Syllabus

Course Description: This course is designed to help students establish their written voice

through the process of evaluating and defending their ideas in expository writing. Students will

draft a paper that interprets and explains how the change in literary genres comment on the past

and present society. Students will participate in discussions that will teach them to use

counterarguments to build and support their own argument. Through the process of outlines,

drafting, and peer reviews, students will be able to interpret the messages that authors made

about society. The skills that students acquired will be assessed in a final research paper where

students interpret and explain how the change in literary genres comment on the past and present

society.   

Course Outcome:

1   Interpret different literary genres.

2   Organize ideas into a working outline.

3   Implement feedback that will mold and advance the research paper.

4   Produce an argument that is supported by academic research.

Week and Topic Assignment and Description

1 Introduction 1-1 Introduction

 Classroom expectations, goals, and review of the

syllabus

 Students introduce themselves

1-2 Discussion: Impact stories have on society

 Students talk about different stories they read and

 look at how they reflect or make a statement about

society. The reactions that people have to them.

Reading: Read over the entire syllabus for class and book

selection for the final paper.

They Say/ I Say 3rd edition Intro and Ch 1

2 Fables 2-1 Discussion: Role of fables

 Look at the role and usage of fables throughout

time. Are they still needed today?

2-2 Journal: Are morals still needed?

 What do people turn to now for guidance? How are

fables used today? (min 250 words)

2-3 Milestone 1: Submit a 1-page proposal

 Select two books (Classic and Contemporary) from

the prepared list that is from the same genre. Or

submit 2 books that your paper will focus on, but

they must follow the same guideline. Include your

working thesis statement.

Reading: The Dog and the Shadow, The Ants and the

Grasshopper, The Lion and the Mouse, They Say/ I Say Ch

2 and 3

3 Fairy Tales and Romanticism 3-1 Discussion: Comparing Fairy Tales to Modern Times

 Look over Fairy Tales and compare them to modern

retellings or remakes. How does the story change in

 the retelling?

3-2 Journal: Fairy Tales and Society

 Explain how Fairy Tales captured ideas of their

times. What does a modern retelling of fairy tales

say about society today? (min 250 words)

3-3: Milestone 2

 Submit and outline 4 resources that will defend the

thesis and explain how they will be used.

Reading: The Little Mermaid, The Ugly Duckling by Hans

Christian Andersen Little Red-Cap, Hansel and Gretel by

The Brothers Grimm, They Say/ I Say Ch 4 and 6

Video: Watch Romanticism, Little Red Riding Hood, The

Ugly Duckling

4 Horror and Creating an argument 4-1 Discussion: Horror

 Compared to classical horror novels, are modern

horror novels telling a story or are they entertaining?

Use at least one scholarly article to defend your

point.

 In replies to classmates use quotes from their post to

strengthen your point

4-2 Journal: Putting it together

 Are there any questions that you have regarding

your paper? Do you have a clear idea as to what you

 will be stating?

4-3: Review:

 Begin working on your rough draft

Reading: The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe, They

Say, I Say ch 7 and 8

5 Romance 5-1: Discussion: Romance

 How do romance stories comment on gender roles

and relationships? What comments do the assigned

readings make about marriage? Are the statements

overexaggerated or reasonable? Does the message

apply to today’s society? Defend points with

citation and research.

5-2 Milestone 3:

 Submit your 3–4-page rough draft

Reading: The Gift of the Magi by O. Henry, The Story of an

Hour, They Say, I Say Ch 9

6 Peer Workshop 6-1 Discussion: Review

 Write a sandwich review for one of the videos

provided. Remember it must be a compliment,

critique, and final compliment or thought.

6-2 Journal: Peer Review

 Thoughts and fears when it comes to receiving and

writing reviews for others.

 6-3 Peer Review:

 Write a peer review for your assigned group

member.

Reading: They Say, I Say Ch 10, Little Snow-white

Video: The Gift of the Magi, Cinderella, A Dog and his

Shadow, and The Tell-Tale Heart

7 Mythology 7-1 Discussion:

 Impact did mythology have on cultures in the past.

How is mythology being used today? Are there

values still attached to mythology?

7-2 Journal:

 What feedback will be used and not used. Any areas

that need clarifying? (min 250 words)

7-3 Milestone 4:

 Submit draft two and it must be a min of 5 pages in

length.

Reading: Daedalus and Icarus, The Binding of Fenrir (PDF

for mythological stories will be provided)

8 Editing 8-1 Peer workshop 2:

 Submit a grammatical (micro) edit for your assigned

group member

Reading: They Say, I Say Ch 11

9 Science Fiction 9-1 Discussion:

  Pick an author and explain how they use this genre

to deliver their message? What effect did their

message have?

9-2: Final Project Due:

 Students will submit their 6-page final copy, along

with their rough draft copies

Reading: Harrison Bergeron, There Will Come Soft Rains

10 Closing Thoughts 10-1: Discussion:

 Are genres today still delivering a message or are

they just used to entertain? If so, what type of

message are they delivering or what are they failing

to deliver?

10-2 Journal Reflection:

 What have you learned after taking this course?

Lesson Plans

Lesson Plan #1

Title: Fables and Building a Supported Argument Through Research

Audience: College students in an intro level composition writing workshop

Description: In this lesson, students listen to a presentation on the classical and modern fables,

discuss the material, look over a provided booklist, research selected books, and use the

information for an upcoming paper.

Learning Objectives: Upon completion, students will be able to:

 Utilize academic sources to strengthen an argument

  Compare and contrast classic fables to modern times

 Research different fictional genres

 Identify a genre of interest

Time: 120 mins

Material: Whiteboard with colored dry erasers, note print out and or PowerPoint presentation,

extra pens, composition notebooks, a printout of a proposal for a reference example.

Resources:

 Aesop. The Hare and the Tortoise. Project Gutenberg

 “Greek Literature”. Britannica

 “Historical development in Western Culture.” Britannica

 “Aesop”. Encyclopedia.com

 Graff, Gerald and Cathy Birkenstein. They Say/ I Say: The Moves That Matter in

Academic Writing, Ch 2, 2014

Instructional Procedures:

Introduction (5 minutes): Instructor greets the class and outlines the subject materials and

activities for the day. Instructor places emphasis on the fictional fable genre and tools used for

performing research.

Lecture Understanding Greek Civilization and Fables (15 minutes): Using a PowerPoint

slide, the instructor provides a brief history of the Greek civilization that Aesop lived in.

Drawing attention to the roles and duties of a Greek citizen. After establishing the world that

Aesop lived in, the instructor will offer quick points about Aesop’s life and achievements. Once

the culture and Aesop’s history have been established, the role of fables will be examined. The
instructor will show how fables were utilized in the Greek culture, while also showing their

usage in other foreign cultures.

Discussion (15 minutes): The class discusses the importance of morals and how fables

influenced or taught them to deal with matters in their lives. During the discussion, the teacher

will write on the board the name of fables mentioned, sectioning them off under the classical

category, and will add a phrase to summarize the impact that the fable held. Students will be

encouraged to name a few modern fables. While students are sharing modern fables and their

influence, the teacher will write the names down on the board under a section labeled modern

fables.

Lecture Building an Argument (15 minutes): The instructor will explain the fundamentals of

an argument while referencing the reading from last week and the current chapter reading from

Gerald Graff’s book (Chapter 1-3). By showing a PowerPoint slide, the instructor will show how

summarizing is different than quoting. After explaining the differences, an example will be given

showing how students can use summarizing and quotes to strengthen their arguments.

Discussion on sources (5 minutes): Before explaining what resources are allowed, the instructor

will ask the class if they know the difference between acceptable and nonacceptable resources? If

examples are given, the instructor will write them down on the board in two separate categories.

The instructor will hand out a printout of sources that are deemed acceptable for writing a paper.

The handout will also include sources that are not acceptable and should be avoided. Some

resources will have reasons written underneath them explaining why they are not useful.

Group (10 minutes): In groups, students will be told to look over pages 39 and 40 in Graff’s

book. The instructor will then pull up a slide that displays two opposing arguments dealing with

the importance of fables in modern society. With their partners, students will brainstorm ideas
that will help them with their homework. For homework, students will draft a one-paragraph

argument that supports the notion of fables still being relevant in the past or argues that fables

are no longer as important and are merely used for entertainment. Group members can provide

help by noting points, from the arguments that the professor provided, that will strengthen their

classmate’s argument.

(5-minute Break)

Lecture Milestone 1 (10 minutes): The instructor will display the guidelines for Milestone 1

making sure to go over each key area. Students will be given a handout that contains several

genres. Under each genre, there will be a section for classic and contemporary novels. The final

project requires students to use two books to explain how the change in literary genre comments

on the past and present society. Students can argue that the change in genre shows how society

has progressed or argue that society has digressed. The instructor will have students think about

the role that fables play in society and what students think that these changes mean, just to give

them an idea of what sort of argument can be made.

Research (35 minutes includes transition to lab): Students will select two books from off of

the list. If they have another book in mind, students must provide the author’s name along with

the dates of publication. Once the books are selected, students will be encouraged to go to the

library or use nearby computers to find two sources that will support what they want to argue.

The instructor will explain that these sources do not have to be referenced in Milestone 1, but

they will be useful in the following Milestone. After gathering their sources, students will create

a paragraph argument in their composition notebooks. While students are drafting their

arguments, the instructor will move around and answer any questions.
Closing (5 minutes): Instructor has students look back on what they have learned in regard to

fables and building a supported argument. Students will be encouraged to ask questions and any

confusion will be clarified. Students will also be reminded of the due date for Milestone 1.

Lesson Plan #2

Title: Media Interpretations and Peer Reviews

Audience: College students in an intro level composition writing workshop

Description: In this lesson students compare and contrast the media interpretation versus the

written form of several short stories. Students will infer and explain what the change in

formatting does to the message of the story. The instructor will explain the process and value of

peer reviews.

Learning Objectives: Upon completion, students will be able to:

  Understand the mechanics of a peer review

 Compare and contrast stories versus short film adaptions

 Offer each other helpful criticism that will be implemented into later drafts

 Utilize basic proofreading strategies

Time: 120 mins

Material: Whiteboard with colored dry eraser, lesson notes printed out and or PowerPoint

presentation, thesaurus, red pens, journals, YouTube, and a one-page research paper example.

Resources:

 Grimm, Jacob and Wilhelm Grimm, Little Snow-white. Project Gutenberg,

https://www.gutenberg.org/files/5314/5314-h/5314-h.htm#chap53

 The Gift of the Magi. YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=ao5sRgXFDck&ab_channel=AllieWoodReichert

 Classic Fairy Tales - Snow White. YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=foodjpnExdI&ab_channel=LC

 A Dog and his Shadow. YouTube, https://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=as2M2mgLwlU&ab_channel=bullwinklecanada

 The Tell-Tale Heart. YouTube, https://youtu.be/wDLLHTdVSgU

Instructional Procedures:

Introduction (5 minutes): The instructor outlines the subject materials and activities for the day.

Instructor places emphasis on media interpretation and peer reviews.

Lecture on Media Interpretation (15 minutes): The instructor will provide a list of modern

media adaptions of different stories. One adaption that the instructor will draw attention to is

Disney’s retelling of Little Snow White. The instructor will provide a handout of the story with
key passages highlighted. During the lecture, examples of how the movie and the book differ

will be displayed. After each difference is noted, students will share if they believe the message

was ruined or altered.

Groups (20 minutes): Students will be placed into four separate groups. Each group will be

assigned a video to watch and interpret. The videos that students watch are based on past and

current reading assignments that should have been completed before class. To watch the videos,

group members can use computers located in the classroom or their cellphones. Each group must

come up with noted differences between the media and written stories. They must also note if the

adaption altered the message of the story. If the message was altered, then did it strengthen the

author’s point or distract from it.

Individual Review (10 minutes): Students will be asked to think back on the video that they just

watched. Students will be asked to create a review for the film. The first part of the review will

state what they liked about the film. While the second half will focus on what could be changed

or improved upon. Once completed, a few students will be asked to share their reviews.

Lecture (10 minutes): The instructor will ask students what are some of the positive and

negative ideas that they noted in their reviews. After writing down a few points, the instructor

will explain the difference between a review and a peer review. Students will be told to look over

their reviews and picture themselves speaking with the director of the film. To help grasp the

difference the instructor will show that a review comes after the process is completed while a

peer review comes before. While reviews are based on a person’s opinion, it is up to the author

to pick out information that will be considered helpful. To fully grasp the importance of peer

reviews, examples of how companies and authors use them will be shown.
Discussion (15 minutes): Students will be given a packet that contains a first draft, followed by

two different peer reviews, and a final draft. One peer review will be aggressive while the other

will have a milder tone. The instructor will draw student’s attention to the peer reviews provided.

As a class, students will go through the first peer review and highlight comments or words that

are aggressive. The process will be repeated for the second peer review, paying attention to

appeasing words. As a class, students will come up with additional words or phrases that are

deemed aggressive. In an adjacent column, aggressive comments will be corrected to an

acceptable phrasing. After looking over the comments, students will be instructed to look at the

bold areas of the first and final draft to see the changed areas. Students will be asked to think

about the comments and how the author selected which ideas to implement or ignore.

Group (40 minutes, includes transition to computer lab): Students will be paired up to

perform a peer review for each other’s Milestone 3. Students will be asked to look at the board

and the handout to reference proper wording for peer reviews. Students will be asked to perform

a sandwich review which consists of a compliment, area of critique, and a closing compliment.

Peer reviews must be typed up and given to their classmates as well as the instructor at the end of

the class. Students will be encouraged to discuss their reviews with each other to ensure that

there is no confusion. The instructor will assess the peer reviews for language and helpfulness.

Closing (5 minutes): The instructor will encourage students to think about how they plan on

using the reviews given to them to strengthen their arguments. If students have any questions,

they will be encouraged to ask their questions. The instructor will remind students of the date for

their second draft, while also encouraging them to find a way to use the peer reviews to

strengthen their drafts.

Lesson Plan #3

Title: Micro editing and Revisions

Audience: College students in an intro level composition writing workshop

Description: In this lesson, students learn how to edit looking for grammar mistakes that

interrupt the flow of a paper. They also learn how to use helpful feedback when it comes to

performing their second edit for their final paper.

Learning Objectives:

 Utilize feedback given from group members

  Submit draft showing the implementation of helpful feedback

 Perform a micro edit using basic grammar strategies

Time: 120 mins

Material: Whiteboard with colored dry erasers, lecture notes printed out and or PowerPoint

presentation, grammar handouts, red pens, journals, and a one-page research paper example.

Resources:

 Lukeman, Noah. The First Five Pages, 2000.

 Madraso, Jan. "Proofreading: The Skill We’ve Neglected to Teach." English Journal,

vol. 82, no. 2, 1993, pp. 32. 

 Graff, Gerald and Cathy Birkenstein. They Say/ I Say: The Moves That Matter in

Academic Writing, Ch 11, 2014

Instructional Procedures:

Introduction (5 minutes): The instructor outlines the subject materials and activities for the day.

Instructor places emphasis on grammatical editing and revisions.

Lecture (20 minutes): The instructor will go over the different rules for grammar. Drawing

close attention to the usage of commas, periods, run-on sentences, and typos. While also

providing students with methods to correct errors by using oral reading, close reading, and

running Spellcheck or Grammarly. When using computer programs, students will be encouraged

not to rely on them but to double-check and follow grammatical rules.

Discussion (10 minutes): Students will discuss areas of grammar that they struggle with. The

teacher will write several sentences on the board and encourage students to come up and correct

them, while others correct them in their journals. A handout will be given to provide extra

examples for students to reference when dealing with several editing tips.
Group (15 minutes): Students will be paired and given a paragraph that they will have to edit

for grammatical mistakes. They will be allowed to reference their notes and communicate with

each other as to why they believe these changes need to be implemented. As a class, the changes

will be discussed, and the instructor will note any edit that was left out. The instructor will

explain why the edit needs to be made if students seem confused.

Lecture/Discussion (25 minutes): The instructor looks over the value of revising work. While

explaining the importance of revisions, attention will be drawn to Graff’s book. There will be a

focus on the multiple questions that Graff asks in chapter 11. The instructor will also show how

it is important to select feedback that will strengthen their work. An example will be provided,

showing how feedback can help and sometimes alter a work. Students will share their thoughts

on how the last peer review has helped them.

(5-minute Break for room transition)

Revision (35 minutes): Students will be encouraged to look over their first drafts to look for

grammatical mistakes while also revising their work. This portion of the class will be conducted

in a computer lab to ensure that students have enough time to work on their drafts. The instructor

will answer any questions or concerns that students may have.

Closing (5 minutes): The instructor will review the grammar rules that were discussed in class.

Students will be encouraged to reference their notes to help catch grammatical mistakes. The

instructor will answer any closing questions and remind students of the due date for Milestone
 Assessment

Task: Milestone 1: 1-page proposal

Purpose: You will look through the list provided in the class or on the module page. The book

list provides two separate sections, classic novels, and contemporary novels. The list is broken

down into sections with genres such as fantasy, gothic/horror, sci-fi, mythology, romance, and

fables. From the classic and contemporary novels, you must select one book each and the books

must be from the same genre. If there are other books that you want to use, please send me an

email for confirmation.

You will write the name of the books that you selected, the author, and the era that the book was

written in. This proposal will help you begin thinking about your final draft. For your final, you

will create a paper that interprets and argues how the change in your selected literary genre

comments on the past and present society. The purpose is not to fully interpret the novel, you are

looking for the argument or comment that was made.

While stories may be entertaining, the author tends to be commenting on something. For

instance, Bram Stoker’s Dracula was written at the end of the Victorian Era. During that time,

gender roles were being established and challenged. People were also worried about the decline

in society. Throughout Dracula, desire appears, gender roles are challenged, along with the role

of foreign individuals. Your goal is to look at what is being critiqued or commented on in each

novel. From your research, you will reach a conclusion on what genres say about society.

In your proposal, you must include a working thesis. Your working thesis does not have to be

perfect since you have not done extensive research on your topic. This thesis can change, but it is

meant to help guide you in the direction that you want to take your argument. Focus on the books

that you have selected and give a reason as to why you selected these books. Make sure that you

mention the society and culture that surrounded the books when they were published.

 
Criteria:

The following critical elements must be addressed:

Book Selection: From the classic and contemporary novels, you must select one book each and

the books must be from the same genre. For instance, if you want to focus on the horror genre,

then you will pick Dracula (classic novel) and Twilight (contemporary novel). Books cannot be

from the same era. Make sure you write the name of the books selected, along with the author,

and the era it was written in. If there are other books that you want to use, please send me an
email for confirmation. Emails for book selection will not be accepted two days before the

proposal is due.

Reasoning: You must articulate why you have chosen these books. In this section, you will not

only explain why, but you will also speak about the society of that time. This means that

Dracula was written in the Victorian Era, so at least two sentences on the era will help provide

insight into your selection. This is not a compare and contrast essay, but if you notice any

difference in the societies, speak about them briefly. For instance, in the Victorian era, same-sex

marriage or dating was against the law, but in modern times no such law exists. Noting the

difference could provide insight into the change in messages.

Thesis: A well-developed thesis is not required at this stage. You will provide a working thesis

to provide insight into your current thinking for your argument. For instance, a working thesis

would say: Bram Stoker’s Dracula builds off of the fears of Victorian England, while Stephenie

Meyer’s Twilight focuses on society’s attraction to vampires. The focus of your working thesis is

to restate the books you have selected and give a reason as to what these novels say about

society. It is okay if the comment is vague since extensive research has not been performed.

Organization: All papers must follow proper MLA formatting if a citation is used, submitted in

12-point Times New Roman font, double spaced, and one-inch margins. Papers should have little

to no grammatical errors.

Critical Exemplary Proficient Needs Not Evident Value

Elements (100%) (90%) Improvement (0%)
(70%)

Book Two books were Two books Two books were Books were not 25
Selection selected from were selected selected but selected, the
different from different were from the author’s name
categories, categories, same categories, and era were
 author name, author name, author name, not included
literary and the era was and era was
movement, and included included
the era was
included

Reasoning Develops clear Develops clear The reasoning Does not 25

reasoning for reasoning for for selection is provide a
selection, notes selection and slightly unclear reason for
the differences notes the or provides little selection or
and similarities differences and insight into each there is no
in societies, and similarities in society. comment about
articulates how societies the different
the difference societies
impact the genre

Thesis The thesis is The thesis is The thesis is There is no 25

  clear and well- developed and vague and attempt at a
developed clear. unclear. thesis

Organization Paper is free of Paper is mostly The paper The paper 25

grammatical free of contains several contains
errors, is at least grammatical grammatical numerous
six pages in errors and is errors, is four grammatical
length, proper five pages with pages, poor errors, is less
citation, and few errors in citation, and two than four
formatting citation or errors in pages, no
formatting formatting citation, and
incorrect
formatting

        Total  
 

 
 

Task: Peer Review

Purpose: Last week you submitted your 3–4-page rough draft for Milestone 3. For this

assignment, you will submit the same rough draft to your assigned group member. You will

perform a peer review that focuses on the clarity of the author’s argument. This review is not

meant to focus on grammatical mistakes. Instead, you will look at the points that the author has

made and ensure that they are delivered clearly. You will look to ensure that the author has

included their book selection, along with facts that are supported by citations that comment on

the society. If the author uses no citation make note of the area on the paper for the author. You

are not expected to focus on the use of a proper citation. The overall focus is on the big picture

and if the message is delivered clearly.

When it comes to peer reviews, courtesy is expected. This goes beyond submitting the peer

review in a timely fashion. Choice of words is important, and you should not be aggressive.

Remember to write the way that you want people to speak to you. This means avoiding personal

pronouns, aggression, or negative comments. Negative comments include would include saying:

that is not smart, you don’t know what you are talking about, or you didn’t think that through.
Aggressive comments include words like: you must, you need to, I expect, or change this now.

Peer reviews are meant to be upbuilding and supportive. Refer back to the handout and notes that

were taken in class which referenced proper sentences and ways to leave comments during a peer

review.

To track that you have read over the peer review and to leave comments, you should use the

tracking and comment function on Microsoft Word. Go to the class resource section for this

week to watch the video or read the file on how to use the tracking and comment section on

Microsoft Word. If you are still struggling with that area, make changes using a different color

font, that is readable. Quick comments can be left in the comment section, but detailed comments

and the overall feedback should be left at the end of the essay.

The overall feedback is where you will provide clarity to any of your short comments or changes

that you made. This is where you will perform the sandwich strategy. That means you will start

with a positive comment, followed by comments on areas that need change or clarity, and ends

with a compliment or a positive closing thought.

Criteria:

The following critical elements must be addressed:

Insightful: You will provide helpful feedback throughout the essay. This means using the

tracking and comment section on Microsoft Word. Or showing change by using a different color

font. Comments should not be lengthy but should address the point at hand. If need be, a

comment can be attached to an area where a change has been requested. Providing examples to

clarify comments is encouraged but not required. For instance, if an author was too wordy, in the

comment section you can provide an example of a concise sentence. The goal is to provide

alternatives instead of crossing out or changing all the time.

Articulation and Wording: At the end of the peer review, which will be performed on the same

doc that you are editing, you will provide overall feedback. The overall feedback is where you

will provide clarity to any of your short comments or changes that you made. This is where you

will perform the sandwich strategy. That means you will start with a positive comment, followed

by comments on areas that need change or clarity, and ends with a compliment or a positive

closing thought.

Word choice is important, and you must remain respectful. To ensure that you are not being

aggressive, refer to handouts provided in class to look at proper word choice.

Organization: All papers must be submitted in 12-point Times New Roman font, double spaced,

and one-inch margins. Papers should have little to no grammatical errors.

Critical Exemplary Proficient Needs Not Evident Value

Elements (100%) (90%) Improvement (0%)
(70%)

Insightful Provides Provides Comments are There are no 40

detailed detailed vague and there comments or
comments, comments and are few changes changes
track changes, track changes
and provides
examples to
clarify
comments

Articulation Feedback is Feedback is Feedback is Feedback is not 40

and Wording helpful and helpful and unclear, supportive and
supportive, all supportive, comments are there are
comments or comments are vague, and there numerous
changes are explained, and are a few inappropriate
fully explained, appropriate inappropriate words
and appropriate word choice is words  
word choice is used
used
 Organization Paper is free of Paper is mostly The paper The paper 20
grammatical free of contains several contains
errors, is at grammatical grammatical numerous
least six pages errors and is errors, is four grammatical
in length, five pages with pages, poor errors, is less
proper citation, few errors in citation, and than four pages,
and formatting citation or two errors in no citation, and
formatting formatting incorrect
formatting

        Total  
 

Task Milestone 4: Students will submit their second draft and it must be a min of 6 pages in

length.

Purpose: You will turn in a paper that interprets and argues how the change in your selected

literary genre comments on the past and present society. In this milestone, you will submit a five-

page draft. This milestone will push you closer to reaching your final paper length of six pages.

To help build your argument you must reference the classical and contemporary works from your

selected genre to show a distinct difference in society. Scholarly and credible sources are

required to help strengthen your argument. Wikipedia or personal blogs are considered unreliable

sources and should be avoided.

In this draft, you should show signs of revisions based on feedback gathered from your instructor

and peers. Your thesis statement should be concrete and should clearly state what you will be

arguing. A thesis statement that merely states the two books you will be using is not a concrete

thesis. Your thesis should include the title of your two books and what the change in genre says

about society. A thesis does not just note the change in cultures, it helps establish the why. The
why helps build and create the argument. Refer to the thesis statement handout that was given in

class for reference and examples.

To strengthen your thesis and argument, you must include historical facts about the society and

the time period that the book was written. Avoid broad statements. Narrow it down by looking at

a culture. An example would be Dracula which deals with English culture and gender roles.

Using facts around gender roles and English culture can help show the differences in cultures

when it comes to current vampire stories like Twilight.   

Criteria:

The following critical elements must be addressed:

Thesis: Your thesis statement must be well-developed, clear, and engaging. You must include

the two books that you have selected within your thesis statement. An example of a well-

developed thesis would be: During the Victorian Era, Bram Stoker’s Dracula commented on

society fears of gender roles and desires, while Stephenie Meyer’s Twilight uses desire to

entertain the fantasy of being with a vampire; showing a shift in the horror genre from a political

statement to entertainment.  

Development: You will create an argument that supports and builds off your thesis. Within your

argument, you should provide a brief explanation of the society that surrounded the book when it

was published. Dracula was written towards the end of the Victorian era. During the Victorian

era, the role of women was being challenged. Providing background on the author is not

necessary. Your argument should center on society and the comment that each book has made.

Using quotes from the book and other articles will help strengthen your argument.
Resources: Cited work must follow the 8 edition of MLA formatting. For MLA formatting refer
th

to the Perdue OWL 8th edition. Avoid unreliable sources and reference the handout on reliable

and unreliable sources that was given out in class.

Organization: All papers must follow proper MLA formatting, submitted in 12-point Times

New Roman font, double spaced, and one-inch margins. Papers should have little to no

grammatical errors.

Critical Exemplary Proficient Needs Not Evident Value

Elements (100%) (90%) Improvement (0%)
(70%)

Thesis The thesis is The thesis is The thesis is There is no 25

well-developed, developed, clear but not attempt at a
clear, and clear, and engaging thesis, or it is
engaging engaging unclear

Development Develops a Develops an Develops an Does not 25

strong argument that argument that develop an
argument that supports the supports the argument that
supports the thesis in an thesis, but the supports the
thesis in a clear appropriate argument is thesis and the
manner and is manner unclear in some argument is
reinforced by areas  unclear
credible
sources

Sources Reinforces Reinforce Sources do not Does not 25

arguments with argument with fully support the reinforce
appropriate and credible argument and arguments with
credible sources there is one sources or uses
sources uncredible over two
source uncredible
 sources

Organization Paper is free of Paper is mostly The paper The paper 25

grammatical free of contains several contains
errors, is at grammatical grammatical numerous
least six pages errors and is errors, is four grammatical
in length, five pages with pages, poor errors, is less
proper citation, few errors in citation, and two than four pages,
and formatting citation or errors in no citation, and
formatting formatting incorrect
formatting

        Total