The final essay is also due on Friday, May 14 before noon.
INTRODUCTIONS(From your textbook reading pages 217-226)
An introduction is used to draw the reader in. It is not necessarily the thesis of your essay.
The INTRODUCTION is the first thing your reader sees when they read your essay.
If your INTRODUCTION is interesting it will make the reader want to read more.
Your INTRODUCTIONis notyour THESIS.
Your THESIS is your CLAIM about your topic that you are trying to persuade the reader of.
Your THESIS must include your topic, opinion and forecast where you are taking the reader to prove your CLAIM (opinion).
Your THESIS DOES NOT have to be part of your introduction but it should immediately follow it.
The textbook provides you with FIVE possible ways of writing an INTRODUCTION.
It suggests using a NARRATIVE.
A NARRATIVE tells a story.
It can be based on something from your own life or something you read about.
Ex.:When I was walking through the woods near my house I realized how calm and peaceful everything was. I then realized how calm and peaceful I was. I had forgotten all about my stress from work.
It suggests using a QUESTION.
A QUESTION might encourage readers to read further to see if you answered the question.
Place your QUESTION(S) in your INTRODUCTION.
Do not pepper your essay with QUESTIONS since it, “may show that the writer does not know what he or she wants to say.”
Ex.: Do you have a place you go that helps make you feel calm and peaceful? Have you ever tried a long walk in the woods?
It suggests using a DEFINITION.
A DEFINITION can help readers understand “a complicated idea or confusing concept.”
Avoid using a dictionary DEFINITION or alluding to it as being define by some source.
Ex.: Power walking is different from just taking a walk. Power walking is a cardiopulmonary exercise. It consists of walking fast and swinging your arms to increase your heart rate. Walking however is simply a matter of strolling at your own unique pace.
It suggests using a QUOTATION.
An appropriate saying or some interesting dialogue can be used to draw your reader in.
Make sure you give the appropriate credit to the source of the quote.
You do not have to cite the quote, merely use it and give the name of the person who said it.
Ex.: According to author and environmentalist Henry David Thoreau, “The walking of which I speak has nothing in it akin to taking exercise, as it is called, as the sick take medicine at stated hours …but it is itself the enterprise and adventure of the day.”
It suggests using a SURPRISING STATEMENT.
A surprising or unexpected statement might catch a reader’s attention.
Ex.: I have a friend who hates the environment and doesn’t like to walk anywhere. He would prefer to stay indoors on his computer. He claims the computer gives him a better idea of what the environment is really like.
What to avoid in INTRODUCTIONS
DO NOT announce what your essay is about.
Ex.: My essay is about…
DO NOT apologize for your ideas.
Ex.: I might not be an expert but…
TITLES
Every essay should have a TITLE that suggests the subject and makes people want to read it.
An ASSIGNMENT IS NOT a TITLE.
Wrong: Climate Change Assignment
Right: The Impact of Climate Change on New England
DO NOT capitalize your title.
DO NOT place it in quotation marks.
DO NOT underline it.
DO CENTER it on your MLA style title page.
CONCLUSIONS
CONCLUSIONS are the LAST thing a reader will see when reading your essay.
Readers often judge your essay based on how effective (how appropriate and well done) your CONCLUSION is.
CONCLUSIONS should be a summary of what you have written that reinforces the essay’s thesis. (your claim).
There should be NO NEW information or ideas in your CONCLUSION.
If it’s NOT in your THESIS, then it’s NOT in your essay or the CONCLUSION.
You can conclude your essay using a NARRATIVE: Bring your essay to a logical, satisfying and appropriate close by telling a story that reinforces your THESIS.
Ex.: I have found that by walking in nature I have reduced my stress levels significantly.
You can conclude your essay using a RECOMMENDATION: If you think you have convinced the reader of the problem you have claimed in your essay; you can offer some solutions about how the problem might be solved.
Ex.: If you are suffering from work related stress, perhaps walking in the woods might help relieve it for you.
You can conclude your essay using a QUOTATION: Words from someone that reinforces your claim in your essay.
Ex.: “Everyone should take long walks to settle their thoughts and emotions,” according to the essayist and poet, Ralph Waldo Emerson.
You can conclude your essay using a PREDICTION: you can sum up your essay by offering a possible future development.
Ex.: In the future perhaps craving out time to take long walks will help people reduce their stress levels.
Assignment #14
Cite (write out) Michael Pollan’s article “Why Bother?” a WEB MEDIUM SOURCE and take a BLOCK QUOTE FROM IT.
Follow the instructions.
Submit your assignment on the BCC Blackboard platform only. Write your assignment in the message. Do not attached any attachments. I will respond to you on Blackboard. Your submission is due byFriday, BEFORE noon. It can be posted on the BCC Blackboard platform in the course messaging sectionANY TIME BEFORE the due date.
Go toBlackboard.Click on your course number, go to student resources, go to course messaging. Place your work in the body of your message. Submit. I will respond to your submission in a timely fashion within the Blackboard messaging platform.If you DO NOT follow these instructions for whatever reason, you WILL NOT receive credit for your work. Please follow the instructions carefully.
If you need to contact mebeforeyou submit, pleaseEMAILme with your course number in your subject heading and I will respond.DO NOTcontact me within the Blackboard messaging platform. That isONLYfor the submission of your work.
Submit your final essay. There is no length requirement as long as you provide the criteria required.
Follow the instructions. There are no do-overs. What you submit will be graded as your grade for the final essay.
Criteria for the final essay also appears at the end of your syllabus. If you need help completing your final essay, contact the BCC librarian, the writing center or the Learning Commons.
IMPORTANT FINAL ESSAY INFORMATION
YOUR Final Essay is due onFRIDAY BEFORE NOON. No late essays will be accepted. There is no make-up or redo for the final essay. We have covered everything that needs to go in your essay over the past 14 weeks of this course.
There isno length requirementfor your essay as long as you fulfill the essay requirements: answering the four questions using the correct sources and in text citations.
All your sourcesmust have an author. No author, no credit for the source.
You willanswer the four questionsfirst in your own words and then support it with citations from the correct, various sources.
All your intext citationsmust have parenthetical citationsconnecting it to the source listed on your Works Cited page.
None of the four question should appear in your essay. They are invisible prompts.
You must include a print source; a web source of your choosing; a database of your choosing fromAcademic OneFilefrom the BCC library and Michael Pollan’s “Why Bother?” essay online. DO NOT use theNew York Timesversion of Pollan’s essay. The words “New York Times” should not appear as part of your source on your Works Cited page. Usemichaelpollan.comcite only.
To answer the first question, “What is climate change?”you can only use aPrint Medium sourceand it must be answered using adirect full quote.
To answer the 2nd question,“What causes climate change?” you can only use aWeb Medium sourceand it must be answered using adirect partial quote.
To answer the 3rd question, “What are one/some examples of climate change?” you can only use aDatabaseand it must be answered using aparaphrase.
To answer the 4thquestion, “What can you as an individual or we as a society do stop climate change?” you can only use theMichael Pollan essayonline and it must be answered using ablock quote.
If youcannotget a print medium source for some reason, use the source I provided you in Week 11 and take your citation (direct full quote) from the excerpt I provided.