Provide a unique angle by writing commentary essay on a current, debatable, local or national (USA) issue.

Course Project: The Commentary Objectives Course Project Objectives Given an assigned writing topic, compare the ways in which writers present opinions and positions, and then create a document that includes a reasoned position supported with appropriate evidence. Given a topic that requires extended development, apply appropriate planning and review strategies to organize ideas and establish a purpose, angle, audience, and context to incorporate into an essay. Given an assigned topic that requires documented support, incorporate in-text citation, paraphrase, summary, and a References page into a multi-page document using standard approaches to referencing and citation. Guidelines The Commentary essay offers you an opportunity to join the conversation surrounding a current, debatable, local or national issue by providing a unique angle or perspective through writing. Although the final Commentary essay is not due until Week 7, it is a good idea to begin thinking about topic selection early. The best way to choose a topic is to spend time reading, listening, and engaging in conversation about a specific issue. By starting this process early, you will give yourself time to ensure that your topic is one that carries enough weight for the final paper. Chosen topics should be focused on debatable issues that are currently in the news, so it is a good idea to spend the early part of class watching your local news, reading the newspaper, or exploring online news websites for topics that might be of interest. As topics come to mind, reach out to your professor to further discuss the viability of your ideas. Following a process approach, we will work on the Commentary essay in stages starting in Week 5. The audience for your Commentary essay is academic in nature. Think of those who are writing and researching your chosen topic as your audience, and remember that you are joining the larger conversation by sharing your position. Your goal will be to provide your readers with a unique angle or fresh perspective on a current topic. Commentary essay should be five full body pages, not including an APA title page and References page. APA style is required for formatting and all referencing, including in-text citation and the end References page. The final Commentary essay is worth 165 points and will be graded on quality of topic, development and organization of ideas to meet the essay purpose and audience needs, use of citations, style, and mechanics. Please review the complete grading rubric in Files. The final Commentary essay must include the following requirements Five full body pages, plus an APA title page and references page, written in Microsoft Word (.docx) APA formatting for font, margins, spacing, running heads, page numbers, and in-text citations A minimum of three academic sources A unique angle that takes a set position on a topic that is currently in the news Milestones We will build up to the final Commentary essay with a process approach to writing, and you will receive professor feedback on your chosen topic beginning in Week 5. The following assignments will help you prepare for the final essay and understand the objectives and outcomes gained. Week 5: Topic Selection Prewriting with Perspective Summary (75 points): This assignment will guide you through topic selection as you choose a current issue and determine a unique angle suitable for your essay’s focus. In addition, you will be required to think through different positions within the topic to solidify and share your unique angle and perspective. Week 6: The Commentary Rough Draft (75 points): The first three pages will be due as a rough draft. Inclusion of at least two sources will be required at this stage. Week 7: The Final Commentary Essay (200 points): Please see the requirements above. Peer Review will also be conducted in the Week 7 Discussions. Week 8: Commentary Reflective Postscript (100 points): In this assignment, you will reflect upon all that you have learned and the ways in which you have grown as a writer by answering a series of prompts in a short postscript. Note: Grading rubrics for all assignments are available in Files. Best Practices APA style is required for all assignments within the Commentary unit. A major goal of the class and the Commentary essay is the proper integration of ethical research via APA style. Please be sure to consult Chapter 28 of your textbook for more information and examples in preparing an essay with APA style. Additionally the DeVry University APA Handbook (Links to an external site.) is a wonderful resource to assist you with research writing. APA is required for page formatting, in-text citations, and the end References page. A minimum of three credible sources is required for the final paper. During the research process, it is highly recommended that you use the DeVry Library (Links to an external site.) to find scholarly, peer-reviewed sources through the wealth of databases and resources available. DeVry librarians are on hand for research assistance via the Ask a Librarian live chat (Links to an external site.). In general, Wikipedia and other wiki sites, blogs, and other nonacademic websites should not be used for the Commentary essay. Source selection and source credibility will be discussed in class; however, feel free to reach out to your professor with questions about sources. Week 5 Topic Proposal and Summary This week’s goal is to begin collecting information and planning for the final Commentary essay by reading, thinking, and engaging with your topic. As you determine your topic, you’ll want to be sure it’s viable by understanding the perspectives within it and determining what unique angle you can offer to the conversation. Under each prompt or question below, provide detailed information about your topic. 1. What is your chosen topic, and how did you come across it? Why is it interesting to you? What do you personally hope to gain or accomplish by writing about this topic? In this section, define your topic and explain where you first heard about it (i.e. local newspaper, website, etc.). Reflect on how or why your background, motivations, needs, or interests inspired your curiosity about this topic, and consider how the topic relates to your overall goals for writing. [Insert your response in one to two paragraphs here.] 2. Provide a brief summary of the topic. Explain the current issues surrounding the topic and share at least two different positions on the topic. As this is a summary, this section should be written in your own words; however, you must first conduct research to complete this section. Find at least two sources that offer differing perspectives on this topic and summarize their points of view. In your summary, also explain who the author or publishing organization is and how he, she, or it relates to the topic. Although we will be learning more about APA style next week, use Chapter 28 in your textbook and our APA class tutorials to provide full references for both sources. [Insert your response in two to three paragraphs here. Additionally, provide full APA references for two sources.] 3. What specific issue will you write about within the larger topic, and what unique angle will you provide? [Insert your response in two to three sentences here.] 4. Define your audience. Who are they, and what are their needs, motivations, and influences? In what ways will you need to structure your writing to appeal to them? Analyze the groups and individuals who are reading and writing on your chosen topic. Work to define who they are and how their backgrounds will dictate your writing approach. [Insert your response in two to three paragraphs here.]