Assignment Content
- In this assignment, you will create a minimum 525-word rough draft of your persuasive essay. Review your thesis statement and research you gathered in Weeks 1 and 2 before beginning. Be sure to note any feedback from your instructor about changes you might want to consider.
There are different approaches to preparing a draft, so feel free to explore what works best for you. You may wish to start by creating an outline that you can refer to as you compose you draft. An outline also gives you an opportunity to record notes to yourself on where to flesh out ideas; you can use this as a reference for later revisions. The Creating an Outline document from the Center for Writing Excellence includes a sample outline. Other approaches to preparing your draft include: writing it from start to finish, writing the body or sections individually and then compiling and adding connections, starting by writing what intrigues you most about the topic. These strategies are meant to help you get started on your paper but remember to revise so that you have a complete draft to submit. Keep in mind that only the draft will be required for submission in this assignment. You do not have to submit your outline or notes.
Complete the following as you prepare your rough draft:
- Visit the APA Templates page from the Center for Writing Excellence and select the appropriate template.
- Complete the title page information with your details and original title.
- Underline or bold the thesis statement within your introduction paragraph.
- Include direct quotes or paraphrased information from the research you gathered in Week 2 (3 pieces of cited evidence, 1 of which is peer reviewed). Refer to “Paraphrase: Write It in Your Own Words” from the Purdue Online Writing Lab for assistance.
- Include a References page with citations formatted according to APA guidelines on the last page of your essay. Each cited source should have 1 reference within the paper.
- Use a grammar checking tool from the Center for Writing Excellence to review your work for errors and make corrections as needed.
