Proposal for Unit 3

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Before you write the proposal:

• Of the units we have not yet studied as a class, choose two that you are interested in exploring for Unit 3.
• What are the criteria you used in order to determine which of these two possibilities is the superior option?  What makes it superior, in your eyes? (You don't need to convince ME that it's superior, just explain clearly what made you choose A over B.
• Example: (This paragraph is pretty dry, but it does demonstrate one possible way to organize your reasons for making a choice.)
  My wife and I decided to choose the Toyota Sierra over the Rav4 because the Sierra was less expensive, safer, and more reliable. [A sentence or two about expense; a sentence or two about safety; a sentence or two about reliability.]  While Snowmageddon 2010 did occasionally leave us wishing for the Rav4's four-wheel drive, so long as the Sierra stays off the list of Toyotas recalled for gas pedal flaws, we're satisfied with our choice.
  

Format for the Proposal
Write a 200-word paragraph (demonstrating your ability to cite brief passages, rather than fill up the space with long quotations and full titles), explaining why your first choice is better than your second choice.

Evaluation Checklist:

• Is the submission a well-formed, 200-word paragraph?
  
• Does it have a meaningful title?
• Does the paragraph mention two valid choices for Unit 3?
• Does it contain a thesis that explains why one option is superior to the other?
• Does the body of the paragraph supply brief quotations to support the thesis?
  
• Does the submission emphasize original thought over summary?
• Does the submission include a Works Cited list?
  

General Guidelines

• Be specific (quoting from at least two sources).
• Use brief quotations from  your sources, cited with efficient use of MLA style, in order to make complex connections between the sources you choose to support your claim.

	In the essay "The Full Title of an Essay Fills Lots of Space" by Maxwell Wordsworth Fuller, it talks about how easy it is to bury your own thoughts when you introduce quotes in inefficient ways. In a passage on page 128, Fuller writes, "Keep in mind that your instructor wants to evaluate your own thoughts, not your ability to quote somebody else's thoughts, so quote just the juiciest, most meaning-laden passages from your sources, and use the brief MLA style parenthetic citation, rather than spelling out the full title and the full name of your source."  This quote shows how important it is to cite your sources efficiently.
	The author of the above passage uses a formula that includes the full name of the source, the author, an introduction, a long quote, and then an explanation of the quote. The author has managed to churn out about 110 words, but where do you see any evidence of original thought?
	Citing your sources in proper MLA style can help you focus tightly on making an argument.  Because "your instructor wants to evaluate your own thoughts," you can "quote just the juiciest, most meaning-laden passages from your sources" (Fuller 128).  Efficient citations will let you "spread your intellectual wings a little wider" (Jones 213), because you'll have more room to make "the kind of connections your instructor expects to see in successful academic writing" (Lee 43). While learning the details of MLA style may feel like a pain, the space it saves gives you room to demonstrate your true strengths as a writer.
	In about 102 words, the author of the above passage has introduced brief quotes from three different sources, using those brief quotations to help present a claim about MLA style.  The quotations exist in order to support a claim that is related to the readings, but can't be found, in its full form, in any one source.  The second passage uses sources to support an argument, while the first passage simply cites sources mechanically, as part of a formula that produces a lot of words.