ENGL 120 Cuyamaca College I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings by Maya Angelou Discussion

Background:

We are all committed to social change in our own ways. Your choice to pursue further education is in and of itself an act of social change. With it , you will have the tools to be able to make positive social change in your own community as you learn about the world around you and see where injustices remain. These areas of need can become your battle ground. What are they? Where are they? What needs to be changed/improved? How can you build a personal resolve to be part of that shift towards equality or social reform?

You can do so by:

• Contributing to social change at home
• Contributing to social change at your current employment
• Contributing to social change in your community
• Become a mentor to others around you

So, where do I begin? We can begin by looking at those who went before us.

Purpose:

The purpose of this assignment is to:

1. Compose college-level writing.
2. Participate in academic research
3. Respond to a topic with an original argument.

Prompt:

Your job for this essay will be to learn more about a person who has been a powerful agent of change for a cause you care about. Once you have learned more about this person, you will work to consider how you might follow in that person’s footsteps, and become an agent of change for the same cause.

Task:

Your essay should be 800 to 1000 words in length and follow this format:

• Introduction: Introduce your change maker, his/her cause, their attributes, your cause, and your thesis. In your thesis, state how you will plan to become an Agent of Change for your given topic.
  • Sample Thesis: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s life embodied determination and strength as he tirelessly fought for African Americans’ Civil Rights. He argued that education should result not only in knowledge gained but also character developed, and given the current educational disparities in our school system, I plan to be an agent of change for students who live in less funded areas. I will use my education and voice to bring awareness to this issue in my home, work place, and community through social media and informal discussions.
• Body paragraph 1: Introduce your change maker. Explain his/her characteristics that make him/her a strong Agent of Change.
  • Sample TS for thesis above: Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s life embodied determination and strength as he tirelessly fought for African Americans’ Civil Rights.
• Body paragraph 2: Explain his/her (and in theory your) cause in detail. Explain with how this cause made progress because of his/her attributes.
  • Sample TS for thesis above: Dr. King’s determination mobilized the Civil Rights Movement and ignited change and forced outsiders to see the issues facing African Americans at the time.
• Body paragraph 3: Detail the attributes necessary for being a change maker. Explain how you plan to embody those attributes for the cause.
  • Sample TS for thesis above: With determination and honesty, I plan to be an agent of change for students who live in less funded areas. I will use my voice in social media and casual conversation to bring awareness to this issue to those around me.
• Conclusion: End with a declaration of how you will be an Agent of Change in your home, community, work place, and/or community.
  • Sample concluding statement for thesis above: As a social change agent, I plan to bring awareness to the issue of disparities in education. I can do this by voicing my opinion and sharing my expertise on this issue with others in my home, work place, and community through social media and informal discussions. Like Dr. King, I can use my voice and determination to bring about change and expect more from those around me.

Requirements for the Essay:

• Introduction
• The thesis must include a preview of the points to be made throughout the paper.
• All paragraphs must have an arguable Point (topic sentence) that supports the thesis.
• All paragraph must have 2 to 3 pieces of evidence (direct or paraphrased quotes) used to support your ideas.
• All paragraphs need to include adequate analysis of the evidence.
• A conclusion
• There needs to be seamless transitions between paragraphs.
• A detailed Works Cited page is required.
• Please be sure your paper is in proper MLA format.

Sample Essays:

ATTACHED one file for sample essay