ENG1310 Churchill High School Happiness and The American Dream Essay 3-4 pages double spaced I Included my proposal for the essay Some questions for inq
ENG1310 Churchill High School Happiness and The American Dream Essay 3-4 pages
double spaced
I Included my proposal for the essay
Some questions for inquiry essay:
Why do immigrants give up so much in order to come to America in search of happiness?
Is their journey worth it? If men are really equal (according to Hobbs) do immigrants have a fair
chance in obtaining happiness in the United States? Alexia Flores
Mrs. Hannah Wells
ENG 1310.24
13 September 2019
In Leviathan, Hobbs believes that nature made all men equal in body and mind. At the
beginning of chapter XIV, Hobbs further emphasizes his claim by explaining that people have
the right to do what they must do to preserve themselves and their lives. Aristotle believes the
highest good humans can achieve is happiness. In my inquiry essay I hope to explore the topics
from Hobbs, and Aristotle I mentioned. This relates to what many try to achieve by coming to
the United States. People are willing to leave their families behind, travel under excruciating
circumstances, and even die to achieve the happiness they are in search of.
Why do immigrants give up so much in order to come to America in search of happiness?
Is their journey worth it? If men are really equal (according to Hobbs) do immigrants have a fair
chance in obtaining happiness in the United States?
Wells
Fall 2019
English 1310: Writing and Academic Inquiry
The Pursuit of Happiness
Inquiry Essay
Length: 3 4 pages
Formatting: MLA style, double-spaced, one-inch
margins, Times New Roman font, 12 pt. type
Sources: Use and cite at least 3 credible sources (1
peer-reviewed); Include a Works Cited page
Rough Draft Due: Wednesday, September 25 for
peer review in class
Final Draft Due: Friday, September 27 on Canvas
Annotated Bibliography Due: Monday,
September 30 on Canvas
Why this essay? First, remember that this semester, you are on a quest to grow as a thinker,
writer and researcher. In other words, you are seeking to master the arts that allow you to become
part of the academic conversation at Baylor and in the scholarly community.
Secondly, you now have the chance to choose an area of inquiry about which you have real
curiosity and important questions related to our overarching course theme: the pursuit of happiness.
This essay gives you the opportunity to further define those questions and begin the process of
finding out what other scholars have said in answer to some of your questions. By writing this essay,
you will be launching your exploration into a semester-long research process.
Purpose: Your Inquiry Essay allows you to clearly define your specific research interest. Secondly,
it allows you to pose a few (2-4) of your most pressing questions about your topic. Third, it allows
you to justify your questions and state why they matter. Finally, it allows you to read and interact
with the thoughts of other scholars whose ideas seek to answer one or more of your questions.
Audience: Of course, you are writing to your instructor. However, I want you to assume that your
essay is addressed to a group of young scholars, some of whom might be neutral or slightly skeptical
about your topic and your questions. You want, therefore, to write in a way that engages them.
Project Timeline
§ Friday, Sept. 13: Proposal for inquiry essay (two paragraphs) and individual conferences
§ Wednesday, Sept. 25: Complete rough draft of inquiry essay (3-4 pages) and peer review
o Bring two printed copies of your draft to class
§ Friday, Sept. 27: Complete final draft of inquiry essay (3-4 pages) due on Canvas
§ Friday, Sept. 27: In-class reflection exercise on writing process
§ Monday, Sept. 30: Annotated Bibliography Part I due on Canvas
Wells
Fall 2019
Proposal for Inquiry Essay (due Friday, Sept. 13 at the time of your individual conference)
To narrow your research topic, read through your class writing from the past weeks and think about
what general paths of inquiry you have been most interested in. When you are confident in a
general path, begin to think about specific topics or specific questions that interest you within that
larger approach. Include the results of this thought process in a proposal for the inquiry essay. Your
proposal should consist of two well-developed, detailed paragraphs. In the first paragraph, describe
your specific topic of interest related to the pursuit of happiness and describe why this topic matters
enough to spend a semester researching into it. In the second paragraph, begin generating a series of
specific, thoughtful questions you have about your chosen topic. Print and bring this proposal to
your individual writing conference with Mrs. Wells.
After we have discussed your proposal, you should begin doing structured scholarly research about
your specific topic/question. Reading, annotating and organizing sources now will make your
writing process go far more smoothly the rest of the semester.
Inquiry Essay (rough draft due Wednesday, Sept 25; final draft due Friday, Sept. 27 on Canvas)
Your inquiry essay will be 3-4 pages in length and will present your findings from an initial process
of inquiry and research. The inquiry essay might be a new genre for you because you will be
exploring the contours of a research topic and not yet making a formal argument about which
perspective is right. In other words, this essay will not have a thesis statement. Instead, you will
begin by introducing your topic and some interesting questions, make your way through some
research, and conclude by proposing a more well-defined question to propel your semester-long
investigation. Specifically, your essay should do the following:
1. Introduce your area of inquiry and explain why it is worth exploring from an academic
perspective. Your introduction should intrigue your readers, describe your area of inquiry
thoroughly, and showcase your enthusiasm for your topic.
2. Narrow your general area of inquiry down to a specific research interest, including a
set of interesting questions (2-4) about your interest. Dont just list your questions in a line,
integrate them into a coherent paragraph. Consider including specific examples in which
your questions would be deeply relevant to your audience.
3. Share findings from your research process. First, give an overview of the major
perspectives or approaches being taken in the scholarship that addresses your questions.
Then, dive into three chosen sources that address your questions by paraphrasing,
summarizing, and (judiciously) quoting the relevant details of their arguments. Help your
reader see how what these authors say directly relates to your own questions. Always cite your
quotes, paraphrases, and summaries of sources. Use MLA-style parenthetical citations at the end of sentences
in which you quote or paraphrase sources. All sources should be included in your Works Cited page at the end
of the essay.
4. Conclude your essay by discussing what you have learned in your initial research. How
have the answers you summarized (from other scholars) in the previous section altered or
sharpened your understanding of your specific topic? How has your understanding of your
own questions been influenced by those scholars thoughts? What new questions does their
thinking about your research interest make you think of? Revisit your initial questions and
consider how you could revise, reframe or extend them into more specific, compelling
reserach questions about your topic. Do not offer answers to any of these questions in your
conclusionthis will come later in the semester. Instead, close your essay with a sharp
sentence or two reminding your reader just how important these questions are.
Wells
Fall 2019
Reflection Letter (to be completed in class on Friday, Sept. 27)
In a 1½-2-page letter addressed to me, you will reflect on the process of writing this first major
course assignment. You may discuss any of the following:
§ Challenges you encountered during the process of researching and writing the Inquiry Essay
and how you faced those challenges
§ Parts of this assignment you most enjoyed or learned the most from
§ What you are most anxious about moving forward into your next stage of inquiry
§ What you are most excited about moving forward into your next stage of inquiry
§ How the first assignment challenged you to achieve the learning objectives set out in the
course description and syllabus
Annotated Bibliography (due Monday, Sept. 30 on Canvas)
Your annotated bibliography will help launch you into the next stage of inquiry by engaging with
more research in your area of inquiry in a different way. Choose two credible sources (1 peerreviewed) that you did not cite in your Inquiry Essay; read, annotate, and save them so you can
easily return to them. Then, correctly cite each source in MLA format and write an annotation
which 1) summarizes the main points of the text; 2) evaluates the validity and fairness of the text;
and 3) discuss how the text will contribute to your continued inquiry. Each annotation should be
roughly 150 words.
Wells
Fall 2019
Inquiry Essay Rubric
Introduction (10 points)
§ Introduces the area of inquiry in a thought-provoking way
§ Clearly articulates the area of inquiry and establishes the context, relevant
background information, scope of research, etc.
§ Explains the significance of the inquiry (i.e., Why should we care?
Why does this research question matter?)
§ Narrows the area of inquiry to a set of specific research questions
Organization (10 points)
§ Follows a logical organizational pattern
§ Includes clear topic sentences that set up the focus of each paragraph
§ Develops one main idea in each paragraph
§ Includes clear transitions within and between paragraphs that guide readers
through the structure of the essay
Process of Inquiry (50 points)
§ Identifies the major perspectives within this area of inquiry
§ Demonstrates careful reading of source material
§ Shares research findings (i.e., what are people saying in response to
this research question?)
§ Places sources with different perspectives in conversation with each
other (e.g., identifies common ground between sources but also
highlights important areas of disagreement)
§ Maintains a neutral and exploratory stance towards the topic
Quality of Research Questions (10 points)
§ Articulates well-defined research questions for exploration and inquiry
§ Connects research findings to future research questions
§ Concludes with more focused research questions that will guide an
ongoing process of inquiry
Source Use (10 points)
§ References three relevant, credible sources
§ Cites paraphrased or summarized information using MLA
formatting in text and on a Works Cited page
§ Use quotations marks around all directly quoted material and limits
use of direct quotations
Grammar, Punctuation, and Style (10 points)
§ Demonstrates careful proofreading
§ Follows standard grammatical conventions
§ Communicates ideas clearly and in an engaging manner
Total
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