Effects of television on childhood obesity

Summary of assignment

Task: Analyze causes or effects of a phenomenon in an essay supported by research. Choose a topic related to your field of study or a field of study that interests you.

Length: 1500-2000 words

Format: APA

Sources: Minimum of 6. At least 3 of these must be from scholarly journals, and all sources should be selected based on reliability, currency, and level of information/analysis. The UMUC library will be very useful in helping you find appropriate sources.

Outcomes you should achieve by completing this assignment

As you complete the tasks required for this assignment, you will be working towards the various course outcomes:

• Use research to write an essay on causes or effects that will inform or persuade an audience (Course outcome 1)

• Form unified, coherent, and well-supported paragraphs in support of the thesis statement (Course outcome 2)

• Select sources, use them to inform and support your writing, and document them in APA style (Course outcome 4)

• Demonstrate accurate grammar and mechanics in writing (Course outcome 3)

• Participate in the process of receiving feedback and revising your writing (Course

  outcome 1)

Choosing a topic

This assignment asks you to write about either causes or effects of a phenomenon. Do not try to cover both causes and effects of a phenomenon in your essay. This essay is not long enough to cover both causes and effects in enough detail.

For example, a student could write about various causes of pipeline accidents. This essay’s thesis statement and supporting paragraphs would focus only on causes of the accidents. The essay would not go into detail on effects of the pipeline accidents, thought it might briefly mention effects, perhaps in the conclusion.

Another possible topic is the effects of exposure to a particular chemical. This essay would focus only on effects. The introduction might briefly mention how exposure occurs, and the

conclusion might briefly mention how to avoid exposure. However, the thesis statement and the supporting paragraphs would focus on effects of exposure.

At the end of these instructions is a list of possible topics to get you started.

Organizing and supporting your essay

As you write your essay, be sure to include the following:

• an engaging introductory paragraph that includes an effective and clear thesis statement

• any definition of terms or background information that your reader is likely to need to understand your paper

• unified, supported, and coherent body paragraphs that defend the thesis

• an effective conclusion

Research is a key element of this paper. Take care to support your claims with research throughout the paper. Include in-text citations whenever you use sources, whether through quote, paraphrase, or summary. A reference list at the end of the paper should list all of the sources cited in the text of the paper.

Point of view

This essay will be written in an academic style. Use third person point of view. Do not use “I” or “you.”

Persuasive or Expository

This essay can be a persuasive essay, in which you try to persuade the reader of a particular position. Or it can be an expository essay in which synthesize different viewpoints on an issue in order to inform the reader. The following examples help illustrate these two approaches.

• A persuasive essay on the effects of video games on learning might the position that video games should be integrated into school science curricula to teach middle school students. The essay would cite articles that demonstrate research studies and other pieces of evidence to support the claim that video games can enhance instruction in science classes and will help middle school students learn science more effectively.

• An expository essay on the effects of video games on learning would report ont the topic without taking a stand. The essay would synthesize information on this topic, by bringing together various sources and viewpoints. It would summarize and analyze research findings on the impacts of video games on learning.

Formatting your essay

Use APA style to format your essay, including the following guidelines:

• Use one-inch margins.

• Double space.

• Use size 12 Times New Roman font.

• Include a running head.

• Include page numbers.

• Include a title page.

• Use in-text citations in APA format.

• Include a reference list with all sources listed in APA format.