CAUSAL ANALYSIS ARGUMENT ABOUT THE MEDIA

INSTRUCTIONS

In Module/Week 5, you will write an approximately 1000-word (3–4-page) causal analysis essay in response to one of the following prompts:
•    Select an image(s) from an electronic source that exemplifies your position on the effect of television in American culture. Your argument should try to show

that a cause-and-effect relationship does or does not exist between TV and behavior, or health, intelligence, morality, etc.
•    Select an image(s) from an electronic source that you think exemplifies your position on the effect of advertising on American youth. What do advertisements

tell young people they should value? Argue a causal relationship between American advertising and the attitudes and behaviors of American youth.

Please be sure to follow the Writing Processes guidelines: gather all of your information, plan the direction of your essay, and organize your ideas by developing a 1

-page thesis statement and outline for your essay. Format the thesis statement and the outline in a single Word document using current MLA, APA, or Turabian style

(whichever corresponds to your degree program). Submit this thesis and outline by 11:59 p.m. (ET) on Monday of Module/Week 4 for instructor feedback.

As you compose your essay, be sure to:
•    Follow the writing style required by your degree program (MLA, APA, or Turabian).
•    Use in-text citations to cite works.
•    Integrate at least 4 quotes, 1 summary, and 1 paraphrase into your essay.
•    Include a References or Works Cited page containing any and all sources you cite in your paper, including images. You may use 1 or 2 images in your essay to

support your argument, but each must not take up more than 1/3 of a page (with 1? margins), and they will not count in the total page count for the assignment.
•    Use the Grading Rubric, Outline Suggestions, and Proofreading Checklist (provided below) to draft and revise your essay.
•    Include your thesis statement and outline on a separate page at the end of the document.
•    Type your degree program and which style of writing you are using (MLA, APA, or Turabian) in the “Submission Title” field of the SafeAssign link in the module

so that your instructor can grade your essay accordingly.

Be sure to cite fully all quotations, summaries, paraphrases, and images. If you fail to give credit for outside material, it will be regarded as plagiarism and will

result in a “0” on your essay and possibly course failure.

Please Note: This assignment must be submitted by 11:59 p.m. (ET) on Monday of Module/Week 5 and must include a title page, essay itself, a works cited/references page

of any primary or secondary texts cited in the essay, followed by the thesis/outline page.
PROOFREADING CHECKLIST

Part 1:
Read through your paper and check the appropriate boxes on the chart below. If any area of your paper needs revision, make sure you correct it before submitting your

essay. One of the best ways to proofread your writing is to read it backward to forward, sentence-by-sentence. This helps you to see words and ideas you may have

missed. Another very successful tool for proofreading is to read your work out loud to someone else. Students often think that handing their paper to someone and

asking them to read it is the same thing, but it isn’t. Instead, ask them to listen while you read your own words. You will immediately hear what you missed or want to

improve in your writing.

Argument    Successful    Needs Revision
x
1.    Clearly shows my opinion
2.    Analyzes an image or images making a causal relationship
3.    Contains pathos (emotional) appeals
4.    Contains ethos (values/belief) appeals
5.    Contains logos (factual) appeals
6.    If using APA, contains correctly formatted title and abstract pages
7.    Title reflects my issue and opinion
8.    Contains appropriate header for my discipline (MLA, APA, Turabian)
9.    Double-spaced
10.    Margins are 1 inch wide on all sides
11.    Font is New Times Roman, 12 pt.
12.    References/Works Cited page is accurate
13.    Spellchecked

Part 2:
When you are satisfied with the quality of your essay, post it to Blackboard via the SafeAssign link for grading. Do not forget to write your degree program and

whether you are using MLA, APA, or Turabian in the “Submission Title” field when submitting your paper.