’ve chosen to write about. These should correspond to the linked versions of the texts in class)
Your finished response should be at least 250-300 words and include all of the items mentioned above.
This will be the basis of research paper for week 7.
