To explore a causal chain related to culture and to continue to apply what you have learned about the writing process and collegiate writing. The Analysis Essay is worth 25% of your course grade.
Audience:
College-level readers who have some familiarity with the topic
Task:
Choose ONE of the two following research questions to explore in your analysis essay on culture:
How does people coming together affect culture? Explore one of the following movements and discuss its impacts on culture. In other words, what happened because of one of these movements?
Black Lives Matter
Me Too
Civil Rights
Women’s Rights
LGBTQ Rights
New Identity Movement
Asian American Pacific Islander Rights (AAPI)
Animal Rights
Veteran Rights
You might begin brainstorming by finishing this sentence: Because of (insert name of movement), ________, ________, and ________ happened.
How did a major historical event impact culture? Choose one of the following historical events and discuss its impacts on culture:
9/11
technology revolution
rise in social media
marriage equality
stock market crash
COVID-19 pandemic
Roe vs. Wade
events bringing focus to systemic racism
introduction of cryptocurrency
AI revolution
Establishment of fast fashion
You might begin brainstorming by finishing this sentence: Because of (insert name of major historical event), ________, ________, and ________ happened.
Support your claims with research from the WTCC library databases. You need to use 3 sources.
Your 1st source needs to be a
peer-reviewed scholarly journal article from a WTCC library database. ProQuest Central is a good place to start.
Your 2nd source needs to be a
video from the WTCC library database Films on Demand. I have provided video links from Films on Demand in Blackboard that relate to your topic.
Your 3rd source needs to be (choose one source type you want to use from the following list)
another peer-reviewed journal article from a WTCC library database
another video from the WTCC library database Films on Demand
a book (either in print or eBook format) from the WTCC library (Ebook Central or EBSCOhost eBook Collection offer a variety of choices.)
a selection from the Social Issues Databases—filter for peer-reviewed (Opposing Viewpoints in Context or SIRS Researcher offer a suitable selection.)
*You may add 1-2 additional sources from a library database or a reliable website (preferably .edu, .gov, or .org).
Organization Template:
INTRODUCTION: Start with an introduction that arouses the reader’s curiosity, establishes the tone, and is concise and sincere. You will also want to give your reader background information on your topic that helps set up its context and explains why this topic is important.
THESIS STATEMENT: End your introduction with a thesis statement that proposes an original claim, revealing the purpose of your essay. Your thesis must EITHER assert how people coming together affects culture OR explain how a major historical event impacted culture. The thesis should include a plan of development that lists effects that are meaningful and significant, to be discussed in your body paragraphs.
BODY PARAGRAPHS: Develop body paragraphs that explore different examples of EITHER the cultural effects of people coming together OR the cultural effects of a major historical event. Begin each body paragraph with a TOPIC SENTENCE that states the focus of the paragraph and includes a thesis link. Then build your analysis. Elaborate on your claim by providing concrete, detailed, and coherent reasons and examples that demonstrate the logic and significance behind your claims. Include in-text citations from the sources you found when researching that offer evidence to support your thesis. Be sure to make connections between your ideas. End each body paragraph with a summary sentence of synthesis that reiterates the main point of your discussion.
The body paragraphs should be written in third person. Do NOT include personal, first-person examples. If you want to add a primary source, you may add a personal interview with someone who has been a part of the group that ignited change or has been impacted by the effects of a historical event.
CONCLUSION: Finish with a conclusion that gives a sense of completion and integrates your main ideas. Reiterate the importance of your subject matter and consider the broader implications of your analysis.
WORKS CITED PAGE: Include a Works Cited page for the 3 credible resources you choose.
Basic Format Requirements:
Length—1500 words minimum
Sources—3 from the WTCC library database
Format—MLA format and documentation (in-text citations and Works Cited page)
Incomplete Papers:
If your final submission is significantly less than or significantly more than the suggested word count, the highest grade you may earn is a 90%. My goal is for you to learn how to thoroughly develop your ideas, clearly and concisely, while also providing proper documentation.
Use of AI:
Do not use any artificial intelligence (AI) tools, such as chatbots, text generators, paraphrasers, summarizers, or solvers, to complete any part of this assignment. If the text provided in your submission seems to be AI generated, you may be asked to meet with your professor to discuss your ideas and your writing process.
Criteria for Success:
Please see the rubric posted with the assignment.
Take advantage of the free tutoring options WTCC has to offer. Do you know about the REAL Center and ILC? The REAL Center and Individualized Learning Center are resources for you! Both offer in-person and virtual help with English assignments like this paper. Information for both centers can be found in our Blackboard course. Just click on Course Resources > Resources for Online Tutoring.
Working with a writing center tutor is a strength! Be strong!
Skills/Knowledge:
The purpose of this assignment is to help you practice the following skills that are essential to your success in this course, your overall education, and your future career.
Focus on Writing as a Process – SLOs 2, 10
Basic academic essay structure – SLO 6
Thesis development with supporting topic sentences
Strategies for introduction and conclusion
Strategies to develop body paragraphs according to mode
Use of transitions within and between paragraphs
Organization of essay according to mode
Introduction to digital literacy and scholarly sources and credibility
Research-based with introduction to academic research and evaluation of sources
Integration of database source(s)
How to structure assignment based on a specific rhetorical mode – SLOs 1, 3
Skills review – SLOs 5, 7
MLA Formatting
In-text Citations and Works Cited using researched resources -SLO 8
Critical Thinking with Analysis, Synthesis, and Evaluation drawing connections
