Complete Reading and Learning Activities to prepare for success in the Discussion Board

Step 2: Preview the Academic Essay Assignment and select the article that will provide the foundation for your Academic Essay

Step 3: Write and post your Initial Discussion Board Post

Review your prewriting activity in the Learning Activities assignment. Based upon what you wrote there, identify the specific topic that you plan to write on for your Academic Essay and explain briefly why you have chosen this focus.

Then post a preliminary thesis for that topic, applying what you learned about strong thesis statements in the Reading and Learning Activities, along with an outline that identifies at least 2–3 supporting details. Remember that the more detailed your outline is, the stronger your plan for success in the Academic Essay will be.

Discussion requirements

Initial post should

demonstrate effectively developed paragraphs
be on topic
be original
contribute to the quality of the discussion
make frequent and informed references to the unit reading concepts
Participation posts

Demonstrate effectively developed paragraphs
Show evidence of active engagement in the discussion. For example, asking questions, answering questions posed by peers, making further connections to course readings
Advance the discussion
Demonstrate active engagement in the discussion and familiarity with the unit concepts
Go beyond agreement or praise
Students are also encouraged to respond to instructor follow up posts and questions and to respond to the questions their classmates have posted in their responses.

CM107 Unit 6 Assignment
Expressing Your Ideas for an Academic Audience and Plan for Additional Research
Apply what you have learned about formal language and academic writing to write your own 2 page article that could potentially be published at the reputable Internet website you used to locate the articles you used for the Assignments you wrote for Unit 4.
Select an article from a website that identifies a relevant change in your field of study. Write a 4-5 paragraph draft of your own academic essay that establishes a point about either the cause or effect of this relevant change. Develop your main point about this change using your own ideas, observations, and experience. This draft should be a revised version of the rough draft you submitted to the Unit 6 Discussion Board.
You are encouraged to not utilize additional research at this point. Instead, include an additional one-paragraph Research Plan that identifies the claims you make that need to be supported by additional outside research. Identify what specific research information you would need to locate and incorporate in your article to prepare it for publication.