Paragraph Your Passion

Later in this course, you will be writing three essays, using the full writing process from invention through drafting and revision. You will also be writing responses to discussion topics. For Unit 1, however, you will not be working on any major essay just yet. Instead, you will begin with a smaller task, practicing the construction of a single effective paragraph, from topic sentence through supporting details, to concluding sentence, all with an eye toward good paragraph structure, self-expression, grammatical correctness, and flow.

To that end, for this assignment you will select an article of interest from those described in the List of Approved Articles for Writing and consider an idea expressed by the author that captures your attention and speaks to your interests.

For instance, if you have an interest in technology and the Internet, you might choose an article from the list such as:

• Cathleen A. Cleaver, “The Internet: A Clear and Present Danger?,” page 312.
• Elizabeth Larsen, “Surfin’ the Louvre,” page 156.

The List of Approved Articles for Writing contains many exciting articles that appeal to a wide range of interests, so be sure to review it thoroughly. Also take the time to browse in the textbook itself the contents of the articles that seem appealing to you before you make a choice.

Before beginning this assignment, carefully and very thoroughly read through the Paragraph Your Passion Scoring Guide. Read and comprehend all categories in the scoring guide, asking your instructor if you have any questions about any element of these criteria.

To complete this assignment:

1. Browse the articles from the List of Approved Articles for Writing. Take some time to consider the article you will use for this paragraph as well as for your assignments later in the course. Read through the list several times, noting articles of interest to you.
2. Locate the articles in your textbook that seem most interesting, skim through several articles to make an informed choice, and select an article that truly appeals to you.
3. Read your chosen article thoroughly several times, taking notes on the single most interesting idea. Do not continue to the next step until you have located an idea in one of the textbook articles that truly excites you.
4. Carefully and thoroughly review the media piece Writing Effective Paragraphs. Take your time with this resource, taking notes, repeating the resource if necessary, and letting your instructor know if you have any questions at all about it. Do not finish or submit your paragraph until you have a very clear understanding of all elements of this resource.
5. Create a document in which you compose a single, well-structured paragraph. Including a viable, attention grabbing topic sentence, 3–5 rich sentences of supporting details, and a comprehensive concluding sentence, paying close attention to grammatical correctness and transitions for good flow. This paragraph should express your passion for the topic at hand and explain how and why the topic from the article is of interest to you, employing strong detail for reader appeal.
6. Keep in mind that in this paragraph, you are not writing about the article from your textbook itself; you are writing about only the idea that interests you and explaining why and how it interests you. In this particular assignment, you are expressing yourself—your passions—not what others have to say on the topic. For example, if you were to choose Elizabeth Larsen’s “Surfin’ the Louvre,” you would not write your paragraph about what Larsen says. Instead, you will use the concepts in the article to create your own thought in good, rich detail, perhaps writing about why access to famous art online excites you. If you have questions or need help deciding which essay from the list would be best for you, consult your instructor.
7. In creating your document, remember to include proper APA formatting: title page, 1″ margins, 12-point font, headers, pagination, and double spacing. You will find detailed instruction on these items, as well as an example of an APA-formatted essay, in your textbook A Writer’s Reference, in the APA section under Manuscript Format, Sample Paper. For this assignment you are not using sources, so you will not need citations and references this week. However, you are required to format your document in proper APA style.
8. When you have finished your paragraph, carefully and very thoroughly read through the Paragraph Your Passion Scoring Guide before submitting your work. Read and comprehend all categories in the scoring guide, asking your instructor if you have any questions about any element of these criteria. Do not finalize and submit this assignment until you have taken this step.
9. Submit your assignment to the Turnitin source matching tool, and make any necessary revisions before submitting your final paragraph for grading.
10. Attach your file in the assignment area, and submit it to your instructor.

You are also strongly encouraged to make use of Smarthinking, which is a free service provided to you as a Capella learner. Smarthinking allows you to submit any writing assignment for a free review from a qualified tutor. If you would like to use this excellent tool, click the link in the Resources section.

Paragraph Your Passion Scoring Guide

Due Date: End of Unit 1.
Percentage of Course Grade: 5%.

CRITERIA	NON-PERFORMANCE	BASIC	PROFICIENT	DISTINGUISHED
Apply accepted conventions of paragraph composition, such as structure, flow, and details about personal, professional, or academic interests in a topic. 50%	Does not apply accepted conventions of composing a paragraph in explaining personal, professional, or academic interests.	Applies conventions of composing a paragraph in explaining personal, professional, or academic interests, but composition lacks structure, flow, or detail.	Applies accepted conventions of paragraph composition, such as structure, flow, and details about personal, professional, or academic interests in a topic.	Applies accepted conventions of composing a paragraph in explaining personal, professional, or academic interests in a unique, expressive manner that appeals to the reader.
Identify an approved professional article in the textbook that addresses topics of personal, professional, or academic interest. 20%	Does not locate an approved professional article in the textbook that addresses topics of personal, professional, or academic interest.	Locates an approved professional article in the textbook, but it is not clearly relevant to topics of personal, professional, or academic interest.	Identifies an approved professional article in the textbook that addresses topics of personal, professional, or academic interest.	Identifies an approved professional article in the textbook that addresses topics of personal, professional, or academic interest and that provides a detailed perspective on the topic.
Apply proper academic writing conventions of grammar, spelling, and APA document formatting. 30%	Does not apply proper academic writing conventions of grammar, spelling, and APA document formatting.	Applies some academic writing conventions of grammar, spelling, and APA document formatting, but includes includes persistent errors.	Applies proper academic writing conventions of grammar, spelling, and APA document formatting.	Applies proper academic writing conventions of grammar, spelling, and APA formatting and citation style consistently and without errors.