Dual Enrollment Summer Assignment 2015
Assignment: In preparation for your English 111/112 Dual Enrollment course, you will need to expose
yourself to diverse mediums of communication in order to synthesize a response to the overarching
questions that will be integral to the course.
1. Pick one of the questions to be your overarching question for this assignment.
Overarching Questions:
 Is technology taking over?
 When do world conflicts affect us?
 Is the news always reliable?
 How can we fix society’s problems?
2. From the accompanying list of sources, select and read the following:

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

1 piece of non-fiction / essay
1 poem OR song
1 film / documentary to watch
1 visual accompaniment / political cartoon
2 articles (within the past five years) from a credible magazine or newspaper
Nonfiction
Poem/Song
“A measure of Black Eyed Peas
Restraint” by
“Now Generation”
Chet Raymo
(The Bedford
Reader 212)
“The Ways
We Lie” by
Stephanie
Ericsson
(50 Essays
174)
http://www.lyricsmode.com/lyrics
/b/black_eyed_peas/now_generati
on.html
“Satellite” by Dave
Matthews Band
http://www.lyricsfreak.com/d/dav
e+matthews+band/satellite_20036
605.html
Documentary
Visual
Accompaniment/Political
Cartoon
Credible
Magazine
or
Newspaper
Future Intelligent, Hillary Clinton & Email
2009
44 minutes
http://townhall.com/politicalcartoons/2015/04/14/129604
Time
(Technology consuming
every part of our life)
Killer Legends,
2014
Directed by
Joshua Zeman
86 minutes
(Horror documentary
investigates the origins
of urban legends and
the true stories
inspiring them)
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Iran and Obama Nuclear
Deals
http://townhall.com/politicalcartoons/2015/04/12/129533
Newsweek
“The Lion in
Winter” by
Sebastian
Junger
“December 2, 2002”
by Juliana Spahr
http://www.poets.org/poetsorg/po
em/december-2-2002
(Norton
Sampler 65)
Citizenfour, 2014: Obama and Cuba
Interviewing
http://townhall.com/politicalEdward Snowden cartoons/2015/04/13/129607
Directed by Laura
Poitras
The New
Yorker
114 minutes
(Government whistle
blower)
“On
Compassion”
by Barbara
Lazear Ascher
“Lost Generation” by
Jonathan Reed
http://www.poemhunter.com/poe
m/the-lost-generation-byjonathan-reed/
(The Bedford
Reader 195)
Inside Job, 2010
IRS Tax Day
Directed by
Charles Ferguson
http://townhall.com/politicalcartoons/2015/04/13/129569
Washington
Post
105 minutes
(A closer look at what
brought about the financial
meltdown)
“The Roots of
War”
“Youth of the Nation”
by POD
(The Bedford
Reader 609)
http://www.metrolyrics.com/youth
-of-the-nation-lyrics-pod.html
Samsara, 2011
Justice for Tsarnaev
Directed by Ron
Fricke
http://townhall.com/politicalcartoons/2015/04/13/129590
Week
102 minutes
(Varied worlds of sacred
grounds, disaster zones,
etc.)
“Modern Technology”
by Carolyn Brunelle
tetw.org/menu
http://www.poemhunter.com/poe
m/modern-technology/
Catfish, 2010
Boston Bomber
Directed by
Henry Joost,
Ariel Schulman
http://townhall.com/politicalcartoons/2015/04/10/129535
(Technology and love)
87 minutes
*You may choose other articles/sources from the sources above.
2
The
Economist
3. Change your question into an arguable thesis.
Model
Overarching Question: Is the American Dream still achievable?
Thesis Model: The American Dream represents an old fashioned idea that is no longer possible in
today’s economic state.
Thesis: ____________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
4. Complete the chart!
Source Title
Record at least 1 concrete detail that supports
your thesis.
Nonfiction Essay:
Poem / Song:
Film:
Visual / Cartoon
Article #1:
Article #2:
3
Explain how this concrete detail
supports your thesis.
5. Review the Synthesis PowerPoint Notes on the HHS English Website:
http://www.lcps.org/Page/18554
6. Compose a synthesis essay and submit it to Turnitin.com by September 15, 2015.
Turnitin.com Class Code: 9840397 Password: English (this password is case-sensitive, so be sure to
use the capitalization indicated)
Synthesis Essay Assignment: This question requires you to synthesis a variety of sources into a
coherent, well written essay. When you synthesize sources, you refer to them to develop your position
and cite them accurately. Your argument should be central; the sources should support the argument.
Avoid merely summarizing your sources. This essay should follow MLA standards and include a
WORKS CITED PAGE. Length Requirement: 2-5 pages. Please look at the example of technology
synthesis essays provided on the HHS English Website. http://www.lcps.org/Page/18554
Rubric:
A
B
C
D
Style (Grammar & Punctuation):
Style (Grammar & Punctuation):
Style (Grammar & Punctuation):
Style (Grammar & Punctuation):
Elevated Diction
Fragment and/or Fused
Sentences
Simple Sentence Structure
Awkward sentence structure &
casual diction
MLA Standards:
MLA Standards:
MLA Standards:
MLA Standards:
In-text/parenthetical citations
Improper MLA format
Missing Parentheticals
Missing Works Cited
Persuasive Writing:
Persuasive Writing:
Persuasive Writing:
Persuasive Writing:
Clear argumentative thesis
Missing Rebuttal/Refutation
Missing Counterargument
Missing argumentative thesis
Varied Syntax
Correct Works Cited
Counterargument
Missing Rebuttal/Refutation
Rebuttal/Refutation
Integration of Sources:
Integration of Sources:
Integration of Sources:
Integration of Sources:
Strong Assertion
Mediocre Assertion
Weak introduction of textual
evidence
Missing Assertion
Persuasive Textual Evidence
Mediocre Textual Evidence
Thoughtful Commentary
Mediocre Commentary
Missing Textual Evidence
Generalized commentary
Missing Commentary
Questions?? Email: emmilee.throckmorton@lcps.org or Melanie.buckley@lcps.org
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