Questions We Can Help You To Answer

Paper Instructions:

Select ONE of the prompts below and compose an essay response of 750+ words OR develop and respond to your own prompt. If you choose to respond to your own prompt, please include your prompt above your response. Your essay must offer and support a narrowly-focused argument related to the prompt you select/develop. Your exam essay must incorporate textual support from at least TWO sources.

Your exam essay must include support from ONE of the assigned readings for Module Five AND ONE additional scholarly source (peer-reviewed journal article or book) of your choice. You can use any of the textbook or PDF readings provided in Module 5 (including the Deeper Dive readings) to satisfy the assigned reading source requirement; however, the websites do not count as one of the required sources. While you are free to include additional scholarly sources, your essay should balance analysis and support. For information on what constitutes a scholarly source, see “Improving Your Research Skills” in the Writing Resources module.

Exam essays should present a compelling, coherent, and specific thesis that is consistently and thoroughly developed. Essays should omit summary and personal reflection. Instead, your essay should offer a compelling argument that takes a stance on one of the prompts and provides ample support for your argument. Your essay should present a compelling, coherent, and specific thesis that is consistently and thoroughly developed. Summarizing the readings or relying on personal reaction will result in a lowered score or a grade of zero. Failure to meet the minimum word count and/or incorporate the required number and type of sources will result in a significant grade reduction. Your work will be graded on the quality of your ideas as well as your writing. Criteria for grading include completeness, thoughtfulness, and development and support of a particular argument. For more information on how your exam essay will be assessed, please see the rubric included in the syllabus.

Works Cited entries DO NOT count towards the minimum word count. Per the plagiarism policy, you must cite ideas that are not your own. Essays must include proper MLA in-text citations, proper formatting, and a Works Cited page. Exam essays must be submitted to the proper Assignment folder by the respective deadline. Essays must be submitted in .doc or .docx format. Essays submitted in alternate formats will be considered late (and lose one letter grade per 24-hour period) until resubmitted in the proper format.

Note: Your exams will be run through Turnitin. All instances of plagiarism/academic dishonesty will be investigated and reported. Please see the links in the Writing Resources module for tips on avoiding plagiarism. For more information on Turnitin, please see: https://turnitin.com/static/resources/documentation/turnitin/sales/Answers_to_Questions_Students_Ask.pdf

Exam 5- due by 11:59 p.m. on 12/6 (submit as a .doc or .docx file to the Exam 5 Assignment folder)

The following deductions will apply:

1) Submitted in alternate file format= late until resubmitted as a .doc or .docx file

2) Late= -10% of the grade PER DAY (24 hours)

3) Missing Works Cited= -5% of the grade

4) Missing textual support from the required sources= -5% of the grade PER SOURCE (up to -10% of the grade)

5) Missing in-text citations= -1% per missing citation, up to -10% of the grade

6) Incorrect/incomplete in-text citations= -.05% per incorrect/incomplete citation, up to -5% of the grade

7) Short of the word requirement= loses points based on percentage short (ex: an essay of 375 words can receive up to 50% credit with 750 words required)

Exam prompts:

Select ONE of the following OR develop and respond to your own prompt. Think critically about and support your responses to the prompt you select/develop.

1) Does the current prison system in the United States serve the interests of all citizens? Are our nation’s school system and prison industrial complex related? If so, how?

2) To what extent can the United States be characterized as an antiracist and democratic society? What role, if any, does the media play in perpetuating racism?