Posted: July 1st, 2015

English

For your fourth short assignment, write a 2-page paper that puts a scholarly source in conversation with a contemporary/popular one. A major aim of this assignment is to allow you to explore an aspect of your MP2 topic in greater detail. What you write for this paper can directly feed into MP2.

A scholarly source is a peer-reviewed secondary source that is not published until months or years after an event. When writing on a current event or topic, such sources can be used to explore the history that shapes an event or topic. The theory, analysis and interpretations of secondary sources bolster your claim. Although a simple Google search can provide easy secondary source material, for this paper, I want you to use an academic journal article. Academic analyses are potentially richer and more insightful. Dont hesitate to chat with a librarian to help you search databases for the perfect article.

A contemporary/popular source has less peer-review and is closer to the event. Contemporary/popular sources can do the work of framing your research, articulating stakes, and/or serve as evidence (a primary source). Even if youre writing on an age-old topic, a contemporary/popular source can demonstrate its continued relevancy.

What I will look for in this paper is:

Correct citation of two sources, including a Works Cited in MLA style.
Use of a past/present dynamic (“kairos”) in the framing and analysis of your topic
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