Due Week 3 and worth 120 points

Select a topic on which your persuasive writing paper will be focused.

Write a one to two (1-2) page research proposal in which you:

1. Identify the topic you selected and explain two (2) reasons for using it.
2. Include a defensible, relevant thesis statement in the first paragraph. 
3. Describe three (3) major characteristics of your audience (official position, decision-making power, current view on topic, other important characteristic).
4. Describe the paper’s scope and outline the major sections.
5. Identify and explain the questions to be answered.
6. Explain your research plan, including the methods of researching and organizing research.  
7. Document at least three (3) primary sources and three (3) secondary sources. Use credible, academic sources available through Strayer University’s Resource Center. Note: Wikipedia and other Websites do not qualify as academic resources.

Your assignment must follow these formatting guidelines:

• Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; references must follow APA or school-specific format. Check with your professor for any additional instructions.
• Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, the student’s name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and the reference page are not included in the required page length. 

The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:

• Recognize the elements and correct use of a thesis statement. 
• Write a research proposal that states the claim and scope of the research project.
• Outline the main sections of the research project.
• Devise an ordered research plan to obtain appropriate resources.
• Write clearly and concisely about selected topics using proper writing mechanics.  
• Use technology and information resources to research selected issues for this course. 

 view the grading rubric for this assignment.

Grading for this assignment will be based on answer quality, logic/organization of the paper, and language and writing skills, using the following rubric.

Points: 120	Assignment 2: Research Proposal – Thesis, Major Points, and Plan
Criteria	  Unacceptable Below 60% F	Meets Minimum Expectations 60-69% D	  Fair 70-79% C	  Proficient 80-89% B	  Exemplary 90-100% A
1. Identify the topic you selected and explain two (2) reasons for using the genre.   Weight: 5%	Did not submit or incompletely identified the topic you selected and did not submit or incompletely explained two (2) reasons for using the genre.	Insufficiently identified the topic you selected and insufficiently explained two (2) reasons for using the genre.	Partially identified the topic you selected and partially explained two (2) reasons for using the genre.	Satisfactorily identified the topic you selected and satisfactorily explained two (2) reasons for using the genre.	Thoroughly identified the topic you selected and thoroughly explained two (2) reasons for using the genre.
2. Include a defensible, relevant thesis statement in the first paragraph. Weight: 10%	Did not submit or incompletely included a defensible, relevant thesis statement in the first paragraph.	Insufficiently included a defensible, relevant thesis statement     in the first paragraph.	Partially included a defensible, relevant thesis statement in the first paragraph.	Satisfactorily included a defensible, relevant thesis statement in the first paragraph.	Thoroughly included a defensible, relevant thesis statement in the first paragraph.
3. Describe three (3) major characteristics of your audience (official position, decision-making power, current view on topic, other important characteristic). Weight: 10%	Did not submit or incompletely described three (3) major characteristics of your audience.	Insufficiently described three (3) major characteristics of your audience.	Partially described three (3) major characteristics of your audience.	Satisfactorily described three (3) major characteristics of your audience.	Thoroughly described three (3) major characteristics of your audience.
4. Describe the paper’s scope and outline the major sections. Weight: 10%	Did not submit or incompletely described the paper’s scope and did not submit or incompletely outlined the major sections.	Insufficiently described the paper’s scope and insufficiently outlined the major sections.	Partially described the paper’s scope and insufficiently outlined the major sections.	Satisfactorily described the paper’s scope and satisfactorily outlined the major sections.	Thoroughly described the paper’s scope and thoroughly outlined the major sections.
5. Identify and explain the questions to be answered. Weight: 10%	Did not submit or incompletely identified and explained the questions to be answered.	Insufficiently identified and explained the questions to be answered.	Partially identified and explained the questions to be answered.	Satisfactorily identified and explained the questions to be answered.	Thoroughly identified and explained the questions to be answered.
6. Explain your research plan, including the methods of researching and organizing research.  Weight: 10%	Did not submit or incompletely explained your research plan; did not submit or incompletely included the methods of researching and organizing research.Â	Insufficiently explained your research plan; insufficiently included the methods of researching and organizing research.Â	Partially explained your research plan; partially included the methods of researching and organizing research.Â	Satisfactorily explained your research plan; satisfactorily included the methods of researching and organizing research.Â	Thoroughly explained your research plan; thoroughly included the methods of researching and organizing research.Â
7. Document at least three (3) primary sources and three (3) secondary sources,  Weight: 20%	No references provided	Does not meet the required number of references; all references poor quality choices.	Does not meet the required number of references; some references poor quality choices.	Meets number of required references; most references high quality choices.	Meets number of required references; all references high quality choices.
8. Clarity, writing mechanics, and formatting requirements Weight: 25%	More than 8 errors present	7-8 errors present	5-6 errors present	3-4 errors present	0-2 errors present

1.  Compare and contrast John Keats’s “To Autumn” and Susan Hartley Swett’s “July.” In your response, make sure you include the answers to the following questions:

·  How does each poem depict its respective season?

·  What type of imagery and language does each poet use?

·  How do the images and language relate to the themes of the poems?

·  How do the literary devices of personification and the use of the refrain affect each poem?

Presenting the Good Life

Positive psychology focuses on three important concepts of the pleasant life, the good life, and the meaningful life.

Seligman (2005) purports that experiencing these three pillars of positive psychology creates “the full-life.” This assignment focuses on the second pillar: the good life.

According to the positive psychology model, the good life involves identifying and amplifying unique strengths and skills. The goal of identifying your signature strengths is to be able to amplify these strengths in flow experiences.

This assignment is divided into two tasks. You will first identify your personal signature strengths and then apply these strengths to transform a tedious activity into an enlivened one.

Task I

What are your top three strengths when you experience flow? Using the Internet, research various instruments available that can help you identify your strengths. When conducting your Internet search, use the following phrases:

• Measuring flow experiences
• Dimensions of flow
• Measuring signature strengths
• OCEAN personality psychometric test
• The big five test
• Trait theory personality test
• Five factor model (FFM)

Select one of the instruments from your research and complete the test to determine your strengths. Then do the following:

• Evaluate your results and create a list of your personal signature strengths.

If you are unable to use these instruments, then list what you understand or believe to be your top three strengths when you experience flow.

Task II

This task requires you to engage in an activity that you find tedious. While engaging in the activity, tap into an identified personal strength and enliven the experience. For example, a student who dislikes the task of commuting to work resolves to tap into her creativity and sing to her favorite music while driving, thus transforming the experience from tedious to an enlivened one.

Engage in an activity you consider tedious and then tap into an identified personal strength to enliven it.

Upon completion of this activity, create a  PowerPoint presentation with the following information: 

• Slide 1: Title slide
• Slide 2: Discuss a scholarly reference on the validity of using signature strengths to create flow.
• Slide 3: Describe the strengths you identified after doing an evaluation of yourself.
• Slides 4–5: Discuss the application of strengths to the activity. Include your ideas on how and why the activity was transformed from tedious to an enlivened activity.
• Slides 6–7: Demonstrate how to apply this and other signature strengths to transform other tasks identified as tedious.
• Slide 8: Discuss your general state of emotion after completing the enlivened activity. Examine the reasons for this state of emotion. Include one scholarly reference from established research on positive psychology that supports the use of signature strengths to facilitate a state of well-being.
• Slide 9: Discuss how recognizing and using signature strengths can help improve relationships.
• Slide 10: Provide a list of references in APA format

Develop a 10-slide scripted presentation in PowerPoint format. Apply APA standards to citation of sources.

I need website rewies written for 4 different websites. One portal website, one news website, one social network website, and one informational website.

These should be written from a web design standpoint.  200-250 words for each review, but a separate line for each of these points. 

1 Overall design- (your critique here)

2 Interactivity- (your critique here)

3. Functionality– (your critique here)

4. Ease of use- (your critique here)

5 Accessibility- (your critique here)

6 Use of various media- (your critique here)

7 Intended audience- (your critique here)

8 Mood or theme- (your critique here)

Please have the websites be a more mainstream choice, and please provide the links to the websites along with the critique. This doesn’t have to be anything fancy.