This document provides context and instructions for a discourse essay assignment. The goals of the essay are to: 1) Interpret and portray crucial perspectives from sources on the research topic; 2) Present and evaluate those perspectives; and 3) Outline what the author wants to add to the discussion and how it responds to existing ideas. The essay should demonstrate understanding of prior discussions around the research focus, clarify how that informs the author's thinking, and identify planned contributions in dialogue with other works. The essay must be 4-5 pages, cite at least six total sources with four from academic works, and be formatted with APA style citations and a references page. It is due by the specified date.

1. Rothman
Discourse Essay Prompt
CONTEXT
When you invest yourself in research, you invest yourself in a
conversation that is already taking
place—you enter an existing discourse. That discourse is often
extensive, involving many people
from different perspectives, with different motivations and
interests in the issue/concept/focus at
hand. This essay will be a chance for you to extend and
synthesize much of your research to get a
stronger sense of the discourse you are entering.
The goals for this essay include:
1. Interpreting and portraying some of the most crucial
perspectives and ideas (from sources)
about your project focus.
2. Presenting and, more importantly, evaluating those
perspectives and ideas.
3. Outlining what you’d like to contribute/add/reimagine and
presenting your ideas as
responses to perspectives already out there.
In short, your discourse essay is about demonstrating your
understanding of the conversation that

2. has already been happening about your project focus; clarifying
how that can be useful to your own
thinking and writing; and identifying what you plan to
contribute and how it is in dialogue with
other thinkers and writers.
LOGISTICS
You will interpret/explain/analyze the ideas and perspectives of
those already in this dialogue. This
essay will be at least 4-5 pages and must include at least six
sources total. At least four of these
sources need to be from academic sources. You may use the
same sources from the Annotated
Bibliography, or you may choose to use other sources. This
essay will use APA in-text citations and
include a References page.
SUBMISSION
Please submit your discourse essay on D2L by 11:59pm CST
Friday 1/29.