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
heres my final essay proposal-
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 my annotated bibliogrphy-
Camryn Kennedy
Professor Clauer
Composition 2
4/09/24
Why People Don’t Vote in Local and State Elections
Primary Sources
1. YelloPain’s song lyrics “My Vote Dont Count”.
2. Seibel, Allie, and Piper Russell. “ASCSU Elections: Why Don’t More People Vote?” UWIRE Text, 2023, pp. 1.
3. “Election Commentary: Why Don’t Young People Vote?” European Official News, 2015.
Annotated Bibliography
1. Gerber, Alan S., et al. “Why Don’t People Vote in U.S. Primary Elections? Assessing Theoretical Explanations for Reduced Participation.” Electoral Studies, vol. 45, 2017, pp. 119-129.
In their study, Gerber et al. explored why fewer people vote in U.S. elections. They found that there are many reasons, like not being interested, not knowing enough, or facing obstacles. They learned that both personal reasons and bigger societal and political issues affect whether someone votes. By looking at how people’s feelings interact with society and politics, they found out a lot about why people don’t vote much.
The research findings show that not voting is a complex issue. They help us understand how to encourage people to vote in local and state elections. One important thing they found is that people are more likely to vote if they feel their vote matters. Some people feel disconnected from local and state politics because they think their vote won’t make a difference, especially in big presidential elections. Also, not knowing enough about candidates and issues, and problems with registering to vote and finding a place to vote, make people not want to vote.
Gerber and his team looked at real-life data and ideas to understand why people don’t vote much in primary elections. They found that it’s not a simple issue, and we need to focus on both people’s attitudes and the problems with voting systems. They suggest that things like better education about voting, making information easier to find, and changing how elections work could help more people vote. This research gives us a good starting point for finding ways to increase voter turnout and make democracy work better.
Davies, Mike. “ELECTION 2014: Why Don’t People Vote in Municipal Elections?” Campbell River mirror, 2014, pp. 1.
Mike Davies wrote an article about why people don’t vote much in local elections, especially focusing on the 2014 election. He talks about how it’s hard to get people to vote and tries to understand why. Davies mentions a few reasons: people not caring much about voting, not knowing enough, and feeling like their vote doesn’t matter in local elections.
Davies talks about how some people just aren’t interested in politics or think their vote won’t change anything. Another problem is that voters might not know much about the candidates or why local elections are important for their communities. The article says that people might pay more attention to big national elections, like for president, because they’re talked about more in the news.
The author says it’s important to get more people to vote in local elections. This could mean teaching people more about why local government matters and finding ways to make voting easier. Davies suggests that local governments and community groups should work together to make voting more convenient, like by offering more ways to vote early or providing transportation to polling places.
Hernandez, Angelica. “Why Don’t More Fresno State Students Vote in the Student Elections?” UWIRE Text, 2018, pp. 1.
Angelica Hernandez wrote an article about why Fresno State students don’t vote much in student elections. She tries to understand why students aren’t involved and suggests ways to get more students to participate.
The article talks about a few reasons why students might not vote much. One reason is that many students don’t know why student elections are important or how they can make a difference on campus. The article says that not enough advertising and outreach by student groups and the university might be part of the problem.
Another reason mentioned is that students might not care much about voting. They might feel like it doesn’t matter or that they have other things to worry about, like schoolwork. To fix these problems, the article suggests a few things. One idea is to teach students more about why student elections matter and how they can get involved. They could use social media, campus announcements, and student groups to encourage more students to vote.
The article also says that voting should be easier for students. They could set up online voting or put polling stations in convenient places on campus. By making it easier to vote, more students might be interested in participating.
Work Cited
YelloPain’s song lyrics “My Vote Dont Count”.
Seibel, Allie, and Piper Russell. “ASCSU Elections: Why Don’t More People Vote?” UWIRE Text, 2023, pp. 1.
“Election Commentary: Why Don’t Young People Vote?” European Official News, 2015.Gerber, Alan S., et al. “Why Don’t People Vote in U.S. Primary Elections? Assessing Theoretical Explanations for Reduced Participation.” Electoral Studies, vol. 45, 2017, pp. 119-129.
Davies, Mike. “ELECTION 2014: Why Don’t People Vote in Municipal Elections?” Campbell River mirror, 2014, pp. 1.
Hernandez, Angelica. “Why Don’t More Fresno State Students Vote in the Student Elections?” UWIRE Text, 2018, pp. 1.
so i need help with my rough draft but it can also just be my fin al if its good enough, i need whoever that writes this uses easy words!!!!! please dont be using crazy nonsense words, thank you.
Your rough draft:
Follow the guidelines outlined on the “Final Project” criteria sheet in order to produce a polished rough draft INCLUDING EXTERNAL SOURCES.
Post your rough draft using copy and paste (i.e. do not post your draft as an attachment) to this discussion board — include your name in the post title
At the top of your post (above your essay) list 3 specific, detailed, questions regarding areas/issues you would like feedback on from the peer reviewers. Asking “How’s my thesis?” is NOT a good question. The more specific your question, the more helpful a peer reviewer can be.
Posting your full rough draft with 3 questions = 10 points of the 50 total.
do this at the top please. easyyyyyyy understanding worrds!!!
heres a classmates rough draft for an example.
Are the statistics compelling, and are there two many statistics?
Does the opening quote from President Bush want you to continue to read the essay?
Should I include a personal narrative, if so, where?
Fatherless America
President George W. Bush once proclaimed, “Fatherlessness has emerged as one of our greatest social problems. We know that children who grow up with absent fathers can suffer lasting damage. They are more likely to end up in poverty or drop out of school, become addicted to drugs, have a child out of wedlock, or end up in prison. Fatherlessness is not the only cause of these things; our nation must recognize it is a principal factor.” Is President Bush correct in his statement, is fatherlessness a determining factor in a person’s success, and are there disparities in outcome between children raised in a traditional two-parent home?
The American family has changed radically over the past fifty years. Americans today are marrying later in life, divorcing at record numbers, or avoiding traditional relationships altogether. Due to the decline in marriage rates and lacks divorce laws an ever-increasing number of children are being born out of wedlock, or into single-parent homes. In the 1960s, for example, ninety-five percent of babies were born to married couples. Today, forty percent are born to women who are either single or living with a non-married partner.
The traditional family has lost its predominance in the United States to the extent that, in 2020, only 18% of all households were married couples with children. 43% of American children live without their father present in the home. 90% of homeless and runaway children are from fatherless homes. 63% of youth suicides are from fatherless homes. 80% of convicted rapists come from fatherless homes. (Ameen). According to the Pew Research Center, in 1960, 73% of children were living with two parents who were in their first marriage. That number dropped to 46% in 2014. “If present trends continue, the percentage of American children living apart from their biological fathers will reach 50% by the next century; if this massive erosion of fatherhood contributes mightily to many of the major social problems of our time. Fatherless children have a risk factor of two to three times that of fathered children for a wide range of negative outcomes, including dropping out of high school, giving birth as a teenager, and becoming a juvenile delinquent.” (Popenoe). According to the U.S. Census Bureau, 17.8 million children (twice the population of New York City), 1 in 4, live without a biological, step, or adoptive father in the home. The decline of marriage and the rise of fatherlessness in America remains at the center of some of the biggest problems facing the nation: crime and violence, school failure, deaths of despair, and children in poverty. (Popenoe)
Given this information, we can conclude that the breakdown of the traditional family, and the absence of the father figure in the home leads only to poor outcomes and consequential lifelong issues. Other than the raw statistics, children raised in fatherless homes consistently report feeling abandoned when their fathers are not involved in their lives, struggling with their emotions and episodic bouts of self-loathing. Fatherless children have more difficulties with social adjustment, and are more likely to report problems with friendships, and manifest behavior problems; many develop a swaggering, intimidating persona to disguise their underlying fears, resentments, anxieties, and unhappiness. 71% of high school dropouts are fatherless; fatherless children have more trouble academically, scoring poorly on tests of reading, mathematics, and thinking skills; children from father-absent homes are more likely to be truant from school. 85 % of youth in prison have an absent father; fatherless children are more likely to offend and go to jail as adults.
“Fatherless children are at greater risk of suffering physical, emotional, and sexual abuse being five times more likely to have experienced physical abuse and emotional maltreatment, with a one hundred times higher risk of fatal abuse; a recent study reported that preschoolers not living with both of their biological parents are 40 times more likely to be sexually abused”. (Kurk). Children in homes without fathers manifest greater physical health problems and report significantly more psychosomatic health symptoms and illnesses such as acute and chronic pain, asthma, headaches, and stomach aches. As adults, fatherless children are more likely to experience unemployment, have low incomes, remain on social assistance, and experience homelessness, tend to enter partnerships earlier, are more likely to divorce or dissolve their cohabiting unions, and are more likely to have children outside marriage or outside any partnership, furthermore, father absent children are more likely to die in adolescence, with an overall life expectance four years less than those who had a relationship with their fathers. “Given the fact that these and other social problems correlate more strongly with fatherlessness than with any other factor, surpassing race, social class, and poverty, father absence may well be the most critical social issue of our time.” (Kurk).
It is self-evident that fathers play a vital role in ensuring their children are not just successful adults, but are also physically, mentally, and spiritually healthy, and the lack of a father leads to insurmountable life obstacles. What are the positive influence fathers project onto their children? “Fathers are pillars in the development of a child’s emotional well-being. Children look to their fathers to lay down the rules and enforce them. They also look to their fathers to provide a feeling of security, both physical and emotional. Children want to make their fathers proud, and an involved father promotes inner growth and strength. Studies have shown that when fathers are affectionate and supportive, it affects a child’s cognitive and social development. It also instills an overall sense of well-being and self-confidence”. (Franklin)
Given all the compelling and disturbing statistics, and research, why does society seem absent or unmoved by this information? The answer could lie in the media and political propaganda. “Propaganda is information distributed with the direct purpose of promoting a certain point of view. This info is often misleading or biased, and propaganda is usually used to promote specific political viewpoints. These definitions may seem tidy, but the differences between these fields can be hard to distinguish in the real world, especially online.” (Crash Course). One could go a step further and acknowledge that suppressing information or the verbiage used when discussing an issue is a form of propaganda. Although a topic for another essay entirely, one may ask “who is suppressing the information surrounding fatherlessness, and why”? We may not have time to divulge into the rabbit hole of conspiracy theories; we can look at additional information surrounding the issue of fatherlessness, single-parent, and traditional two-parent homes.
Children in two-parent homes typically have access to more of the economic and community resources because parents can pool their time, money, and energy; children tend to be more of the home’s focus. Two-parent homes have also been shown to have a consistently positive influence on earnings for of males. They are one of the most crucial factors for females and children in determining an area’s dependence on welfare programs that targets poverty. Children living with married parents are more often involved in community activities, extracurriculars, and take part in academic pursuits that can lead to college, and eventually, a career. Research shows that family structure is related to preschool children’s cognitive development skills. According to the U.S. Census, the poverty rate for single parents with children in the United States in 2009 was 38% percent. The rate for married couples with children was 7%. In addition to the data regarding fatherless homes, and two-parent families, there are also some alarming statistics related to single motherhood. Single mothers earn income that places them well below married mothers on the income ladder. The median income for families led by a single mother in 2013 was about $26,000, one third the median for married couple families, $84,000. Half of single mother households had an annual income of less than $25,000. Single mothers often spend over half of their income on housing expenses and a third on childcare.
After reviewing the data, it is concluded that President Bush’s presumption that “Fatherlessness has emerged as one of our greatest social problems” is undoubtedly correct. To put it simply “Children who grow up in fatherless homes have a greater risk of major challenges in life than those who grow up with a father at home.” (Detrick)
Citations
Ameen, Shafeeq PhD. A Message to a Fatherless Generation. Xlibris Corporation, 8 July 2020.
Crash Course. “Influence & Persuasion: Crash Course Media Literacy #6.” YouTube, 3 Apr. 2018, www.youtube.com/watch?v=VXhLmkrN0-I.
Detrick, Madonna. Fatherless Generation. 2021.
“The Importance of a Father in a Child’s Life.” Pediatric Associates of Franklin, 31 May 2018, www.pediatricsoffranklin.com/resources-and-education/pediatric-care/the-importance-of-a-father-in-a-childslife
Kruk, Edward. “Father Absence, Father Deficit, Father Hunger.” Psychology Today, 23 May 2012, www.psychologytoday.com/us/blog/co-parenting-after-divorce/201205/father- absence-father-deficit-father-hunger.
Popenoe, David. Families without Fathers: Fathers, Marriage, and Children in American Society. Routledge, 2017.
