02 Nov 2009 [ Prev
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Paper 3 Presubmission
The assignment is the same as the presubmission for Paper 2. The only difference is that this paper is longer -- 10-12 pages.
(It's also the only major assignment we'll do for the rest of the term.)
I do not expect to be able to discuss each paper individually with you during class, but I will aim to get you some quick feedback right away, and encourage you to come to sign up for longer consultations.
Feel free to take risks for this assignment; if you hit a dead end or change your topic, that's a good sign -- it's better that you make those changes now, than after you've written 6 or 8 pages.
(It's also the only major assignment we'll do for the rest of the term.)
I do not expect to be able to discuss each paper individually with you during class, but I will aim to get you some quick feedback right away, and encourage you to come to sign up for longer consultations.
Feel free to take risks for this assignment; if you hit a dead end or change your topic, that's a good sign -- it's better that you make those changes now, than after you've written 6 or 8 pages.
1) Topic, Thesis (Opinion), and Title.
Examples:
2) Primary Evidence
Include direct quotations from your primary source, that you feel are important to the case you are about to make. (Update: In a literature class, "primary evidence" is taken directly from the literary works you are studying, Mostly this would be quotes from the work itself, though it might be supporting details such as a review that described how the audience responded on opening night.)
3) Secondary Evidence
Include direct quotations from your secondary sources. (Update: Works written about the literary texts you are exploring, or works written about the general themes you find in your sources; these would include academic books and peer-reviewed journal articles. These sources don't have to name the work you're examining. You could, for instance, say "In book X, Character Y is a symbolic vampire," and then quote from a study that examines vampires in a completely different book; you'd just have to make sure to supply the connective material.)
4) Opposing Evidence
What quotations contradict the evidence you've gathered above? (If you can't find evidence, in either primary or secondary sources, then your claim may be too obvious.)
5) Thesis Paragraph (with blueprint)
5A) Optional: One body paragraph.
Just enough to give me a sample of what your paper will be like. I'm not asking you to commit to writing out the whole paper, since you will very likely change your approach -- and maybe you'll change it several times.
6) Preliminary conclusion.
Conclusions are not easy to write. Avoid the old trick of saying, "Therefore, as you can see, this paper has [summarize everything.]" A former colleague of mine from the University of Wisconsin -- Eau Claire, Joel Pace, said "The thesis is the starting point, the conclusion is the destination, and the paper is the journey." So, your conclusion should introduce your reader to the new features and routes that were inaccessible before, but are now within reach, now that your reader has finished the journey from point A to point B.
7) MLA style Works Cited page
Make sure to include both primary and secondary works.
MLA has come out with new rules for citing a web page, and asks that you add a new specifier for every print source. Wayne Cox has summarized these new MLA changes in a handy two-page PDF.
Examples:
- Topic: Gender in The Simpsons.
- Thesis: The Simpsons often tries to subvert traditional gender roles, but is constrained by the model of the sit-com, so that the traditional gender roles are perpetuated.
- Title: Does The Simpsons subvert traditional gender roles? The answer is a clear "Buh" (or "Snuh").
2) Primary Evidence
Include direct quotations from your primary source, that you feel are important to the case you are about to make. (Update: In a literature class, "primary evidence" is taken directly from the literary works you are studying, Mostly this would be quotes from the work itself, though it might be supporting details such as a review that described how the audience responded on opening night.)
3) Secondary Evidence
Include direct quotations from your secondary sources. (Update: Works written about the literary texts you are exploring, or works written about the general themes you find in your sources; these would include academic books and peer-reviewed journal articles. These sources don't have to name the work you're examining. You could, for instance, say "In book X, Character Y is a symbolic vampire," and then quote from a study that examines vampires in a completely different book; you'd just have to make sure to supply the connective material.)
4) Opposing Evidence
What quotations contradict the evidence you've gathered above? (If you can't find evidence, in either primary or secondary sources, then your claim may be too obvious.)
5) Thesis Paragraph (with blueprint)
5A) Optional: One body paragraph.
Just enough to give me a sample of what your paper will be like. I'm not asking you to commit to writing out the whole paper, since you will very likely change your approach -- and maybe you'll change it several times.
6) Preliminary conclusion.
Conclusions are not easy to write. Avoid the old trick of saying, "Therefore, as you can see, this paper has [summarize everything.]" A former colleague of mine from the University of Wisconsin -- Eau Claire, Joel Pace, said "The thesis is the starting point, the conclusion is the destination, and the paper is the journey." So, your conclusion should introduce your reader to the new features and routes that were inaccessible before, but are now within reach, now that your reader has finished the journey from point A to point B.
7) MLA style Works Cited page
Make sure to include both primary and secondary works.
MLA has come out with new rules for citing a web page, and asks that you add a new specifier for every print source. Wayne Cox has summarized these new MLA changes in a handy two-page PDF.
