Keeping up Appearances:  The Cost of Looking Good

 

 

 

“Here’s Looking at You:  Is Body Image Being Taken Too Seriously?” “The Pitfalls of Plastic Surgery,” “The Human Cost of Fakes,” and “The Morality of Designer Knock-Offs” all address issues stemming from our increasingly unachievable standards of attractiveness/desirability.  Each of the authors has addressed the harm caused to ourselves and others as a result of buying into society’s definition of attractiveness. 

 

The Assignment:

Compose your paper as a response to one of these authors, either addressing something we are encouraged to do or a situation created by our desire to “fit” society’s definition of attractiveness.  You will narrow to something very specific--Keep in mind that you will isolate one idea that the author addresses and then respond in one of the following ways:

·         Agree with one of the author’s ideas

·         Challenge one of the author’s ideas

·         Discuss something that you think the author missed when writing his/her article

·         Pose a solution to one of the issues the author has raised

·         Analyze the writer’s piece in terms of effectiveness

·         Introduce a new, but related idea

 

Ideas:  The ideas delineated below are provided to give you ideas of how you could respond. 

v  Effects of negative body image on certain populations (wrestlers; gymnasts; gay men; teens; dancers)

v  Products (weight loss pills; male “enhancement” products; ProActive; steroids; wrinkle creams)

v  Procedures (calf implants; hair plugs; laser hair removal; permanent make-up)

v  Causes of our insecurity/dissatisfaction (video game heroes; celebrities; photoshopping)

v  The moral issues surrounding an industry:  Child labor/sweatshops (narrow to a certain company)

v  The politics of attractiveness:  Attractiveness and jobs; attractiveness and grades

 

 

Table of Contents:

Criteria for Success                    2

Schedule of Due Dates              2

Evaluation Criteria (Rubric)         3

MLA Formatting Guidelines      4

Help with Source Material           5

Page for Brainstorming              6

Fill-in-the-Blank Outline             7

Criteria for Success

 

See the rubric on page 3 for the standards by which your paper will be graded.  It will clearly tell you what to do in each section of the paper. 

 

Criteria for Success:  Use this check-off sheet to ensure that you meet all of the criteria. 

        1000+ words, double-spaced & formatted according to MLA—See page 4 of this prompt

        A summary of one of the America Now essays

        At least one outside source used in order to support your argument

        A correctly formatted Works Cited page with the America Now article and your source

*Instructions are in Keys for Writers, 166-169 (Basic Rules) and 169-194 (Samples)

        In-text citations correctly introduce your sources the first time you use them (full name, credibility, and the name of article or publication)—Sample on pg. 5 of this prompt

        Subsequent in-text citations include the first word of the Works Cited citation and page number (if applicable); they still require a lead-in.—Sample on pg. 5 of this prompt

v  No internet articles unless they are from reputable online newspapers!

v  Encyclopedias, dictionaries & other reference sources do not count toward the source requirement; however, you must still include them on your Works Cited page.

 

Schedule of Due Dates:

 

Tuesday, Mar 10:  Summary and Completed Tearaway Due

·         Compose a 200+ word summary of the article you have chosen to respond to.

·         Fill in the tearaway (including the statement of purpose/audience) on pg. 7 of this prompt.

v  Thesis should be directed to a very specific audience & tell them what to think, know, or do

v  Topic Sentences should identify the main point and transition from the previous point

v  Each main point ¶ should include a topic sentence, explanation of the point, support for the point, and a “So What?” reflection that helps the reader see the validity of the material.

 

Tuesday, Mar 17:  Workshop Draft Due; BRING TWO COPIES!

·         Bring the completed draft of your argument.

·         Include a Works Cited page; See Keys for Writers, 166-169 (Basics) & 169-194 (Samples).

 

Tuesday, Mar 24:  Final Draft Due

·         1000+ words (put word count at end), formatted according to MLA—See pg. 4 of prompt

·         Correctly formatted Works Cited page with your America Now essay and your source

·         Submit in folder with your evaluation criteria chart

**Complete the information from your diagnostic!

·         Include all workshop materials and copies of every source you used.

 

Important Information Regarding Grading:

Evaluation Criteria English 1A

 

**If the paper is failing in any one area or does not address the assignment, it will not receive a passing grade.

 

Essay Grade:  ___  ___  ___  ___                        Overall Grade:  ___  ___  ___  ___

 

INTRO:  ___  ___  ___  ___  Areas that NEED WORK are checked; areas that are well-done are denoted with stars.

___  ___  ___  ___  Attracts reader/generates interest in the topic

___  ___  ___  ___  Gives the reader thorough information about the topic, even if this requires several ¶s

___  ___  ___  ___  Does not mention the paper, writer (you), or reader (“in this paper,” “when I was researching”)

___  ___  ___  ___  Effectively narrows the topic to one that can be well-developed in approximately 1500 words

___  ___  ___  ___  Smoothly transitions from the general intro to the thesis (naturally rather than suddenly)

___  ___  ___  ___  Has a clear, narrow, strong thesis with only one claim that is directed to a particular audience

 

BODY:  ___  ___  ___  ___  Areas that NEED WORK are checked; areas that are well-done are denoted with stars.

___  ___  ___  ___  All main points relate back to the thesis

___  ___  ___  ___  All explanations/examples/outside sources/reflection support the main point

___  ___  ___  ___  Writer has audience-awareness (content is audience-specific; tone is audience-friendly)

___  ___  ___  ___  Writer maintains a consistent view (doesn’t change claim or demonstrate uncertainty)

___  ___  ___  ___  Each main point gets its own ¶(s)

___  ___  ___  ___  Main points with more than one idea are separated into subpoints (1 idea per ¶)

___  ___  ___  ___  Topic sentences effectively identify the point and connect it to the thesis

___  ___  ___  ___  Connections between ideas are clear (topic sentences; transitions)

___  ___  ___  ___  Ideas follow one another logically from ¶ to ¶ (cause and effect, chronologically)

___  ___  ___  ___  Ideas follow one another logically within ¶s

___  ___  ___  ___  Writer has enough main points to substantiate thesis

___  ___  ___  ___  Main points are fully developed (explanations, specific examples, source material, reflection)

___  ___  ___  ___  Support is vivid and specific rather than general and vague

 

CONCLUSION:  ___  ___  ___  ___    Areas that NEED WORK are checked; well-done areas are denoted with stars.

___  ___  ___  ___  The conclusion is a well-developed ¶ that doesn’t simply restate the main points

___  ___  ___  ___  The conclusion leaves the reader thinking

___  ___  ___  ___  The conclusion may leave the reader with something to ponder or do

 

STYLE:  ___  ___  ___  ___    Areas that NEED WORK are checked; areas that are well-done are denoted with stars.

___  ___  ___  ___  Original ideas/engaging topic:  The paper has purpose and isn’t revisiting common ideas

___  ___  ___  ___  The paper has an academic tone/the writer has a unique, interesting writing style

___  ___  ___  ___  The paper is not repetitive

___  ___  ___  ___  The writer demonstrates critical thinking (logical; no fallacies; can identify appeals and fallacies)

___  ___  ___  ___  Writer makes use of a variety of sentence patterns

___  ___  ___  ___  The writer demonstrates creativity

 

MLA:   ___  ___  ___  ___   Areas that NEED WORK are checked; areas that are well-done are denoted with stars.

___  ___  ___  ___  First use of a source introduces it (author’s full name &/or the title, credibility, and a lead in)

___  ___  ___  ___  All subsequent uses of a source include a lead-in & a correct citation: 1rst word on WC

___  ___  ___  ___  Punctuation is correct (ellipses, colons, periods, and quotation marks)

___  ___  ___  ___  Writer begins and ends each ¶ with his/her own thoughts

___  ___  ___  ___  Layout of Works Cited page correctly follows MLA documentation guidelines

___  ___  ___  ___  Individual citations on the Works Cited page follow MLA documentation guidelines

___  ___  ___  ___  All sources used are cited; all cited sources are used; sources are credible; enough sources used

 

GRAMMATICAL ACCURACY (Errors per page):      A:  1-2          B:  3-4          C:  5          D:  6          F:  7+

 

Diagnostic:                                             Paper One:                                             Midterm:                                Paper Two:           


 

MLA FORMATTING GUIDELINES

 

·         No separate cover sheet or title page

 

·         12 point font; 1 inch margins all around; justify left

 

·         Place your name, your instructor’s name, the course title, and the date in the upper left hand corner.  These items are double-spaced.

 

·          The entire paper is double-spaced; never hit “enter” twice.

 

·         Center the title a double space under the date; capitalize all appropriate words.  Do not underline or boldface.  Do not use all caps, place it between quotation marks, or end it with a period. 

 

·         Begin the essay a double space below the title. 

 

·          Number your first page and all subsequent pages one-half inch from the top, one inch from the right margin.  Put your last name before the page number. 

 

·         Indent the first line of each paragraph using your tab key (5 spaces).

 

 

Example:

 

                                                                                                                                                           Juncker 1

Margaret Juncker

 

Professor Varbel

 

English 1A

 

17 March 2009

 

No More Jury Duty

 

            Are you sick and tired of jury duty?  Does your heart sink every time you open the mailbox and see the words “Superior Court” ominously glaring at you from the front of an official–looking envelope?  Well, despair no more.  You can turn those frustrating mailbox moments into moments filled with diabolical chuckling.  What will you need?  Read on.


 

Help with Source Material

 

 

Works Cited Citations:

*Instructions are in Keys for Writers, 166-169 (Basic Rules) and 169-194 (Samples)

 

 

Reprinted Book:  Lane, Tristan.  Luscious with Lipo.  1970.  Chico, CA: Houghton Mifflin, 2007.

 

Editor as author:  Lanze, Deirdre, ed.  Celebrity Woes.  3rd ed.  Boston:  Norton, 2006.

 

Work in an Anthology:  Juncker, Margaret.  “Jeans or Juvy.”  Why Not Fitting in Leads to

 

Crime.  4th ed.  Ed. John D. Shehorn.  Boston, Bedford, 2008.  56-60.

 

Advertisement:  ProActive.  Advertisement.  Bazaar.  13 February 2008:  43. 

 

Newspaper:  Riley, Jane.  “Label Lies.”  Fresno Bee  26 October 2007:  A5.

 

Scholarly Journal:  Jones, Ty.  “Steroid Abuse.”  MD Quarterly  45.6 (2006):  125–133.

 

Magazine Article:  Diaz, Trey.  Metrosexuality.”  Health  26 October 2005:  15.

 

Database Article:  Cite as print article (above) and then add the following:

·         Name of the database, underlined (Expanded Academic ASAP.)

·         Name of the service providing the database (Infotrac.)

·         Name of library w/ city & state (Mission College Library, Santa Clara, CA.)

·         Your date of access (30 October 2005.)

Rosenberg, Debra, Lynn Waddell, and Suzanne Smalley. "Did Your Breast Implants Change

Shape?"  Consumer Reports 21 Jan 2008: 40. Academic Universe. Lexis-Nexis. 

Mission College Library, Santa Clara, CA.  16  Mar. 2009.

 

In-text Citations:

*Instructions are in Keys for Writers, 148-149 and 155-157.

 

 

First Use:  In her article “Calling for a New Dialogue on Rape,” University of Pennsylvania student Darcy Richie asks an important question:  “What messages are men receiving through the media and through our words about how women are to be treated?” (36).

 

Subsequent Uses:  One of her theories is that “the media’s sexualization of females translates […] into a justification to touch, fondle, and use force or coercion to lure their female acquaintances into unwanted sexual intercourse” (Richie 35).


 

Page for Brainstorming


Fill-in-the-Blank-Outline (Follows Standard Format)

 

Statement of Purpose and Audience:  On the lines below, identify your target audience and what you want them to think, know, or do as a result of having read your paper:

_____________________________________________________________________________

 

I.  Intro

     A. *(Optional) Attention-getter (Think of Richie’s rape scenario.)

     B. ¶ Summary of the America Now article:  Include author, title, overall idea of the piece in the first sentence.  Then, identify the writer’s supporting points using author tags. 

C. Transition ¶:  Transition from the summary ¶ and isolate/identify the point that you would like to focus on or spin off of.  Make it stand out from the piece, and explain it clearly before you defend, challenge, propose a solution, address a missed point, or present a new idea.

D.  Thesis statement:  Specific, focused claim re: the topic (Direct to target audience; tell them exactly what to think, know, as do as a result of having read your paper):  _____________________________________________________________________________.

**Really consider audience.  Do they already know, already agree, already care, or already do?

 

II. Body:  You can support with statistics (Richie), expert opinion, interviews (Rispin), etc.

     A.  Topic sentence that identifies main point:

_____________________________________________________________________________.

       1.  Explanation of the point: ______________________________________________________________________________

       2.  Support (specific): ______________________________________________________________________________

       3.  “So What?” (relevance):   

______________________________________________________________________________

     B.  Topic sentence that identifies main point and transitions from point A: 

_____________________________________________________________________________.

       1.  Explanation of the point: ______________________________________________________________________________

       2.  Support (specific): ______________________________________________________________________________

       3.  “So What?” (relevance):   

______________________________________________________________________________

     C.  Topic sentence that identifies main point and transitions from point B:

_____________________________________________________________________________.     

       1.  Explanation of the point: ______________________________________________________________________________

       2.  Support (specific): ______________________________________________________________________________

       3.  “So What?” (relevance):   

______________________________________________________________________________

 

III. Conclusion

Wrap up your paper in such a way that you invite the reader to think, to agree, or to act.  If you give the reader something very specific to do, even if it is just to ponder what you have presented, your conclusion will be more effective (as in the case of Collins and Take Back the Night).