Full Page Instructions, Definition, And Paper Assignment

5 Full Pagesinstructions Definition Paperassignmentdefine Your Theme

Define your theme. Remember that your theme is the idea you have chosen to work with over the course of the semester. Your paper should provide an encyclopedic discussion of your theme that moves readers’ understanding of your theme beyond the obvious. Your paper should be thought-provoking; the best definition papers teach readers something new about a term or invite additional discussion about a term.

This paper must focus on providing a definition. Your thesis statement should present a definition. Your paper should include: 1. An introductory paragraph and thesis statement that identify the theme and provide an original definition of that theme, respectively. Your thesis statement should attempt to synthesize various definitions of the theme that already exist within scholarship. To synthesize means to combine various ideas into a new, single idea. The thesis statement should be a single sentence and should appear at the end of the introductory paragraph. 2. Body paragraphs that provide context for your definition, contain facts and examples, and combine research and reasoning to provide support for your thesis statement. Most good body paragraphs include a topic sentence, some of the author’s own ideas/analysis, some evidence, and a conclusion sentence that “finishes” the paragraph and reiterates the main point of the paragraph. 3. Topic and transitional sentences between paragraphs. You may use headings between different sections of the paper, but headings are not required for this assignment. 4. A conclusion paragraph and correctly formatted APA References page. 5. In-text citations. 6. A correctly formatted APA title page, including a paper title and a running header. An abstract is not required.

Goals of the assignment include developing an effective thesis, showing evidence of critical thinking, applying credible sources, and expressing ideas clearly and grammatically.

Your paper must make use of at least two credible secondary sources. Reference sources like dictionaries or encyclopedias may be used but do not count as secondary sources. Credible sources include books, peer-reviewed journal articles, government reports, and trustworthy websites. Use Palmquist Chapter 21 for APA formatting of the References page and in-text citations.

In-text citations are required for any borrowed material, including quotations, paraphrases, factual assertions, or detailed historical information. Both rough and final drafts are required; the rough draft is worth 25 points, and the final draft is worth 150 points based on the provided rubric. Failure to meet word count or research requirements will result in significant points deductions.