For the final major essay, you are asked to select a film, short story, song, graphic novel, children’s story/book, television show, or virtually any other fictional work or nonfiction work to read/view and discuss. The choice is yours.

Your final major essay will ask you to summarize this work, and then develop and defend four reasons why Houston Community College students should view, read, or listen to this work. The reasons are up to you, but you should be able to argue why this work would be valuable to HCC students. How will it benefit them?

I suggest you follow this basic outline:

Introduction: Introduce the topic, assuming the readers do not know your writing prompt. Make sure your introduction grabs the readers’ attention. Use at least one introduction strategy to begin the essay in an interesting way. End the introduction by stating your thesis statement, which should include a forecasting statement (sub-divisions). Make sure your reasons for holding your position are clear. You need four reasons, so your thesis statement should have four subdivisions. A basic thesis statement could look like: Houston Community College students should read [Title] because [Reason 1], [Reason 2], [Reason 3], and [Reason 4]. Or, Houston Community College students should watch [Title] because [Reason 1], [Reason 2], [Reason 3], and [Reason 4]. Or, Or, Houston Community College students should listen to [Title] because [Reason 1], [Reason 2], [Reason 3], and [Reason 4].

Body Paragraphs: Each of the reasons introduced in your first paragraph should now be placed in a separate paragraph or paragraphs and supported with details and examples. Follow the MEAL PLAN for each body paragraph. ANALYZE and EXPLAIN. Use evidence, examples, scenes, direct quotations, events, and characters from the work to support your paragraphs. Each body paragraph should include evidence from the primary text/work or an outside source to support the main point of the paragraph.

Conclusion: End your piece in a strong and interesting way. Sum up your main argument, but also include a strong conclusion strategy. The conclusion should create a sense of finality or closure and give the readers a feeling of completion and balance. Sometimes writers like to add a “final blast”a big emotional or ethical appealthat helps sway the audience’s opinion.

Works Cited: Make sure to cite all of your sources, even those you do not directly quote in your essay. Information and ideas must be cited, as well. You should include at least five other outside sources, besides the primary work/text, to help support your discussion. Please note that Wikipedia, About.com, Cliffnotes.com, and other similar sources should not be used. Use credible sources. Six credible sources, including the primary work, should be included. It would be wise to include at least one source to help you defend, discuss, support, or explain each of your four reasons. You should cite your sources using MLA in-text citations (Links to an external site.) (signal phrases and parenthetical documentation) and a Works Cited page.

Word Count: You should write at least 2,000 words.

As with previous essays, please let me be clear:

If your essay falls short of the word count requirement, your essay will be returned ungraded.
If your essay does not include at least six sources – one primary work and five outside sources that help you discuss that primary work, your essay will be returned ungraded.
If your sources are not credible and academically appropriate, your essay will be returned ungraded.
If you do not cite your sources using both in-text citations and Works Cited page citations, your essay will be returned ungraded.