Essay Three

DUE October 21 (11:59pm, EST)
100 Points

General Directions:

  • To follow these General Directions with relative ease, be sure to review Thinking to Write Lesson W1: Formatting for APA Style with Google Docs.
  • All essays MUST be typed into a KSU Google Docs document. (KSU Google Drive is located in Flashline.) You may not write the essay offline (such as with MS Word) and upload it. I want to see how the essay develops, to help me analyze your writing process. This means that I will be checking the essay document’s version history.
  • The essay must be formatted in APA  documentation style.
  • Be sure to put your last name and the assignment in the document label (upper left corner), for example: Smith’s Essay One, or Jones’ Essay Two.
  • You are also encouraged to save a copy of the paper.
  • Be sure to share the essay with me (clrobins@kent.edu), allowing me permission to edit it.
  • In order to receive confirmation that I have access to the essay, make sure that I receive email notification (and thus a link to the essay) when you share it.

Essay Three Directions:

Choose ONE of the below topics. This essay should be 500-1500 words (2-4 pages) long.¹ In-text citations and a references page are  required for this assignment.

TOPIC OPTION #1

How does one adapt and/or appropriate knowledge? How is this communicated? How do voice and tone affect that communication? How does the level of “truth” affect the communication’s quality? Examining non-fiction works (news, for example), examine the ways in which information is adapted and/or appropriated to provide knowledge. Be sure to make use of the following in your essay (paraphrases or quotes, followed by in-text citations):

      • Neil deGrasse Tyson’s speech on “Knowledge vs. Thinking”
      • “The Science of Fake News”
      • Edward Said’s “States”
      • a sample top news story conveyed in one medium (such as print news)
      • a second sample of the same top news story conveyed in a second medium (such as broadcasting)
      • at least three other critical sources²

Thus, the total number of references should be at least 8 sources.

TOPIC OPTION #2

What are the differences between diegesis in podcasts, mimesis in art, mimesis in literature, and mimesis in motion pictures (film, television, video games, etc.)? What unique qualities does mimesis contribute to each medium? What can change in an adaptation from one medium to another? Be sure to make use of the following in your essay (paraphrases or quotes, followed by in-text citations):

      • Alice Walker’s “In Search of Our Mothers’ Gardens”
      • Mary Louise Pratt’s “Arts of the Contact Zone”
      • Jonathan Rée’s I See a Voice
      • three sources from 2-3 case studies thus far covered (up through Lesson R7)
      • at least two other critical sources²

Thus, the total number of references should be at least 8 sources.

TOPIC OPTION #3

What are the differences between diegesis in podcasts, diegesis in music, diegesis in literature, and diegesis in motion pictures (film, television, video games, etc.)? What unique qualities does mimesis contribute to each medium? What can change in an adaptation from one medium to another? Be sure to make use of the following in your essay (paraphrases or quotes, followed by in-text citations):

      • Alice Walker’s “In Search of Our Mothers’ Gardens”
      • Mary Louise Pratt’s “Arts of the Contact Zone”
      • Jonathan Rée’s I See a Voice
      • three sources from 2-3 case studies thus far covered (up through Lesson R7)
      • at least two other critical sources²

Thus, the total number of references should be at least 8 sources.

TOPIC OPTION #4

Consider the ways that individual identity and cultural identity both appropriate and are appropriated.  Consider at least one individual identity and cultural identity (and these do not need to be related) and discuss how that individual identity appropriates the individual identity of others and/or cultural identity(ies) in terms of communication. Be sure to make use of the following in your essay (paraphrases or quotes, followed by in-text citations):

      • Any three of the following:
        • Jane Tompkins’ “‘Indians’: Textualism, Morality, and the Problem of History”
        • Mary Louise Pratt’s “Arts of the Contact Zone”
        • Amy Tan’s “Mother Tongue”
        • Alice Walker’s “In Search of Our Mothers’ Gardens”
        • Edward Said’s “States”
        • Judith Butler’s “Performative Acts and Gender Constitution”
        • Jonathan Rée’s I See a Voice
      • three sources from 2-3 case studies thus far covered (up through Lesson R7)
      • at least two other critical sources²

Thus, the total number of references should be at least 8 sources.

TOPIC OPTION #5

Consider the ways that individual identity adapts to cultural identity. Does the reverse ever happen—does cultural identity ever adapt to individual identity? Discuss with examples found in any of the works examined thus far (Lessons R1-R7 and the complimentary Case Studies). Be sure to make use of the following in your essay (paraphrases or quotes, followed by in-text citations):

        • Any three of the following:
          • Jane Tompkins’ “‘Indians’: Textualism, Morality, and the Problem of History”
          • Mary Louise Pratt’s “Arts of the Contact Zone”
          • Amy Tan’s “Mother Tongue”
          • Alice Walker’s “In Search of Our Mothers’ Gardens”
          • Edward Said’s “States”
          • Judith Butler’s “Performative Acts and Gender Constitution”
          • Jonathan Rée’s I See a Voice
        • three sources from 2-3 case studies thus far covered (up through Lesson R7)
        • at least two other critical sources²

Thus, the total number of references should be at least 8 sources.


NOTES
¹ One page is roughly 315 words (Times Roman, 12pt. font, 1 inch margins).
² A critical source is a work that somehow analyzes the subject matter, or else indirectly (or incidentally) contributes to a point being made. You may use sources that you find yourself; however, you must share the source with me at least 72 hours prior to the due date of this essay, in order to gain my permission to use it.


Grading Rubric

A paper may fall between the below described levels of quality—it may, for example, have a clearly stated central claim (thesis) but lack sufficient support, or it may be tightly organized and well supported, but full of grammatical and/or mechanical errors. In such instances, the paper will be evaluated in terms of its strongest qualities as set against its weakest qualities. Feedback will always be provided.

A Level Work
The paper demonstrates a full understanding and respect for the directions and stays on the chosen topic. The paper is properly formatted (APA Style) and was obviously composed using KSU Google Docs.  The paper’s thesis (main point) is clearly stated. The paper is tightly organized, well developed, and coherent. The paper is well supported by reasoning and documented sources (cited quotes, facts, and/or paraphrases). The paper has a professional tone, avoiding second person (“you” or “we”) completely. The paper is virtually free of grammatical and mechanical errors.

B Level Work
The paper demonstrates a full understanding and respect for the directions and stays on the chosen topic. The paper is properly formatted (APA Style) and was obviously composed using KSU Google Docs.  The paper’s thesis (main point) is clearly stated. The paper is mostly organized, sufficiently developed, and mostly coherent. The paper is sufficiently supported by reasoning and documented sources (cited quotes, facts, and/or paraphrases). The paper has a mostly professional tone, avoiding second person (“you” or “we”) completely. The paper is mostly free of grammatical and mechanical errors.

C Level Work
The paper demonstrates some understanding and respect for the directions and stays on the chosen topic. The paper demonstrates an attempt to be properly formatted (APA Style) and was obviously composed using KSU Google Docs. The paper’s thesis (main point) is stated, but not very clearly. The paper is somewhat organized, loosely developed, and vaguely coherent. The paper is marginally supported by reasoning and documented sources (cited quotes, facts, and/or paraphrases). The paper has a barely professional tone, failing to avoid second person (“you” or “we”) completely. The paper is mostly free of grammatical and mechanical errors.

D Level Work
The paper does not demonstrate a full understanding or respect for the directions, and/or the paper fails to stay on the chosen topic. The paper does not demonstrate an attempt to be properly formatted (APA Style), and it is not clear that it was composed using KSU Google Docs. The paper’s thesis (main point) may or may not be stated, but if it is stated, it has not been done so very clearly. The paper is barely organized, under- developed, and/or barely coherent. The paper is weakly supported by reasoning and documented sources (cited quotes, facts, and/or paraphrases). The paper has an unprofessional tone, significantly failing to avoid second person (“you” or “we”) completely. The paper contains several grammatical and mechanical errors.

F Level Work
The paper does not demonstrate a full understanding or respect for the directions, and/or the paper fails to stay on the chosen topic. The paper does not demonstrate an attempt to be properly formatted (APA Style) and was obviously not composed using KSU Google Docs. The paper’s thesis (main point) may or may not be stated, but if it is stated, it has not been done so very clearly. The paper is unorganized, under- developed, and/or incoherent. The paper is weakly supported by reasoning and documented sources (cited quotes, facts, and/or paraphrases), if supported at all. The paper has an unprofessional tone, significantly failing to avoid second person (“you” or “we”) completely. The paper is cluttered by grammatical and mechanical errors.

Sample Point Deductions:
Submitted late: 3% grade point subtraction for each day late
Vague or missing thesis statement: 5% grade point subtraction
Unprofessional tone: 5% grade point subtraction
Improperly formatted: 5% grade point subtraction
Unprofessional use and citation of references: 5% grade point subtraction
Sentence coherence: 5-10% grade point subtraction
Weak essay organization and/or essay unity: 10% grade point subtraction
Not composed using KSU Google Docs: 10% grade point subtraction

1% of a 100 point essay = 1 point
1% of a 200 point essay = 2 points

Sample Point Additions:
Excellent thesis statement (clear and well written): 3% grade point addition
Professional tone: 5% grade point addition
Professionally cited references: 5% grade point addition
Well stated and supported points: 5-10% grade point addition
Very strong essay organization and/or essay unity: 10% grade point addition

Example
An essay worth 100 points that is: not be properly formatted (-5 points), submitted three days late (-9 points), has a very weak thesis (-5 points), has numerous incoherent sentences (-10 points), but has very strong organization and/or unity (+10 points) would likely earn a grade of 81 points (B-).

Rule
No grade for submitted work ever goes above an A; likewise, no graded work ever goes below an F; however, if an assignment is never submitted, or if it is submitted too late to be graded, it will receive ZERO points.