Parents,
activists, school board officials and lawmakers are challenging books at a pace
not seen in decades. At the same time, schools are mired in debates over what
students should learn about in U.S. history. In the last two years, dozens of
state legislatures introduced bills that would limit what teachers can say
about race, gender, sexuality and inequality.
All
of this is part of a larger debate over politics in public school education.
Across the United States, parents have demanded more oversight over
curriculums, and school board meetings have erupted into fiery discussions.
For
this final essay, you have selected a book that has been banned or challenged
in the United States in the past decade.
Your task is to either recommend its inclusion or exclusion in a high
school curriculum.
When making your recommendation, you should consider the
following:
What topics
are included that may be considered controversial?
Are these
topics inappropriate for discussion in a high school curriculum?
Are these topics
important for high school students to consider and discuss?
What is the
history of the challenges to this book?
Are these
challenges valid?
Audience: You should write
the essay as though your reader is academic and educated but may not be as familiar
as you are with the texts.
Organization of Assignment:
The
paper should be organized into three sections: the introduction, body, and
conclusion.
Introduction:
The
introduction will begin with a creative “hook” designed to intrigue your reader
and pique his or her interest. The introduction should end with a clear
thesis statement that indicates what you will assert/prove about the social
media-related topic you have selected.
Body of the
essay:
In
the body of the paper, each supporting paragraph should cover one main idea
that supports your thesis. Each paragraph should include quotes and/or
paraphrases from the articles that provide evidence to support the topic
sentence. Transitions should be used to bridge one paragraph point to the
next.
At least one body paragraph must present a counterclaim to your
thesis statement. You are expected to
present this counterclaim and to refute it using well-researched and explained
evidence.
Conclusion:
The
final paragraph should wrap up your essay and make some final statement about
the paper’s topic. You will restate the thesis and remind your reader of
the evidence you used.
Use
of Evidence in the Essay:
To
make an informed recommendation, you will need to provide research that speaks
to the effects of “difficult” language o material on middle or high school aged
students. The articles that we have read
in class are primarily opinion pieces, which may be used to establish the
various perspectives on the issue of banning/challenging books. However, your recommendation must be
supported by credible research, so you will need to locate and use at least two
(2) sources from professional, peer-reviewed sources. The best place to locate these sources is
through the ACC library data base.
Each
body paragraph should use appropriate amounts of properly formatted and cited
quotations or paraphrases. Direct quotes should be carefully selected, properly
contextualized and introduced beforehand, and commented upon afterwards. The evidence should be balanced between
quotes from the book under consideration and articles about the book challenge.
Use
of MLA in the Essay:
Essays must be
formatted according to MLA style rules.
In addition, all quotations and paraphrases should be properly cited according
to MLA rules, and all texts should be cited on a Works Cited page, properly
formatted in MLA style. Use the “MLA
Checklist” and “Guidelines for Preparing and Submitting an Essay in MLA Style”
provided for you and posted on Blackboard.
Grammar / Correctness:
Your
writing should be formal and clear and your essay should contain few
errors. You should strive for less than one error per page. Below
are a few other “rules” to keep in mind as you write:
·
Do not use the first person (“I” or “we” or “our”).
·
Do not use the second person (“you,” “your”).
·
Avoid contractions (don’t, wouldn’t, isn’t) and instead write
out the words (do not, would not, is not).
Plagiarism:
Plagiarism
is plagiarism, whether you plagiarize several words, one sentence, or an entire
essay.
To
do well on this essay:
·
Complete all assignments that are provided to prepare you to
write the essay.
·
Make a conferencing appointment if you need more discussion
/explanation than that provided in class.
Evaluation
of Essay:
This essay is worth 100 points
of your final grade. Below I have provided the “outcomes” for English 1010
for which you must show competency. Competent essays will meet the following
criteria:
o Locate and evaluate sources appropriate to the rhetorical
situation
o Interpret and analyze argument, evidence, and rhetorical
strategies in complex texts
o Produce essays with clear thesis statements (or controlling
ideas) and logical support for assertions
o Compose unified, coherent, and fully developed paragraphs
with attention to transitions and signal phrasing for source material
o Write at least one thesis-driven, text-based essay
demonstrating competent argumentation using complex texts
o Apply Standard English language conventions (diction, tone,
or level of formality) consistently
o Cite varied sources in MLA citation style
*Use the book Crank, by Ellen Hopkins and these four sources
https://nida.nih.gov/publications/drugfacts/understanding-drug-use-addiction
Burgess, Melvin. “Drugs in Children’s Books.”
Agnew, Kate. “Sex in Children’s Books.”
https://www.globalcognition.org/critical-thinking-everyday-life/
