Instruction
Topic: Americas Fascination With
Fill in the blank with one of the following ideas:
Sports (can choose pro-sports, college sports, athletes, etc.)
Hollywood (celebrities, reality television, sequels, etc.)
Social Media (cell phones, Twitter/Facebook, apps, etc.)
Follow the Guide to Writing and Argument of Fact on pages 167-172, as it will help you with the process of writing this essay. Start by writing your OWN opinion about the topic and narrowing your focus to one specific idea. For example, you may choose to write about Americas Fascination with College Football, discussing the recent Johnny Football Mania or the scandals that are plaguing college football. Or, you may choose to write about the amount of time that students or employees spend on social media sites.
Begin research process For academic purposes, you should read pieces of literature that are written by experts in the field
Create an annotated bibliography once you start locating your sources. Whats the difference between a bibliography and an annotated bibliography? The answer is simple: summaries. When you write an annotated bibliography, you add a brief summary of the article or book, usually 3-5 sentences. If you are using easybib.com, then just click the ADD ANNOTATION box at the bottom of the screen. There are many internet sites available to help with this task.
Once you have studied the topic, you can begin to write your paper and add quotes and relevant information from the sources. Use ideas that support your stance.th The Most Common Mistake students make is that they write an INFORMATIVE piece that explains America's Fascination with the _____________, but they fail to make a point in their essay. You must explain WHY your topic is important. For example, `America has a fascination with social media sites` is NOT a strong thesis statement because it basically states an opinion. What is the problem or issue with the fascination? A stronger thesis would be something along the lines of, `America's fascination with social media sites such as Twitter, Facebook and Bogs is turning us into a society of indifferent and clandestine individuals who are no longer concerned about common courtesy and social etiquette.` Notice that this second sentence is more focused and exact, and the reader KNOWS the direction of the essay.
Requirements:
4-5 pages of text (does not include title page or abstract - for students following APA format)
Annotated bibliography with 5 sources