First Year Seminar/Section 19/Dr. Schell

Week 2 • Assignment: Formal Essay I

Purpose. The purpose of this writing exercise is to work on forming a thesis and composing an essay that substantively supports the thesis. This essay will be based on your having read the entirety of Obama’s Dreams From My Father. Please note that in addition to submitting the final paper, you are asked to submit additional materials that show the process of development of the paper. (See list below).

Assignment. Write a thesis driven essay (500-750 words, approximately 2-3 pages, double-spaced, typed) that is supported by evidence and explanation. Use one of the following questions to help prompt the development of your thesis statement.

1. ROLE OF THE FATHER. Develop a thesis about the meaning or significance  his father held for Barak Obama. Some questions you might consider as you work on this topic are: What does Obama learn about his father? What remains a mystery?  Is his father “exemplary” for the younger Obama? Why, or why not?  Why does the book title emphasize his father when it is Obama’s mother who raised him?

2. IDENTITY FORMATION. Develop a thesis about the identity formation of Barak Obama in Dreams from my Father. For this question, you may want to consider certain people, places, events or situations that contributed to his identity formation. Make sure to cite examples of moments that indicate change or development in Obama. As you read the book, does the end presents a person who is fully formed or who is still changing?

3. SCENE AND THEME. Carefully choose a scene or moment in Dreams from my Father that you think captures a central theme of the book. You will need to explicate the scene and then make connections to other moments in the book in order to back up your argument that it is central.

Make sure your paper accomplishes the following:

q     The thesis must be clearly and strongly worded and make an argument about the text – avoid a thesis that is so obvious or non-controvertible that it is meaningless.

q     The thesis must be supported by evidence from the text.

q     When you cite the evidence from the text, make sure to briefly explicate the relevant scenes – paraphrase in your own words or draw out the meaning in order to connect it to your larger argument.

q     Your evidence must draw from the entirety of the text and not focus on one part. (Remember, you are making an argument about the book as a whole).

Guidelines for writing the essay-writing process[1]:

1.      Review the reading and think about it in terms of the topic you have chosen. Make notes o the text so you’ll have relevant quotes that can help you develop your essay.

2.      Spend time thinking about the questions and do some pre-writing (brainstorming, note-taking, outlining, listing, clustering ideas, etc.) before you begin a draft.

3.      Begin the essay with an introduction that gradually leads to your thesis.

4.      Develop a thesis and spell out what you are going to argue in the essay (provide a roadmap).

5.      Develop the essay with paragraphs that include topic sentences that support your thesis, and evidence (quotations from the story) and explanations that support your topic sentences. Strive to make the connections between your main points clear, and use transitions and explanations.

6.      Finish with a conclusion that goes beyond merely re-stating your main points, but reinforces the significance of your topic in terms of the story but also the real world. Be able to answer the “so what?” question.

7.      Take the time to come up with a thoughtful title that indicates the subject of your essay.

8.      Proofread your final copy before submitting it. 

9.      Use the MLA guidelines for documentation as outlined in your seminar handbook and as spelled out in the Bedford Handbook. Document sources using parentheses at the end of sentences and include a list of works cited at the end of the essay (this does not need to be on a separate page). For this essay, that will mean citing Dreams From My Father properly.

10.     For this essay, do not use or consult any outside sources to develop this essay without my permission. Doing so will constitute academic dishonesty.

Formatting requirements . Use 1” margins and a standard 12 point font (Times or Palatino). At the top of the page (not on a separate cover sheet!) put on the left or right hand side. Center the title above the essay. Make sure to include the following information at the top of the page: Your Name, First Year Seminar Section S/19, Professor Schell, Date.

Submission.

1. Please bring a hard copy of the essay to class on the day it is due.  You will also need to turn in the following materials. Please put your paper and the supporting materials into a two-pocket folder, with the final version of your paper on the right and the supporting materials on the left.

q     Brainstorming notes

q     Thesis statement and outline – the outline should include notes about what evidence from the text you will use to support your claims.

q     Rough draft with indications that you have looked it over and made some corrections.

q     The final version.

2. You must also submit your final  paper to Turnitin.com in order to receive credit for the paper. The site can be found at www.turnitn.com.  When you are ready to submit the paper, log on to your account (using your own login [email address] and password) and then access the click on the class, then the assignment (Formal Paper 1) and hit the submit button. A window will prompt you to select the file from your computer. You will need the following codes:

class ID: 1336204     enrollment password: ILA05

 If you have trouble submitting the paper, please email me a copy of the paper as an attached document so that I can upload it. Thank you, in advance, for taking the time to do this.