Touchstone 2.2 ( English 2 ) - Assignment Essays

Touchstone 1.2 English

Mohammed Alshaghathirah Comment by Eackloff, Robyn: Hi Mohammed,
I am pleased to evaluate your assignment today.

Sophia Learning

English Composition II

Research question: Is death penalty a more effective capital punishment than life imprisonment without parole? Comment by Eackloff, Robyn: You have chosen a relevant and debatable topic.

Thesis statement: Although there are arguments that death penalty strongly deter people from committing serious crimes, life imprisonment without parole should be used instead of death penalty because it is ethically questionable, it is costly and it is irreversible in case an innocent person gets executed. Comment by Eackloff, Robyn: The working thesis statement takes a stance on a debatable topic.

Detailed Outline

I. Introduction

A. A Hook with a brief history, religious details and facts on the death penalty globally.

B. Briefly discuss the dilemma surrounding the death penalty. Source: Shona olalere on “The Dilemma of Death Penalty.”

http://dx.doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.20925.51688

C. A working thesis statement: Although there are arguments that death penalty strongly deter people from committing serious crimes, life imprisonment without parole should be used instead of death penalty because it is ethically questionable, it is costly and it is irreversible in case of an innocent person gets executed. Comment by Eackloff, Robyn: The thesis statement will be the last sentence of the introduction.

II. Ethical argument

A. On the grounds that the society has some moral obligation and religious views on human life, death penalty is ethically questionable.

1. Societal obligation

2. Religious views

3. Worldwide view

4. Supporting sources

a. ACLU (2012). Revised- THE CASE AGAINST THE DEATH PENALTY

b. Olalere, S. (2019). “The Dilemma of Death Penalty.”

http://dx.doi.org/10.13140/RG.2.2.20925.51688

III. Cost argument Comment by Eackloff, Robyn: Ensure that these major headers align with the thesis you develop.

A. The complexity, the length as well as finality of death sentence is more expensive than upkeep coast of an individual in prison.

1. Reasons why death penalty is costly

2. Supporting sources:

a. DPIC report (2022) – Cost of death penalty.

b. Perez (2022) – Legal expert explains cost behind a death row sentence.

https://www.11alive.com/article/news/crime/trials/high-cost-behind-death-row-explained/

IV. Irreversibility of death sentence

A. In case of any human error, it is impossible to reverse death penalty.

1. Inevitability of errors in criminal justice system

2. Errors that can occur death penalty cases

3. Wrongful execution cases- there are several cases of innocent individuals being executed.

4. Supporting sources

a. James, Jeff and Vaerie (2022), DPIC- Technical errors can kill

b. PHILLIP MORRIS- INNOCENT ON DEATH ROW: HEAR THEIR STORIES.

HTTPS://WWW.NATIONALGEOGRAPHIC.COM/HISTORY/ARTICLE/SENTENCED-TO-DEATH-BUT-INNOCENT-THESE-ARE-STORIES-OF-JUSTICE-GONE-WRONG#

: Comment by Eackloff, Robyn: Good work on the sources – keep in mind that the most credible and relevant sources are those that are from .edu, gov or scholarly sources and are less than 10 years’ old.

V. Advantages of life imprisonment without parole

A. Scales the punishment in an effective way

B. Errors in the case can be corrected

C. Less costly

D. Supporting source

1. Bagaric, M. and Svilar, J., (2022)- A (Partial and Principled) Defense of Sentences of Life Imprisonment- 695

VI. Counter Arguments

A. Death penalty deters crimes in the society Comment by Eackloff, Robyn: You include a section for the counterargument. Good.

1. No evidence on this claim.

B. An individual that commits murder, through their action, they forfeit human rights, thus their life right should be forfeit too.

1. Violets the moral order

C. Supporting source

1. Death penalty information center (2022)- Deterrence

VII. Conclusion

A. Life sentence without parole is a better punishment compared to death penalty because not only is it less costly but is more ethical and help present innocent execution. Comment by Eackloff, Robyn: You will restate the thesis in the conclusion.

B. It is important to consider the concepts surrounding death penalty and the its impacts in the society

Reflective Questions

1. Learning to conduct research is important because it is a skill you will use both in academia and in your professional life. It improves critical thinking and empowers you to find information for yourself. Consider the process of researching as a whole. What was the most challenging aspect of the process for you? (2-3 sentences)

The most challenging aspect in the research process was selecting a research topic and organizing all the sources. Selecting a topic is not only the first step in the process but also it is vital for it to be done well or correctly. On the other hand, there were various sources on the topic, thus analyzing each source to find if it is credible for the topic was very difficult.

2. The working thesis statement is a proposed answer to your research question. It should clearly identify an arguable topic and take a position on one side of that topic. Analyze the effectiveness of your working thesis statement. (3-4 sentences)

My thesis statement is a one sentence statement, which provides a focus to my argument. In other words, it develops my position clearly under sentences. It is also not too narrow or too broad, thus it can provide enough information to be able to cover the entire topic in one paper. In addition, I tried providing a general opposing reason on the topic, an alternative or recommendation on what else could be done and my supporting reasons in one sentence. Thus, this makes the thesis strong.

3. A detailed outline is an effective tool for laying out the progression of an argument. It allows you to consider the arrangement and organization of your ideas, as well as choose places to incorporate outside source materials. Review your detailed outline and summarize the argument you’ve presented. (3-4 sentences).

For my outline, I began by providing the introduction outline, where I have also added the thesis and supporting source, then have outlined each of the reasons, which presents all the arguments. Each part of the reason outline, which includes, ethical argument, cost argument and Irreversibility of death sentence, I have provided a topic sentence, sub-topics and presents all the sources and evidenced use to support my arguments. Then counterarguments, which are very important in an argumentative essay and I have outlined two of them and stated the opposing view. Finally, the conclusion, which provides a short summary of the main points, as such, I think the organization of the work is good enough to present all the information effectively.

4. You will use the same topic on three of the remaining Touchstones in this course. What kind of feedback would be helpful for you? What are specific questions you might have as you go deeper into the research process? (2-3 sentences).

Even though I believe the information provided is effective, feedback on issues such as the effectiveness of the overall structure of the paper. In addition, feedback on the clarity of the reference. I think in the research process I might go deeper on how to evaluate and analyze research sources. Comment by Eackloff, Robyn: I hope you find my comments helpful.

Sophia Pathways for College Credit – English Composition II
SAMPLE TOUCHSTONE AND SCORING

Logan Stevens

English Composition II

December 12, 2019

Annotated Bibliography

Brown, M., & Funk, C. (2008). Food security under climate change. Science, 319

(5863), 580-581. doi: 10.1126/science.1154102

The authors claim that developing regions of the globe are likely to face serious food

insecurity as climate change affects crops. These regions are particularly

endangered because they are distinctly vulnerable to the demands of Western

markets (the desire for mono-cropping corn, for example, in order to feed cattle) and

lacking in the kinds of agricultural technology that help farmers cope with

environmental effects on crops. Brown and Funk claim that investing in local food

economies—including sustainability, agricultural technologies, and emergency

plans—will help these areas of the globe acquire enough food in the face of climate

change. change. This source will be useful to my paper as it provides a big picture

example of the related effects of factory farming and the coming dangers of climate

change that push us to change our eating and food production habits, so I can use this to

discuss both my argument and the counter-arguments.

Comment [SL1]: Good adherence to APA
formatting here.

Sophia Pathways for College Credit – English Composition II
SAMPLE TOUCHSTONE AND SCORING

(Peer-Reviewed Article)

Cook, C. (2004). Diet for a dead planet: How the food industry is killing us. New

York, NY: New Press.

Cook argues that our current food system is destroying us in several ways. For

example, we have pesticides and antibiotics that are used in industrial agriculture,

as well the significant ecological damage of industrial food production, the stripped

nutrients that we now find in our food, and the social justice issues of farm worker

and immigrant labor. This book will be useful to the conclusion of my essay when I

encourage readers to take action beyond just purchasing choices.

(Book)

Davis, C., & Lin, B.H. (2005). Factors affecting U.S. beef consumption.

Retrieved from

https://www.ers.usda.gov/publications/pub-details/?pubid=37389.

This government website provides information on beef consumption in the United

States. It breaks down beef consumption by geography (highest in the Midwest and

lowest in the Northeast), by percentage eaten by rural or urban consumers, and by

race and ethnicity. This information establishes context for the topic and will be useful

in the introductory paragraphs of my essay to inform readers of the popularity of

eating beef in America.

(Credible Website)

Lappe, A. (2010). Diet for a hot planet: The climate crisis at the end of your fork. New York,

NY: Bloomsbury.

In this book, Lappe describes the effect of industrial food production on global climate

change. She traces food from planting and animal husbandry to harvest and production,

Comment [SL2]: Good. You summarize the
main points made by the source and explain how
you plan to use this information in your
argument.

Comment [SL3]: This source sounds like it’s
very wide-ranging, and you do a good job of
focusing on a single aspect which will be useful in
your conclusion.

Comment [SL4]: Excellent. It can be very
difficult to find credible web sources, but this is a
very useful and appropriate source.

Sophia Pathways for College Credit – English Composition II
SAMPLE TOUCHSTONE AND SCORING

ultimately arguing that we need to take a more local and sustainable approach to food

production. This book will be very useful to my essay because of the focus on climate

change and the discussion of animal production in particular. These ideas will support the

part of my thesis that focuses on consuming beef that is locally sourced.

(Book)

Palmer, B. (2010). Pass on grass: Is grass-fed beef better for the environment? Slate.

Retrieved from

http://www.slate.com/articles/health_and_science/the_green_lantern/2010/12/pass_

on_grass.htm

Palmer compares the environmental impact of both grain-fed, factory-farmed beef

and grass-fed, free-range beef. Some controversial evidence exists that grain-fed

beef might be better in some ways; however, the expenses of grain, issues of

monocropping corn and soy, and excess manure suggest that grass-fed is

environmentally better. Palmer also emphasizes that however the cow is raised,

“eating beef will never be the greenest thing you do in a day” (para. 2). This source

will be useful to my essay because it tends to favor grass-fed beef while highlighting

the negative environmental impacts of all beef, which will help me evaluate the

environmental consequences of eating beef and discuss alternative actions.

(Magazine)

Pollan, M. (2002). An animal’s place. The New York Times. Retrieved from

Pollan, a well-respected food journalist and activist, engages with the ethical

arguments of vegetarianism, admitting that animals feel pain and fear, and that they

Comment [SL5]: Good. This is very specific and
clearly demonstrates how this source will help
you develop your argument.

Comment [SL6]: You don’t have to include
specific quotations in your annotated
bibliography, but sometimes it can be helpful to
do so when there’s something specific that you
want to use in your paper. Well done.

Sophia Pathways for College Credit – English Composition II
SAMPLE TOUCHSTONE AND SCORING

deserve to be treated humanely. He extends this discussion to the ethical conflicts

surrounding factory farming and the negative treatment of animals. Pollan

ultimately rejects vegetarianism and calls, instead, for an early version of

“locavorism,” sourcing one’s food from environmentally responsible and humane

producers who are also geographically close. This article will be useful to my essay

because Pollan’s perspective is foundational to my argument that it matters how

our food is produced and that when it comes to beef, specifically, we should aim for

the most sustainable methods if we’re going to eat it at all.

(Newspaper)

Ruechel, J. (2006). Grass-fed cattle: How to produce and market natural beef. North

Adams, MA. Storey Publishing.

This book is a guide for raising grass-fed cattle. It is useful for describing the health

benefits of grass-fed beef in particular, as well as the more positive environmental

impacts as compared to grain-fed, factory-farmed beef. This source will be useful

to my essay because it provides factual data and statistics that will support my

argument that grass-fed beef is better both for consumers and the environment.

(Book)

Sager, G. (2008). Where’s your beef from?: Grass-fed beef: Is it green, humane and

healthful? Retrieved from: http://www.life.ca/naturallife/0812/grassfed_

beef_green_humane_healthful.html
This article compares the differences between grass-fed and grain-fed beef. It

highlights the health benefits of grass-fed over grain-fed, discusses that grass-fed

does not equal organic, and describes the negative global impact of grass-fed

Comment [SL7]: Very good.

Comment [SL8]: Good. This looks like the
credible source with solid evidence and you
clearly demonstrate how you plan to use it to
support your argument.

Sophia Pathways for College Credit – English Composition II
SAMPLE TOUCHSTONE AND SCORING

beef—particularly that raised outside the US. This source will be useful to my

argument since it presents a wealth of data and discusses the complexity of the

topic. I will also be able to use this source to present the opposing viewpoints to

my argument.

(Credible Website)

Comment [SL9]: This looks like an interesting
source. It appears to be credible and fact-based,
but be very careful using sources that focus on
presenting a certain perspective; these can often
trade in biased or less credible information. The
information you reference here seems clear and
unbiased, but make sure to vet your sources very
carefully.

Sophia Pathways for College Credit – English Composition II
SAMPLE TOUCHSTONE AND SCORING

Reflection Questions:

1. Accurately recording bibliographic information is essential and saves you time, as you
can transfer this information to the References page of your drafted essay. Each source
entry should include a brief summary of the source as well as 3-4 sentences describing
how you intend to use that source to build or support your argument. Discuss how your
annotated bibliography meets these criteria. (2-3 sentences)

My annotated bibliography meets all of these requirements because I have summarized the
source and explained how I am going to use it within my Argumentative essay. I think this is
an important step before drafting the essay, because I’m finding I take less time gathering
information since I’m explaining the validity and usefulness of each source.

2. Which strategies were most helpful for you when searching for credible sources? (2-3

sentences)

I found it extremely helpful to look at, not only when the source was published, but whether
or not the information was going to help support my claim or not. On top of that, cross-
checking the information to make sure it is valid. This helped me find sources that I could
utilize fully, instead of pulling one detail from each.

3. What difficulties did you face while searching for credible sources? How did you

overcome these difficulties? (2-3 sentences)

I was able to find a lot of sources that could only provide a small piece of support toward my
claim. It was a bit more difficult to find sources in which I could use more than one point. I
tried to make sure that I was searching for a clear and consistent group of sources to ensure I
didn’t need more than the few sources I found.

Sophia Pathways for College Credit – English Composition II
SAMPLE TOUCHSTONE AND SCORING

Annotated Bibliography Rubric and Feedback

Rubric
Category

Feedback Score
(acceptable, needs
improvement etc.)

Annotated
Bibliography

You have exceeded the required number of
sources. You summarize them very clearly, and
you provide information about how you plan to
use them to support your thesis statement.

18/20

Quality of
Sources

All sources appear to be credible and relevant to
your topic. You’ve formatted this effectively as
well.

13/15

Style Your word choices are consistently effective. You

do a good job of avoiding redundancy and
imprecise language.

5/5

Conventions You adhere well to all of the APA formatting

requirements and your use of English
conventions is consistent throughout the
touchstone. Well done.

5/5

Reflection You answer all of the questions thoroughly,

providing insights, observations, and examples in
your responses. You consistently exceed the
length guidelines for your responses.

5/5

Overall Score and Feedback: 46/50

Touchstones are projects that illustrate your comprehension of the course material, help you refine skills, and demonstrate application of knowledge. You can

work on a Touchstone anytime, but you can’t submit it until you have completed the unit’s Challenges. Once you’ve submitted a Touchstone, it will be graded

and counted toward your final course score.

Touchstone 2.2: Create an Annotated Bibliography

ASSIGNMENT: Using your research question, working thesis, and outline from Touchstone 1.2, create an annotated bibliography that provides a synopsis

of your sources and an explanation of how you will use them.

As this assignment builds on Touchstone 1.2: Write a Research Question, Thesis, and Outline, that Touchstone, as well as Touchstone 2.1, must be

graded before you can submit your annotated bibliography.

 Sample Touchstone 2.2

In order to foster learning and growth, all essays you submit must be newly written specifically for this course. Any recycled work will be sent back with a

0, and you will be given one attempt to redo the Touchstone.

A. Assignment Guidelines

DIRECTIONS: Refer to the list below throughout the writing process. Do not submit your Touchstone until it meets these guidelines.

1. Annotated Bibliography

Make sure to:

❒ Alphabetize the entries, according to APA Style.

❒ Include the required bibliographic information in APA format for each entry.

❒ Include 5-6 sentences for each entry that provide a short summary of the source (with paragraph or paragraph-numbered citations) and how you plan

to use it to support your argument.

❒ Include at least seven entries in your annotated bibliography, all of which must be credible and current (within the last 10 years) academic sources. (Use

Google Scholar if you do not have access to an academic search database through your institution).

Not Submitted Submitted Scored

You can submit this Touchstone when the previous Touchstone has been
scored. SUBMIT TOUCHSTONE

 It takes 5-7 business days for a Touchstone to be graded once it’s been submitted.

UNIT 2 — TOUCHSTONE 2.2: Create an Annotated Bibliography
SCORE

-/50

https://app.sophia.org/download/attachment/10038-Touchstone%202.2%20Sample

https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/apa_style/apa_formatting_and_style_guide/reference_list_basic_rules.html

https://scholar.google.com/

javascript:void(0);

https://app.sophia.org/spcc/english-composition-ii

❒ Choose your own sources, but use no more than three websites (there is no limit on the number of online scholarly journals used).

❒ Thoroughly check the formatting requirements for the different source types.

❒ After each relevant entry indicate the source type in parentheses (book, peer-reviewed journal, newspaper/magazine, and credible website) by

including the source type in parentheses after the relevant entry.

2. Reflection

❒ Have you displayed a clear understanding of the research activities?

❒ Have you answered all reflection questions thoughtfully and included insights, observations, and/or examples in all responses?

❒ Are your answers included on a separate page below the main assignment?

B. Reflection Questions

DIRECTIONS: Below your assignment, include answers to all of the following reflection questions.

. Accurately recording bibliographic information is essential and saves you time, as you can transfer this information to the References page of your

drafted essay. Each source entry should include a brief summary of the source as well as 3-4 sentences describing how you intend to use that source

to build or support your argument. Discuss how your annotated bibliography meets these criteria. (2-3 sentences)

. Which strategies were most helpful for you when searching for credible sources? (2-3 sentences)

. What difficulties did you face while searching for credible sources? How did you overcome these difficulties? (2-3 sentences)

C. Rubric

Advanced (100%) Proficient (85%) Acceptable (75%) Needs Improvement
(50%)

Non-Performance
(0%)

Annotated
Bibliography (20
points)

Fulfill all annotated
bibliography
requirements and include
usable notes on sources.

Meets all source criteria,
thoroughly and effectively
summarizes the core ideas
for all sources, and
effectively explains how
each source will be used to
support the argument.

Meets all source criteria,
effectively summarizes the
core ideas for all sources,
and effectively explains
how each source will be
used to support the
argument.

Meets the majority of source
criteria, summarizes the core
ideas effectively for the majority
of the sources (one or two
source summaries may lack
detail), and explains how the
majority of the sources will be
used to support the argument
(for one or two sources, the
explanation of support is
unclear).

Meets some source criteria,
summarizes the core ideas for
some sources (many summaries
are absent or lacking in detail),
and explains how some of the
sources will be used to support
the argument (for many of the
sources, the explanation of
support is unclear or absent).

Meets few or none of the
source criteria, summarizes
few or none of the sources
(or the summaries are all
lacking in detail), and does
not explain the connection
to the argument.

Quality of Sources (15
points)

Choose reputable,
academically appropriate
research sources.

All sources are credible,
relevant, and properly
formatted as exemplified in
the course instructions.

Majority of sources are
credible, relevant, and
properly formatted as
exemplified in the course
instructions.

Some sources are credible,
relevant, and properly formatted
as exemplified in the course
instructions.

Majority of sources are not
credible, relevant, or properly
formatted as exemplified in the
course instructions.

Sources do not adhere to
the quality standards taught
in this course, or there are
minimal sources present.

https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/conducting_research/research_overview/sources.html

Advanced (100%) Proficient (85%) Acceptable (75%) Needs Improvement
(50%)

Non-Performance
(0%)

Style (5 points)

Establish a consistent,
informative tone and
make thoughtful stylistic
choices.

Demonstrates thoughtful
and effective word choices,
avoids redundancy and
imprecise language, and
uses a wide variety of
sentence structures.

Demonstrates effective
word choices, primarily
avoids redundancy and
imprecise language, and
uses a variety of sentence
structures.

Demonstrates generally
effective style choices, but may
include occasional
redundancies, imprecise
language, poor word choice,
and/or repetitive sentence
structures.

Frequently includes poor word
choices, redundancies,
imprecise language, and/or
repetitive sentence structures.

Consistently demonstrates
poor word choices,
redundancies, imprecise
language, and/or repetitive
sentence structures.

Conventions (5 points)

Follow conventions for
standard written English.

There are only a few, if any,
negligible errors in grammar,
punctuation, spelling,
capitalization, formatting,
and usage.

There are occasional minor
errors in grammar,
punctuation, spelling,
capitalization, formatting,
and usage.

There are some significant
errors in grammar, punctuation,
spelling, capitalization,
formatting, and usage.

There are frequent significant
errors in grammar, punctuation,
spelling, capitalization,
formatting, and usage.

There are consistent
significant errors in grammar,
punctuation, spelling,
capitalization, formatting,
and usage.

Reflection (5 points)

Answer reflection
questions thoroughly and
thoughtfully.

Demonstrates thoughtful
reflection; consistently
includes insights,
observations, and/or
examples in all responses,
following or exceeding
response length guidelines.

Demonstrates thoughtful
reflection; includes multiple
insights, observations,
and/or examples, following
response length guidelines.

Primarily demonstrates
thoughtful reflection, but some
responses are lacking in detail
or insight; primarily follows
response length guidelines.

Shows limited reflection; the
majority of responses are
lacking in detail or insight, with
some questions left
unanswered or falling short of
response length guidelines.

No reflection responses are
present.

D. Requirements

The following requirements must be met for your submission to be graded:

• Double-space the bibliography entries and use one-inch margins.

• Use a readable 12-point font.

• All writing must be appropriate for an academic context.

• Composition must be original and written for this assignment.

• Plagiarism of any kind is strictly prohibited.

• Submission must include your name, the name of the course, the date, and the title of your composition.

• Submission must include your reflection questions.

• Include all of the assignment components in a single file.

• Acceptable file formats include and x.

• Your research question, thesis, and outline must be graded before your annotated bibliography will be accepted.

E. Additional Resources

The following resources will be helpful to you as you work on this assignment:

. Purdue Online Writing Lab’s APA Formatting and Style Guide

https://owl.purdue.edu/owl/research_and_citation/apa_style/apa_formatting_and_style_guide/general_format.html

a. This site includes a comprehensive overview of APA style, as well as individual pages with guidelines for specific citation types.

. Frequently Asked Questions About APA Style

a. This page on the official APA website addresses common questions related to APA formatting. The “References,” “Punctuation,” and “Grammar and

Writing Style” sections will be the most useful to your work in this course.

. APA Style: Quick Answers—References

a. This page on the official APA Style website provides numerous examples of reference list formatting for various source types.About Contact Us Privacy Policy Terms of Use

https://apastyle.apa.org/learn/faqs/index?_ga=2.108387778.1714049845.1568211418-1848442951.1567702038

https://apastyle.apa.org/learn/quick-guide-on-references?_ga=2.35495777.1714049845.1568211418-1848442951.1567702038

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