All Chapter Projects

Project Assignment

Goal

Chapter 1 focuses on determining your learning style(s), effective learning strategies, managing your time, and helpful school resources. You will demonstrate your understanding of these concepts by reflecting on your learning style(s) and creating a planner.

Directions

Part 1

Use the strategies in Lesson 1.1 and 1.2 to determine your learning style(s).

Part 2

Using the calendar template in the Materials section, create a planner for the rest of the semester. Include all your assignment deadlines, upcoming tests, and study sessions that work best for your learning style(s). Also include events and appointments, such as attending class, participating in a club, or going to the doctor. Then, save your planner where you can easily refer to it throughout the semester.

Materials

Word processing program or paper and writing tool

Calendar template:

Checklist

Writing Assignment

Goal

The goal of this writing assignment is to write an essay that discusses and explains your planner and study strategies.

Directions

Write an essay with four paragraphs.

Part 1

In the first paragraph, introduce your planner and study strategies.

Part 2

In the second paragraph, explain how you will use your planner and study strategies.

Part 3

In the third paragraph, discuss resources at school that you can use.

Part 4

In the fourth and final paragraph, review your strategies for success this semester.

Materials

Word processing program or paper and writing tool

Checklist

Project Assignment

Goal

Chapter 2 focuses on how to read effectively. You will apply these strategies to a lesson on emotional health from the textbook College Success.

Directions

This project may be completed independently or in a group.

Part 1

Practice Pre-reading Skills

1. Fill out the K column of the KWL chart template (provided in the Materials section) with what you know about emotional health.

2. Before reading the lesson, annotate any titles, headings, subheadings, charts/graphs, and the topic sentence of each paragraph/section.

3. Fill out the W column of the KWL chart with what you want to know about emotional health.

4. Write at least five guiding questions to use when you start reading. Guiding questions often begin with who, what, when, where, why, or how.

Part 2

Practice Active Reading Skills

1. Read Lesson 11.3, provided in the Materials section. As you read, follow these steps:

   1. Use a pencil or pen to add annotations as needed.

   2. Highlight context clues and word parts.

   3. Write answers, if possible, to your guiding questions.

Part 3

Practice Post-Reading Skills

1. Fill out the L column of the KWL chart with what you learned about emotional health.

2. Using blank notecards, create at least five flashcards to remind you of what you learned.

3. Use your notecards to explain the information in the lesson to a friend, classmate, or instructor.

Materials

• Pencil/pen

• Highlighter

• Blank notecards

• Lesson 11.3 from College Success

• KWL chart

Lesson 11.3: Taking Care of Your Emotional Health

Identifying and Managing Stress

According to a 2018 report from the American College Health Association, in a twelve-month period, 42% of college students reported that they have felt so depressed it was difficult to function, and 63% reported feeling overwhelming anxiety. Your ability to manage stress, maintain loving relationships, and rise to the demands of school and work all impact your emotional health.

Stress is not always bad. In fact, some stress is helpful. "Good stress" is stress in amounts small enough to help you meet daily challenges. It's also a warning system that produces the fight-or-flight response, which increases blood pressure and your heart rate so you can avoid a potentially life-threatening situation. Feeling stressed can be perfectly normal, especially during exam time. It can motivate you to focus on your work, but it can also become so overwhelming you can't concentrate. It's when stress is chronic (meaning you always feel stressed) that it starts to damage your body.

What Chronic Stress Does to Your Body

Do you find it difficult to concentrate or complete your work? Are you frequently sick? Do you have regular headaches? Are you more anxious, angry, or irritable than usual? Do you have trouble falling asleep or staying awake? If you answered yes to any or all of these questions, you may be holding on to too much stress.

Stress that hangs around for weeks or months affects your ability to concentrate, makes you more accident-prone, increases your risk for heart disease, can weaken your immune system, disrupts your sleep, and can cause fatigue, depression, and anxiety (University of Maryland Medical Center, n.d.).

Some people refer to the time we are living in as the age of overload. It's easy to get worn down by social media and the constant news cycle and overwhelmed by too many choices. We live in a fast-paced, always-on world with a lot of pressures. The military created the VUCA acronym for the world we currently live in. VUCA stands for volatile, uncertain, complex, and ambiguous, and as a result of living in this VUCA world, many of us are in a constant state of overdrive.

You will have stress. Stress is inevitable. It's how you deal with it that can make all the difference. One of the most important things you can do is to keep perspective on your stressors. When feeling stressed, ask yourself, on a scale of one to one hundred, how stressful a situation is this? Will I even remember this three years from now? When facing potential stressors, the way you view what you're experiencing can intensify your stress or minimize it.

There are many ways to manage stress. Consider some of the ideas in the following stress toolkit. Which ones have you tried? Which ones do you want to try? It's helpful to have different tools for different situations, such as a calming yoga pose in your dorm room and deep breathing in the classroom.

Mindfulness and Gratitude

Deep breathing, mindfulness, and a practice of gratitude are some of the most effective ways to manage stress and take care of your emotional health.

Mindfulness

Mindfulness means being present with your thoughts, feelings, bodily sensations, and surrounding environment. Mindfulness is also without judgement, meaning there is no right or wrong way to think or feel in a given moment. When we practice mindfulness, our thoughts tune into what we're sensing in the present moment rather than rehashing the past or imagining the future (Moran, 2013).

Anything that keeps you present in the moment and gives your prefrontal cortex (the reasoning and thinking part of your brain) a break is practicing mindfulness. Mindfulness can be a slow walk; looking intently at the grass, trees, flowers, or buildings; and being aware of what you are sensing and feeling. Mindfulness can also be sitting quietly—even sitting still in a quiet place for a few minutes can reduce heart rate and blood pressure (Greater Good Science Center, n.d.).

Developing a practice of mindfulness is easier than you may think.

Slow down. From brushing your teeth to washing your face to shampooing your hair—can you take the speed out of getting ready in the morning? Focus on the activity, pay attention to what you are doing, stay present (this means don't think about what happened last night or what's in store for the day, just stay focused on the activity), and take your time.

Focus on your breath. How fast are you breathing? Is your breath coming from your chest or your belly? Can you feel the air come through your nose on the inhale? Can you slow down the exhale? Can you feel your body relax when you slow the exhale?

Connect to your environment. Walk or be still for a few minutes, focused on the world around you. Look at the leaves on the trees or the streetlight at the corner, listen to the sounds around you, stay with your surroundings, and observe what you see and hear around you.

Rick Hanson (2018), the author of Resilient, said, "We can't change the world, at least not quickly, but we can change our brains. By practicing mindfulness all of us have the capacity to develop a deeper sense of calm."

Deep Breathing

When people hear the term mindfulness, they often think of meditation. While meditation is one method of mindfulness, there are many others that may be simpler and easier for you to practice. Deep breathing helps lower stress and reduce anxiety, and it is simple yet very powerful. A daily mindful breathing practice has been shown to reduce test anxiety in college students (TIME, 2018). A 2-4-6-8 breathing pattern is a very useful tool that can be used to help bring a sense of calm and to alleviate mild to moderate anxiety. It takes almost no time, requires no equipment, and can be done anywhere:

1. Start by quickly exhaling any air in your lungs for a count of 2.

2. Breathing through your nose, inhale for a count of 4.

3. Hold your breath for a count of 6.

4. Slowly exhale through your mouth for a count of 8.

This is one round. Do not repeat the quick exhale again. Instead, start round two with an inhale through your nose for a count of 4, hold for 6, and exhale for 8. Repeat for three more rounds to relax your body and mind. With practice, 2-4-6-8 breathing will become a useful tool for times when you experience tension or stress.

Meditation

Dan Harris, a news reporter at ABC, suffered a major drug-induced panic attack on national television. Following this period, he learned to meditate and found that it made him calmer and more resilient. He's now on a mission to make meditation approachable to everyone. Harris (2014) used to be a skeptic about meditation but now says that if he learned to meditate, anyone can learn to meditate. He states that we are going to get lost, and our mind is going to stray, and that's okay. Simply notice when you're lost and start over. Every time your mind strays and you start over, it is like a bicep curl for your brain. Start with three minutes and slowly work your way up to fifteen or twenty. You can also try a meditation app, such as Calm or Headspace.

Gratitude

Too often, people think it is external factors that bring us joy and happiness, when really it's all related to internal work. According to UCLA's Mindfulness Awareness Research Center, "Having an attitude of gratitude changes the molecular structure of the brain, and makes us healthier and happier. When you feel happiness, the central nervous system is affected. You are more peaceful, less reactive and less resistant" (Holt-Lunstad et al., 2010).

Numerous studies show that people who count their blessings tend to be happier and less depressed. In a UC Berkeley study, researchers recruited three hundred people who were experiencing emotional or mental health challenges and randomly divided them into three groups. All three groups received counseling services. The first group also wrote a letter of gratitude every week for three weeks. The second group wrote about their thoughts and feelings with negative experiences. The third group received only counseling. The people in the group who wrote gratitude letters reported significantly better mental health for up to twelve weeks after the writing exercise ended.

This would suggest that a healthy emotional self-care practice is to take note of good experiences or things you're grateful for. Think about why the experience feels so good. Rick Hanson elaborates on this idea:

Each day is strewn with little jewels. The idea is to see them and pick them up. When you notice something positive, stay with the feeling for thirty seconds. Feel the emotions in your whole body. Maybe your heart feels lighter or you're smiling. The more you can deepen and lengthen positive experiences the longer those positivity neurons in your brain are firing—and the longer they fire the stronger the underlying neural networks become. Repeat that process a half dozen times a day and you'll feel stronger, more stable and calmer within a few weeks.

Here are a few ideas for coping strategies you can add to your stress toolkit:

• Practice self-compassion

• Eat healthy food

• Practice mindfulness

• Exercise

• Take a warm bath or shower

• Hug a loved one

• Laugh with friends

• Listen to music

• Drink herbal tea

• Watch a funny movie

• Write in a gratitude journal

• Keep something nearby that reminds you to take a deep breath whenever you see it

References

American College Health Association. (2018). National college health assessment: Spring 2018 reference group executive summary. https://www.acha.org/documents/ncha/NCHA-II_Spring_2018_Reference_Group_Executive_Summary.pdf

The Greater Good Science Center. (n.d.).

Hanson, R. (with Hanson, F.). (2018). Resilient: How to grow an unshakable core of calm, strength, and happiness. Harmony.

Harris, D. (2014). 10% happier: How I tamed the voice in my head, reduced stress without losing my edge, and found self-help that actually works—A true story. Dey Street Books.

Holt-Lunstad, J., Smith, T. B., & Layton, J. B. (2010, July 27). Social relationships and mortality risk: A meta-analytic review. PLOS Medicine. https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1000316

Moran, J. (2013, October 29). Pause, reflect and give thanks: The power of gratitude during the holidays. University of California at Los Angeles Newsroom. http://newsroom.ucla.edu/stories/gratitude-249167

TIME Special Edition. (2018). The new mindfulness.

University of Maryland Medical Center. (n.d.). https://www.umms.org/ummc

Checklist

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Writing Assignment

Goal

The goal of this writing assignment is to reflect on the project assignment by answering a series of questions.

Directions

Carefully read the following questions. Think about the process you used in the project assignment. Write down your thoughts and ideas as you reflect. Use your KWL chart and notecards to help you thoughtfully answer each question with complete sentences.

Pre-reading

• Which pre-reading strategies did you use? Why did you choose those specifically?

• How did the pre-reading strategies prepare you to read the lesson?

• What will you do the same the next time you have a reading assignment? What will you do differently?

Active reading

• Explain the process you used to annotate the lesson. What did you highlight or underline? Why?

• How did attempting to answer the guiding questions help you better understand the lesson?

• What strategies did you use when you encountered an unfamiliar word?

• What do you think are the greatest benefits of reading actively?

Post-reading

• Now that you have completed a KWL chart, how will you use the tool in the future?

• How did explaining the lesson to someone else help you learn and remember the information?

Materials

Word processing program or paper and writing tool

Checklist

Project Assignment

Goal

Chapter 3 focuses on critical thinking, argument strategies, and logic. You will apply these concepts by identifying and discussing the strategies, logic, and biases in a commercial.

Directions

Part 1

Use YouTube to find a commercial to analyze.

Part 2

Answer the following questions:

• What is the commercial trying to sell?

• What argumentation strategies (ethos, logos, pathos) is it using? Are these strategies effective?

• What logical fallacies does it use?

• How is the commercial using visuals to support its message?

Materials

YouTube

Word processing program or paper and writing tool

Checklist

Writing Assignment

Goal

In Chapter 3, you learned how to read and think critically, including how to detect bias. You will apply these concepts by writing an essay that describes how you would market a product to potential consumers.

Directions

Part 1

Choose a product to market. The product can be real or made-up.

Part 2

Brainstorm ways to market your product to consumers. Choose specific argumentation strategies (ethos, logos, pathos), and consider the pros and cons of incorporating logical fallacies and bias.

Part 3

Write a five-paragraph essay. The first paragraph should introduce the product and your general marketing approach. The three body paragraphs should describe your methods in detail, including any argumentation strategies and how you approached logical fallacies and bias. The last paragraph should summarize your ideas.

Materials

Word processing program or paper and writing tool

Checklist

Project Assignment

Goal

In Chapter 4, you studied the parts of speech, types of punctuation, and sentence development. You will demonstrate your knowledge by annotating specific components of grammar and mechanics in a short essay.

Directions

Part 1

Actively read the essay "My Adventures in Italy," provided in the Materials section.

Part 2

Use a word processing program or writing tools to annotate the essay according to the following directions. Note that there may be more than one correct answer. When you are finished, you should have at least twelve annotations.

• Use a solid underline _ to mark a sentence that uses commas to form a list.

• Use a dashed underline ﹍ to mark a compound sentence that uses a coordinating conjunction.

• Use a dotted underline   to mark a prepositional phrase functioning as an adjective.

• Use a zig-zag ∿ underline to mark a subordinating clause.

• Use a cloud to outline an adverb that modifies an adjective.

• Use a rectangle ▭ to mark a compound subject.

• Use a circle ○ to mark a singular, first-person pronoun.

• Use an oval ⬯ to mark a relative pronoun.

• Use an equals sign = to mark a singular, present-tense linking verb.

• Use a triangle △ to mark an irregular action verb.

• Use a dashed circle ◌ to mark a past participle with a helping verb.

• Use a diamond ◇ to mark a dash that links two words or word parts.

Materials

Word processing program or paper and writing tool

"My Adventures in Italy" essay:

My Adventures in Italy

I have visited places like Florida, Texas, Hawaii, and Tennessee. However, until recently, I had not been out of the United States. This past summer, I had the opportunity to go to Italy. There were many exciting places to see. My favorite parts of the Italian adventure were the Colosseum, the island of Murano, and the food.

The Colosseum was interesting in many ways. For one, it was huge. Pictures make the Colosseum look smaller than it really is. The structure has served as a model for modern football stadiums because it is elliptical and multistoried. The Colosseum and modern stadiums are both used for live theatrical entertainment; however, in ancient Rome the contest was between the gladiator, or fighter, and a wild animal or another gladiator. I also learned that the "games" were rigged. If the emperor wanted the gladiator to lose, the animals would not be fed so they would be hungry. If the emperor wanted the gladiator to win, the animals would be fed and sedated. The floor also had sand on top of it to hide trap doors, which the animals could jump through.

My next favorite place was the island of Murano, which is off the coast of Venice and is known for glassmaking. The glass came in many colors, shapes, and sizes. For example, there were glass grapes the size of small beads, but there was also a glass horse the size of a full-grown mustang. My mom and I bought souvenirs. I chose a blue unicorn with gold feet and a gold horn. Mom brought back a pair of small, cube-shaped earrings. They are very shiny and create rainbows when light shines through them.

Another big reason I wanted to go to Italy was because of the food. I have always liked Italian food. My expectations were exceeded, especially when it came to pizza. Pizza is an extremely popular dish in Italy. One person eats a whole pizza, unlike in the United States. In addition to the pizza, I also enjoyed the pasta. The pasta is homemade. The sauces are made from fresh vegetables and herbs. After every delicious meal came an even better desert. Gelato, Italian ice cream, is amazing. There are many flavors, such as pistachio, caramel, and coffee, which was my favorite. Italian food is the best food I have ever eaten.

Italy is an incredibly fun place to visit. I saw many ancient buildings and tasted amazing food. I strongly recommend going to Italy for a vacation. I would not mind going back. Until then, arrivederci, which is "goodbye" in Italian.

Checklist

Writing Assignment

Goal

The goal of this writing assignment is to apply your knowledge of grammar, mechanics, and proofreading to your own writing.

Directions

Part 1

Everyone has been scared at some point in life. Think of a time when you were scared. Write a well-developed paragraph describing the experience. What happened, and how did you feel afterward? Include many details so readers can create a picture of the event in their minds. Try to answer the following questions:

• Why were you scared?

• Where did the incident take place?

• What emotions were involved?

• What did you see, hear, smell, taste, and/or feel?

• What actions did you take? What were the results of those actions?

• If others were involved, what were their reactions?

• How was the situation resolved?

Part 2

Proofread your paragraph using the proofreading checklist for grammatical sentences, provided in the Materials section. Make changes to your paragraph until you can mark Y (yes) or N/A (not applicable) in the Status column for each list item. Include detailed, specific comments to help you remember the changes you make.

Materials

Word processing program or paper and writing tool

Proofreading checklist:

Checklist

Project Assignment

Goal

In Chapter 5, you learned about writing style, word choice, and tone. You will demonstrate your understanding of these concepts by describing the same building to two different audiences.

Directions

Part 1

Consider the image in the Materials section. Make note of all the details, and imagine a few scenarios about the house's history.

Part 2

Write an email (you don't have actually send it) to a friend that describes the house and the stories associated with it. Use a casual tone. While correct grammar and punctuation are important, your primary focus should be discussing the house with someone you know personally.

Part 3

Consider the house from the perspective of someone trying to sell it. Instead of the house's history, focus on the property's size and the potential it has as an investment. Write a brief essay from the perspective of a realtor explaining why it's a good purchase.

Materials

Word processing program or paper and writing tool

House image:

The dilapidated, old house has three stories and a single room on the fourth story. The style appears to be somewhat old Victorian with large, arched windows, columns on the front and side porches, and spires on each roof level (of which there are three). The exterior has weathered wood boards, and the roof is noticeably weathered. The entrance is gated with white stone columns, and the stairs up to the house have white stone railings with thick, ornate spindles. The yard is in disrepair with weeds and dead plants all around. There are large pine trees behind it.

Checklist

Writing Assignment

Goal

The goal of this assignment is to apply the skills you learned in Chapter 5 by writing from a different perspective.

Directions

Part 1

Choose a building that you can observe safely and legally. It could be a house, office, coffee shop, or something else. Don't choose a building where you or anyone you know lives or works.

Part 2

Consider the people who visit, live in, and/or work in the building. Think about how they would describe it and what happens there.

Part 3

Get "in character" by adopting the persona of a person you imagined in Part 2, and have a brainstorming session from their perspective. Use the results of your brainstorming to create an outline for your essay.

Part 4

Using your outline, write a rough draft of an essay that describes the building and the things that regularly occur there.

Part 5

Revise the essay for style, structure, and language using the guidelines from the chapter.

Materials

Word processing program or paper and writing tool

A building of your choice

Checklist

Project Assignment

Goal

In Chapter 6, you studied the academic writing process for paragraphs: pre-writing, drafting, revision, editing, and submitting. The goal of this project is to create a card game that helps you reinforce your understanding of the writing process.

Directions

Part 1

Create the playing cards. Use the lessons in Chapter 6 to find four statements about each of the five stages of the writing process. Write each statement on its own notecard (preferably 3"x5"). You may use the exact wording from the lesson or your own words.

Use the card template in the Materials section so that all cards have a consistent structure. You should have five cards for each stage of the writing process and twenty cards total. (Your instructor may ask you to submit the completed cards for a grade.)

Part 2

Directions for group play

Play the game with up to three classmates. Shuffle the deck of cards and give each player five cards.

• Place the remaining cards in the center to use as the deck.

• When it is a player's turn, take one of these actions:

  • Draw one card from the deck and discard one next to the deck, on the discard pile. A player should never have more than five cards at any time.

  • Lay down the five cards to win the round. A player wins the game when they have completed either of these goals:

    • Gained 1 card from each writing stage

    • Gained 5 cards from the same writing stage

• Play continues until a player gathers the correct cards to win the game.

Directions for individual play

• Shuffle the cards and lay them face down so the words do not show. Create a grid that is four cards across and five cards down.

• Turn over two cards. If the cards match, keep them. If the cards do not match, place them back into the formation.

• Continue flipping, two cards at a time, until all cards have been matched.

Materials

20 index cards (preferably 3"x5")

Writing tool

Card template:

Checklist

Writing Assignment

Goal

The goal of this writing assignment is to demonstrate your understanding of the writing process by writing an original paragraph based on a prompt.

Directions

Write a paragraph about healthy lifestyles, such as how to achieve a healthy lifestyle or why it is important to have a healthy lifestyle. It is fine to research potential topics if you are having trouble deciding on an idea. Any thoughts that you have related to healthy lifestyles are acceptable. However, only write about one aspect of healthy living; do not write about multiple subtopics.

Part 1

Pre-writing

• Use a pre-writing strategy to brainstorm ideas.

• Select a topic.

• Write a topic sentence.

• Save your pre-writing work to submit with your final paragraph.

Part 2

Drafting

• Write a paragraph on your chosen topic.

• The paragraph must include the following:

  • Title

  • Topic sentence

  • Eight or more supporting sentences

  • Concluding sentence

• Save a copy of your draft to submit with your final paragraph.

Part 3

Revising

• Revise your draft using the following questions:

  • Is there a clear topic sentence?

  • Is there a concluding sentence?

  • Are the sentences in logical order? Do they follow an organizational pattern?

  • Are transitions used effectively?

  • Do all sentences support the topic?

• Save a copy of your revised work to submit with your final paragraph.

Part 4

Editing

• Edit your revised paragraph using the following questions:

  • Are all words spelled correctly?

  • Are all words used correctly according to their meanings?

  • Does every sentence begin with a capital letter and end with a period, exclamation point, or question mark?

  • Are all sentences complete?

  • Are all punctuation marks used correctly?

  • Do the sentences clearly express what you want to say?

• Save a copy of your revised and edited work to submit with your final paragraph.

Part 5

Submitting

• Format your paragraph.

  • Use Times New Roman font, size 12.

  • Double space the paragraph.

  • Use one-inch margins.

  • Include your name and the date in a header.

• Submit your final paragraph to your instructor.

Materials

Word processing program

Checklist

Project Assignment

Goal

Chapter 7 focuses on developing your skills when writing longer texts. The goal of this project is to combine what you've learned about critical reading, thinking, and writing by drafting two paragraphs from opposing perspectives.

Directions

Part 1

Choose a topic that you feel is relevant. Here are some suggestions:

• Climate change

• Democracy

• Identity

• Free speech

Once you've chosen a general topic, try to narrow it down.

Part 2

After choosing a narrowed topic, find two articles that discuss it from opposing sides.

Part 3

For each article, write a paragraph that summarizes and fairly explains the author's perspective and opinion, even if you don't agree with it.

Materials

Word processing program or paper and writing tool

Two articles with opposing viewpoints on the same topic

Checklist

Writing Assignment

Goal

The goal of this assignment is to build on your work from the project assignment. You will use the two paragraphs you wrote to write an essay that expresses your own point of view on the topic.

Directions

Part 1

Review the articles and your paragraphs from the project assignment.

Part 2

Determine your position on the topic by reflecting on it and brainstorming.

Part 3

Create an outline that organizes your ideas and references. The outline should allow for an introduction, conclusion, and two or more body paragraphs.

Part 4

Using your outline, write a rough draft of an essay with four or more paragraphs. Make sure you take a side and your opinion is clearly stated. Be sure to reference each article you read at least once. You may agree or disagree with the authors. In addition to at least two body paragraphs, include an introduction and conclusion.

Part 5

Exchange essays with a classmate and perform a peer review.

Part 6

Consider your reviewer's feedback as you write the final draft of your essay.

Part 7

Submit your final draft to your instructor.

Materials

The two articles and two paragraphs from the project assignment

Word processing program

Checklist

Project Assignment

Goal

In Chapter 8, you learned how to conduct research. The goal of this project is to demonstrate your understanding of the research process by responding to three imaginary text messages.

Directions

Imagine you have received the following three text messages from friends. Respond to each text with the information you learned in Chapter 8. Be sure to give your friends good advice; they are desperate!

Message 1: Help! I've been assigned a 10-page paper in my psychology class. How do you write such a long paper? I'm not even sure how to start. Luckily, it's not due for a month, so I have some time. I really want to earn a good grade. What do you think?

Message 2: I'm so confused! I'm writing an essay about the Roman empire for my Western Civilization class. I have plenty of information because the teacher gave us articles to read, but I don't know about the citations. How do you correctly cite an article in the essay? Do citations even matter?

Message 3: I don't understand! My biology teacher wants us to bring a scholarly article on photosynthesis to class to share with our lab team. Where can I find an article? Can I use anything that has been written about the topic, or do I need to choose a specific type of article? Are there articles that will not work for the assignment? Thanks for helping.

Materials

Word processing program or paper and writing tool

Checklist

Writing Assignment

Goal

The goal of this project is to combine what you've learned about writing a longer text and research by composing a well-written five-paragraph essay on an assigned topic.

Directions

Part 1

Should college students receive a free education? Many state and national legislators, as well as various not-for-profit agency leaders, recommend that students receive a four-year college education free of charge. In fact, many states already fund scholarship programs that assist college students. Conversely, others cite economic and social considerations as reasons that students should pay for a college education.

To get started, read the articles linked in the Materials section. Then, conduct your own research to find sources that support your position. Identify specific situations when state/federally funded college would or would not be beneficial.

Use a working bibliography to keep a record of the sources you find. You may use the provided articles, but you should also have two additional sources that you found on your own: four sources total.

Part 2

Write a five-paragraph essay explaining your position on the topic. The essay must have an introduction, three body paragraphs, and a conclusion. Remember to integrate information from your sources.

Be sure to use all stages of the writing process. You can always go back to previous stages as needed.

Format your essay using either MLA or APA style. Remember that the style you choose will affect how you format in-text citations, signal phrases, the list of sources, fonts, margins, headers, etc.

Materials

Sources

• Article 1

• Article 2

Word processing program

Checklist

Part 1

Part 2