FORM: Your essay should be formatted according to Modern Language Association (MLA) guidelines and should be 5 pages. You do not need a Works Cited for this essay. You can just use the author/page number format for your citations.
READINGS: IGEN “Introduction”, “Chapter 1”, “Chapter 2” and “Chapter 3” and Chapters 1-3 in They Say, I Say.
CONTENT:
The “Introduction” and first three chapters of Jean Twenge’s IGEN explore some of the changes to childhood that the IGeneration has experienced. Your essay should use these chapters to answer the following question:
What argument is Jean Twenge making about the experience of growing up for IGEN?
The answer to this question will be your thesis. Your thesis should also include the central arguments that Twenge uses to illustrate this position. Once you determine what she is saying about childhood today, you should prove why your interpretation makes sense based on the evidence in the text.
COMPONENTS:
What is the larger conversation that you are entering? You must give your readers an overview of the discussion that you are entering. Make sure to briefly summarize the ideas that Twenge addresses in the text.
They Say, I Say
For this essay I am not asking you to RESPOND to the reading. I am asking you to INTERPRET Twenge’s position and defend your interpretation.
Make sure to include what Jean Twenge says (they say) –your evidence in your body paragraphs–and your analysis of how it proves your thesis (I say). Also make sure that your quotations are correctly formatted and cited. We will review this in class.
You should have at least three body paragraphs, each one offering an example from Twenge’s text and your interpretation of it. Use the templates offered in They Say, I Say if you find them useful.
Try to write about your opinion without using “I.”
PURPOSES: This assignment is designed to:
1.Develop your ability to analyze and interpret chapters in a book-length work.
2.Develop your ability to support your opinions with relevant examples.
3.Evaluate your ability to follow directions.
4.Practice using the formal elements that make up a typical academic essay written for a humanities class.
5.Give you practice following MLA style guidelines.
6.Give you practice at editing and proofreading.
