1. Your essay must be properly formatted according to MLA-style guidelines. These guidelines include one-inch margins, Times New Roman twelve-point font, double-spacing, page-number headers, a page header, and a Works Cited page.
2. Your essay must have a thesis statement with a topic and three points of discussion. The thesis must be written in the third-person point of view. It should be one sentence in length.
3. Your essay must have at least three pages of information. That is, it must include an introductory paragraph, numerous body paragraphs, and a concluding paragraph. Each paragraph should contain at least five to seven complete sentences. The three pages do not include your Works Cited page, which should be on a separate fourth page.
4. Your draft must include at least three outside quotations, facts, examples, or extended definitions from a minimum of three different credible, published sources. The three outside pieces of support must be cited appropriately (using parenthetical citations) and must be documented on a Works Cited page. You may not use Wikipedia, Yahoo! Answers, Ask.com, or any other question/answer website as a source. You are limited to one block quote, but you are not required to include any. Your outside sources can either be paraphrased or directly quoted.
5. The essay must be written with formal style and objective tone. That is, it must be written in the third-person point of view. You should complete your work in an editable text document. Make sure to include a heading at the top of your paper that states your name, the course, the teacher, and the date. Then, place a title for your essay centered on your paper before the start of your content. Do not include any special formatting (text that is italicized, bolded, or a different color or font, etc.) in the title.
