Discussion Portion: In this discussion post, share your Analytical/ Research Essay proposed topics and briefly explain why you chose to pursue this particular topic.
First, read the Analytical/ Research Essay Prompt carefully (I posted the prompt in this week’s module).
Then choose a text and, if you wish, a TED Talk we have already read/ watched in our online Canvas course.
After you chose a text (and a TED Talk), use it as a foundation to create your topic (a direction you are going to take) for this essay. You may want to ask questions about the text; think of something that the text touched on briefly, but you would like to explore more in-depth; pick out an aspect of the text you would like to research, etc.
Then post your discussion. Use it as a platform for you to brainstorm your topic for your first essay and share with your classmates, ask question, share ideas, and suggest possible directions for this topic. In this discussion post, include your research question (the question that you are going to be using as a guide for your research for this Analytical/ Research Essay). For more directions on how to compose your research question, see my lecture titled Strategies for Composing Research Questions that I posted in this week’s module.
Then respond to two of your classmates’ discussion posts, giving them feedback/ asking questions/ giving suggestions/ or proposing ideas.
Length of your post, at least one well-developed paragraph.
Essay Portion: The Assignment: This is your first opportunity to start working with your topic and begin putting all of the wonderful ideas about your topic into organized sections of this topic proposal. It is also a way for you to find out if you are passionate about your chosen topic and if you see yourself committing the rest of the semester to work with it.
Requirements:
? Compose a paragraph (5-7 sentences) as a response to each of the sections
? Use directions included in each section to guide you in the composition of your proposal
? Type and single space the final draft of your topic proposal
Sections of Your Topic Proposal:
Title-in-Progress (no need to write a paragraph for this one!): Create your own working title but keep in mind that you may change your mind about the title as you develop your project.
Purpose: Explain what you hope your research will show. Use this space to create questions about your top-ic or an aspect of your topic and use these questions to guide you through the research process. State your questions before you begin your research, so as you proceed with examining potential sources, you will be looking for answers to these questions instead of focusing on your topic.
Background: Elaborate on your interest in and experience with this topic. Describe any previous research you have conducted on this or any other related topics, any classes you have taken or reading you have done in the field that would help you to proceed with your research. You may also include personal experience.
Significance: Explain why this topic is worth considering, or this question or a series of questions worth an-swering. Why should your instructor let you select this topic? What do you hope to learn from it? What do you hope to learn after completing this research project? What will this new knowledge add to the field of knowledge that already exists on the topic? What new perspectives would you bring on the topic? What use might your final research paper have for others in this field or in the general public? Who you might decide to share your findings with once the research is complete?
Research Question: What is your research question that you plan on using as you compose this Analytical/ Research Essay?
Methodology: Explain how you will conduct this research in as much detail as possible. If you will consult other experts in the field that you have chosen for your research, examine what the role they would serve and how you hope they would enhance your development of an appropriate methodology for this project. Discuss the kinds of sources you hope to consult and the methods you will use to extract and process the information you gather in as much detail as it is possible at this stage.
Anticipated Problems: Describe the problems you expect to encounter (such as lack of data, experts unavailable for interviews, difficulty gathering sources, etc.) as you move forward with your research project and how you are going to solve them.
Here are a few options for the readings:
1) com/articles-archive/why-bot…”>https://michaelpollan.com/articles-archive/why-bot…
2) com/zombies-canning-motivation-in-the-productive-home/” title=”https://nwedible.com/zombies-canning-motivation-in…”>https://nwedible.com/zombies-canning-motivation-in…
Ted Talks
1) https://www.ted.com/talks/ron_finley_a_guerrilla_g…
2) https://www.ted.com/talks/mark_bittman_what_s_wron…
Reply:
student 1) For the analytical/research essay I chose to write about sustainability and the reasons why we should focus living a more sustainable lifestyle. For starters there are many ways we can become more sustainable, and it could be as simple as recycling, buying local produce, avoiding plastic waste, and lastly, I’d be focusing more on the reasons why people should shift to a more plant-based diet. I will be using “Why Bother?” by Michael Pollan as a foundation for my topic. I will expand my reasonings of why I think more people should eat more plant-based meals by using climate-change evidence to support my claim. Then I also plan on incorporating Jack Sinclair’s TED Talk “Feeding the Future” and I will also include Stephen Palumbi’s TED Talk “Hidden toxins in the fish we eat” to support my argument.
student 2) I chose the article “Why Bother?’ and the TED Talk “A Guerrilla Gardener in South Central LA” by Ron Finley. I want to research the obesity rates in Los Angeles cities. Why are some parts of Los Angeles County higher in obesity rates than other parts of Los Angeles County? Why aren’t more people shopping at farmers’ markets or growing their own gardens? Is this a lack of knowledge or a lack of access to these options? If there is more access to these options would these obesity rates drop? Would they even bother shopping? I believe people should have more access to healthier options when buying food and without the temptation of unhealthy options just because they’re easily accessible and more affordable.
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