1A Fall 2013 Readings, Assignments, Grade Template

Essay 1: Escape from Camp 14 by Blaine Harden, 180 points

Essay Options (choose one)

Write a 6- page research paper that explores the reasons South Korea dreads absorbing North Korea into its country.

Write a 6-page research paper that develops a thesis about the forces that impede Shin Dong-hyuk from achieving psychological freedom. Consider PTSD, Stockholm Syndrome, and the book Trauma and Recovery by Judith Lewis Herman (see page 181 in the book).

Write a 6-page research paper that compares the immorality of indifference as this pertains to Armenian genocide, the Holocaust, and the North Korean prison state.

Write a 6-page research paper about the struggle between witnesses giving firsthand account of the North Korea's crimes against humanity and North Korea’s efforts to silence their crimes against humanity.

Compare the dehumanizing dynamic evident between prisoners and prison guards and a similar dynamic evident in the famous (or infamous) Stanford Experiment.

 

Essay 2: Cooked by Jeff Henderson, 180 points 

A wise man once said that when we think we're rising in life, we're really falling and when we think we're falling, we're really rising. In a 6-page essay, apply this wisdom, in all of its psychological complexity, to Jeff Henderson's journey and compare to someone from a personal interview.  Use blog, book, and personal interview for your sixth page, your Works Cited page.

Essay 3: A Good Fall by Ha Jin, 180 points

In a 6-page essay, contrast freedom and imprisonment in 2 of the stories. Use 2 personal interviews to give further depth to your contrast of mental freedom and imprisonment. Your sixth page, your Works Cited page, should have my blog, the book, and your 2 personal interviews.

Final Essay 4, Worth 260 Points (26% of Your Semester Grade): Alone Together by Sherry Turkle

In a 6-page research paper, not including your Works Cited page, address the following question with an argumentative thesis:

In Sherry Turkle’s Alone Together, does she argue convincingly about the personal destruction resulting from our growing dependence on social media technology or is her argument sodden with luddite paranoia, one-sided bias, too much reliance on personal anecdotage (as opposed to research), and any other fallacies you see? Your guidelines are as follows:

 

1. This research paper should present a thesis that is specific, manageable, provable, and contestable—in other words, the thesis should offer a clear position, stand, or opinion that will be proven with research.   You should analyze and prove your thesis using examples and quotes from a variety of sources. 

 

1. You need to research and cite from at least five sources.  You must use at least 3 different types of sources.

 

• At least one source must be from an ECC library database.
• At least one source must be a book, anthology or textbook.
• At least one source must be from a credible website, appropriate for academic use.
• The paper should not over-rely on one main source for most of the information. Rather, it should use multiple sources and synthesize the information found in them.

 

1. This paper will be approximately 5-7 pages in length, not including the Works Cited page, which is also required.  This means at least 5 full pages of text.  The Works Cited page does NOT count towards length requirement. 

 

1. You must use MLA format for the document, in-text citations, and Works Cited page.

 

1. You must integrate quotations and paraphrases using signal phrases and analysis or commentary. 

 

1. You must sustain your argument, use transitions effectively, and use correct grammar, spelling, and punctuation.

 

1. Your paper must be logically organized and focused.

 

Six 333-word take-home quizzes, 30 each, for 180 total.

Grand Total: 1,000 points