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SSK 1204 - Applied Independent Learning Methods

Essay 1 & Essay 2

SSK 1204 requires three major pieces of writing, two essays of theme related prose and one project in the second half of the semester. The written assignment dates and deadlines are as below.

Essay 1 Critical Analysis

This essay will require that students write a 3 page clearly argued response to a specific question set by their instructor on one of the readings used so far in the course. In the essay, students will use argumentation and analysis to state their position and defend it. The essay will be graded on the student's ability to use the writing skills taught in SSK 1201. This means proper formatting, references, in-text citations and following the conventions of academic writing.

The purpose of this assignment is to analyze and respond to a reading. To do the assignment, the following process is necessary:

  • carefully read and analyze the organization of Rolf Muus's summary of Erik Erikson's theory of adolescent identity development ("Identity vs. Identity Confusion")

  • understand the main idea of the passage as well as the topics of each paragraph. Be sure to distinguish between main ideas and supporting information.

Schedule of Events leading to Essay 1

Thursday, Feb 9 summary of Muus's passage hard copy sample
Thursday, Feb 16 first draft of the essay for peer review + outline  
Thursday, Feb 23 final draft

+ outline, drafts & peer reviews

 

The essay is a response from your perspective to the following question:

If, as Erikson argues, adolescent identity formation depends on a stable and unified social environment, how will teenaged Moroccans in the early 21st Century establish their identities?

While planning the essay, consider the following and integrate these ideas into the response:

  • In summarizing Erikson, Muus observes that forming an identity "involves the formation of a meaningful self-concept in which past, present, and future are brought together to form a unified whole" (1996, p. 51) However, he says, "the task is more difficult in a historical period in which the anchorage of family and community tradition has been lost and the future is unpredictable" (p. 51).

  • Why does Erikson think this is so?

  • What challenges does rapid social change create for an adolescent who is searching for an identity?

  • Using Erikson's theory and your own experience, show how changes in Moroccan culture may be affecting adolescent identity formation. Think about relationships with parent, grandparents, and peers, physical changes, falling in love, finding a vocational identity and role models, and developing a "philosophy of life."

  • Are these experiences and relationships different for you than they were for your parents?

  • Most important, how does Erikson's theory help you to understand your own adolescence?

  • Does your experience confirm or disconfirm what Erikson says?

How to Proceed

You are asked to decide how answers to all these questions help you fulfill the task of writing an essay that satisfies the main question. Take time to consider these questions and others you have raised while reading and explore their implications.

Develop a thesis concerning the issues you think are important with regard to these questions. They are intended to make you think about class lectures, discussions, and assigned readings. Out of that thinking you must develop an argument that is uniquely your point of view. You will have to briefly summarize important ideas, concepts, and theories relevant to your argument/thesis.

This is a formal academic essay. It requires planning, drafting and revision, accurate summaries, paraphrase and sophisticated use of language. This essay does not require research on any texts other than the initial readings in this course. It does require academic style, language and format, and is more likely to succeed if properly proofread. SSK 1204 students will benefit from taking their essays to the Wriitng Center for consultation.

Critical Essay Writing

An analysis has a clear point of view and is supported by the text, lectures and discussions using relevant summarization, quotations and paraphrasing. Continually assess the effectiveness of the text, the validity of the thesis, and the strengths/weaknesses of the support.

1. Purpose: why you are writing. Your purpose explains what a writer hopes to achieve in a piece of writing. The nature of your topic and thesis will guide your purpose.

2. Establishing a Thesis: In academic writing, state the main idea clearly and in a few words. This thesis statement contains a single idea, clearly focused and specifically stated, that grows out of exploration of the text. A thesis statement can be thought of as a central idea. It is basically a claim that indicates what you claim to be true, interesting, or valuable about your subject.

3. Organizing Ideas in the Essay: A working plan (an outline) helps direct your ideas and keep your writing on course. The plan must be presented with the first draft for peer review.

One Possible Way to Organize An Essay
Introduction: Sometimes writers break down the introductory material into two paragraphs: the first one introducing the problem or an interesting question and the second one explaining additional information, providing definitions, and giving background information required to make your objectives clear. This will lead into your own claim, main point or idea about the ideas in the text in the form of an explicit thesis statement. This statement gives you something to illustrate, support in the body of your essay, as well as beginning to set up the organization of your essay.

Remember that you will need to orient your reader to the author, title, and content of the work you are discussing.

Body: In the second and larger part of this essay (the body), you will defend (justify) your thesis statement with reason and evidence from the text. You may begin to develop your claims by giving a summary of the textual elements relevant to your defense. It is a good idea to spend one paragraph for each reason or subtopic you will be developing in the defense of your thesis.

Conclusion: In the conclusion of your essay, you have the chance to demonstrate the sophistication of your view. You have shown your clear understanding of the text in your introduction; you have constructed an intelligent response in the body of your essay; now it is time to answer the question: "So what?" Look to the future- why is your position important? Where should we go from here?


First Draft
Each student should come to class with a printed copy of the paper. The instructor may have additional requirements. Failure to submit or bring first drafts on time (late draft) will result in deductions from graded class activities.

Final Draft
Please include all drafts, the outline and the peer review with the final paper. If the instructor has not kept peer reviews be sure to return them for grading. The instructor will read this draft. If the instructor has not requested more drafts, you will be handing in two drafts, one a revision of the other, and the peer reviews done by different members of the class. Failure to submit the complete essay on time will result in 1 point per day late being deducted from the final grade. The instructor has the option of not accepting late work.

All work must be in APA - Page format, in-text citation, reference page.

Academic Skills Developed in This Essay

  • Use of academic vocabulary appropriate to the discourse as well as varied means of in-text citation

  • Smooth integration of source material into a text through summarization, paraphrase and direct quote according to APA style

  • Developing a coherent and defensible reaction to a written text that reflects or applies to course content

GRADING CRITERIA

Content (40%)
Clear and unambiguous context
An explicitly stated position on the topic
Relevant issues and terms included
Depth and breadth of supporting ideas
Excellent choice & relevance of sources
Logical development of ideas
A statement of conclusions and implications
Evidence of original thought
Strong evidence of comprehension
Problems from the first draft revised effectively
Organization (20%)
Integration of purposes: summary and response
Relevant sections and distribution of ideas within
Effective cohesion markers & semantic reference
Balance in spread of ideas in sequence
Orderly and coherent paragraphs
Appropriate reference to outside sources where needed
Evidence of synthesized ideas
Style (20%)
Use of appropriate academic tone and structure
Consistent citation and reference style
Use of academically relevant sources
Sophistication and fluency of thought
Excellent range and choice of vocabulary
 Mechanics (20%)
Language:
Use of formal academic style
Spelling
Grammar/syntax
Vocabulary/word choice
Correct punctuation & capitalization
Proper page formatting (APA style)
Proper in-text citation (APA style)
Proper Reference list (APA style)

Essay 2

This essay requires individual students to write a synthesis paper comparing the relevant ideas in a collection of articles on the topic presented by the instructor. The essay demands a thesis stating an opinion derived from reading and supported by relevant information from reading texts used in the course. The essay will be graded on the student's ability to use the writing skills taught in SSK 1201. This means proper formatting, references, in-text citations and following the conventions of academic writing.

The purpose of this assignment is to analyze a text using information from other sources. The primary text is Hardy's "What Did You Do in the War, Grandma?" and the additional material will come from Muuss's chapters on Kohlberg and Gilligan, along with Shaefer-Davis and Davis. However, you may refer to Erikson too if you find it helpful.

We have talked about the fact that Hardy is describing a "coming of age" experience, in which she discovers that the world is a more complicated place than she had originally thought. There are several factors involved in this realization, which you will want to identify. However, what is especially important is that she is an adolescent who is anticipating and even beginning to face adult roles and responsibilities.

Questions to consider:

1. Do Gilligan and Kohlberg help you to understand the phase of life she is in? How?

2. What conclusions can we draw about Hardy as a moral person, and what role do relationships and interpersonal connectedness appear to play in her moral system?

3. How would you explain Hardy's moral vision by the end of her story?

4. How does her moral development relate to the stages proposed by Kohlberg?

5. Is there a set of steps that people must go through in order to morally mature?

Remember, your paper must have a thesis that is not a question or a statement of purpose (In this paper I will…). It is, in fact, a clear, readable statement of the position you take on the issue of the development of moral judgment in individuals.

Schedule of Events leading to Essay 2

Thursday, Mar 9 summarise Hardy's story hard copy sample
Tuesday, Mar 14 first draft of Essay 2 & peer review + outline  
Thursday, Mar 30 final draft of Essay 2

+ outline, drafts & peer reviews

 

The grading scheme for Essay 2 is the one used for Essay 1: see above.