Touchstone 1.1: Engage with a Work of Research
ASSIGNMENT: For this essay, you will select one of the articles provided below and engage in a 2-3 page summary and response dialogue with the source (not including cover pages, headings, reference lists, or reflection questions). This will involve providing a detailed summary of the source’s argument and responding to that argument with your position based on the information provided in the source.
Read Attached File
A. Assignment Guidelines
DIRECTIONS: Refer to the list below throughout the writing process. Do not submit your Touchstone until it meets these guidelines. Refer to the Sample Touchstone for additional guidance on structure, formatting, and citation.
1. Article Summary
❒ Have you introduced the title of the article and the author by name?
❒ Have you communicated the source’s purpose?
❒ Have you included all of the source’s main points, using page-numbered citations as you paraphrase?
❒ Have you restated the source’s argument mostly in your own words, with at least two direct quotations included, too?
2. Article Response
❒ Have you provided your perspective on the source’s argument?
❒ Have you used at least two specific, quoted examples cited examples with page numbers from the source to illustrate why you either agree or disagree with the argument?
3. Reflection
❒ Have you answered all reflection questions including specific and concrete examples that provide thoughtful insight in all responses?
❒ Are your answers included on a separate page below the main assignment?
B. Reflection Questions
DIRECTIONS: Below your assignment, include answers to all of the following reflection questions.
What ideas originally came to mind when you first read through the article? Did your initial response to the article change after reading it for a second time? (3-4 sentences)
How does paying attention to the way you respond to a source help you formulate your stance on a topic? (2-3 sentences)
Rubric
Provides a complete and accurate summary of the article’s contextual information, main purpose, and argument mostly in your own words, with at least two cited, key direct quotations.
Constructs a thoughtful and academically appropriate response to the source, including accurately identified, quoted, and cited samples from the source that relate to the response.
Includes all of the required components of a summary and response essay, including an introduction with an engaging summary of the source’s argument, and body paragraphs containing a detailed and thoughtful response to the argument.
Demonstrates thoughtful and effective word choices, avoids redundancy and imprecise language, and uses a wide variety of sentence structures.
There are only a few, if any, negligible errors in grammar, punctuation, spelling, capitalization, formatting, and usage.
Demonstrates thoughtful reflection; consistently includes specific and concrete examples that provide thoughtful insight in all responses, following or exceeding response length guidelines.
D. Requirements
The following requirements must be met for your submission to be graded:
Composition must be 2-3 pages (approximately 500-750 words).
Double-space the composition and use one-inch margins.
Use a readable 12-point font.
All writing must be appropriate for an academic context.
Composition must be original and written for this assignment.
Use of generative chatbot artificial intelligence tools (ChatGPT, Bing Chat, Bard) in place of original writing is strictly prohibited for this assignment.
Plagiarism of any kind is strictly prohibited.
Submission must include your name, the name of the course, the date, and the title of your composition.
Include all of the assignment components in a single file.
Acceptable file formats include .doc and .docx.