English and Literature

    Checklist: There are three parts to this assignment:

    __: Gathering sources

    __: Analyzing each source using the SEARCH formula

    __: Informative Essay

    Part One: Gathering Sources

    In Chapter 7 of WT, there are several different topics (listed below) that are discussed at length. For this first part of the assignment, you are responsible for gathering five sources about one topic that you will analyze in the second part of this assignment. You should find sources that have a very specific argument or hypothesis—it will make the analysis part much easier!

    –Topics–
    • Homeopathy
    • Intercessory Prayer
    • UFO Abductions
    • Communicating with the Dead
    • Near-Death Experiences
    • Ghosts
    • Conspiracy Theories
    • Climate Change

    Your sources may be gathered from the type of sources listed below. Apply your knowledge of credible sources. Because we’re dealing with topics that have a wide variety of opinion, you should use your best judgment about the source’s reputation. You must use one of each type of source.

    –Types of Sources–
    • News report
    • Academic journal article
    • Book (can be a chapter from a book)
    • Magazine
    • Website

    Part 2: Analyzing each source using the SEARCH formula

    There are four steps to the SEARCH formula:

    1. State the claim
    2. Examine the evidence for the claim
    3. Consider alternative hypotheses
    4. Rate, according to the criteria of adequacy, each hypothesis

    Each step is discussed in detail in chapter 7 of WT. Make sure you refer to chapter 7 as you are analyzing each source. For each source, you must include a write-up of how you applied the SEARCH formula to it. Do not just list your answers. Instead, you should discuss the four parts of the SEARCH formula in a short paragraph. Each short paragraph should be approximately 150-200 words.Be sure you include a full citation for each source.

    Part 3: Informative Essay

    After your summaries, you will write a 3 page informative essay about the topic you selected. You must use all five sources in your informative essay. Your informative essay should be written for an audience of knowledgeable peers. Remember, your audience will not know as much as you do about this topic so you will need to write in a way that is understandable to a wide audience. Your informative essay should include a detailed description of the topic, suggestions on how to interpret this topic, what ongoing research (if any) is currently happening, and any other details that your audience would find helpful to understand the topic. Remember to include in-text citations whenever you borrow information.

    An informative essay teaches readers about a topic. Your goal in an informative paper is to explain the topic thoroughly, without bias, and with credible sources. Once your reader is finished with your informative essay, the reader should have a good grasp on the topic—or at least enough to have an intelligent conversation about the topic.

    Here is a video of the instructor explaining the details.


    (01:07)

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