College of the Canyons, Prof.

Rebecca Chmiel
English 103-24397 Mon/Wed 8:00-9:20 am

Unit 3 Paper:
Critical Thinking and Key Concepts
Background: This unit were moving in concepts from Baudrillards Simulacra and Simulation while also building on
previously gained knowledge from the earlier units- inductive and deductive reasoning, logical fallacies, rhetoric,
research skills, and subjects understood by modern culture. This unit will require you to work on 2 project
simultaneously, each of which are informed by the other. You should think of the research paper work as an aid for
your unit 3 paper, and your unit 3 paper as an aid for your research project.
The Collective vs. the Individual: Throughout this unit you will be working with a group about your chosen
subject(s). For the observation assignments, which are word-count oriented, you should complete group
submissions. These group submissions are counted towards your grade for the research paper/presentation. It is the
goal that you are able to overcome the difficulties of such assignments by working together. Having said that, how
you work through the group submissions is entirely your groups responsibility. I am not going to get involved in
group politics, similar to how your boss will not get involved in your office politics when you go on to the real
world. Please find a way to negotiate your problems together. Finally, while the observation assignments are group-
based, the unit 3 essay is your own. You cannot write your unit 3 essays together. For further information about
group work vs. individual work, please refer to the research paper brief.
Submission Guidelines:
Write 2,000-2,500 words in the MLA format detailed below:
a. Double-spaced ONLY
i. To delete any extra spaces between the information in your heading or between your
paragraphs, go to Page Layout, then Spacing, then make sure the Before and After
settings are 0 pt.
b. Times New Roman 12-point font
c. 1 inch margins (unlike this paper)
d. Pagination with last name in top right-hand header
e. Identifying submission information in top left corner including your name, my name, our course
number with section number, and the date of submission
f. A relevant (and possible interesting) title
g. A Works Cited page following MLA format (does not count towards your word count)
Prompt: To complete this essay, you must engage critically with the central concepts we have been exploring this
semester: symbols/ semiotics, logic, system 1 thinking vs. system 2 thinking (critical thinking). There isnt a clear-
cut, focused, straight-forward prompt question like the other 2 essays, but you can think of it as a question like
What does critical thinking mean in the context of this class? The key aspects you must include
are:
1. Evidence from at least 2 Academic Sources
a. These peer-reviewed sources are usually found in books or e-books, peer-reviewed journal articles,
or articles that you find on sites like academia.edu or googlescholar. You will likely need to login to
the College of the Canyons database to find strong evidence.
2. Concepts from Baudrillards Simulacra and Simulation
a. These concepts should be discussed at length in the essay in at least 1 body paragraph.
3. At least one other concept from this semester to support you in making sense of your discussion. It can be:
a. Any historical figure studied in the class
b. Vampires, werewolves, or other myths/legends
c. Any models or discussion topics from lectures
d. Any ideas from course readings or any videos from the class
Organization for the Essay: You are the only one who can decide how you want to organize and address this
paper, but possible ways to organize your ideas are:
I. Use a figure from class (such as vampires or a historical figure) as a framework for your exploration of
different kinds of knowledge and the impact each can have.
II. Use a relatively unknown ethical issue- such as modern day slavery- as a framework for your exploration
of different kinds of knowledge and the impact each can have.
III. Focus on a kind of media which you think might be particularly influential in spreading ideas and
analyze why this media is influential as well as its impact.
IV. Focus on the types of causes for our cultures wide-spread reliance on symbols or system 1 thinking.
V. Focus on the impact or consequences of our cultures wide-spread reliance on symbols or system 1
thinking.
Paper Focus: This is the paper where you can show how critical you can really be. This paper is open to
interpretation greatly, and as such should represent your personal interests. Dont choose a subject you dont care
about!
Building your Paper: Your paper should follow the structure of an academic paper. That is to say, you will need
an introductory paragraph, several body paragraphs which are each focused
Key: around 1 core idea, and a concluding paragraph. You should identify for yourself
L: Lecture how much space to dedicate to each idea so that they support your thesis as best
&: Reading due as possible
? WW: Writers workshop
M: Assignment due Unit 3 Paper: Schedule of Readings, Workshops, and Deadlines
Mon. L: Introduction to Unit 3 Wed. L: Understanding History Differently & Reading
4/17 M: UNIT 2 ESSAY DUE 3/19 Baudrillard Successfully
? WW: Writing group contracts &: Reading Credible Sources
M: Group contract due
Mon. L: Working through History: What led to their Wed. L: The Problem of Discomfort
4/24 success? their fetishization? 3/26 &: Holocaust with pgs 139-147 ARQ and
&: History: A Retro Scenario and pgs 148-157 Reading Application
ARQ M: Observation Assignment #7 Due
M: Observation Assignment #5 & 6 Due
Mon. L: #SpicerFacts, Alternative News, and Fake Wed. L: Theory World Connections & Thesis
5/1 News 5/3 Statements
&: Less Sugar, More Warships and The &: Fake News and Platos Allegory of the
Implosion of Meaning in the Media Cave
M: Observation Assignment #8 and 9 Due ? WW: Thesis Statements
Mon. L: Getting Deeper into Connections Wed. L: The Dangers of a Misinformed Society
5/8 &: The Precession of Simulacra 5/10 &: Toward a Principle of Evil and pgs 125-147
M: Observation Assignment #10 Due ARQ
? WW: Pre-Writing and Prospectus M: Body paragraph #1 due
? WW: Outlines and Drafting
Mon. L: Being Reasonable Logical Critical in your Wed. L: Clarity in All Things
5/15 Paper 5/17 &: pgs 43-57 ARQ
&: pgs 158-165 ARQ ? WW: Peer review 2 in class
? WW: Peer review 1 in class
M: Full body paragraphs draft due
Mon. L: Presentation Skill #1
5/22 M: Unit 2 Paper Due
COC Database Login:
Username: Fish Password: Chips
 Unit 3 Essay: Critical Thinking and Key Concepts (250 points)
Essay Components (-10 points for each one missing):
Pre-Writing Prospectus Draft #2 with 2 peer-review
Outline (formal) Draft #1 with peer-review rubrics
Thesis Speed peer-review comments 1 self-review
Dating form comments rubric

MLA Format: Did the student submit the paper in Times New Roman, 12 point font, double-spaced with 1-inch
margins and a Works Cited page? (Pass/Fail)..Y/N

Score 40-30 Excellent
The essay is a cogent,
thesis-driven response to
the prompt.
Score 30-22.5 Excellent
The writer achieves a
depth of analysis that
supports their answer
fully.
The writer includes at-
length discussion of
concepts from Simulacra
and Simulation.
At least one concept from
this semester is used as a
cornerstone of support for
the answer.
Score 20-15 Excellent
The thesis is clear,
debatable, and engages
with key issues from the
unit.
The essay is organized in a
way that supports the
thesis. Ideas are given
enough space to develop.
The writer deciphers the
evidence collected in an
insightful way.
The writer uses strong
logical reasoning to
support their argument.
The students The students understanding
understanding of their
answer to the prompt is
clear in this essay.
Score 10-7.5 Excellent
Each body paragraph has a
strong topic sentence that
supports the thesis.
The use of English is
strong with only minimal
mistakes.
Comments:
30-20 Good
The essay is mostly cogent
but occasionally strays from
the thesis or lacks clear focus.
22.5-15 Good
The writer almost supports
their answer fully with
analysis, but misses a few
opportunities.
The writer includes some
discussion of concepts from
Simulacra and Simulation but
missing some depth.
At least one concept from this
semester is referenced in
support, but is missing some
depth.
15-10 Good
The thesis is debatable and
engages with key issues from
the unit, but could be clearer.
The essay has some issues
with organization but they do
not necessarily detract from
the essay as a whole.
The writer works with the
evidence collected but misses
a few critical insights.
The writer sometimes uses
strong logical reasoning but
has a few logical fallacies or
flaws.
The students understanding
of their answer to the prompt
is almost there but needed
more depth, more
explanation, or more clarity.
7.5-5 Good
The author attempts strong
topic sentences, but they
sometimes dont fully support
the thesis.
The use of English is good and
mistakes do not detract from
what the writer is saying.
20-10 Needs Improvement
The essay is somewhat
cogent but often strays
from the thesis or lacks
clear enough focus.
15-7.5 Needs Improvement
The writer attempts analysis
but, ultimately, does not
analyze enough.
The writer references
concepts from Simulacra
and Simulation but doesnt
engage with them enough.
At least one concept from
this semester is included
but there is a severe lack of
depth.
10-5 Needs Improvement
The thesis somewhat
engaged with key issues but
needs more work.
The essay has many issues
with organization which
could have been avoided
with careful revisions.
The writer attempts to work
with their evidence but fails
to achieve true insight into
what it means.
The writer often has issues
with their logical reasoning.
of their answer is somewhat
there (or) some concepts
are clearly understood but
others are not.
5-2.5 Needs Improvement
The author sometimes
forgets to have topic
sentences or some are very
weak.
The English usage has many
mistakes which occasionally
detract from what the writer
is saying
10-0 Poor
The essay lacks logic or
persuasion on a large
scale; it is unfocused as a
response.
7.5-0 Poor
Very little explanation or
analysis is given for the
ideas in the text.
The writer doesnt
reference any concepts
from Simulacra and
Simulation.
The writer doesnt
reference one concept
from this semester at all.
5-1 Poor
The thesis is not
debatable, doesnt engage
with key issues, or
unclear.
The organization in the
essay is very confusing.
The writer does not make
attempts to work with their
evidence.
The writer has many
obvious issues with their
logical reasoning.
The student does not
engage with concepts
related to this essay at all.
2.5-0 Poor
The author doesnt achieve
topic sentences which
support the thesis.
The use of English is poor.
There are many mistakes
and they are distracting.