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Identify and research an individual who is successful (one who has achieved mastery, not just fleeting fame) in a particular field. In your discussion of this successful person you will decide which principles Gladwell talks about impacted that outlier’s success:
1a. The Matthew Effect–hidden advantages/extraordinary opportunities (Chapter 1)
1b. The Matthew Effect–accumulated advantages (Chapter 1)
2. 10,000 hours of meaningful work in order to become a master/expert in one’s field (Chapter 2)
3. Advantageous era of birth–right age at the right time (Chapter 2 and 5)
4. The ability to express to someone what one wants & being heard – “practical intelligence” (Chapter 4 P. 101-108)
5. Born in a demographic trough- not a lot of people so more opportunities for success (Chapter 5)
6. Exposure to meaningful work- autonomy, complexity, and effort/reward (Chapter 5)
7. Cultural practices which encouraged success- support from family/mentors encourage success (Chapters 6-9)
Your thesis should be a statement that clearly develops which of Gladwell’s principles apply to this person. There will be more than one category that applies. MLA documentation should be used for all researched sources. A potential paper will look like this: I. Intro: Using some sort of introductory element [fact, statistic, question(s), anecdote, etc.] introduce your successful person. In the thesis, state which of Gladwell’s principles for success apply to your outlier.
II. Body paragraphs. Support your position using at least THREE different principles from the other side of this paper – TATE / ATE your paragraphs in the following way: T- Identify and define Gladwell’s principle you are applying to your Outlier. A- Tie Gladwell’s principle to your outlier in a clear and specific way. T- Use TEXT EVIDENCE from Outliers to provide support for your assertion and definition of the principle. E- Elaborate on how your research proves Gladwell’s principle for your outlier A- Make a claim about how your Outlier demonstrates this Gladwell principle in a clear and specific way. T- Use OUTSIDE RESEARCH TEXTUAL SUPPORT to provide support for your assertion. E- Elaborate on how your research proves Gladwell’s principle applies to your outlier.
III. Conclusion. Wrap up your paper by restating your thesis and reviewing your paper’s purpose. End with a “clincher” statement that drives your point home about how your Outlier achieved success due to these principles.
IV. Works Cited. Use the Purdue OWL website or other online source to create an MLA Format Works Cited Page. Citation for book: Gladwell, Malcolm. Outliers: The Story of Success. Back Bay Books/Little, Brown, 2009.
Multimedia Presentation Requirements: Your presentation will cover the content of your paper including the way he/she has achieved success in his/her field (utilizing Gladwell’s principles for success), and a conclusion that includes how either society or yourself could improve going forward to achieve success.