Response Papers

Through the semester, you will have under "Other Assignments" a direction to respond to a particular focus, and these papers will involve just that--response.  In directed questions about the a specific reading, work, or article(s), you will need to react and respond to what you have read and what you think about that reading.  The posted focuses of these papers give you a specific direction, but the rest is up to you.  This paper is NOT a retelling of the readings/works or a catalog of the details in the works.  This paper IS an exploratory essay in which you share your thoughts/ideas/evaluations on the writings, with the influencing guide of the essay focus.  You should follow "good writing" guides--develop your essay--but this work is not a perfunctory 5 paragraph essay.  Think--examine--evaluate--respond--support--that's the path. 

    Standard MLA format is the form for this essay.  All works that you submit, whether you are in a traditional class setting, a hybrid course, or a web-based study, should have the following in the upper left corner, each on a separate line, double-spaced:  Your name, Your class/section, my last name, the date.  No extra spaces are part of this format and your margins should be 1" all around, with a header at the top that includes your last name and the page number.  If you're unsure on how to create this style of document, either come see me, go to the A Center, or find a good reference book.  You should also type your paper in a standard font (Arial, Trebuchet, Times New Roman, Courier New...) in 12 pt. size and your work should be at minimum 3 pages in length (standard).

   Note all source references made to specifics about the works involved, including source and page numbers for all quotes, paraphrases, or summaries you give in your writing.  You should also have a works cited page to note these sources. Be sure to cite all information in your paper (whether summarized, paraphrased, or quoted) so there will be no plagiarism issues.  I do hold firm DSLCC's guide on plagiarism and will fail any student who intentionally misuses a source or hands in work as her/his own which is not.

     These papers will be submitted via Assignments Links in Bb and should be either in a MS Word document file or a Rich Text Format file.  The due dates will be posted on the homepage about a week in advance.