Introduction to Unit 3 Exploratory Essay: 

Now that you’ve had some practice summarizing different texts and analyzing how they communicate to readers, it’s your turn to join a conversation about social media and its influence on our emotions by writing an Exploratory Essay. 

An Exploratory Essay invites you to explore a question of your choice related to our course theme, and identify and summarize sources that help you answer that question, and develop your own purpose by working out an answer to your question that explores its complexity.

This is different from other writing assignments where the professor gives you the question and you answer it. This time, you'll identify both the question AND the answer.

Assignment: 

Write a 1,000-1,500-word essay that addresses a question of interest to you that's related in some way to social media, or its influence on our emotions. Your question should be something you don't already know the answer to, and which outside sources can help you answer. (We'll work together to craft strong questions together in class).

Sources: You're required to find and respond to at least two outside sources that help you answer your question. You don't have to agree with the conclusions of these sources; instead, see them as voices that you can enter into conversations with.

Additionally, this essay should blend your personal experience with what you find in your sources. A minimum of one paragraph (but potentially much more) should explicitly tie your own life stories and interests to the question your essay poses.

Organization: As in your previous essay, organize your notes into an essay that walks a reader through your observations in an order that makes sense and allows you to smoothly transition from idea to idea. Help your reader enter and exit your essay with introduction and conclusion paragraphs, and prepare them with a title that prepares us for your most interesting claims.

Genre: Again, please write a laid-back academic essay. This means that you should use academic terminology and a carefully chosen organization while still sounding like yourself and writing with an engaging, friendly tone. (For instance, you may use "I" as much as you'd like.)

Technology: Your essay should primarily be a written essay, composed with words in Word or Google Docs. But as much as you like, you may insert other media that helps you make your points, such as links to songs, embedded images, or even video or audio that you create to help you make your point.