Final Research Project College Writing II Prof. Aaron M. Smith Due: Monday, April 30th by 11:59pm, by email to finaldraft01@gmail.

com This needs to be a 10 page research essay, written in MLA style, in which you explore your own definition of humanity. You are required to specifically define humanity (or answer the question, what does it mean to be human?), this will be your thesis. Your job will be to demonstrate that the requirements of you definition are valid (or that your answer to the question is valid) As support you need to provide a collection of unique outside sources. I'd like you to think of this essay as a collageI am open to the use of personal experience, interview, film documentary, pop culture artifacts, literature, poetry, art, history, philosophy, sociology, psychology. I invite you to come up with creative, but useful outside sources. The essay need not be formal in tone, though do note that there needs to be a purpose behind, for example, an irreverent tone. Take the Philip K. Dick essay on rebellion, there the tone compliments the argument. I'm also inviting you to include a discussion of how your definition of humanity has changed over the semester or, alternatively, how studying these other views has strengthened the beliefs you already had prior to the course. Finally, you are required to work in a discussion of an alternate view point. As to how prominent the discussion need be, let's say that it should be at least a solid couple of paragraphs. The essay needs to present a clear definition of humanity and defend it through a critical analysis of the material you present. Less than 15% of this essay should be quotes or paraphrases. That is about a page and a half of text. I primarily interested in your thoughts. The essay should be organized, specific in it's language and free of awkward phrasing and GSP errors. I'm putting no maximum on the number of sources used, but will be considering the ratio of your thoughts to quotes/paraphrases when I grade. You are required to use 6 outside sources. No materials we've discussed in class are required, however I strongly suggest including them as we've discussed and written about them already. Also, I am open to your including thoughts from previous assignments, however you will need quote yourself and these ideas will count against your allowed 15% (give or take). Finally, though I am encouraging creativity you are welcome to write a straight forward research essay with a formal tone. Worth 200 points. Annotated Bibliography: Due April 11 in class as a print copy. This bibliography should include all sources you have found so far or at least 10 sources. This should appear as an MLA works cited page with a paragraph or so under each citation describing it's usefulness or unusefulness to your research project.