Ms.

Drawbonds English 101

Essay 2: Hearts and Hands Problem-Solution Proposal

Prompt: Throughout Hearts and Hands, Luis Rodriguez discusses problems plaguing todays young people and society as a whole. He also discusses the mistaken approaches parents and communities have been taking to address these problems and gives guidelines for better ways to deal with these issues. For this essay, you are going to make connections between a problem that Luis Rodriguez identifies in Hearts and Hands and your own experiences either at LASC or in your community. Then, you are going to propose a specific, realistic solution to this problem. For both the problem and the solution, you should be referring back to Hearts and Hands in order to provide specific textual support (with page numbers). o Identifying a problem: Rodriguez discusses many problems that are affecting young people in Los Angeles and beyond. Pick the problem that most interests you and that you can connect to specific examples from your own life and observations. Explain how the problem that Rodriquez identifies is also a problem at either LASC or in your community by giving specific examples of people or events from your life that show this being a problem at LASC or in your community. o Proposing a solution: The other major part of this essay will involve proposing a possible solution to this problem. Make sure your solution in specific (go beyond Parents need to be more involved) and realistic given the circumstances. Then, make sure you show how your solution fits into Rodriguezs ideas about what needs to be done by using specific quotes/paraphrasing from the book (with page numbers). For example, if you decide to focus on Rodriguezs claim that part of what young people need is to feel like they have a creative outlet, show how your solution allows them that. Guidelines for Writing: Make sure that you follow the essay format we discussed in class! This should be a full essay with multiple paragraphs, including an introductory paragraph and a concluding paragraph. You should also have at least two to three body paragraphs. Work on having a specific thesis statement that responds directly to the prompt and states your main idea. Your thesis statement should state both the problem and your solution. Your support for your thesis should be organized into body paragraphs with clear topic sentences. Your essay should be between 600-800 words. Please write the word count at the end of your paper. The word count can be found at the bottom of the screen when you are typing in Microsoft Word. I will check to see that your composition is between 600-800 words. Your essay should be in correct MLA format, which includes using 12 point, Times New Roman font, double-spacing, one-inch margins all around, and correct MLA format heading and page numbering. There is more information about MLA format on the class website. Do the best work you can! If you have questions or feel that you need help, you can see me during my office hours, which are listed on your syllabus. Final Draft Due: Thursday, April 11, 2013 (the week after Spring Break) ***turn in ALL prewriting and rough drafts with your final draft