Final – Critical Response 1: Response to Derrick Bells The Space Traders

Critical Response 1: Response to Derrick Bells The Space Traders

This assignment focuses on your ability to: learn how to interpret the literary device of setting and how it affects the character of the story/poem.

The purpose of completing this assignment is: as a student, in your career, and individual lives, you will often need to look beyond the plot and summary of what you are reading and put a different spin on it. An example of this might be interpreting data and the varying components of how that data was created, as well as what to do with the data as you move forward. 

Prompt (What are you writing about):

In a well-crafted 2-page essay, respond to the following prompt (roughly 500 works or more):

Based on your reading of Derrick Bells The Space Traders What would you say was a major conflict in Derrick Bells The Space Traders?

Instructions (how to get it done):

Read through all of the instructions of this assignment.  
Read all of unit 1 and 2 resources.
Your audience for this essay is people who have read the stories/poems.  
Use text examples to support your answer
Your essay will have the following components:
A title page o An Introduction 
A thesis at the end of the introduction that clearly states how the setting shapes the story. 
At least two supporting sections that defend your thesis/focus of the essay 
3 texts support with properly cited in-text citations 
A concluding paragraph 
Works cited page with the short story citation
Requirements: 

Length and format: At least 2 pages. 
The title page and the works cited page are also required, but they should not be factored into the 2-page length of the essay. 
The paper should be double spaced with 1-inch margins. Choice of fonts: 11-point Calibri, 11-point Arial,12-point Times New Roman. The essay should conform to MLA formatting and citation style. 
Use MLA format for in-text citations and references when using outside sources and textual evidence.
Skills to be assessed with this assignment: creating effective thesis statements, incorporating text, responding to literature.
Please be cautious about plagiarism. Make sure to use in-text citations for direct quotes, paraphrases, and new information. 
Mini-lesson on thesis statements:

Questions to ask yourself:

What is the setting of my chosen story? What is the place? What is the mood created by the author? How do the place and mood affect the story for the reader? 
For example, it is apparent that in Whitmans I Hear America Singing you would devote a supporting section to the locations of his poem and a supporting section to the mood he creates through the setting. 
Translate that into a thesis: 

After you have made connections to these two areas of setting you will then form your thesis. 
Here is an example template for your thesis. You are welcome to use this template for your essay: 
In Walt Whitmans poem I Hear America Singing, it is apparent that the setting place and location shape the poem through the obvious American workers locations and the tone of triumph and hopefulness. 

Rubric for Assessment – Written Communication General Education Rubric 

Rubric details found in Canvas course shell under Rubrics