academic English essay
Critical Thinking Paper 3
Overview: Write a 2-3 page paper that summarizes and synthesizes ideas from the content units we’ve covered in class this semester.
Student Learning Outcomes:
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Learning Area |
Student Learning Outcome |
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Content knowledge |
Demonstrate content knowledge by answering questions about specific content (subject matter) from units studied and incorporate this knowledge when speaking or writing about the content topic. |
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Reading |
Preview a textbook chapter to successfully predict content and organization, annotate several paragraphs in a textbook to locate and identify essential elements, including topic, main idea, topic sentences, details and transitions, paraphrase an article by restating main ideas, and outline an article or section of a textbook to highlight the relationship between ideas and their relative importance. |
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Writing |
write papers that utilize one or more critical thinking skill (i.e. summarizing, responding evaluating, and synthesizing). |
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Note-taking |
Listen for the relationship between ideas, structural clues, main ideas and key words. Use symbols, abbreviations, and a system of hierarchy. Utilize a note-taking system such as the Cornell method. |
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Language |
Use appropriate language to support summary response, evaluation, and synthesis, and for polite requests in spoken and written communication. |
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Rhetorical Thought Pattern |
Demonstrate the ability to identify the features and language characteristics of summary response, evaluation and rhetorical thought patterns and be able to organize ideas in communication using these patterns. |
Important Dates:
- Paper Assigned _July 2, 2019
- Paper Due _July 31, 2019
Topic: In this unit, we have focused on the topic of media literacy as it relates to social media. In this paper, you will choose a company or organization, examine and critique their social media presence and respond by recommending a future course of action. Your paper should integrate ideas (quotations, paraphrases, and/or summaries) from at least two sources in this unit. The goal is to demonstrate that you understand the main points of each source and can apply the critical thinking skills of evaluation, response and synthesis by making connections between sources and integrating your own ideas to formulate a recommendation.
Procedure:
Step 1: Choose a company
- Choose a company that has a strong message on social media.
Step 2: Analyze their social media
- Analyze this company’s social media message
Step 3: Write a critique
- Critique the social media message using principles of media literacy discussed
Step 4: Synthesize and Respond
- integrate ideas (quotations, paraphrases, and/or summaries) from at least two sources in this unit.
Step 5: Brainstorming & Prewriting
- Gather your class materials from the three units we’ve studied. Look for connections between the sources we’ve used. Write a list of all ideas that come to your mind.
- Meet with a tutor in in the INTO USF Tutoring Center. Review your list of connections from the sources, and brainstorm additional connections during your appointment. Talk with your tutor about the topic/ideas you’re most interested in and create an outline. It’s important to fully understand the ideas because your synthesis of the selected sources will comprise the body of your essay.
Step 6: Writing the draft of CTP 3
- Using the notes/thoughts you have from Steps 1-5, write your paper.
- Take a look at the paper and be sure it follows all the guidelines on the assignment sheet and the scoring rubric.
- Remember that you must include an appropriate reference to the sources each time you refer to them.
- Schedule a tutoring appointment.
Step 7: Visiting a tutor—60 minute appointment
- Meet with your tutor (bringing the assignment sheet and rubric with you) to go over what you’ve already written several days before the due date and make any revisions the tutor suggests.
- The tutor should work with the student to ensure that a clear thesis statement exists. The goal is to demonstrate that the student understands the main points of each source and can apply the critical thinking skills of response and synthesis by making connections between the sources and integrating your own ideas to formulate a thesis.
- If there’s anything you’re still unsure about, make an appointment with your instructor
Step 8: Formatting your paper and submitting it
- Be sure to:
- Use size 12 font
- Double-space the lines
- Have 1” margins on the left, right, top, and bottom of the page
- Include your name, your class and section, and the date at the top of the paper.
- Submit your paper via Turnitin on Canvas by __July 31, 2019
Assessment: The Critical Thinking Paper is worth 13.3% of the final course grade. The instructor will use a rubric to evaluate the papers. Areas of evaluation will include application of course content, task-related skills, and language use.
Rubric
CTP 3 Rubric New
| Criteria | Ratings | Pts | |||||||||||
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This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeTask Related Skills – Examination • Choose a company with strong social media presence • Background: what is the business and how has it changed • Choose and describe a historical (pre 2000) advertisement • Choose two current social media posts • Identify the target audience |
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20.0 pts |
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This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeTask Related Skills – Evaluation (20%) • Identify who created the media message • Recognize what the media maker wants you to believe or do • Name the “tools of persuasion” used • Discover the part of the story that’s not being told • Define and discuss two social media principles and use these principles to evaluate the social media posts |
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20.0 pts |
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This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeResponse (20%) • How can this company’s social media strategy be improved? |
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20.0 pts |
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This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeContent – Content Completeness (10%) The student gives a complete response to all aspects of the prompt and demonstrates content knowledge. |
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10.0 pts |
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This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeContent – Content Accuracy (10%) – The student includes course source information accurately. |
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10.0 pts |
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This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeLanguage – General Writing Skills (5%) – The student demonstrates writing skills at the sentence, paragraph, and whole-paper level. • The whole paper has coherence: ideas can be understood; some reader effort may be necessary only rarely. • The sentences and paragraphs show cohesion: consistent and strategic movement of ideas is evident and simple transitions show connections between ideas, sentences. • There is consistent formation of complete sentences: simple and compound, and complex sentences. • There are general paragraphing skills: topic sentence, development, concluding sentence. • There may be emerging paraphrasing skills, such as application of reporting verbs, use of the student’s own words, and possibly added commentary. |
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5.0 pts |
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This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeEditing (5%) • carefully fixes grammar, spelling, and punctuation mistakes. |
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5.0 pts |
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This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeLanguage – Examination, Evaluation and Response Language Strategies (5%) The student used language strategies (taught in class) for examination, evaluation and response such as attribution phrases. |
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5.0 pts |
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This criterion is linked to a Learning OutcomeLanguage – Attribution (5%) – The student clearly names sources and uses citations when borrowing ideas and words. |
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5.0 pts |
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Total Points: 100.0 |
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