Proposing

Hello this is the instructions for the final essay for English 101

Project #3: Proposing a Solution <<"

Length: 1000-1500 words

Due Date: Rough Draft—Tuesday, November 22

Final Draft—Wednesday, November 23 by midnight (email as a .doc file or pdf or link to

kmelancon@me.edu). Proposing a Solution unit folders will be due Tuesday, November 29 at

the beginning of class.

Objective: For this essay. you will choose a problem that you have experienced in one of the many

communities of which you are a part and offer a clear definition of the problem and a clear, viable solution to

that problem. You must also support your solution by considering other possible solutions and explaining why

they would not be as effective as your proposal. The word “proposal” here is key; you are making a proposal to

@ person or a group who can actually work on solving the problem, so consider audience carefully.

How to Go About It:

The first step is to select a topic. Here are the parameters:

e You will need to select a narrow problem that is specific to a community of which you area paitt (not 8 ;- 3

generic political issue). ow we 

© You must choose a problem that does *not* already have a solution and one that you can reasonably SeAgeas

solve with logic and good critical thinking. . x adi

* The solution to the problem must be reasonable and feasible. . _—

© You must choose an audience to address in your project, so you will need to.1 hink thnsiaaes

people could best implement the solution you choose. es

Once you have selected an appropriate topic, you will need.to spends godd hit oF tiae tities

the potential solutions, reasons in support of each one, and obj ectic mete paclvode ta one

audience might raise. y 4 LA

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Evaluation: This assignment will be graded according to the rubric we. will be: sing iwpies ee

This rubric contains: A Focused, Well-defined Problem; A Well-argued Solution; 4. vntie cc

Objections and Alternative Solutions; A Clear, Logical Organization; and thejadi cae

Conventions. Your proposing a solution project will count as 20% of your, ee en

Form: You can choose between the following two opt i

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¢ Option 1: You will record your proposal a9 4.5m Boks oe

visual). Your podcast series should be dividSdidig isms

solution, and responding to objections and Aiiggaaamens

podcast as well as the audio (.mp3) or auditeaeamanaa

another approved format of your choices Zam

deciding your writing style as well as haga

* Option 2: You will draft your proposelgae

solution. Use an address heading (unegal

professional font (Times or Cambri ee

left-justified with a single line of epiam

* a

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Additional Requirements:

If you choose Option 1, be prepared to share one of your podcasts with your peers when we retum from

Thanksgiving on Tuesday. November 29. Then, orally, be prepared to respond to the following questions.

e Did you enjoy creating podcasts in an academic environment? Why or why not?

e How did podcasting compare to written assignments you have done in other classes? In your opinion,

what are some of the benefits and drawbacks?

e Would you like produce your own podcasts or other media projects in the future? Please explain why or

why not.

If you choose Option 2, you must also attach a typed self-reflection/evaluation to your essay. Type each of the

following questions and then write a brief response to each.

e Explain how your audience influenced one of your decisions as a writer. such as how you defined the

problem, the strategies you used in presenting your solution, or the ways in which you attempted to

counter possible objections.

e Ifyou were to give advice to a friend who was about to write an essay proposing a solution to a problem,

what would you say? What would you change in this process if you had the chance to do this essay

over?

© Consider how proposals, because they invite us to select problems that are solvable, might inadvertently

push us to focus on minor problems that are only a small part of a major problem. Is the minor problem

worth solving as a first step, or is it an unfortunate diversion?

. e Reflect on your ideas about the frustrations of effecting real change.