I have provided an outline(see ataached) with only 9 Resources(15 are required). Please use. It includes my draft thesis statement so that you know the direction i’d like to go in. Course Instructions: 1.
Your paper will be 10 full pages, including footnotes. Not 9, not 11. Why 10
pages, you ask? It is actually harder to write a 10 page paper than it is to
write a 15 or 20 page paper. You must be clear and avoid the filler that is
often contained in longer papers. What is filler? Filler is extra
“stuff” that just fills pages but adds little or no value to your
paper. This means that your title page and your reference page will not count
as part of the 10 pages but nonetheless should be included.
2.
Introduction (10%): Your
introduction will not be longer than two pages.
3.
Thesis Statement: (10%):
Immediately after your introduction, you must present a clear thesis statement.
In simplistic terms, a thesis statement is the main point of your paper that
tells the reader what you intend to argue later in your paper. You must word
your thesis statement, as follows: “My thesis statement is . . . .”
The thesis statement should not be longer than two sentences, and normally one
is sufficient.
4.
Road Map (5%): Immediately after
your thesis statement, you must provide a clear road map to let the reader know
where you are going with your paper. Word your road map, as follows: “My
paper will first briefly explore . . . , followed by . . . . Finally I will defend
my thesis by . . . .” Your road map should be only a few sentences, but it
must be clear.
5.
Background (10%): Next, provide a
brief but clear background of your topic. This may only be one page or less.
6.
Argument/Defending Your Thesis (50%):
Now we are at the meat of the paper, defending your thesis statement. This must
be at least five full pages, and you must use your research to defend your
thesis. This is the hardest part of your paper, and this is where you need to
focus your time and energy. Why? This is where students fail in their Capstone
theses (I don’t mean literally fail, but they lose a lot of points). Students
either present poor arguments or they present no arguments at all. You will
present clear arguments, supported by your research, to defend your thesis.
Last three points in this area — (1) Conclusory statements must be supported
with your research; (2) Do not use provoking language which amounts to merely
an opinion, such as: “Those who support capital punishment are
idiots.” (This actually came from a student); and (3) You need to fill in
glaring gaps. For example, one student’s entire thesis argued that the
separation of church and state clause in the Constitution was misinterpreted by
the Supreme Court and that religion should be in schools, government, etc. The
glaring gap was, given the student’s arguments, what did the separation clause
mean? This was not addressed.
7.
Conclusion (5%): Conclude your
paper in one page or less.
Finally,
a few other points:
1.
Grade: The grading criteria for each section of your paper is highlighted above
(in yellow). As you can see, 50% of your paper is the argument section, which
is why I say it is your main focus.
2.
References/Proper Use of The Bluebook or APA (10%):
You must use a minimum of 15
scholarly references. You may use a reference more than once, but it
still only counts as 1 of the 15. Scholarly references are not Wikipedia,
blogs, or questionable websites.
3.
Formatting: Double space your paper and use a 12 point font of your choice.
Do not include a title page, abstract, endnotes (unless using
APA), or bibliography/reference page.