English 101 Prompt:
Personal Responsibility
This research essay is about personal responsibility. The idea that we each have an obligation to our self and others
to act in ethical, responsible ways to support our goals and serve others. This means it is an issue that one person
could act on to make a difference (NOT a large issue like voting rights, gun control laws in our state, or large
environmental issues). You need to research the issue in detail, explain what personal responsibility we should have
for this problem as an individual in society, and argue for what could be the positive result if people were to take
responsibility for it.
Categories of personal responsibility include actions that are related to social norms, moral values, professional,
using personal abilities, talents, skills, or forming habits. Consider what you value, observe and practice in life,
where you time is devoted, or issues within your major or field or interest.
The Prompt:
1. The purpose (thesis) of your essay should answer the question: What is your topic or issue? Why is this topic
important or why does it matter? Use the TOP structure.
2. Essay points (and possible organizational structure and use the AXES model)
a. What is the background or history of this topic?
b. Further define/explain the cause/issue/topic?
c. How could people go about supporting this topic? (time, money, activism, social media, etc)
d. What is the counterargument? (Who doesn’t agree with this topic? Why? What are some reasons
behind their objection?)
e. Why should people get involved in this topic or practice it?
f. What are the benefits to the individual (intrinsic and extrinsic)? What are the greater benefits to
society?
3. Provide closure by look to the future: How will practicing this personal responsibility help in with challenges
throughout college or life plans? Will this topic impact your future career or career field?
Potential Topics
Volunteering for _______
Environmental Responsibility like: Recycling,
Composting, buying an electric car, or Urban Farming,
not buying fast fashion, avoiding food waste
Eating Healthier
Voting
Driving responsibly
Being a ‘model college student’ & Academic Integrity
Supporting a cause: childrens hospitals, veterans,
domestic abuse, foster care, adoption
Pet Adoption
Personal finances/debt/credit card use
Serving Jury Duty/Civic service
Online safety: privacy settings, posting, etc
Education: Literacy/reading, major choice, etc.
Practicing Kindness/Prioritizing Mental health
Requirements:
▪ Minimum 4 pages
▪ An introduction that leads the reader into your topic (use s quote, story, description, lyric, memory, object,
relatable idea or feeling, etc)
▪ A thesis that states your topic, reasoning, and previews the key points
▪ Body paragraphs follow the AXES model
▪ A conclusion that looks at the experience more philosophically, questions your mindset, anticipates how your
mindset will influence your writing, or looks to the future (who you will become)
▪ MLA format: Times New Roman font, 12 point size, 1 in margins, Centered title, double spaced, left header,
upper right page numbers
Research Requirements:
• A minimum of FOUR sources must be used. Two MUST be from library databases. The remaining sources
may be from credible websites, books, tedtalks, documentaries, the assigned articles, etc.
• All sources MUST be cited in MLA format in text and essay contain a separate works cited page
• NO blogs, wikipedia, or dictionary sources
This research essay is about personal responsibility. The idea that we each have an obligation to ourselves and others to act in ethical, responsible ways to support our goals and serve others. This means it is an issue that one person could act on to make a difference (NOT a large issue like voting rights, gun control laws in our state, or large environmental issues). You need to research the issue in detail, explain what personal responsibility we should have for this problem as an individual in society, and argue for what could be the positive result if people were to take responsibility for it.
Categories of personal responsibility include actions that are related to social norms, moral values, professional life, using personal abilities, talents, skills, or forming habits. Consider what you value, observe and practice in life, where your time is devoted, or issues within your major or field, or interest.
The Prompt:
The purpose (thesis) of your essay should answer the question: What is your topic or issue? Why is this topic important or why does it matter? Use the TOP structure.
Essay points (and possible organizational structure and use the AXES model)
What is the background or history of this topic?
Further define/explain the cause/issue/topic?
How could people go about supporting this topic? (time, money, activism, social media, etc)
Who doesn’t agree with this topic? Why? What are some reasons behind their objection?
Why should people get involved in this topic or practice it?
What are the benefits to the individual (intrinsic and extrinsic)? What are the greater benefits to society?
Provide closure by looking to the future: How will practicing this personal responsibility help with challenges throughout college or life plans? Will this topic impact your future career or career field?
Potential Topics
Volunteering for _______
Environmental Responsibility like: Recycling, Composting, buying an electric car, or Urban Farming
Eating Healthier
Voting
Driving responsibly
Being a ‘model college student’ & Academic Integrity
Supporting a cause: children’s hospitals, veterans, domestic abuse, foster care, adoption
Pet Adoption
Personal finances/debt/credit card use
Serving Jury Duty/Civic service
Online safety: privacy settings, posting, etc
Education: Literacy/reading, major choice, etc.
Requirements:
Minimum 4 pages
An introduction that leads the reader into your topic (quote, story, description, lyric, memory, object, relatable idea or feeling, etc)
A thesis that states your topic, reasoning, and previews the key points
Body paragraphs follow the AXES model
A conclusion that looks at the experience more philosophically, questions your mindset, anticipates how your mindset will influence your writing, or looks to the future (who you will become)
MLA format: Times New Roman font, 12 point size, 1 in margins, Centered title, double spaced, left header, upper right page numbers
Research Requirements:
A minimum of FOUR sources must be used. Two MUST be from library databases. The remaining sources may be from credible websites, books, tedtalks, documentaries, etc.
All sources MUST be cited in MLA format in text and essay contain separate works cited page
NO blogs, wikiepedia, or dictionary sources
Identify your sources and reasons for your opinion. Keep in mind that the library is a great starting point, but you may also use credible websites like .org, edu, or . gov. You may also use Tedtalks, books, or newspaper articles.
When researching, you will want a few things to support your stance:
Data. What numbers or percentages support your opinion?
Testimony. Who has acted out this responsibility to find it rewarding?
Experts. What sources, like a respected newspaper or well known person supports this topic?
In the video below, I am going to walk you through how to use the Library OneSearch Box to find sources, and then show you a quick help tool on google! 🙂 Be sure to use these!
Thesis Writing Essay 2:
Write a thesis. Use the TOP model that have served us well so far 🙂 but this time, we are adding TWO things to each piece of the TOP. Please read the definition and examples below to see what we are adding to EXPAND the TOP thesis.
Topic: State the topic and importance (1 sentence)
State the word or phrase clearly and why it is important.
Use Language like: “Is important because”
“Is worthy of attention/adoption/practice”
“Means….”
“Is beneficial”
“Should become a mindset”
“Is needed”
Opinion: State the audience you want to complete the responsibility (1 sentence)
Name the audience (who exactly are you addressing?)
Choose language like:
“Should adopt”
“Should practice”
“It is (audience’s) responsibility to…”
“Could change habits by”
“should prioritize”
Preview:
List the reasons/benefits/general actions that you listed in your pre-write (1 sentence)
What are some excuses people might have? Why might the audience disagree or not want to do this topic?
Language use options “Some might say” “Common excuses could be” “Others believe”
Sample:
Topic:
Sleep
is important for everyone to maintain their health and wellness
Opinion:
college students
should prioritize sleep to function well in school and manage all other responsibilities
Preview:
Sleep is shown to improve mental health, physical health, help with focus, and increase energy
Some students might say they don’t have enough time or work too much, but sleep should become a priority.
Using these bullets for each section, here is the TOP thesis with all the pieces, in complete sentences. The thesis is now 4 sentences long, and detailed for this longer paper 🙂
Sleep is important for everyone to maintain their health and wellness. Therefore, college students must get adequate sleep to function well in school and manage all other responsibilities. Sleep is shown to improve mental health, physical health, help with focus, and increase energy, which is needed while in college. +Some students might say they don’t have enough time or work too much, but sleep should become a priority.
Following this format, you should have a nice, complex 4-sentence thesis! Yay!
Outline Essay 2
Outline. We will be using the same outline template as essay 2. So, you will need to outline based on your thesis, research, and use of the AXES model.
Responsibility Outline.docxDownload Responsibility Outline.docx
Organization options:
Your body paragraphs can be organized by the prompt questions (refer to the prompt here 101 Personal Responsibility Prompt-1.docxDownload 101 Personal Responsibility Prompt-1.docx
OR
Body paragraphs can be organized by the 3-5 key reasons people should perform your act of responsibility (and you can answer the prompt questions within the researched reasons)
Use your prompt questions to label and organize paragraphs!
What is the personal responsibility topic you have chosen? Why do you feel strongly about it? I chose health and wellness! I feel strong to talk about this topic because through these actions people can improve the quality of life, reduce diseases and enchance their overall well being .
Who taught you this type of responsibility? Do you know where the rule/policy/practice came from (like its background or history)? My dad has a lil part that thought me about this but I mostly learned by myself of this responsibility. The concept of health and wellness has roots in ancient cultures and civilizations where they practiced physical, mental, and spiritual well being part of their daily lives. The concept of health and wellness has definitely evolved over time.
How do you define this topic? Meaning: what actions do you have to take, or what language do you have to use, or what habits do you need to form in order to have this responsibility? Health and wellness refer to the overall well-being, physically, mentally, emotionally etc. There are a lot of habits you need to form in order to have this responsibility. For example doing physical activities, eating healthy, resting/ sleeping good, stress management, hydration, self care positive kinds etc.
Share 1 quote from one of the readings (either “How to Navigate Life: Needs in the World” or “No Excuses: Being responsible for Your Own Success”) that you found interesting, relatable, or curious. Write the quote and why you chose it. “The most direct route to self-empowerment is to be clear about expectations—not only what you expect, but also what’s expected of you.” I chose this quote because it’s just trying to say that being clear about expectations, both internal and external is important to self-empowerment. It enables to define your goals, navigate relationships, and take ownership of your actions, which leads to greater confidence and success in life.
Outline Instructions: Organizing Essay 2
How to organize paragraphs:
Intro: Lead In and Thesis (4 sentences)
These are the topics I recommend for each paragraph. Some paragraphs may need two paragraphs. And that’s ok!
Please notice, I have pulled all these recommended topics from the prompt! 🙂
Para. 1: History/Background. When did this topic become important or talked about?
Para. 2: Show the problem:What statistics show this is a problem that needs attention? Who is involved in this topic? What information does a reader need to know?
Para 3: Practical Steps: How would I practice or support this topic? (time, money, activism, social media, personal actions)
Para 4: Opposition: What are peoples excuses to not take action? (time money, effort)
Para 5: Rewards/Fulfillment: Why should people be involved? What are the personal inner/outer rewards?
Para 6/Conclusion: What is the greater benefit to society if all people do this topic? (Ripple effect) How does it affect the community/society/problems you wrote in paragraph 2?
Responsibility Outline.docx Download Responsibility Outline.docx
Essay 2 Outline Template:
You may copy/paste this into your own document:
English Outline Template: Personal Responsibility
Introduction: Choose a strategy to catch the readers attention! (analogy, observation, fact, quote or description)
Citation Overview & General Rules
The BEST citation resource:
Most importantly, where do we go for help? Citation rules change often, so I am always reviewing the rules. The best place to visit the Purdue Writing lab. Click the link below and use the navigation on the left-hand side to find all the rules for citation.
On the left-hand side you should see “MLA Format: Books” “MLA format: Electronic Sources” (this includes youtube videos, webpages, online journals, Tedtalks), and “MLA format: Other Common Sources” (this is where you will find how to cite a song, movie, interview, podcast)
https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/mla_style/mla_formatting_and_style_guide/mla_formatting_and_style_guide.htmlLinks to an external site.
Click this link if you are citing a web based/electronic source:
https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/mla_style/mla_formatting_and_style_guide/mla_works_cited_electronic_sources.htmlLinks to an external site.
Click this link if you are citing an interview, song, Movie, TV show, or painting:
https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/mla_style/mla_formatting_and_style_guide/mla_works_cited_other_common_sources.html
The Basics
1. Anything short, like a TV episode, youtube clip, song, Ted Talk, or article is always in quotation marks : “Brainology” “The Power of Yet”
2. Anything longer, like a TV Show, Movie, Book, or Newspaper is always in italics:
The New York Times
Mindset: The New Psychology of Success,
Freedom Writers
3. Authors should ALWAYS have their first and last name and title (if it applites)when you introduce them the first time, after that, you can just use their last name: Carol Dweck, Dr. Dweck ,or Dweck.
TWO types of citation are required in an essay:
Type 1:
In Text Citation
Occurs immediately after a source
Appears in parentheses ( )
Contains the authors last name OR the “article title”
The punctuation for the sentence goes AFTER the parentheses
“_______” (Smith).
Type 2:
Works Cited entry
Its own separate page
Appears last, after the essay ends
Lists all sources in the essay
Alphabetized by source
Contains the author, title, url, dates, and publishing area
Example of a podcast citation:
In Text citation:
(“Best of Not my Job Musicians”).
Works Cited Entry:
“Best of Not My Job Musicians.” Wait Wait…Don’t Tell Me! from NPR, 4 June 2016,
www.npr.org/podcasts/344098539/wLinks to an external site.ait-wait-don-t-tell-me. Accessed 10 September 2022.
Works Cited page rules:
Works cited page rules:
Alphabetized
Double spaced
Hanging indent: this means the top line is all the way to the left and the 2nd-4th lines are indented 1 inch (the opposite of a paragraph)
1 inch margins
a centered title that says “Works Cited” Or “Citation Page”
Check out the sample student essay to see a successful works cited page 101 Personal Responsibility Sample 1_Healthy eating-1.pdf
(Thesis- Answer the main prompt question)
Topic, Opinion (name the audience + what I am advocating to happen), Preview (my reasons + 1 excuse a person might use to disagree)
Now Implement It: Using source integration and citation in your Draft!
Integrating Sources:
Now that you have watched the lecture on how to use signal verbs and to ICE a quote (remember, Introduce, Cite, Explain) you should add that to your draft.
As you are using sources, be sure to introduce them so we can see the credibility of the source.
Many ways to show a source is credible is to introduce it.
There are a few well-tested ways to do this:
1. Use the organization name. Organizations like the CDC, ASPCA, or news outlets like CNN, LA Times, are strong sources.
According to the (Organization title), ” …..”
Example: According to NASA, pluto is no longer a planet.
2. Use the credentials of the source
This means, is your article or writer a Dr? Psychologist? Scientist? Researcher? Give their title along with their name
Example: In her study, Dr. Crane shows….. OR The author, Diane Hunter, illustrates that….. OR Researchers discovered that …..
3. Use the article title in your sentence
In the article “Being Responsible for your Own Success”, the author explains that ……. (Galindo).
As written in the chapter “Needs in the World”, “…….” (Klein and Liang).
Citation:
After you have watched the lesson on citation, add the in text (inside the essay) citation whenever you use a source. In text citation is vital and must match up with the works cited entries on your separate works cited page.
Works Cited page: Remember the works cited page is its own page and NOT part of the 4 required pages you must have written.
General rules of a works cited page:
includes all sources used in the essay
has a hanging indent (meaning the top line is indented to the left and the remaining lines are indented 1/2 inch)
is alphabetized
is titled “Works Cited”
Each entry contains the basic requirements: author, title, where it came from, date published or accessed, and a url.
Here are two resources to help:
For all body paragraphs, refer to the prompt and follow the AXES model
Remember: X (examples) can be quotes, statistics, interviews, examples from real life, personal experiences, etc
P1: What is the background or history of this topic?
A:
X:
E:
X:
E:
S:
P2: What is currently being talked about regarding this topic? Further define/explain the cause/issue/topic.
A:
X:
E:
X:
E:
S:
P3: How could people go about supporting or completing this topic? What are the steps and actions?
A:
X:
E:
X:
E:
S:
P4: Who doesn’t agree with this topic? Why? What are some reasons behind their objection?
A:
X:
E:
X:
E:
S:
P5: What are the benefits to the individual (intrinsic and extrinsic)? What are the greater benefits to society?
A:
X:
E:
X:
E:
S:
Conclusion: What is the ripple effect/domino effect if people follow this topic? How might this effect society as a whole? How does the topic relate to college students or current events? What is ultimately significant about it?
feedback from teacher from draft
Amy Mills at Sat Apr 13, 2024 3:19pmat Sat Apr 13, 2024 3:19pmPlease consider the following as you finish revising and editing. You can also see a few direct comments on your essay itself. What is working in your draft: – The TOP thesis is thorough, complex, and engaging – The lead in draws the readers attention and is related to the topic – The AXES model creates well developed, flowing paragraphs – Clear information and details about the personal responsibility – All prompt questions (especially the intrinsic and extrinsic rewards) Here is your checklist to use as you revise: – Do you have a TOP thesis that states the responsibility, defines it in your own way AND previews the main reasons people should adopt this practice? – Do you begin the essay with an engaging lead in (story, quote, lyric, image, symbol, fact…) – Do you use the AXES model in ALL paragraphs? Typically, examples appear, but you need to always tell the audience how to interpret the example (E) and use the final (S) Significance sentence to list the importance to the thesis. – Have you used the required sources? – Go back to the prompt. Have you answered all the prompt questions? – Are your article or website titles in quotations? “article title” – Consider adding concepts we have used this semester like mindset, mindfulness, time/stress management, or other articles to support your introduction or conclusion! – Double check your citation. Is it consistent throughout? Have you cited all the sources in BOTH the works cited page AND in text? (You can always go back to my lectures on these, and see the student sample essays) https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/mla_style/mla_formatting_and_style_guide/mla_formatting_and_style_guide.html
ssay RubricCriteriaRatingsPts
Purpose
view longer description
70 pts
Excellent
60 pts
Effective
49.99 pts
Almost There
39.99 pts
Not Yet
0 pts
No Marks
39.99 / 70 pts
Organization
view longer description
55 pts
Excellent
44 pts
Effective
39.6 pts
Almost There
35.2 pts
Not Yet
0 pts
No Marks
39.6 / 55 pts
Tone
view longer description
25 pts
Excellent
21.67 pts
Effective
18.33 pts
Almost There
15 pts
Not Yet
0 pts
No Marks
18.33 / 25 pts
Readability
view longer description
25 pts
Excellent
21.67 pts
Effective
18.33 pts
Almost There
15 pts
Not Yet
0 pts
No Marks
21.67 / 25 pts
Format
view longer description
25 pts
Excellent
20 pts
Effective
17.5 pts
Almost There
15 pts
Not Yet
0 pts
No Marks
15 / 25 pts
Total Points: 134.59
feedback from my final draft from teacher
Thank you for choosing a topic you are passionate about! The essay was both informative and argumentative. I recommend taking brief notes on the items to fix or change for essay 3. (Especially in regard to citation) Here are the strengths of your essay: • Clear and successful TOP thesis that stated the personal responsibility and why it is important • Scope of the essay was manageable to the prompt (not a broad topic) • Engaging lead in that eased the reader into the topic and was connected to the topic • Clearly structured sentences with mostly correct punctuation/grammar Here is what to keep in mind and improve on as you write Essay 4: • Have you answered ALL the prompt questions (given background, provided a counterargument, listed benefits, provided research) • The AXES model is meant to help you create developed, full, detailed paragraphs. Make sure you have included clear topic sentences (A), at least 2 examples that are then interpreted and explained to the reader (X/E) and then close the paragraph by connecting it back to the thesis/answering the question “Why does this paragraph topic matter? Why is it important?” (S) • How can your conclusion provide insight rather than summary? How can you apply your examples and definition to the “big picture” (society or college students) in order to show application and meaningfulness to your audience? • Add transition sentences between paragraphs to enhance flow. Adding a transition at the end of one paragraph and indicating the coming topic would enhance the organization and reading of the paper. • Please address and review citation. This will be so important for essay 4. Have you used the lecture, sample essay, and purdue owl website to create and check your in text citations and works cited page? • Use of “you” or “I” interferes with formality and audience (‘I” should be used VERY sparingly if at all) **** Much of this essay is extremely vague (even if it is well written). Is this all your own original writing? If so, please add a lot more detail when you revise. If not, please know that any use of outside material is cheating you of your own learning and progress.** Feel free to reach out to me to chat about language, structure, the AXES, or AI.
Below are my rough draft and final essay files I just need you to rewrite what I have and make it better I hope I can get all the points I missed thank you!
