English 102 Jim Roth’s Website

Video Explanation of This Assignment

Four ProQuest Articles Write-an-Essay Assignment

This week please begin another short essay, this time with a choice of four new articles.

Here’s what to do after working through the “How to Use ProQuest” information in earlier assignments:

1. Use your knowledge of how to navigate the ProQuest database to locate and print out the new articles.  (Each is currently available in ProQuest and in Full Text). Please note: If you’re off-campus, you must access ProQuest through our SCC Library website.

2. Read critically all four articles, using the annotation skills we learned in an earlier module.

3. Select the article you'd like to write about locate the writing prompt (below) that corresponds to the essay you’ve selected.

4. Create an Essay Planning Sheet. You will submit this Essay Planning Sheet with your completed essay.

If you need to review what an Essay Planning Sheet is and how to create one, please review the document and the video at the links below:

What's an Essay Planning Sheet? The Document

What's an Essay Planning Sheet?  "The Milkshake Essay" video example

5. Review again the structure of an opening paragraph for this type of essay by reviewing again the article How to Write the Introductory Paragraph to an Essay about Something You Have Read.

6. Follow the advice above to create your opening paragraph and use your Essay Planning Sheet to write your rough draft.

7. Revise your essay ALOUD, leaving time in between revisions to let the draft “rest.”

8. Edit carefully, again reading your final draft aloud.

PLEASE NOTE THE FOLLOWING REQUIREMENTS before you submit your final copy:

In order for your essay to be accepted and be eligible for a grade,

· your essay must be accompanied by the Essay Planning Sheet you created and used to write it.

· your essay's opening paragraph must follow the pattern described in the article above.

· your essay must demonstrate thorough revision and editing.  Essays that do not demonstrate thorough revision and editing will not be read and will automatically receive a grade of zero.

Below please find the video collection available:

F What's an Essay?  "The Pitfalls of Technology" video example

F"The Power of Specific Examples" video

F How to Write the Introduction to an Essay about Something You Have Read

F What's an Essay Planning Sheet? The Document

F What's an Essay Planning Sheet?  "The Milkshake Essay" video example

Four ProQuest Articles Write-an-Essay Assignment

Professional Articles to locate using our SCC library’s ProQuest database

1. “The Invisible Flying Cat” by Malcolm Browne
2. “English is a Crazy Language” by Richard Lederer
3. “If You Are What You Eat, Then What Am I?” by Geeta Kothari
4. “The Wounds that Can’t Be Stitched Up” by Ruth Russell

PANIC BUTTON! I can’t find these on ProQuest!!!! Jim’s ProQuest Adventure—join me for a stumbling trip to ProQuest to find two of the four articles.

ESSAY PROMPTS

1. “The Invisible Flying Cat” by Malcolm Browne

Is science fun, dull, or in between? In a short essay, state your opinion and share with your reader encounters and experiences that have shaped it.

2. “English is a Crazy Language” by Richard Lederer

Below is the text of a bill introduced into the U.S. House of Representatives. In a short essay, give your position on it and reasons for holding that position.

The Government of the United States shall preserve and enhance the role of English as the official language of the United States of America. Unless specifically stated in applicable law, no person has a right, entitlement, or claim to have the Government of the United States or any of its officials or representatives act, communicate, perform or provide services, or provide materials in any language other than English. If exceptions are made, that does not create a legal entitlement to additional services in that language or any language other than English.

3. “If You Are What You Eat, Then What Am I?” by Geeta Kothari

The types of foods we eat and the food customs we practice can say a lot about ourselves, our families, and our cultures. Write a short essay about the symbolism of food and eating in your family or culture. What food traditions do you, your family, and/or your culture practice? What do they mean to you?

4. “The Wounds that Can’t Be Stitched Up” by Ruth Russell

Even though the auto accident Russell writes about took place more than twenty years earlier, she only recently realized the depth to which it affected her. Write a short essay describing an event in your past that continues to affect you. Please describe the event and the effects you’ve discovered it still has on you. All responses will be kept completely private.