an essay
English 113A/Misaghi
3
Progression 2 Essay: Super Freakonomics!
Essay Proposal (Outline with Thesis) due ____________
First draft (at least 2 full pages with a Works Cited page) due ____________
FINAL draft due ____________
The purpose of this assignment is to formulate a clear, argumentative thesis statement, and develop
support for it in an essay that analyzes others’ arguments and utilizes academic research. You will learn
and practice the following research skills: analyzing a text, applying the claims from the text into your own
argument, finding and evaluating sources, and citing sources.
Note: this is not a report-where you collect and then report information. Instead, you will develop and
argue a debatable position on your selected topic. You will not turn in a paper that puts together other
people’s ideas. Instead, you will support a thesis statement and use sources to back up your ideas.
After spending time in class discussing Levitt’s and Dubner’s work, you will combine what you have read
along with a minimum of 2 other credible outside sources to develop a 3+ page typed, and double-spaced
(MLA format) paper that addresses ONE of the following questions:
1. Does the recognition of differences (narrow your topic to something specific, like: ethnicity, religion,
culture, politics, socioeconomic status, geography, gender, sexual preference, appearance, etc.)
create an “us and them” mentality, or does it help maintain a fair society? You MUST use examples
from SuperFreakonomics to support your position.
2. In the first book, Freakonomics, Levitt proclaims, “Humans respond to incentives” (7). Write an
essay to explore the power of incentives by:
a. Analyzing one or two of the ideas/conclusions Levitt reaches in SuperFreakonomics, and
b. Showing examples of how incentives work in your world.
3. If you want to formulate your own question, you may do so as long as it is related to
SuperFreakonomics, you get my approval, and you can write an argumentative essay to answer it.
YOU MUST INCLUDE A “WORKS CITED” PAGE AT THE BACK OF YOUR PAPER (See chapter 29 of
COMP if you need more help); THIS DOES NOT COUNT IN THE PAGE COUNT!
WHILE YOU MAY USE WEBSITES AS SOURCES, YOU CANNOT CITE FROM WIKIPEDIA OR ANY
DICTIONARY/ENCYCLOPEDIA/QUOTES WEBSITES. YOU MAY USE THEM IN YOUR RESEARCH,
BUT DO NOT CITE FROM THEM AS THEY DO NOT COUNT TOWARDS THE 2 SOURCES REQUIRED.
YOUR ESSAY FOLDER DUE ON ______ MUST INCLUDE:
1. Final draft (100 points)
2. First drafts (all of them)
3. Outline
4. Optional: LRC slip (10 points extra credit)
DON’T FORGET TO ATTACH THE ESSAY COVER SHEET (ON NEXT PAGE) TO YOUR FINAL ESSAY!
turky Abu bunayyah
turky Abu bunayyah
