UWRT 1104 Inquiry Proposal Required Length Approx. 3 pages.

MLA format: (double spaced, 12 pt. font)

Name
Mrs. Thomas
UWRT 1104
18 October 2016
Your Creative Title (centered)
Draft due Oct. 13 for T/R class. Oct. 14 for W/F classes. Post to
Google Docs for participation grade. Bring laptop to class.
Second draft due Oct. 18 for T/R class; Oct. 19 for W/F classes.
Please copy and paste the second draft and put it below the first
draft on the same file. Leave the peer comments on the first draft.
This proposal is meant to get you thinking on paper about your topic of
inquiry. It's not the last word on your inquiry work--it's a starting point.
What makes a good question?
--you are INTERESTED in finding answers to your questions
--it is not so small or obscure that you wont be able to find information about
it (your preliminary
research will help make sure this doesnt happen)
--it is not so large or undefined that you will be overwhelmed with
information that will slow you down
--it is uniquely yours.
--it is not a report (steroids, human trafficking, and so on take the form of
reports where you are
simply delivering information and not investigating clues or
following leads)
--you are willing and able to be flexible as you uncover what you did not
know and/or need to head in a
different direction
--it does not begin with the end in mind.
What am I doing? In your proposal, you are in a sense selling us on your
question. Start by reading, learning what conversations are taking place
about your subject. You have to know something before you can formulate a
question about it. First, readskimwidely on a few subjects relevant to the
subject. Then, propose a tentative question. Next, write up what youve
learned, and sketch out a plan for further research.
Why am I writing this? The purpose of this assignment is to identify a
relevant inquiry question and to establish that it is, in fact, researchable.
Identifying this question may involve a narrative describing the kernel of
the question, why it is of interest to you.
Who am I writing to? Write with your peers and instructor in mind, Your
audience is interested in your inquiry, but may not be very knowledgeable.
What should it look like? Your inquiry proposal should address the
following, but not sound as if you going down a checklist:

It may include a descriptive narrative: adjectives, similes, metaphors.

What story or event drives your inquiry? Consider how the writer of
The Dark Side strove to engage her reader. Be creative.

What led you to this question?

What did you know about your subject before you began? How did you
learn it?

A brief history/context of the question. Consider the report's

questions: Who? What? When? How? Why?

What evidence have you gathered to establish that it is researchable?

Where might you look next for more perspectives on your question?

What specific questions are occurring to you now that youve begun to
think on paper about your question?

Why is your inquiry question important to your classmates?

How is it going to be evaluated?

Your inquiry proposal will be evaluated on the basis of both its content and
form. A good proposal will address the questions above. It will strive to
engage and interest your readers and express your creativity while
demonstrating thoughtful reflection and analysis about your question. Your
voice comes through. The second and subsequent drafts will be carefully
proofread and edited for punctuation, spelling, and mechanics. The first draft
will be a completion participation grade. Please do your best! It will be
shared in small groups. The second draft will receive instructor commentary
and process grade 1-4.
Reflect before you turn in your assignment: Write a reflection to your
instructor and peers before you turn in each draft of your inquiry
proposal. Place it in italics at the top of your proposal. Explain any questions
and concerns. Tell about your experiences developing an inquiry question,
reading about your subject, and writing a plan to study your question. Tell
what difficulties you encountered along with way, and how you dealt with
those challenges. File below is the Why do We Personify Death example we
discussed in class.