Is oil harming us more than it is benefiting us ?
Students will construct an introduction (250-300 words) that (1) summarizes the discussions about the topic, and based

on the students’ new understanding of the conversations over time,  (2) generate a research question that propels

further research. Students will then construct an annotated bibliography. For each of the 6 sources, students will

construct (1) an MLA bibliographic entry, (2) a summary paragraph, and (3) a rhetorical analysis including historical

context. (250-300 words total for both paragraphs).

Project Description/Assignment

Students will create an annotated bibliography consisting of 6 entries of 300 words each on a single topic, 3 published

between 2000-2010 and 3 between 2011-2014. These summaries will include an analysis of the articles’ rhetorical

situation, succinct summary of the ideas contained in the source, and discussion of each article’s historical placement

within the topic’s history.

Students will also compose a topic-centered summary paragraph (250-300 words) which concisely addresses an overview

of the topic, incorporating major keywords and concepts relevant to the topic. Students will also construct a working

thesis about how the conversation regarding the topic has changed over time. As part of the topic-centered summary

paragraph’s overview, students will include relevant paraphrased source material (source’s ideas in students’ own words)

along with citations that meet MLA guidelines. The topic-centered summary paragraph will also include a quote (no more

than 7 words) from one of the sources that adds to the significance of the introduction (no block quotes permitted).

Assessment

This assignment will be evaluated using the FYC rubric and the Project 1 guidelines.

Writing and Critical Thinking Student Outcomes

Students will:

demonstrate an understanding of the ongoing conversation about their topic (Focus),
concisely summarize an author’s main idea and supporting evidence/details (Focus/Organization),
choose credible and relevant sources (Evidence),
construct a well-structured analysis that addresses synthesis of sources and their connection to the overall conversation

(Evidence),
demonstrate an understanding of history as an ongoing conversation (Evidence),
employ active third person point of view (Style),
condense material into clear, succinct entries (Style),
create an annotated bibliography according to MLA guidelines (Format)
Peer Review Student Outcomes

Students will:

assess peers’ summary of sources and synthesis of material (Focus),
assess credibility of peers’ sources  (Evidence),
assess progression of ideas in peers’ work (Organization),
assess peers’ adherence to required point of view, active v passive voice, verb tense, shift, and proofreading  (Style),
assess adherence to MLA formatting for annotated bibliography (Format).
Genre Conventions: Annotated Bibliography

Purpose: Understand the argument and rhetorical context of scholarly sources in preparation for entering academic

conversations and in making connections and synthesizing these arguments
Audience: Someone who is less knowledgeable about the subject; or, an audience of academic peers
Point of View: Third-person, using active voice
Research Question and Thesis/Focus

The student should focus on evaluating and synthesizing sources, and making connections between sources in order to

generate a research question about a topic.

Role of Research

This project emphasizes that research, like writing, is a process: students will locate 6 academic sources (3 published

between 2000-2010 and 3 between 2011-2014), summarize them critically, and then draw connections among them.

Students will learn from the research how to trace academic conversations over time and that academic conversations

develop in connection with one another.

Role of Peer Review

This project emphasizes providing peer review in accordance with FYC rubric categories and standards. Students will

learn to assess peers’ adherence to conventions associated with academic annotated bibliographies, evaluate outside

sources and their analyses using MLA citations and summaries, and reflect on the quality of summaries/synthesis of

peers’ research.

Writing Process

Early Draft: In preparation for individual conferences with an instructor, students will post a summary of their current

understanding of the topic on a discussion board using Canvas. After receiving feedback/questions for further research

from peers, students will construct a planning draft (timeline displaying source material) which demonstrates their

preliminary understanding of the chosen topic and provides a research question to guide them further.

Intermediate draft: Students will construct a topic-centered summary paragraph (250-300 words) that (1) summarizes the

discussions about the topic based on their new understanding, and (2) generates a research question that propels

further research. Students will then construct an annotated bibliography. For each of the 6 sources, students will

construct (1) MLA bibliographic entry, (2) a summary paragraph, and (3) a rhetorical analysis, including historical

context. (250-300 words total for both paragraphs)

Final Draft:  Integrating feedback from instructor and peers, students will construct a revised and polished version of the

intermediate draft. Students will construct a topic-centered summary paragraph (250-300 words) that (1) summarizes the

discussions about the topic based on their new understanding, and (2) generates a research question that propels

further research. Students will then construct an annotated bibliography. For each of the 6 sources, students will

construct (1) MLA bibliographic entry, (2) a summary paragraph, and (3) a rhetorical analysis, including historical

context. (250-300 words total for both paragraphs).