Structure
- Introduction
- In this section broadly summarize the text. This does not have to be comprehensive, but only present what the reader should know to understand your subsequent argument and the base of the text.
- The Argument(s) and Critique
- In this section, collectively address an argument, reoccurring theme, key element or point that is raised by the author(s). Do not attempt to individually address the arguments of every author but develop a collective argument base on what has been read.
- Intertwined in this section you will also offer your critique, ideas, recommendations, on what has been presented by the authors. Ideally you should make argument of your own and support that argument.
- Personal Voice
- In this section, draw on your experiences and connect them to the arguments you make, or the author makes. This is the only section where it is permissible to write in the 1st person.
- Conclusion
- In this section, point to the importance of the argument and draw the writing to a close.
- Use the new template that has been provided in Brightspace (Under Course Documents). Change out the information as necessary.
- Do not write in the 1st or 2nd person point of view. That means the exclusion of the following pronouns:
- 1st: we, us, our, ourselves, I, me, my, mine, and myself.
- 2nd: you, your, yours, yourself, yourselves
You are permitted to use 1st person if you are including a separate section in the document that addresses your own experiences as it relates to what is offered as your reflection. For example,
In The Narrative of Fredrick Douglass one can easily recognize his pathway to liberation is found in his ability to acquire more knowledge.
Assume, I have elected to write surrounding this topic, pathways in a modern society, and make recommendations for how to precure more pathways of liberation for Black people. In a separate section, if I have experiences that relate to the theme of pathways to liberation through education, I can address those.
Example:
Douglas (1845), suggest that Mr. Auld’s sentiments explaining his rationale for why slaves should not be educated fueled his thirst for more knowledge. He writes,
These words sank deep into my heart, stirred up sentiments within that lay slumbering, and called into existence an entirely new train of thought. It was a new and special revelation, explaining dark and mysterious things, with which my youthful understanding had struggled, but struggled in vain. I now understood what had been to me a most perplexing difficulty—to wit, the white man’s power to enslave the black man. It was a grand achievement, and I prized it highly. From that moment, I understood the pathway from slavery to freedom (Douglas, 1845, p. 29-30).
As I reflect on my own pathway to liberation, I too recognize that I used education as a strategy to bring me closer towards freedom. As one who born to a Black family with an undocumented legacy, in the rural, poverty-stricken American south, education was often heralded as the tool that would provide greater opportunity to dismantle the barriers of circumstance and gain access to new resources that could be used to strengthen my knowledge and understanding and propel me into a new realm of being as a Black man.
- Yor must use references to support the arguments/claims being made. For example,
Traditional schooling provides student with the opportunity to learn basic skills that position students to obtain a higher education that leads to them becoming productive citizens in American society. Accordingly, Peterson (2021) argues that the school is the space that cultivates young minds for social and political engagement in a global society (p. 73).
- All in-text citations and references must be in APA format. (Please see APA formatting powerpoint under course documents).
- The text format should be:
- Time New Roman
- Double Spaced
- Size 12 Font
- Align or Justify