​​Essay Prep: Academic Sources
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​​Purpose ​🎯​ 

​​This task is designed to help you develop your research and critical thinking skills, as well as,  engage with the unit content. 
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​​Task Description ​✏️​ 

​​Select one of the questions provided. Once you have selected your question, you must:
  • ​​Find 2 academic sources relevant to the question 
  • ​​Prepare 150 words on why/how this source would be useful in preparing an answer to this question
  • ​​Provide an end-text reference for each source in correct APA format 
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​​Essay Prompts ​🔎​ 

  • ​​Write the essay prompt here
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​​Additional Information ​đź“š​ 

​​To help you complete this task successfully, the following resources are provided:
  • ​​Marking Rubric — refer to this to understand how you will be assessed
  • ​​Checklist: How to complete this activity — use this to help you complete the task
  • ​​Library Search  — use this to help you search for resource
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​​Checklist: How to complete this activity ​âś…​ 

​​Copy and paste this checklist into your Notes. Check off each step as you complete it.
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​​Step 1: Task Understanding
  • ​​Read the Instructions and Checklist carefully 
  • ​​Read your Marking Rubric carefully
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​​Step 2: Select Topic 
  • ​​Select a question from the options above
  • ​​Copy + paste your questions into Cadmus 
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​​Step 3: Topic Research
  • ​​Review Library Search 
  • ​​Identify a set of potentially useful resources — ie. sources that would help you answer your question. 
  • ​​Survey, skim, and scan to find the relevant articles, and parts of articles
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​​Step 4: Critical Reading
  • ​​As you read the resource, jot down notes using this framework (adapted from Marshall and Rowland (2006)):
  • ​​Author’s purpose: why has the author written the material? 
  • ​​Author’s approach: what are the author’s assumptions in writing this material (are there any biases)?
  • ​​Author’s content: what are the main ideas or arguments? How do they develop these ideas or arguments? What evidence, examples or explanations are used to support the arguments, findings or conclusions?
  • ​​Tip: as you read, make reference notes of any sources
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​​Step 5: Critical Writing
  • ​​Based on your research, use this framework to prepare a (150 word) response: 
  • ​​Reporting: report what you have read, you are describing the author’s work. E.g. Evans (2010) found that… 
  • ​​Interpreting: interpret the significance of the ideas as they relate to helping you answer your question. E.g. Evans (2010) found that… and this is relevant because…
  • ​​Referencing: provide an end-text reference for each source using APA format
  • ​​Tip: to avoid plagiarism, you must give credit if you use the work of others (see Referencing in Manual)
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