Writing Exercise I: Find a Written Conversation. Essay

Writing Exercise I: Find a Written Conversation
Purpose and Description
Joining any conversation requires that we first learn something about the topic being discussed. Some of us might ask: Why should we put in the effort? Why not just start speaking? We all have our reasons, but in general, we do not want to be misinformed about a subject, we do not want to pass along false or harmful information, and we do not want to be the person who says something that has already been said time and again—and that everyone in the conversation already knows. Your aim in this exercise, specifically, will be to undertake preliminary research on a topic of your choosing in order to better inform your audience and yourself about it. Please consider the following as you undertake this assignment.
Invention and Inquiry
• Identify a topical and debatable public issue that interests you;
• Write down several reasons why the issue should be of interest to others;
• Identify 5 key words or phrases that you could use to search your topic online;
• Conduct a preliminary search of your issue using web-based resources;
• Gather 3-5 popular but reputable sources related to your topic;
• Create a citation list with appropriate documentation (MLA or APA) for at least 3 of the sources you have gathered.
The Composing Process
• Compose a paragraph that introduces your topic and explains what makes it relevant;
• Present 3 sources in annotation form (including academic citation and an approximately 100-word summation of the argument);
• Compose a paragraph in which you explain how these sources are part of the same conversation and what that might mean for composing an informative essay on your topic.
The audience for this assignment is your instructor, your classmates, and, in general, anyone who can access and read information online. You should anticipate that readers have some education and knowledge of the subject but do no necessarily possess a clear or complete understanding of it.
Specific Requirements
Your paper should:
• Introduce a topic for research;
• Take steps to explain the relevance of the topic;
• Gather together and cite multiple sources related to the topic;
• Consider how the sources relate to one another in a type of “conversation”;
• Include a title that reflects the spirit of the assignment;
• Be 1-2 pages in length (single-spaced, one-inch margins, 12 point Times New Roman or Garamond typeface);
• Be uploaded to Canvas as a Word document by the deadline (consult your course syllabus and schedule for details).
You will build on the work you complete in this assignment for Major Paper I. So, the more work you put in here—reading, researching, gathering and citing sources—the better equipped you will be to compose your informative essay. Please contact me if you have questions about this assignment or anything else related to the course.