Humanities Homework Help

Assignment: Prewriting

For this writing assignment, you will select a specific category of college students, identify one particular challenge facing this category, and analyze ways to overcome that problem that will be particularly effective for this group of people.Starting from the perspective of the student group(s) you previously identified for your topic, concentrate on the types of problems that seem to face that particular population of students.

1. Create a list, mind-map, or 10-minute free write that explores the problems related to your chosen student group, concerning higher education.
2. Circle the 2 problems that jump out to you from this activity, that seem the most relevant or important.
3. Do you have ideas at this point of how either of these problems might be addressed?
   • Write a sentence or two that selects one problem and proposes a solution for it, specific to this student population. (This can change later.)

Assignment: Finding Evidence

Revisit the controlling idea you have for your composition so far. That controlling idea makes claims: it argues that a particular problem faces a particular student population group, and it argues for an effective solution for that problem.

1. Define your claims. They will look something like,
   • Claim 1: this problem exists
   • Claim 2: this problem can be solved with this solution
   • Some evidence might come from personal experience, some evidence from what you’ve witnessed others experience, and some might be guesses or hypotheses of what you assume to be true.

Make a list of evidence that will be required to prove to your reader that each claim is true. Include 4-5 items of evidence for each claim.

2. For each item on the list, do some initial research that helps you understand each. See if you can find people who’ve had similar experiences, or suggestions for college success, or data regarding what practices are most effective.

Assignment: Organizing (Outline)

Return to the Types of Essays and Suggested Structures page of this module. One of the models you’ll see there is a Problem and Solution Essay outline, which is very convenient, since that’s the kind of project you’re currently working on!

1. Using that outline as a starting point, customize the content of the outline to fit your specific topic–your identified problem and your proposed solution(s). Revisit your working thesis statement to see if it needs to be updated, as well.
2. Draft a complete outline for your essay. Include a version of your most current working thesis statement.

Nothing about it is set in stone yet: this can change later as you write. For now, this helps you determine if you’ve clearly identified the problem, and have enough material in place to provide a convincing solution. It also gets you a leg up with the introduction and conclusion.

Assignment: Drafting

Pen to paper time (or fingers to keyboard time).

1. Using all the writing you’ve done up to this point, including your prewriting, outlining, and most current draft of your thesis statement, build a complete draft of your essay.
   • Initially, it’s all about generating content. Remember from the reading in this section that first drafts are rarely pretty. Do your best to ignore the critical part of your brain, and turn loose your creative energies, instead.
2. As you finish the first draft, loop back through to improve, expand, and edit (moving you into the second draft).

Assignment: Revising

1. Review the revising advice offered in this section of the course.
2. Draft a list of questions that you have about your current draft, based on this advice.
3. Answer those questions to the best of your ability. Seek input from your teacher, your classmates, and the Writing Center on your campus as is appropriate.
4. Create a To-Do list of changes and additions your draft will need to undergo before it’s ready for proofreading.

Assignment: Proofreading

1. Work through your essay draft at least one more time, this time focusing on lower-order concerns. Follow the proofreading advice offered in this section.
2. Consider all of the final touches:
   • subject-verb agreement
   • verb tense consistency
   • end-of-sentence punctuation (periods, exclamation marks, question marks)
   • internal punctuation (commas, colons, semicolons, apostrophes)
   • spelling
   • capital letters
   • page formatting
3. Prepare the final draft of your essay, making the strongest version of your work possible.

Assignment: Problem Analysis Essay Final Draft

Prepare the final draft of your essay, making the strongest version of your work possible. Submit here when finished. Assignment due January 27.

Problem Analysis Essay Overview

This module will ask you to practice the stages of the writing process. You will develop an essay to be finalized by the end of this module.The term “college student” corrals a wide range of types of students in a single term. In this essay, we’ll pick apart the broad term and examine how a smaller subset of students participate in higher education.As you’ve no doubt witnessed yourself, particular populations of students face unique sets of challenges as they experience higher education.For this essay, you will select a specific category of college students, identify one particular challenge facing this category, and analyze ways to overcome that problem that will be particularly effective for this group of people.The thesis for this essay will propose specific solutions for the problem you identify for the category of student population you’ve chosen. The thesis will be supported in the body of the essay with evidence demonstrating why this problem exists and how it can effectively be overcome.

Assignment Details

The final essay will be 500-750 words long. It will include a thesis statement that is supported by evidence. It will be well-organized, and display evidence of careful application of the writing process.

Rubric

In order to successfully complete this assessment, a submitted essay must reach “Meets or Exceeds Expectations” in all categories.