Reaction Essay #3 - Assignment

ESSAY #3 - REACTION TO AMERICAN CULTURE AND HISTORY

 Assignment Overview

Learning Objectives

• to show comprehension of one or more aspects of American history/culture
• to demonstrate how to write a well organized, five-paragraph Reaction essay 
• to produce a clear Introduction with Thesis at end, containing 3 body paragraphs each beginning with a simple Topic Sentence, and ending with one clear Conclusion
• to include a draft Outline of Three Major Points

 Guidelines

In our reader, Hidden Figures, you've read and learned about various historical people and events in U.S. history. The women (and men) in this novel were center stage to a number of vast changes that occurred in American culture and history during this time.

You also were introduced in last week's Module to 17 short videos of supplemental material on American history during the period 1950s to 1960s. 

ASSIGNMENT - REQUIREMENTS

1. Write a five-paragraph REACTION essay, discussing your reaction to at least one issue of American culture or history that you have read about from last week's 17 videos/supplemental material AND/OR anything in Chapters 1-18 of our reader, Hidden Figures.

NOTE: you may write on two or three issues if that suits you, in Three Body Paragraphs.

2. Include a brief Draft Outline of your Three Major Points, with at least 2-3 details in each. As before, type the outline above the essay.

3. Include a short quote from our Reader with page number. Use MLA quotation standards (no need for Works Cited).

4. Avoid Plagiarism. Please write in your own words. Do not bring in text material to speak for you. You can only refer to events but then write your own reaction. And you are not allowed to bring in anything from the outside. You will get 25+ points off if you bring in outside material and pass it off as yours. This is plagiarism.

This essay is about your own Reaction/Opinion/Point of View about the material you have read and your reaction to American culture and history. You already wrote a Reaction paragraph - you may want to extend those points into an essay.

USE GOOD WORD CHOICE: 

Recall the essay in GW5 on food waste and how the student used REACTION WORDS: like "alarming," "distressing, " "disturbing," "taken aback," (shocking), "sad." These are a few negative reactions.

You could have positive reactions: "exciting," "interesting,"  "fascinating," "thrilling,"

Check online for more synonyms in Reaction: Thesarus.com 

CREATE YOUR OWN TOPICS IN REACTION TO:  (Some Samples from Module videos and Reader)

•                    Gender or Racial Discrimination for African American women
•                    School Segregation, Supreme Court decision, Integration of schools
•                    The Little Rock Nine - then and now
•                    Professional opportunities for women and/or men - WWII and beyond
•                    Struggles of four African American female mathematicians at Langley
•                    Workplace problems that occurred at Langley
•                    Struggles for working families during this time (1940s)
•                    Langley Lab and World War II industry to win the war
•                    Growth in mathematicians/calculators/computing machines
•                    Aerodynamics/wind tunnels/aerospace industry growth
•                    Space race and the black women who helped
•                    Cold War with Russia (Sputnik) (Fallout Shelters)
•                    Putting "man" in space - Mercury Mission
•                    Hypersonic and Supersonic flights at NASA 

THESE ARE JUST SUGGESTIONS - WRITE ABOUT WHAT INTERESTS YOU DURING THIS PERIOD - AMERICAN CULTURE/HISTORY

You have a week and a half to turn in Essay #3 (with Outline at beginning)

DEADLINE: THURSDAY, MAY 20, MIDNIGHT

See Rubric for grading criteria.