The topic is about the film( Milk 2008 ) Director : Gus Van Sant

Assignment Objectives:  Enhance and/or improve critical thinking and media literacy skills by: 

                                1. Developing a clear and concise thesis statement (an argument) in response to the

                                     following question: Does the film have the power to transform political sensibilities?

                                2. Writing an outline for a five paragraph analytical essay building on a clear and

                                     concise thesis statement, including topic sentences and secondary supports.

                                3. Identifying and explaining three scenes from the film text in support of the thesis

                                     statement/argument.

                                4.  Writing an introductory paragraph for the outlined analytical essay

Be sure to read thoroughly the writing conventions below before beginning this assignment.  

Note: You are NOT writing a full essay; rather, you are outlining an analytical essay by completing the dialogue boxes below.

Writing a Critical Review (analytical) Essay
 

1. Every essay that you write for this course must have a clear thesis, placed (perhaps) somewhere near the end of the introductory paragraph. Simply stated, a THESIS (or ARGUMENT) expresses, preferably in a single sentence, the point you want to make about the text that is the subject of your essay. A THESIS should be an opinion or interpretation of the text, not merely a fact or observation.  The best possible THESIS will answer some specific questions about the text. Very often the THESIS contains an outline of the major points to be covered in the essay. A possible thesis for an essay on character in Perry Henzell’s The Harder They Come might read somewhat as follows:

   The protagonist of THTC is not a hero in the epic sense of the word, but a self-centered young man bred of economic oppression and cultural dependency. The characters in this film have no real psychological depth, but are markers for a society of consumption and momentary glory.
   

   (You might then go on to exemplify from the text and argue in favor or against this interpretation: your essay need not hold to only one perspective.)

   What single, clear QUESTION does the above THESIS attempt to answer?

    

2. Each essay should be organized into five (5) paragraphs, each based on one of two to four major ideas, which will comprise the BODY of the essay. Each paragraph must have a topic sentence, often (but not always) towards the beginning of the paragraph, which clearly states the ARGUMENT or point to be made in the paragraph. Following the thesis set forth above, the first paragraph might begin with a sentence like “Ivan’s desires and his destiny are signaled in the opening shots of the film, where the friendly, jumbled interior of the bus is contrasted with Ivan’s first view of the outer world: a world of shiny white cars and beautiful women.” Avoid topic sentences that fail to make an interpretative statement about the work or that merely state something any reader might observe; for example, “The first characters we see are country people on a bus to town.”

    

3. Underline the THESIS and each TOPIC SENTENCE in every critical review essay you submit. This exercise will force you to make certain that you have expressed and developed the ideas in your essay clearly and logically.  (In other words, do not do this exercise five minutes before you submit the essay but, rather, as you are working on the very first draft.)

    

4. Always use present tense verbs in your critical review essays about film texts.  Present tense is the verb tense of analysis.  Past tense, on the other hand, is the tense of narration. In each essay, you will be analyzing a particular text, not retelling or summarizing the story.  If you find yourself slipping into past tense as you compose, you are probably narrating rather than analyzing.

    

5. Use specific passages from the text to support each point that you make in your essay. You may simply refer to an event in the text, or you may paraphrase what a character or the narrator says. But the best EVIDENCE will most often be direct quotes from the text.  
    

The Introductory Paragraph – Some Approaches

In your essay, an opening or introductory paragraph may not always be the first one you write.  But it will be the first one your readers read and you need to engage your readers’ attention and interest and present all you need to make your thesis clear and convincing.

1. Some Pitfalls to Avoid    
    
   1. Dictionary definitions:  Define key terms and concepts in your opening paragraph, but don’t quote directly from the dictionary to do so. Use a dictionary – more than one dictionary – to formulate the definition in your own words.

       

   2. Generalizations about “life,” “society,” “people today,” etc.: You don’t want to begin your essay with the kind of statement that teeters on that fine line between opinion (those ideas you will go on to prove) and belief (those ideas unprovable with the evidence offered by the text).  Rather than a statement like, “Almost every man has a sense of pride and will go to war to prove it,” try something more specific to the text you are analyzing.  “The character of Roland exemplifies how personal pride and personal valor do not always lead to the most fortunate conclusion.”

       

   3. The painfully obvious:  Avoid opening statements like “Dante’s Inferno is about a journey to hell,” or “Roland is the hero of The Song of Roland,” unless such statements are in some way controversial and challenging to traditional interpretations of the text. Try to avoid any kind of tautological formula – “something is something else” – in the opening sentence, especially, but also elsewhere as an “argument.”

       

   4. Try to distinguish between historical or biographical fact:  “Dante’s Inferno was written in fourteenth-century Italy,” and interpretation, especially when you are considering the intention of an author:  “Dante wrote his Inferno to expose the problem of Florentine political corruption to the world.” The latter may be a part of your theory or thesis (or conclusion) but if you use it as a statement of fact (an “intentional fallacy”) you will have to prove it rather than merely argue it – a slippery and difficult and perhaps not particularly useful task. Beware also of using vague or imprecise generalizations of terms such as “dramatic,” “realistic,” or “critical,” which differ in their literary and historical significance.
       
   5.  
       
2. Challenges to Meet    
    
   1. Try for a (syntactically) shapely and relevant opening sentence: be thoughtful and original and persuasive.  Always look for interesting ways into your essay: an epigraph, perhaps, or an important episode that seems to set the stage for what you want to say, or a succinct comparison with another well-known work, which will help your reader understand the point you want to make.

       

   2. Always (particularly in a comparative essay) identify your texts early on. (Usually with full title, full authors’ names, and date/period of publication.)

       

   3. Think of your thesis statement as the logical goal of the first paragraph. Everything you say here should lead towards (or from) that thesis. Anything that doesn’t lead in that direction – unless you are presenting a view different from yours, which you want to argue against—doesn’t belong in your paragraph.  Think of the paragraph as a funnel, where the contents are being concentrated and filtered to one end.
       

Critical Review #1 Due March 14, 2018 

      *

Using proper MLA bibliographic formatting, cite the film text in the box to the right: 

http://www.bibme.org/citation-guide/MLA/film

*

1. Develop a thesis statement pertaining to the assigned film text and whether or not it, the film, in your view has the power to transform one’s political sensibilities. Your argument should express your point of view regarding the politics of difference, political sensibilities, and political transformation(s) as related to the film. Remember, you’re writing (developing) an analytical essay. Submit your thesis statement in the box located to the right. Be sure to proofread your work.

*

2. Develop three (3) topic sentences that articulate the major ideas that will comprise the body of your essay. Remember that your topic sentences should clearly state the argument or point to be made in the respective paragraphs and must map back to your thesis statement. Submit your topic sentences in the box located to the right. Be sure to proofread your work.

*

3. Identify three (3) scenes from the film that support your thesis statement. Briefly explain your choices of scenes and how the scenes specifically support your thesis statement. Also, provide the exact time the scenes begin and end within the film text. Submit your reply in the box located to the right. Be sure to proofread your work.

*

4. Lastly, fully develop your introductory paragraph. Remember that the best possible thesis will answer some specific question about the text. In this case a question related to the film’s power to transform political sensibilities regarding difference. Your thesis statement should appear parenthetically within the paragraph you present. Submit your answer in the box located to the right. Be sure to proofread your work.

Week 4 Assignment 2

Refer to the RMO CSMS marketing subsystem shown in Figure 3-11 on page 79-80 of the textbook.

Write a two to three (2-3) page paper in which you:

1. Using Microsoft Visio or an open source alternative such as Dia, create a use case graphic rendering that shows all actors and all use cases for the RMO CSMS marketing subsystem. Note: The graphically depicted solution is not included in the required page length.
2. Provide a narrative describing your diagram that includes:
   1. an overview of the diagram
   2. an analysis of the actors
3. Use at least three (3) quality resources outside of the suggested resources in this assignment. Note: Wikipedia and similar Websites do not qualify as quality resources.

Your assignment must follow these formatting requirements:

• Be typed, double spaced, using Times New Roman font (size 12), with one-inch margins on all sides; citations and references must follow APA or school-specific format. Check with your professor for any additional instructions.
• Include a cover page containing the title of the assignment, your name, the professor’s name, the course title, and the date. The cover page and the reference page are not included in the required assignment page length.
• Include charts or diagrams created in Visio or an open source alternative such as Dia. The completed diagrams / charts must be imported into the Word document before the paper is submitted.

The specific course learning outcomes associated with this assignment are:

• Identify system stakeholders and formulate their needs.
• Create a use case based on relating functional requirements.
• Use technology and information resources to research issues in systems analysis and design.
• Write clearly and concisely about advanced systems analysis and design topics using proper writing mechanics and technical style conventions.

 Points: 150

Assignment 2: Creating a Use Case

Criteria

Unacceptable
Below 70% F

Fair
70-79% C

Proficient
80-89% B

Exemplary
90-100% A

1. Using Microsoft Visio or an open source alternative such as Dia, create a use case graphic rendering that shows all actors and all use cases for the RMO CSMS marketing subsystem.
Weight: 35%

Did not submit or incompletely created a use case graphic rendering that shows all actors and all use cases for the RMO CSMS marketing subsystem, using Microsoft Visio or an open source alternative such as Dia.

Partially created a use case graphic rendering that shows all actors and all use cases for the RMO CSMS marketing subsystem, using Microsoft Visio or an open source alternative such as Dia.

Satisfactorily created a use case graphic rendering that shows all actors and all use cases for the RMO CSMS marketing subsystem, using Microsoft Visio or an open source alternative such as Dia.

Thoroughly created a use case graphic rendering that shows all actors and all use cases for the RMO CSMS marketing subsystem, using Microsoft Visio or an open source alternative such as Dia.

2a. Provide a narrative describing your diagram that includes an overview of the diagram.
Weight: 25%

Did not submit or incompletely provided a narrative describing your diagram that includes an overview of the diagram.

Partially provided a narrative describing your diagram that includes an overview of the diagram.

Satisfactorily provided a narrative describing your diagram that includes an overview of the diagram.

Thoroughly provided a narrative describing your diagram that includes an overview of the diagram.

2b. Provide a narrative describing your diagram that includes an analysis of the actors.
Weight: 25%

Did not submit or incompletely provided a narrative describing your diagram that includes an analysis of the actors.

Partially provided a narrative describing your diagram that includes an analysis of the actors.

Satisfactorily provided a narrative describing your diagram that includes an analysis of the actors.

Thoroughly provided a narrative describing your diagram that includes an analysis of the actors.

3. 3 references
Weight: 5%

No references provided.

Does not meet the required number of references; some or all references poor quality choices.

Meets number of required references; all references high quality choices.

Exceeds number of required references; all references high quality choices.

4. Clarity, writing mechanics, and formatting requirements
Weight: 10%

More than 6 errors present

5-6 errors present

3-4 errors present

0-2 errors present

Program Assessment – Community-building Essay

This is an institutional requirement.

Please write an essay based on the following prompt. I think (hope) the instructions are clear enough. To maintain comparability, I’m not supposed to give you any more instructions or clarification.

You *should* get full credit for this essay. All you have to do is follow the instructions and you get full credit. I will not be grading the content of the essay. Here’s how I’ll grade it:

– Is it turned in by the deadline: April 27 (my birthday!) at 11:59 p.m.
– Is it two pages long?
– Does it use appropriate formatting?
– Does it use appropriate grammar?
– Does it *not* plagiarize?
– Is it on topic?
– Is it a sincere effort to provide a thoughtful response?

If you do all that you get full credit.

OK. Here’s the prompt you should write about:

_____________________

Robert Putnam, in his book Bowling Alone: The Collapse and Revival of American Community, uses the example of the decline of bowling leagues across the country to suggest the passing of community and associations in the United States. Traditionally these associations provided the “social capital”* upon which society was built.

Has social media exacerbated this loss of community and neighborhood associations or has it enhanced community building? Many argue that electronic communication lacks the tactile and personal nature of face to face contact necessary for true communities. Others respond that online communication permits a much broader understanding of community, with connection across a heretofore impossible expanse of culture and geography.

Using real-world examples, please compose a two-page essay discussing the impact of the new world of digital communication on community-building in America.

Your essay should use MLA formatting and demonstrate college-level grammar, spelling and vocabulary.

*Social capital: A network of personal relationships that provide social glue.

Write a literary essay on Disgrace by J. M. Coetzee

Novel: Disgrace by J. M. Coetzee

Be aware that you will be writing about a novel, which in its broadest sense is any extended fictional narrative almost always in prose, in which the representation of character is often the focus. Good authors use the elements of fiction, such as plot, theme, setting etc. purposefully, with a very clear goal in mind. One of the paths to literary analysis is to discover what the author’s purpose is with each of his choices. Avoid the problem that many students have, which is to hold the erroneous assumption that  simply retelling what happened in detail is good enough (no, it is not). Plot summary is necessary, but not the intended goal in a literary essay.

Criteria:

In addition to being written at college level, your essay must meet the following criteria.

• Include an introduction with a clear thesis statement, body paragraphs, and a conclusion.
• Use at least three quotes from the book.
• When citing your sources, use MLA style for literary essays. It is helpful to keep your handbook open to the MLA tab as you write.
• Minimum 850 words (more complex topics might require more)
• Language: This is a composition class — your writing and grammar count.
• Use specific supporting details from the book and at least two from outside sources.Go to the Miami Dade Databases (not Google) for your sources.

The following are not acceptable sources:

• Class Lecture Notes
• Textbooks
• Study Guides (SparkNotes, Cliff Notes, BookRags etc.)
• Wikipedia/ Encyclopedias
• Dictionaries
• Popular Magazines (People, Glamour etc.)
• Popular information websites such as about.com or Ask.com
• Personal Blogs

Why not? Because for one, they are not original sources. Encyclopedias and textbooks are useful to provide an overview or introduction to a topic for complete beginners. These are meant to get you started on a subject. They are not research documents.Wikipedia:  Many instructors forbid reference to Wikipedia at all. Some professors do allow its use, and the use of encyclopedias in general, but don’t do it. It’s generally reliable for checking routine facts and extremely specialized topics, but Wikipedia, actually all encyclopedias suffer from the problem that they are not a primary sources. Wikipediahas the added problem that although it is working on correcting errors, it still has weak quality control. It is susceptible to deliberate sabotage, vandalism, even censorship.  So don’t use it if you’re not familiar enough with the subject matter to spot biases or errors, and don’t cite it in any academic paper at all. 

Required Procedures:

• Read Disgrace by J. M. Coetzee in its entirety before beginning your paper. Take notes as you read. Mark some interesting passages and save necessary source information (such as page numbers) for your in-text documentation and your Works Cited list.
• Think about the topic and approach you chose located in the Topics and Approaches page. Do not simply repeat or summarize the story.
  • Write your well-constructed thesis, topic sentences, supporting details roughly before beginning.
• Do some research. It’s important to know a bit about apartheid and post-apartheid South Africa before you begin the paper. Take notes and save necessary source information for your Works Cited list.
  • Use at least two outside sources from scholarly sites or journals.
  • Look at sample papers to refresh your memory concerning the format in Rules for Writers, 8th edition. 
  • Write a minimum 850-word (or more if necessary) for a good literary essay.
  • Use formal language and the third person, avoiding personal anecdotes and eliminating all references to yourself at all (I believe, in my opinion, etc).
• Revise, edit, and proofread, proofread, proofread. It’s easy to make mistakes. Correct them before you submit your paper.You may also use any of the writing labs and centers in any MDC campus, where a tutor might help you. There are some sites that help you catch grammar errors, such as GrammarRater, but remember, they’re not human and don’t read for content, so they miss things (often).

Remember: While you assemble your sources, keep your handbook open (or your online source handy). There are too many details to remember everything.

1. Based upon research done on the fraud triangle, explain what the following quote, “Understand the Person, Understand the Fraud“ means to you. 

– Use 4 scholarly internet sources. 

– Must be 1 page

2. Discuss how you, a fraud examiner, would approach and conduct an interview of a fraud suspect in a case you have been assigned. Make sure to use the Fraud triangle in the explanation. 

– use 4 scholarly internet sources  

– Must be 1 page. 

3. Some have argued that while pressure and opportunity can be ascertained about the subject, how useful is rationalization as an indicator leading to the identification of  the fraud suspect? 

– use 4 scholarly internet articles 

– must be 1 page.