English 112 Exploratory Essay Assignment For this assignment, you will not be arguing a particular point of view. Rather, your objective is simply to “wallow in complexity:” to research and analyze, to posit thesis (believing), antithesis(doubting), and synthesis(new ideas/your opinions); to challenge the common ways of looking at a problem. You will begin this assignment, as much good writing does, by posing a question. Your job is to research a (provisional, or temporary) answer (believing). Then you will critique that answer—by reading against the grain and you will find flaws in the answer (doubting). Then you’ll ask another question—a more complex question, based on your research and your rejection of your previous answer. You will attempt to answer that question, debunk that answer, and so on. The purpose is not to find answers, but to ask really good questions—and as a result to probe a topic more deeply than you’ve ever done before. This assignment differs from others you’ve most likely written before, as a polished thesis statement does not control the organization and development of ideas. Rather, this essay will document the evolution of your thinking on a subject. The exploratory essay should be a first-person narrative of your thinking and research process as you explore and reflect upon your research question. The essay should reflect the organization plan (pg 49), and it might end with a tentative solution to the problem or answer to the question that you will argue in your subsequent essay. Or, it might conclude with plans for further investigation.**Read the sample essay beginning on page 50 and the notes in the margins for further guidance. The dialectical thinking I have already asked you to engage in with the researched articles you selected in the past few assignments can and should help you as you compose your exploratory essay. Feel free to use parts of your believing and doubting exercises and your engagement with your articles in your paper. Consider your audience for this paper to be members of the academic community here at TCC. In this paper, you are developing the authority to speak on the topic of your choice. Research, reflection, and good note-taking are crucial. Helpful tips: . · Take time to select a question or problem that interests you and that has significance for your audience. · Choose a topic you haven’t written about before (in another course) and for which you do not already have a strong opinion. You may, however, choose a topic about which you have already written in this course (for any of your smaller assignments) or choose a new topic altogether. · The essay should be organized chronologically and indicate gradual development of your thinking with clear transitions and logical development. · As you detail your research process, you’ll include summaries of and responses to your secondary sources. · Show how the problem/question is interesting, problematic, and important. · The paper’ ...

1. English 112
Exploratory Essay Assignment
For this assignment, you will not be arguing a particular point
of view. Rather, your objective is simply to “wallow in
complexity:” to research and analyze, to posit thesis
(believing), antithesis(doubting), and synthesis(new ideas/your
opinions); to challenge the common ways of looking at a
problem.
You will begin this assignment, as much good writing does, by
posing a question. Your job is to research a (provisional, or
temporary) answer (believing). Then you will critique that
answer—by reading against the grain and you will find flaws in
the answer (doubting). Then you’ll ask another question—a
more complex question, based on your research and your
rejection of your previous answer. You will attempt to answer
that question, debunk that answer, and so on. The purpose is not
to find answers, but to ask really good questions—and as a
result to probe a topic more deeply than you’ve ever done
before.
This assignment differs from others you’ve most likely written
before, as a polished thesis statement does not control the
organization and development of ideas. Rather, this essay will
document the evolution of your thinking on a subject. The
exploratory essay should be a first-person narrative of your
thinking and research process as you explore and reflect upon
your research question. The essay should reflect the
organization plan (pg 49), and it might end with a tentative
solution to the problem or answer to the question that you will
argue in your subsequent essay. Or, it might conclude with
plans for further investigation.**Read the sample essay

2. beginning on page 50 and the notes in the margins for further
guidance.
The dialectical thinking I have already asked you to engage in
with the researched articles you selected in the past few
assignments can and should help you as you compose your
exploratory essay. Feel free to use parts of your believing and
doubting exercises and your engagement with your articles in
your paper.
Consider your audience for this paper to be members of the
academic community here at TCC. In this paper, you are
developing the authority to speak on the topic of your choice.
Research, reflection, and good note-taking are crucial.
Helpful tips:
.
· Take time to select a question or problem that interests you
and that has significance for your audience.
· Choose a topic you haven’t written about before (in another
course) and for which you do not already have a strong opinion.
You may, however, choose a topic about which you have
already written in this course (for any of your smaller
assignments) or choose a new topic altogether.
· The essay should be organized chronologically and indicate
gradual development of your thinking with clear transitions and
logical development.
· As you detail your research process, you’ll include summaries
of and responses to your secondary sources.
· Show how the problem/question is interesting, problematic,
and important.
· The paper’s conclusion should provide closure for your reader.
· The paper should follow MLA guidelines for citing sources.
· Your essay should reflect rules of standard edited English.

3. Format: The final draft should be no less than 4pgs and cite a
minimum of 3 sources. Format according to MLA standards,
Times New Roman, 12pt, black print, and double-spaced. Refer
to the rubric guidelines for guidance on expectations. You can
find the rubric under course documents.
Step 1: Use a Prewriting Strategy to help you generate a
“complex, problematic, and significant” question (Writing
Arguments 51). You have been discussing and researching at
least one topic as you have completed your discussion board
assignments and weblogs. Look through all of your writing thus
far for help in generating your question.
Step 2: Review the Organization Plan for an Exploratory Essay
on page 49 of Writing Arguments carefully. It is a step-by-step
approach to how to compose each paragraph.
Step 3: Create your own Organization Plan for your essay.
Please use the format you see directly on pg. 49. You will be
turning this in with your final draft.
Step 4: Compose your draft adhering to the format above.
Step 5: Post your draft in the Discussion Board forum titled,
“Discussion Board Peer Review: Exploratory Essay” by
Thursday, November 12. This will NOT be graded as your final
draft. This will just be part of a discussion board peer review
assignment.
Step 6: (You will need to complete this step between Thursday,
November 12 and Monday, November 16). Find the peer review
questions for the exploratory essay under Course Documents.
Complete two peer reviews on your classmates’ drafts by
Monday, April 6.
Step 7: Review the rubric for the Exploratory Essay under

4. Course Documents. Revise your essay.
Step 8: Submit your final draft by Thursday, November 19
directly to the assignment link under your Week 4 folder.
Ashley Waddy 3
CHILDREN WHO ARE ABUSED
Children are who make up the segment of society that is the
most defenseless, vulnerable, as well as completely dependent
on adults. The adults are who to blame when children end up in
areas of natural disasters and catastrophes. There has been an
increase in the reported cases of child abuse by parents while
ideally it is the moral duty of the parents to protect their
children from any form of physical, sexual and emotion abuse.
Having grown in a neighbourhood of children who have been
abused I noticed that it has detrimental effects on their social
life and it led to a strained relationship with their parents and
other elderly people in the society. During our interaction I
noticed that the children have a form of fear for the parents and
this hinders open and comfortable discussion about issues that
affect their day to day lives. I have always admired close knit
families and having grown up in one, I wish that every child
would have the privilege of enjoying the same.
Russian academic indicates that children are highly vulnerable
and at risk of atrocities from elder members of the society who
might inflict bodily harm or emotional distress. The children
become destitute and result to begging on the streets,
prostitution and economic exploitation to meet their basic needs
and interests. This have a great impact on the children’s life and
this could be positive or negative.
To begin with some children learn to be self reliant and
dependent which is vital for their survival. The skills picked up
in this phase of life contribute to their development and form a

5. foundation for their future. On the other hand, some children
end up being disoriented and may suffer from emotional
distress.
They become malnourished due to lack of adequate nourishment
and might become aggressive as they seek to acquire basic
needs. The results of this study are convincing though the
reported cases of negative implications are more than the
positive.
The major cause of child abuse that is stated in the study is
poverty at the household level, I do however agree with but it
also raises some questions as well. “Are all children who may
be facing abuse today from poverty stricken households? As I
focus on the causes, I realise that some children who are abused
are from diverse backgrounds and suffer under the hands of
people who are supposed to care for them. This is breaching the
secure environment and the child feels threatened hence cannot
easily express themselves.
An article from The Huffington Post stated that children are
abused by people who are close and well known to them. This
made me reflect on my family set up where as I grew up I had
freedom of expression. I realise that legal bodies have a role to
play to ensure that the living areas are safe for the children and
that social child care systems do not only come into play at the
last stages of abuse.
A review on child abuse indicated that there is an
intergenerational cycle of child abuse whereby the child
develops a tendency of mistreating other children and
eventually their own offspring. Keri suggests that children who
are abused are exposed to a variety of challenges and this in
turn has an effect in their outcome of behaviour after the
exposure.
He suggests that parenting plays a huge role in the morality of
the children especially as they enter adolescence. A study was
then conducted on both boys and girls investigating the
behaviour patterns associated with domestic violence and it
indicated that there is a similarity in the outcome between both

6. boys and girls. This view put me in a dilemma since some of the
children from abusive households have been rehabilitated and
re-integrated into the society. They have regained acceptable
social behaviour and conduct. This doubt brings up the
questions that everyone may want to know “Do all children who
may/have been abused become violet?”