In your journal, take some time to reflect on your upcoming final exam research essay. Address the following points:

Research Essay Ideas: Begin by brainstorming and outlining potential research essay topics that you’re considering for your final exam. Describe the ideas you have in mind, including the main research question or thesis statement you’re thinking of.

Rationale: Explain why you find these topics interesting and why they are suitable for your final exam. What motivated you to explore these specific ideas?

Research Plan: Outline your plan for conducting research. Discuss the steps you intend to take to gather information, evidence, and data to support your research essay. Include details such as where and how you will start your research.

Finding Credible Sources: Research credibility is essential. Describe your strategies for identifying and selecting credible sources to support your research. How will you ensure that the information you use is reliable and trustworthy?

Library and Online Resources: If applicable, mention any specific libraries, databases, or online resources you plan to utilize in your research. Explain why these sources are relevant to your topic.

Interviews or Surveys (if applicable): If your research essay involves interviews or surveys, discuss your plan for conducting these primary research activities. Who do you intend to interview, and how will you formulate your questions?

Timeline: Create a rough timeline for your research and writing process leading up to the final exam. Consider setting milestones for gathering sources, outlining, drafting, and revising your essay.

Challenges and Solutions: Anticipate potential challenges you might encounter during your research and essay writing process. What strategies or solutions do you have in mind to address these challenges?

Peer Feedback: If you’re comfortable, share your research ideas and plans with a peer or a teacher and ask for feedback or suggestions. How might their input help refine your approach?

Reflection: Conclude your journal entry by reflecting on how this planning process has helped you feel more prepared and confident about your final exam research essay. Are there any additional resources or support you need to execute your plan effectively?

This journal prompt should help you begin the process of organizing your thoughts, developing your research plan, and ensuring you have a clear strategy for finding credible sources to support your research essay for the final exam.

Here are the topics for the Final Exam Essay:

Final Exam Research Essay Prompt

In this final exam research essay, you have the opportunity to showcase your understanding of the literary works and critical concepts covered in this course. You will choose either “The Things They Carried” by Tim O’Brien, “The Great Gatsby” by F. Scott Fitzgerald, or both as your primary texts for analysis. Additionally, you will select at least one supplementary text from the short stories, poems, or interviews covered in the course. Finally, you must incorporate concepts from the textbooks “How to Read Literature Like a Professor” and “They Say/I Say” into your analysis.

Essay Instructions:

Select Your Primary Text(s): Choose either “The Things They Carried” (chapters 1-9), “The Great Gatsby” (chapters 1-9), or both as the primary text(s) for your analysis. If you choose both, you must discuss how they relate to each other in your essay.

Choose Supplementary Text: Select at least one supplementary text from the short stories (“A&P,” “Where Are You Going, Where Have You Been”), poems (Langston Hughes), odes (Horace), or interviews (Taylor Swift) studied in this course. This text should complement or contrast with your primary text(s).

Apply Literary Concepts: Use the principles and techniques discussed in “How to Read Literature Like a Professor” to analyze your chosen primary text(s). Explore elements such as symbolism, character development, narrative structure, and themes.

Incorporate “They Say/I Say” Concepts: Apply persuasive strategies and argumentative techniques from “They Say/I Say” to strengthen your thesis and arguments. Discuss how your analysis connects to broader literary conversations.

Supplementary Text Analysis: Analyze the selected supplementary text(s) and explain their relevance to your primary text(s). How do they contribute to your understanding of the themes, characters, or literary techniques in your primary text(s)?

Integration of Taylor Swift Interviews: If you choose to incorporate the Taylor Swift interviews, discuss how her insights and experiences as an artist and storyteller relate to the themes and narrative strategies in your primary and supplementary texts.

Annotated Bibliography: As part of your grade for this assignment, you must submit an annotated bibliography that includes a list of sources used in your research. Each entry in the bibliography should be accompanied by a brief annotation explaining the source’s relevance and how it contributes to your analysis.

Conclusion: Summarize your findings, emphasizing the insights you’ve gained from applying the concepts from the textbooks and analyzing the texts. Reflect on the significance of the connections and comparisons you’ve made between your chosen texts.