Students are required to post an initial response of at least 250 words and to engage thoughtfully with at least two peers by commenting on their posts. Each post should be original and must adhere to specific formatting instructions, including a practice outline related to a chosen topic. The grading rubric emphasizes the importance of constructive feedback and engagement in the classroom discussion.

1. Each initial post should be
at least 250 words
. Also, respond to at least TWO fellow students’ initial posts
with
at least 50 words each
. Please do not simply compliment them on a job well done. Ask
questions and/or provide thoughtful insight and continue the
discussion they have started. You are also expected to reply to
anyone who responds to your initial post. Remember, this is our
place for our classroom discussion, so it’s important to keep the
conversation going!
Label your parts
for easy reading. Write in complete sentences but do not copy
and paste the questions or instructions into your post. (This will
not count towards your word count requirements.)
Put all required parts in ONE initial post.
Save your work
to your desktop (or USB, cloud, etc.) first. Then copy and paste
your work into the forum area using the “Paste as Plain Text” or
“Paste from Word” icons.
Use the “
Start a New Conversation
” button for your initial post. Click “
Reply
” to respond to fellow students’ posts.
Your instructor will submit your work through
Turnitin

2. , so please ensure that your posts are completely your own
work.
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Practice Outline and Paragraph
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Part 1 (Practice Outline)
Using the format we discussed in our Lessons this week, please
create a practice outline. Since we are only practicing
organization here, let’s keep the topic choices simple: your
favorite (or least favorite) TV show or movie, your favorite (or
least favorite) holiday, or another similar topic.
If you prefer to choose your own topic, please Message me your
idea for approval.
See my example below.
Essay Title
: Ghost Adventures
PARAGRAPH ONE
Introduction Details:
Open with various TV genres that I enjoy (examples: vintage
TV shows, news, movie channels).
My favorite genre is suspense, particularly the show
Ghost Adventures
.
Thesis Statement:

3. Ghost Adventures
is my favorite TV shows because of the investigators, the
paranormal theme, and the locations they visit.
PARAGRAPH TWO
Topic Sentence (with a transition word):
First, I tune in to
Ghost Adventures
because I enjoy watching the investigators.
Supporting Details:
Discuss Zac, Nick, and Aaron (original members)
Mention support staff and new members
PARAGRAPH THREE
Topic Sentence (with a transition word):
Additionally, the paranormal theme of
Ghost Adventures
is intriguing.
Supporting Details:
Purpose of show is to prove that ghosts exist
High-tech equipment (examples)
Ghost sightings and audio evidence
PARAGRAPH FOUR

4. Topic Sentence (with a transition word):
Finally, the crew of
Ghost Adventures
travels to many exciting locations.
Supporting Details:
Places: Hotels, old buildings, houses, etc.
Specific cities: Salem, Los Angeles, Gettysburg
PARAGRAPH FIVE
Thesis restated in a slightly different way:
For many reasons,
Ghost Adventures
is my favorite television show.
Concluding Thoughts:
Paranormal theme
Investigators
Locations
Looking forward to many more seasons
Part 2 (Practice Outline)
Now pick ONE paragraph from your outline and fully develop
it. You may use first person, if you wish, but avoid second
person (you). Do not use sources. Write five to eight well
developed sentences and no less than 100 words. See below for

5. an example.
Below is my completed fourth paragraph.
Finally, the crew of
Ghost Adventures
travels to many exciting locations. It is always so much fun to
start an episode and find out what and where the crew will be
investigating. For example, they investigate hotels, houses,
prisons, hospitals, and basically any location that is rumored to
be haunted. My personal favorite episode is when they
investigate a house a few doors down from where some of the
Manson murders occurred. Also, they are willing to travel all
over the world and have been to cities such as Salem,
Massachusetts; Los Angeles, California; Gettysburg,
Pennsylvania; and to countries overseas, like England and
Ireland. No matter where they go or what type of structure they
investigate, every episode is sure to be exciting and full of
ghostly adventures!
***
Also, here are some
tips for your student replies
this week. Do you see three clear parts in your fellow student’s
thesis statement? Can you identify them very easily? What are
they? Did he/she use transition words in each topic sentence?
Does any paragraph look underdeveloped? Do you see any
grammatical problems,
per the grammar handout
? Have you seen the same TV show or movie? If so, maybe you
can suggest some supporting details or examples if needed.
(Aren't you glad you have a legitimate excuse to watch TV this
week?
)
;)

6. P.S. Please note that simply discussing the movie or TV show
with your classmates will NOT count towards your student
replies. You may do so, but it must be in addition to your
constructive comments. See the above tips for student reply
help.
The grading rubric for this forum is attached below.
Please understand that no single rubric can cover every issue.
Your instructor will adjust the scores on the rubric and
elaborate on the categories as needed. (For example, additional
points might be deducted if you do not respond to those who
have responded to your initial post.) Read your instructor's
comments very carefully for clarification
regarding each deduction. Click on "View Full Description" to
be sure you have met all other forum requirements.