Course Outline Faculty of Education & Arts

Course Code (ID) ENGL1035

Course Title: The Composing Process

Credits: 3

Section: 3

Course Instructor: Ms. Mary Smith

Program: General Core

Semester: 2022-3

Meeting Times: M-Th (5:00pm-7:00pm)

Google Meet Link: https://meet.google.com/gbr-hvcv-imc

Pre-requisites: ENGL 1025 (College English 2)

Co-requisites None
Field trip(s): None
Consultation Hours:

Telephone: Faculty of Education & Arts Office: 822-3680, Extension 1111

*For urgent matters only. Kindly use email for other matters.

E-Mail Address: [email protected]

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REQUIRED TEXTS AND RESOURCES

Required Texts:

Fulwiler, Toby. College Writing: A Personal Approach to Academic Writing, 3rd ed. Portsmouth, NH:
Boynton/Cook, 1997. (Available on Moodle and Articulate Rise, in Week 1)

Articles and other short readings posted on Articulate Rise throughout the semester

Recommended Texts for Reference (Available in UB Library’s textbooks collection or online):

Graff, Gerald and Cathy Berkenstein. They Say I Say: The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing.
2nd ed. New York: W.W. Norton and Co., 2010.

Wyrick, Jean. Steps to Writing Well. 11th ed. Boston: Thompson Wadsworth, 2011. Print.

Other Resource:
Purdue University Online Writing Lab: http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/section/2/

Materials and Supplies:

(i) A good college level dictionary of Standard English. This can be a free online version such as
https://www.merriam-webster.com/ or http://www.thefreedictionary.com/dictionary.htm

(ii) A folder to secure your graded work and maintain your personal records. This can be a
traditional folder or an electronic one on your computer.

(iii) A backup system for all assigned work such as a flash drive, Google Drive, iCloud, or Dropbox.
Assignments lost due to computer failure do not constitute a valid excuse for late work.

COURSE DESCRIPTION

In this second-year composition course, students produce writings that focus on issues of national importance
in Belize. They analyze various types of texts and conduct research into cultural, political, social,
environmental, and economic factors that shape the Belizean society. The course culminates in the writing of
an 8 to 10-page research paper that demonstrates mastery of academic writing conventions, including
standard documentation styles.
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COURSE INTENDED LEARNING OUTCOMES
At the end of the course, successful students will be able to:
1. Write for a variety of audiences and purposes, making good choices regarding the style and
tone appropriate to each rhetorical situation.
2. Demonstrate, both in oral and written forms, a high level of analytical reading, writing and
thinking skills.
3. Identify good rhetorical choices made by professional authors and emulate these.
4. Conduct research into issues related to Belizean culture and society and present it in a clear, effective
manner that adheres to academic writing conventions.
5. Use research information and other intellectual property ethically so as to avoid plagiarism
and dishonesty in academic and other situations.
6. Work and study effectively, both individually and in collaboration with others.

COURSE SCHEDULE

Date Topics/Subtopics Teaching Strategies Readings Assignments

& Activities & Due
Dates

Week Week 1 Welcome and course The course outline Pre-requisite check:
1 June overview by the You must have
19th Introduction to the lecturer: Textbook reading: successfully
to course College Writing, completed College
25th Lecture – Chapter 1: “The English 2, or its
synchronous via Writer’s Choices” equivalent, in order to
Google Meet or face- take this course. If
to-face on campus Handout: “What you haven’t, kindly
+ Students work is Travel drop this course
independently on Writing?” immediately and
Moodle & Articulate enroll in the
Rise appropriate College
Travel Articles: English course.
Video: “A Tree That’s Better
Your Annotation is
“What You Can Expect Than Sex”
Due this Sunday, June
in The Composing
“Exploring the 26th at midnight.
Process”
Travel Country One Village
Writing, Part at a Time” Forum 1 is also due
Discussion Forum 1
One: this Sunday, June
Planning & -Introductions “A Walk in the 26th at midnight.
Researching -This Week’s Overview Garden of Ella”
& Assignments
-Students’ Q&A “Belize’s First
Female Drum
Partnerships Formation Maker”
“Connecting with
Video: My Mayan Roots in
Introduction to Travel San Antonio,
Writing – a sub-genre Toledo”
of Creative Nonfiction
“The Magic of Half
Moon Caye”
Close-reading exercise:
 The Composing Process page
Reading and annotating a PAGE
published travel article All other readings and
draft to observe strategies instructions for this
used by the writer week on Moodle and
Articulate Rise
Students begin research
for their travel article.
CW, Chapter 2, “The
Week Travel Composing
2 June Writing, Part Process,” pages 17-
26th Two: Lecture – 23
to Drafting, synchronous via The first draft of
July Revising & Google Meet or face- your travel article,
2nd Peer Review to-face on campus All other readings and carefully revised and
+ Students work instructions for this edited, is due this
independently on week on Articulate Sunday, July 3rd at
Moodle & Articulate Rise midnight.
Rise

Drafting & Revising:

Having selected one
or two of the model
articles as guides or
inspiration, each
student writes the first
draft of his/her travel
article.

Peer Review,
Further Revising and
Editing: Work
partners peer review
each other’s article,
using the same
checklist.

Students further revise

and edit their first
draft
 The Composing Process page
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Date Topics/Subtopics Teaching Strategies Readings Assignments
& Activities & Due
Dates

Week 3 Investigative Lecture – CW, Chapter 5: Forum 2 (article

July Essay: Topic: synchronous via “Writing in the and video for the
3rd to Pros and Cons of Google Meet or face- Academic class library) is due
9th Online Learning to-face on campus Community” this Wednesday,
for Associate-level + Students work July 6th at
Students in Belize independently on At least 8 readings midnight.
and Worldwide Moodle & Articulate submitted to the
Rise class “library” on
OR an appropriate Moodle (Forum 2) *All students should
topic approved by Article submissions OR the same read at least 8 of
your lecturer not by Partners on pros number of readings these – OR 8 readings
later than the and cons of granting you’ve found on you find on your own
middle of Week 4, amnesty to your own – by this Sunday,
if your lecturer undocumented July 10th at
offers this option migrants in Belize and All other readings and midnight.
other countries instructions for this
Part 1: Reading week on Moodle and The Task Sheet for
& Compiling an Students read and Articulate Rise your investigative
Annotated consult articles and essay is due this
Bibliography other sources, and Sunday, July 10th at
begin their Annotated midnight.
Bibliography
assignment

Introduction of the
Annotated
Bibliography
assignment: Format &
Review of
Summarizing Skills

Partnership meeting:
Partners meet to decide
on task sharing for the
resource libraries
(Forum 2) and the
annotated bib and
investigative essay.

Week 4 The final draft of

July Investigative Essay Lecture – CW, Chapter 11: your travel article is
10th to continued: synchronous via “Writing with due this
16th Google Meet or face- Sources” Wednesday, July
Part 2: to-face on campus 13th at midnight.
Drafting & + Students work Sample investigative
Blending Research independently on essays: “Hugo Your Annotated
Information Moodle & Articulate Chavez: A Hero, or Bibliography is due
Smoothly into Rise a Villain?” this Sunday, July
Your Discussion. 17th at midnight.
Videos: Guidelines “To the ICJ or Not?
for Writing an That is the Question!” The first draft of
Investigative Essay your investigative
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All other readings and PAGE
“Incorporating instructions for this essay is also due this
Information from week on Moodle and Sunday, July 17th at
Sources into Your Articulate Rise midnight.
Research Paper” Using the Self-review
Checklist on
Articulate Rise,
carefully revise and
edit your first draft.
 The Composing Process page
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Date Topics/Subtopics Teaching Strategies Readings Assignments
& Activities & Due
Dates

“Using Signal Phrases

to Incorporate
Sources into Your
Paper”
“Blending research
information smoothly
into the essay”

Students revise their

investigative essay
using
a checklist as a guide
Week 5 Lecture –
July Revision & Editing synchronous via CW, Chapter 13: Exchange your work
17th to continued Google Meet or face- “Options for with one classmate (or
21st to-face on campus Revising” other competent
+ Students work reviewer) and review
independently on CW, Chapter 14: each other’s essay
Moodle & Articulate “Options for Editing” using the Peer Review
Rise Sheet found on
All other readings and Articulate Rise.
*Submission of Students continue to instructions for this Complete this by this
Final Draft of the fine- tune their essay week on Moodle Wednesday, July 20th
Investigative Essay
Articulate Rise at midnight.
Students exchange
papers for peer review
The final draft of the
investigative essay
due this Sunday, July
24th.

*There is no exam for this course. The final draft of the investigative essay is the final assessment.

UNIVERSITY OF BELIZE POLICIES

1. Academic Honesty: The administration of student discipline in the university community is a responsibility
shared by students, faculty, and administrative staff. The University of Belize Academic Honesty Policy
outlines the University’s expectations for the integrity of student’s academic work, the procedures for
resolving alleged violations of those expectations, and the rights and responsibilities of students and faculty
throughout the process. All students are expected to conform to the Academic Honesty Policy. Lecturers are
expected to consult with academic department chairpersons to prevent and respond to violations of the
Academic Honesty Policy. Students wishing to dispute a charge of academic dishonesty or a sanction made
upon them because of such allegations can do so by appealing to the Dean of Student Affairs to invoke the
Discipline Appeals Process as detailed in the Student Handbook.
(For a full description of violations to the Academic Honesty Policy and sanctions, please visit
https://www.ub.edu.bz/download/ub-student-handbook/
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2. Class Attendance: Whether you’re enrolled in a face-to-face, blended or online section of the course, you PAGE
are
expected to fully engage in all activities. Because participation is imperative for success, your final grade
 The Composing Process page
PAGE
will be positively or negatively affected by the number of class sessions they participate in or level of engagement
with online activities. Students who are absent or disengaged for any period of time are responsible for obtaining
any pertinent information they’ve missed. Note that Moodle keeps a log of your activities on that platform; hence,
a lecturer may contact you if your online activities are less than satisfactory.

3. Disability Consideration: Where necessary, and with adequate notice, instructors are required to make
special arrangements to allow students with special needs to participate in assessment without being placed at a
disadvantage, for example the use of enlarged fonts or Braille. Students requiring such considerations must be
medically certified as having a specified special need.

COURSE POLICIES AND REGULATIONS

1. CLASS PARTICIPATION: You are required to attend all class meetings, whether you’re enrolled in a
face-to-face or online, synchronous section. You’re also expected participate fully in all forums, peer reviews,
and other activities in order to gain the maximum benefits from this class. As noted in the UB Policies above,
your final grade for this course will be positively or negatively affected based upon your level of engagement.
2. READINGS & TEXTS/BOOKS: You must access or acquire the assigned book(s) and other texts and have
them available for relevant class sessions. Furthermore, you are expected to complete all assigned readings
thoroughly and be prepared to participate fully in the related course activities.

3. WRITTEN ASSIGNMENTS: All written work must be typewritten, carefully proofread and formatted
according to the MLA or APA style—depending on the style that’s most widely used in your current major. All
assignments for grading are to be submitted via Moodle in PDF format, unless the lecturer indicates otherwise.

You are expected to complete all assignments conscientiously and on time. Late work may be penalized.

4. CONSULTATION: Please feel free to schedule a conference with your lecturer if you have questions
about an assignment or if you would like to discuss a work-in-progress or any other course related matter. If
you find yourself falling behind, contact the lecturer ASAP.

5. RECORD KEEPING: Keep all of your papers, including all drafts, peer review feedback, and graded work in
a secure place in order to have a record of your progress or in case you need to query a grade. Note that it is your
responsibility to keep track of your grades as the semester progresses. Do not wait until the end of the semester
to collect/access your graded papers or to consult the lecturer about your performance.

6. EMAIL: You are required to activate and use your UB issued email. Please check your UB email regularly—at
least once or twice daily—for important course updates and information.

7. PLAGIARISM AND ACADEMIC DISHONESTY: Plagiarism is copying or using the words, sentence
structure, or ideas of another person or source and presenting it as one’s own work. Be aware that the writing you
do for all of your courses must be your own work and, primarily, your words. It is okay to use the words and
ideas of others from articles, essays, interviews, etc. as evidence to support your ideas, but when you do so, you
must be sure to cite each source appropriately. If you are found guilty of intentional plagiarism or any other
form of academic dishonesty, you will receive a zero for the paper. For repeated offenses, you may receive
an
outright “F” for the course, and a report will be forwarded to the Administration. Be sure to consult your
instructor if you have any questions about plagiarism before you turn in an assignment. Feel free to ask any of
your instructors for guidance on proper documentation of sources and how to avoid plagiarism at any time during
the semester.
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ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON PLAGIARISM & ACADEMIC DISHONESTY:

This segment of this handout is adapted from the Department of Rhetoric and writing of the University of Texas at
Austin, 2013). <http://www.utexas.edu/cola/depts/rhetoric/firstyearwriting/plagiarismcollusion.php>

❖ You commit plagiarism if you fail to acknowledge the source of any information in your paper which is
not common knowledge or personal knowledge. Common knowledge includes facts, dates, events,
information, and concepts that belong generally to the educated public. You can acknowledge a source
through in-text citations, attribution lines (for example, Gloria Steinem explains that ….), through
footnotes, or other forms of documentation approved by your instructor.

❖ You commit plagiarism if you fail to acknowledge direct quotations either by using quotation marks
when quoting short passages or by indenting when quoting longer passages—that is, using the block quote
format. Without the quotation marks or indentation, a passage copied directly from a source might still be
considered plagiarized even if it is followed by an in-text citation or a footnote.

❖ You commit plagiarism if you poorly paraphrase the original words of your source. Some students think
they can avoid a charge of plagiarism by changing a few words in each sentence, or by rearranging the
order of sentences in a paragraph. This is not true. When you paraphrase, you must be careful to put the
ideas in your own words—write in your own voice and with your own style.

❖ You commit plagiarism if you take a paper written by someone else and present it as your own even if
that person gives you permission.

❖ You commit plagiarism if you use one paper for two different courses, or re-use a paper previously
submitted for credit without the prior approval of the instructor or instructors.
Collusion is another major aspect of plagiarism. You commit collusion when you work with another person in
writing a paper or preparing any written work that you submit for credit, or when you collaborate with another
person in any way to violate any of the rules on academic honesty.
❖ You commit collusion if you allow someone else to write your papers.

❖ You commit collusion if you allow someone else to edit your papers. It is academically dishonest for
students to pay tutors to correct, edit, or modify their essays in any substantial way. The same restrictions
apply to any unreasonable amount of help you receive from a parent, friend, spouse, or tutor. Any changes,
deletions, rearrangements, additions, or corrections made in your essays, etc. should represent your
own work.

The Buddy System:

Use the information chart below to record the names and contact information of your assigned class partner and at least 3
other classmates to contact regarding course related business. In this course, you are encouraged to reach out and support
each other—to value cooperation above competition. We’re all in this together.

Name Email Phone #

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GRADING SCALE
Final grades will be assigned in adherence with the University of Belize’s grading scale as outlined below:

Description Lett Range Quali

er ty
Excellent A 100- 4.0
A- 95 3.7
94-
90
Good B+ 89- 3.5
B 85 3.0
84-
80
Satisfactory C+ 79- 2.5
C 75 2.0
74-
70
Passing (*for some courses only; D+ 69-65 1.5
verify 1.0
with your adviser)
Failure D 64-
F 60 0
59-0

ASSESSMENT
Use the column to the right, or some other tool, to record your grade and keep track of your progress.
% Your
Score

1. Forums (2 total) 15
2. Travel Article—First 10
Draft 15
—Final Draft

3. Annotated Bibliography 20
4. Investigative Essay—First 10
Draft 30
Final Draft
Total 100%

DESCRIPTIONS OF ASSIGNMENTS
FORUMS (2 total)

Forum 1: To be posted in the “Week 1 Forum” on Moodle

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This assignment gives you an opportunity to introduce yourself to your classmates and lecturer in a creative way,
in two or three paragraphs as follows:

First, introduce yourself by stating where you live and/or grew up and what is your college major (a very short
paragraph of 1 or 2 sentences only). Then, write one or two paragraphs to describe, in vivid detail, your experience
at a particular place, building or scenery in your hometown, that has personal significance to you. Place yourself in
the scene as you share with your readers one particular instance when you were there. Also, near either the
beginning or end of the piece include one sentence that explains why the place or experience is significant to you.
Finally, above the paragraph, post one good-quality photo of the place, building, or scenery. As you can see, this is
a combination of narrative and descriptive writing, since you'll be describing your own personal experience at the
place or building (narrative writing), and you'll be using vivid descriptive details. Kindly click on this link and read
the two samples of past students' narrative-descriptive paragraphs. Word count: 300-600 words total.

Finally, respond to any two of your classmates' posts in 150-200 words. Your response to classmates should be
meaningful and insightful. Do not merely agree/disagree or repeat what the person has already said. Write from
your own head, heart, experience or findings. For example, ideas or personal experiences the classmate’s post
causes you to remember or consider. Or make connections with concepts in your field of study, current events,
science, pop culture etc. Or make connections with readings from one or two sources (a little bit of research). Don't
be afraid to go deep, and don't be shy about sounding brilliant; however, note that the forums in this course are
meant to be semi-informal conversations among classmates, so write in your own voice (albeit in English), and
feel free to address your classmates by first names. Due date: You should post your introduction by Friday at
midnight (Week 1) and respond to classmates’ posts by Sunday at midnight.

Forum 2: To be posted in Week 4 on Moodle

Because collaborative learning is one of the hallmarks of this course, all students are required to
participate in compiling two "resource libraries" on Moodle, containing readings and videos. You will do
this with your assigned class partner. As a pair, you should find one article or book chapter and one video
(between 5 & 30 minutes long) that's related to the history or other aspects of immigration (and amnesty)
in Belize. Then, by Wednesday night of Week 3, you should post each of these in the respective resource
library on Moodle. You should also write a main-point summary (one or 2 sentences) above the article
and likewise above the video. Due Date: The Wednesday of Week 3, by midnight.
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Grading criteria for each forum:

Criteria Unacceptable Marginal/Needs Fair or Good Excelle
Improvement nt
Posts by Posts by Friday
Does not post or Posts and
Timeliness Saturday night night and
respond by responds by
and responds responds by
Sunday night Sunday night by Sunday night Sunday night
0 2/3 4 5
Posts factually
Content Posts Posts well-
Posts no assignment correct,
Contribution, assignment with developed
or posts information substantive
English superficial assignment that
that is off-topic, contribution that
Language thought and addresses all
incorrect, or advances the
Usage inadequate aspects of the task
irrelevant to discussion and
& Tone preparation; but lacks full
discussion addresses all
doesn’t address development of
aspects of the
all aspects of the concepts or
Posts poorly organized task;
task thought;
or inappropriate
content that contains Communicates in
Communicates Communicates in
multiple grammatical an exceptionally
in appropriate appropriate
and mechanical errors effective and
manner manner with clarity
appropriate
(courteous and and minor errors in
manner and in an
helpful) with organization,
easy-to- read style
some errors in grammar and
that is free or
organization, mechanics
almost completely
grammar and
free of errors in
mechanics
organization,
grammar and
mechanics

0 2/ 4 5
3.5
Posts responses Demonstrates
Posts no responses Posts only one
to two careful reading of
Responses to others response to a
classmates; others’ posts;
to classmate; or
elaborates on an extends the
Classmates two responses
existing post with discussion by
’ Posts that provide
thoughtful adding
[Forum 1 shallow
comment or meaningful,
only] contribution to
observation relevant
discussion
information to two
(e.g., agrees
classmates’ posts.
or disagrees);
does not
enrich
discussion
0 2/ 4 5
3.5

YOUR SCORE OUT OF 15 POINTS:

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5. TRAVEL ARTICLE (800-1200 words)
You will write a travel article aimed at enticing either Belizean or foreign travelers to visit a Belizean
community, business establishment or location that's related to tourism, dining, entertainment, shopping, art, etc.
It should be a place where you have been personally within the last year and that you can recall in vivid detail.

For a brief definition, travel writing is nonfiction writing about places, persons, and things. It entails relaying your
travel experiences to others so that they may visit the place themselves. It can also involve sharing insights on how
to travel, when to travel, what to try, what to avoid, and so forth – all with the reader in mind. And it can also
involve writing about things in your own immediate surroundings – a local farmer's market, historic site,
restaurant, museum, etc. Another thing to note about travel writing is that it is basically expository writing;
however, as in most effective writings, description, narration and argumentation are utilized as well.

Your article should include fresh, original ideas and demonstrate your awareness of the rhetorical situation; that is,
the topic, purpose, audience, and yourself as the writer. Your article should be prepared for electronic publication
such as an online magazine, blog, website, etc. and submitted as a PDF file. It should also be formatted in the style
of typical magazine or online articles. Please see the sample travel articles that are provided on Articulate Rise.
You are also required to include 2 to 4 photos that complement your message and enhance your article’s visual
appeal. Below each photo you should include a brief descriptive caption and, if you are not the photographer, a
brief credit to the person or source of the photo. Again, see the sample articles to see how to format these.
Finally, remember to give your article an effective title. Do not merely write the topic of the assignment.
Due Dates: A very good first draft of your article, worth 10%, is due at the end of Week 2. The final draft,
worth 15%, is due at the middle of Week 4. See the course schedule above.

GRADING CRITERIA FOR THE TRAVEL ARTICLE

The Strong Paper (A or B) The Average Paper (C) The Weak Paper (D or F)
Title and
Introductio Has a somewhat effective title. Fails to present a title
n (2 points) 🖎Has an effective title, not Presents lead-in, but it does not or presents a mere
just a topic. introduce the subject, or it is not topic
🖎Presents a “hook” that particularly enticing.
Indicates the audience and purpose Fails to present a lead-in, or
introduces the place and entices
but in a somewhat vague manner. presents one that is not
the reader to read on.
enticing or that doesn’t
🖎Clearly indicates the clearly indicate the article’s
audience and purpose of the subject.
article, as well as who you Indicates the audience
are as the writer. and purpose but in very
vague terms, or these
are missing altogether.
Content
Developme Presents at least two or three Presents only one or two
🖎Presents several main
nt (6 points) main points, but these points points that are weak, or
points, and each point is fully aren’t fully supported or the details that are very vague
supported by relevant, vivid most relevant, enticing and and unconvincing.
details that entice or fully convincing.
convince the reader. Uses one or two modes but
Uses one or two modes
somewhat effectively. not effectively.
🖎Makes good use of a
variety of modes: exposition, Demonstrates very poor or
Demonstrates adequate awareness
persuasion, description, and no awareness of the
of the rhetorical situation,
narration. rhetorical situation.
especially purpose and audience.
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🖎Demonstrates
excellent awareness of
the rhetorical
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situation, especially purpose Has a fair degree of originality Lacks originality and freshness
and audience. and freshness.

🖎Is original and fresh and

uses language in inventive
and engaging ways.

🖎Contains a good-quality
cover photo and at least one
other photo that complements
the article.
Organization
(4 points) Organizes ideas into paragraphs Fails to organize ideas into
🖎Organizes ideas into well-
that move the reader somewhat well- defined paragraphs that
structured paragraphs that smoothly through the essay. move the reader smoothly
move the reader smoothly through the essay.
through the article. Uses some transitions between
and within paragraphs. Uses only a few transitions
🖎Uses effective transitions or none at all.
between and within
paragraphs.
Language
, 🖎Contains very few or no Contains relatively few grammar Contains many grammar,
Formattin grammar or mechanical errors or mechanical errors. spelling and mechanical
g& and demonstrates careful errors and follows the
Overall proofreading. Follows the prescribed format required format only
Presentati in most cases. minimally or not at all.
on (3 🖎Follows travel writing
points) or magazine format very
closely (See the samples).

🖎Contains all
required
components.

ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY (AT LEAST 8 SOURCES)

This assignment gets you started with your research for your Final Project—an investigative essay in which you
will examine various perspectives on the topic of Migration in regards to Belize. It also gives you practice with
some key research skills: skimming a variety of sources and selecting relevant ones, reading and note-taking,
organizing research, and documenting sources in either APA or MLA style. Your bibliography should contain a
minim of 8 sources, 6 of which must be readings.
Each entry should include the following:
● Full bibliographic citation in MLA or APA style

● A summary of the article in 1 paragraph—no more than 200 words

● A brief explanation of how you might use the source in your essay (1 short sentence)

Due date: At the end of Week 4. See the course schedule above.

GRADING CRITERIA FOR THE ANNOTATED BIBLIOGRAPHY

Each of your bibliographic entries will be graded based on the following criteria:
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Full Bibliographic Citations 5 points
All citations are carefully formatted in MLA or APA style.
Summaries of the Articles 10 points
Each article is summarized effectively, in 1 paragraph.
Each summary is no more than 150 words total.
The summaries follow all guidelines from the Summary Writing handout and video
provided: topic sentence to introduce the author and main point, use of attributive tags,
all the key points (and only key points) are included, appropriate use of verb tenses, etc.
Language Usage, Formatting and Overall Effort 5 points
Effective use of vocabulary, grammar, punctuation, and spelling & overall clarity of
writing are present.
The pages are formatted correctly, in MLA or APA style.

Total 20 points

7. INVESTIGATIVE ESSAY (8-10 pages, plus the bibliography)

This assignment requires you to investigate a current issue or controversy in your country: The Positive and
Negative Effects of Tourism in Your Particular Village, Town City, or District, During Your Lifetime
(or another current, controversial national issue of your choice but which must be approved by the
lecturer). You must present both sides of the issue in a balanced, objective manner and then synthesize, or make
connections, among the various points of view.
You’re required to:
1. Do extensive reading and other research into:
a. The history of or background to the issue
b. Credible opinions or findings of Belizean and other scholars, journalists, etc. on at least two major
sides of the issue.

2. Consult at least 8 reputable sources.

3. Write an investigative essay of 8 to 10 pages. The essay must be scholarly and directed to Belizean
readers as the primary audience and must:

● Have an effective introductory paragraph (1 paragraph)

● Provide historical or background information. (2 pages)

● Present and briefly discuss the perspectives of various sources on at least two major sides of the
issue (4 to 6 pages total: that is, 2 to 3 pages dedicated to each side of the issue)
● Utilize and properly cite at least 8 of the sources that you’ve consulted during your research.
*At least 6 of these should be readings, while two or more may be other sources such as video,
interview, survey, etc.
● In two concluding paragraphs, sum up the major points of view presented by the various sources,
AND discuss your own opinion in light of the readings you discussed in your paper and your own
personal knowledge and observations (no more than 1page total for the concluding paragraphs).
 The Composing Process
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Due dates: You are required to submit a very good first draft, worth 10%, by the end of Week 4. The
final draft, worth the 30% due at the end of Week 5—the final week of the summer semester.

GRADING RUBRIC FOR THE INVESTIGATIVE ESSAY

Introduction Clearly identifies the purpose of the essay and captures

(4 points) the readers’ attention.

Provides adequate background information that the readers

need in order to understand and appreciate the rest of the
paper.

Clearly and concisely identifies at least major 2 opposing

views on the issue.

Fully engages the readers’ interest and makes the readers

want to read on.
Content & Use of Sources Includes extensive, specific details about the
(12 points) various perspectives on the issue.
Expertly integrates summaries, paraphrases, and direct
quotations from the sources consulted for the paper.
These clearly support the points the writer makes about
the perspectives on the issue.

Consistently cites sources effectively, according to MLA

or APA style and includes a perfect or nearly perfect
Works Cited or References page.

Is objective and balanced.

Is written in the student’s own voice, using language in

fresh, original ways.
Organization Demonstrates a logical progression of ideas and a clear
(8 points) structure that moves the reader easily through the text.
Uses effective transitions both within and between paragraphs.
Language Usage, Formatting & Uses effective sentence structure and vocabulary with very
Overall Effort few or no grammar and mechanical errors.
(6 points) Demonstrates that the paper has been carefully edited
and proofread.
Includes all required elements of the assignment,
including the prescribed page count.
First Draft
Credit for First Draft (out of 10 points)
Note that the first draft will not be graded in the usual sense: that is, it will not be checked for all the
writing criteria listed in the assignment’s grading rubric. You must check all of those yourself.
The credit you receive for your first draft is only for the amount of relevant content you’ve written so far and
for being on track with the assignment’s timeline.
To receive full credit for the first draft, you must complete at least 8 pages. All of the main content must be
present, and the paper should be fairly easy to follow. However, the restructuring of paragraphs and the fine,
sentence level editing does not necessarily need to be done as yet. In other words, you must submit a pretty good
draft that is about 90% finished.
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REFERENCES
The following sources were consulted during the preparation of this course outline:
Graff, Gerald and Cathy Berkenstein. TSIS: The Moves That Matter in Academic Writing. [TSIS] 2nd ed.
New York: W.W. Norton and Co., 2010. Web.
Fulwiler, Toby. College Writing: A Personal Approach to Academic Writing, 3rd ed. Portsmouth, NH:
Boynton/Cook, 1997.

Purdue University Online Writing Lab. Purdue University:

<http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/section/2/>
Teacher Vision. <http://www.teachervision.fen.com/tv/printables/07AAAM34.pdf>

Course Outline Writer(s): Ivory Kelly Date: June 14, 2017

Reviewed by: Tracey Sangster Date: June 15, 2017
Quality Assurance Officer: Date: Date:
Dean:

*This course outline is subject to change at the discretion of the instructor in consultation with students.