Category: English

ASSIGNMENT: Following the Topic Selection Guidelines below, choose an argumentative topic to research. This will be your topic throughout the entire course, so the activities required for this assignment will provide the foundation for your future Touchstones. The topic for an argumentative research paper must be an arguable topic, meaning that it involves a stance that advocates for a concrete course of action and at least three supporting reasons which are defensible with credible sources. Additionally, it must take a stance that someone could hypothetically disagree with. You will need to take a firm position on the topic and use evidence and logic to support the position. Touchstone 1.2 includes a research question, a working thesis, a detailed outline, and a reflection on this pre-writing process.
A. Topic Selection Guidelines
DIRECTIONS: You may choose any topic you wish as long as the stance is arguable and the supporting reasons are defensible with evidence. Your topic should be current, appropriate for an academic context and should have a focus suitable for a 6-8 page essay.
In order to foster learning and growth, all essays you submit must be newly written specifically for this course. Any recycled work will be sent back with a 0, and you will be given one attempt to redo the Touchstone. 
EXAMPLE THESIS STATEMENTS
1) Rather than ending at age eighteen, compulsory education in the United States should be lifelong in order to improve civic engagement, teach new skills, and stave off cognitive decline, thus extending life expectancies.
2) Local governments, businesses, and property owners should replace conventional grass lawns with clover lawns in order to create habitat for pollinators, save water, and reduce maintenance, which will also lower carbon emissions.
3) Colleges and universities should prioritize academic freedom for students because sensitive discussions on difficult topics are necessary for students to learn, confidence in their own expertise is essential to teachers being effective, and students should be prepared to be exposed to many different opinions. 
B. Research Guidelines
DIRECTIONS: Refer to the list below throughout the writing process. Do not submit your Touchstone until it meets these guidelines. 
1. Research Question and Working Thesis
Keep in mind: The research question and working thesis are the driving force behind your research and eventual argument. 
❒ Your research question should be a single sentence, framed as an actionable statement that takes a clear position on the research question and includes three main supporting points for holding that position. 
❒ Your working thesis should be a single focused sentence, framed as a statement that takes a clear position on the research question. 
❒ Include your research question followed by your working thesis. 
2. Detailed Outline
Keep in mind: Your detailed outline provides a map of the argumentative research essay that you will write in Touchstone 3.2, including your key claims and the sources that support them. You might not have all seven required sources yet, and that is fine. The outline is a way to organize your essay and determine which areas (e.g. your sub-points) will require researched evidence as support. 
❒ Headings: one for each paragraph with a brief label of the paragraph’s controlling ideas. 
❒ An introduction, at least five body paragraphs, and a conclusion. 
❒ Introduction includes your working thesis. 
❒ Body paragraphs should each have their own unique title and key points. 
❒ At least one body paragraph is devoted to addressing counterarguments. 
❒ Conclusion includes notes on your final thoughts. 
❒ Subheadings: two to five for each paragraph, below each heading, indicating key points that support the controlling idea 
❒ Sources: one to three for each paragraph, as relevant, indicating the support for the key points. Do not over-rely on any single source. 
❒ For each source, include the author’s name and the idea or information relevant to your argument (e.g. “Lappé (2017) on mono-cropping corn/soy and production”). Link with a website if it is available.
3. Reflection 
❒ Have you displayed a clear understanding of the research activities? 
❒ Have you answered all reflection questions thoughtfully and included insights, observations, and/or examples in all responses? 
❒ Are your answers included on a separate page below the main assignment? 
C. Reflection Questions
DIRECTIONS: Below your assignment, include answers to all of the following reflection questions. 
1. Learning to conduct research is important because it is a skill you will use both in academia and in your professional life. It improves critical thinking and empowers you to find information for yourself. Consider the process of researching as a whole. What was the most challenging aspect of the process for you? (2-3 sentences) 
2. The working thesis statement is a proposed answer to your research question. It should clearly identify an arguable topic and take a position on one side of that topic. Analyze the effectiveness of your working thesis statement. (3-4 sentences) 
3. A detailed outline is an effective tool for laying out the progression of an argument. It allows you to consider the arrangement and organization of your ideas, as well as choose places to incorporate outside source materials. Review your detailed outline and summarize the argument you’ve presented. (3-4 sentences) 
4. You will use the same topic on three of the remaining Touchstones in this course. What kind of feedback would be helpful for you? What are specific questions you might have as you go deeper into the research process? (2-3 sentences) 
E. Requirements
The following requirements must be met for your submission to be graded:
Double-space the outline and use one-inch margins.
Use a readable 12-point font.
All writing must be appropriate for an academic context.
Composition must be original and written for this assignment.
Use of generative chatbot artificial intelligence tools (ChatGPT, Bing Chat, Bard) in place of original writing is strictly prohibited for this assignment.
Plagiarism of any kind is strictly prohibited.
Submission must include your name, the name of the course, the date, and the title of your composition.
Submission must include your research question, working thesis, outline, and reflection questions.
Include all of the assignment components in a single file.
Acceptable file formats include .doc and .docx.

Hello, I would like you to create a PowerPoint slide for my argument essay. For each argument, please create a slide with bullet points. Also, I am not able to read from the slides, so could you please create a separate Google Doc with notes for each slide for me to read from Thank you so much.

Analyse the trope of the famished eels  in Mary Rokonadravu’s ‘The Famished Eels’. How does it contribute to your understanding of the story? Do not paraphrase the story. You should compose your answer as a critical analysis of the text. The essay must be written in formal English

A
I believe I can
relate to Matt Harding’s “Connecting to a Global Tribe” essay, because he
shares some of the core values I use. I felt a hint of communication,
adaptability, and most of all community. I feel like “adaptability” is the core
value I relate to the most because I am put in situations at work where I need
to be able to learn and overcome obstacles. I work in the logistics field where
I plan operations for constant movement. My core value is important to me
because without it I could not do my job that a lot of people depend on me to
complete. It developed shortly over the years I have worked because I simply
dislike failing.
Reply to Thread
B
Growing up, my experience with grammar was
a lot different than what is used presently. I only started to use proper
grammar because when I understood the concept and control of a well-spoken
individual. Being in the Army, everyone must speak with a sense of respect and
intelligence. If you want to make it in life, you must be willing to adapt to
grammatical change.
I do believe that we all have a certain
“slang” we use only because we grew up with different lifestyles. Sometimes in
a more friendly setting I occasionally I refer back to my hometown grammar.
When I am at work, it’s like being a whole different person. There’s a time and
place for everything.

Some people believe owning a pet is important, while others do not. Using specific details and examples to support your position, argue for or against owning a pet.

STEP ONEPick a Hero From This List
Then
BE SURE TO LOCK YOUR HERO Here STEP TWOStudy The Assignment Prompt HereSTEP THREE
Write the Proposal and then The Final Essay
If You Prefer Written Instructions, Study This Page and This Page
Below these Tutorials, You Will Find the List of Heroes and Assignment PDF
First Things First Initial Research
Proposal
Outline
Outline Example
Rough Draft
Final Essay
Checklist
2021-2024 Character List Hero Archetypes Essay .pdf Hero Archetype Essay Assignment.pdf I attached the proposal as a link below.

For your final paper you will write a research paper on Chinua Achebe’s Things Fall Apart. Your
argument will be part of a feminist, psychoanalytic, or postcolonial critical discussion of the text. You
are required to use five secondary sources, four of which are on the novel itself.
The basic process involved in writing a research paper in literature is no different than other kinds
of research papers. Begin with an area of interest, ask questions sparked by that interest, and
formulate a working hypothesis as a response to one or more of those questions. 

My draft:
Visualize yourself walking hand in hand with your cousin or maybe even
drive a disintegrated jeep with a cigarette as a fourteen-year-old. Both are
not only highly infeasible but extremely illegal. The futuristic world in How
I Live Now contained several inconsistencies to the state of the world now
and the world in the anticipated future. This was due to there being no context
prior to the spontaneous war, a lack of modern technology, and the unrealistic
character traits the characters possess as teens that are showcased throughout
the book.
First and foremost is the sudden outbreak of the war. In How I Live Now,
World War 3 breaks out with a sudden bomb with no context of the geopolitical
events and the gradual tension prior to the sudden attack. The ongoing Israel-Palestine
conflict that commenced in the 1948 War was the culmination of 30 years of
friction between the two countries. The war also rapidly escalates in the
novel, which is improbable considering that much logistics are involved when
preparing for a war. After provoking a nation, a battle gradually instigates.
Nonetheless, studying maps, analyzing the enemy’s weaknesses, and gathering
soldiers is a long process. In the novel, food rationing and shutting down
transports, which are two examples of actions that governments establish prior
to the pinnacle of a war, occur immediately after the first bomb goes off.
Equally important is the lack of modern technology in the book. For
instance, Aunt Penn’s death was finally confirmed two years of uncertainty after
she first left for Oslo. According to the United States Department of State, receiving
a consular report of death, which includes completing the foreign death
certificate and finding the cause of death, is currently estimated to take no
longer than four to six months. With the evolution of technology, Aunt Penn’s
children should have been notified of her death sooner. Although the exact period
in which this novel takes place is not mentioned, at least one groundbreaking
invention is created every year. Nevertheless, there was no mention of flying
cars or superhuman cloning, nor were existing technologies such as AI or
automated vehicles incorporated into the plot. Not to mention, teenagers
nowadays are heavily dependent on technology for communication, entertainment,
and accessing information. Nonetheless, utilizing social media as a means of
communicating with her friends and dad is not mentioned once in the novel. Daisy
writes a letter to Leah by hand. In addition, the teens are regularly seen
fishing or interacting with animals in the first part of the book, with no
mention of them mindlessly scrolling on shorts as most teenagers do today.
Finally, there are some of the character trait-related discrepancies. Throughout
the novel, Daisy and Piper survive alone while evacuating their war-torn abode.
The typical adolescent from an upper-class background is sheltered from the
ruthless realities. It can be deduced that Daisy came from an affluent family because
she described the house as “…practically indescribable if the only house you’ve
lived in before are apartments in New York City.” According to Business
Insider, only 4.68% of the New York population have achieved millionaire status,
meaning that over 93% cannot afford luxurious homes. This illustrates Daisy’s
being sheltered and ignorant because not all apartments in New York are
spacious and elegant, and it also hints that she has only lived in opulent
flats in New York. Hence, Daisy should have complained while being on the run
with Piper. Nonetheless, she demonstrates excellent maturity by caring for
Piper without fearing the future. Daisy is highly objective when reminiscing on
her thoughts throughout the novel.
Although some readers may argue that Daisy’s battle with anorexia
depicts the internal state of a typical teenager, it is extremely short-lived
and disregarded in the novel. On page 172, Daisy says, “Somewhere along the
line, I’d lost the will not to eat.” Eating disorders do not disappear without proper
treatment and recovery. To elaborate, Daisy’s dissatisfaction with her body was
not mentioned throughout the novel. Daisy contradicts the characteristics of
the typical victim of anorexia because they are constantly obsessing over their
body image.
In conclusion, the futuristic world presented in How I Live Now
does not correlate to the present world, nor the anticipated world in the
future due to the spontaneity of the war, the absence of modern technology, and
the difference in the personalities of Daisy and Piper compared to the typical
character traits of a teenage girl. By making the novel more plausible, the
young audience will find How I Live Now more enjoyable.

Create a works cited entry for the source and list it alphabetically by last name of the primary author, making sure to include all necessary information, as required by MLA.
Immediately follow each entry with your annotation of that work in three paragraphs that are double-spaced and written in italics.
Begin each annotation with a paragraph summarizing the work including the thesis idea and the main points discussed, followed by a paragraph critiquing the strengths/weaknesses of the work, and ending with a brief synthesis paragraph explaining how the entry might be used within your own argument. 
MLA FORMAT
6 SOURCES TOTAL
150-200 word annotations per source

Purpose of the Assignment: 
To synthesize and re-cap the material we have been discussing all semester
To require the student to do college-level independent research on a topic not covered in class but is tangentially related to the semester theme of real property laws, and
To have the student apply these semester-long themes to this new research material
Assignment:  One topic that we did not cover in class this semester that has real property law implications is ENVIRONMENTAL LAW.  For your Final Exam, write a four-page paper (using the class required format structure, so it is a full four pages plus at least some on page 5) that includes the following:
Define and give several examples environmental law. These could be federal, state, or local laws, statutes, or regulations.
Pick three of these topics we covered this semester (from the list below), and discuss how they intersect with environmental law:
Adverse possession
Public Records: Deeds, recordation, title, surveys, plats and subdivisions
Easements and other land use restrictions
Governmental powers over real estate, particularly:
Zoning
Eminent domain/condemnation
Interactions with government agencies / public hearings
Leases
Fair Housing Act and the history of housing discrimination / redlining
Affordable Housing
Mortgage financing/lending (commercial and residential)
Hints and Tips:
Hint/Tip #1: This is a real property law class, not a class on public policy or urban affairs, so your paper should be a discussion of what environmental law is and how the real property law concepts that we learned about in class intersect with environmental law.  Your paper must not be an advocacy discussion of the pro’s and con’s of environmental policy/laws but, instead, a discussion of how one is affected by the other.
Hint/Tip #2:  As with many of the topics we covered this semester, environmental law can be an entire semester-long course by itself so it is not my expectation that you become an expert in this material.  That’s not the point of this exercise.  Rather, I’d like you to learn just enough about environmental laws to apply those concepts to the material that you’ve learned this semester (from the list above.
Hint/Tip #3: This is a college paper so it should not have flowery language or be written as a marketing brochure – just the discussion of the topic, please.