For this paper you will need to create a thesis, narrow it effectively, and make sure that the rest of your paper supports that thesis and does not stray to other interesting but irrelevant points—or does not repeat the same supporting points. You may do research to support your point in this or to develop your opinion, but the focus should be on why you believe what you believe about the issue; therefore, I will be looking for some personal evidence from you to support this point. Because of this, I am not looking, at this point, for you to quote from many--or any--sources, although if you do use outside sources you should certainly cite them.  Rather, I am looking to see what you already know about this issue and how you've incorporated what you know into your own schema—or construction—of reality.

Format: This paper should be double-spaced, carefully edited and proofread, and prepared using the MLA format before you turn it in.  You should have a heading with your name, my name, the course title and section number, and the date on it in the upper left-hand corner.  Your last name and the page number should appear at the top right of each page, either beginning with or after your first page. Additionally, you should have the paper number and the title of your essay on a separate centered line before you begin your paper.  The essay should be two to three pages in length with one-inch margins, not including your Work(s) Cited (if necessary).