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This assignment is part of Assignment 3; Comparative Cultures and Communication Blog
assignment.
Overview:
For this prewriting assignment, students produce a draft of your final blog. While you do
not need to complete a prewriting document as you did in your first two assignments,
you should still identify the steps you took for those assignments and make sure that
you have completed the steps necessary to produce a high-quality blog.
Steps:
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Select Countries
Conduct research - in this assignment you are expected to determine what are
credible sources (follow the link for a guide to help you with this.)
Develop a thesis statement. (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
Write an outline (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.Links to an
external site. This outline will be similar in format to the previous assignment, review
the steps below to identify the different scope of elements required.
o Determine how their argument (Links to an external site.)Links to an external
site.is situated within the body of existing knowledge and research
o Use credible sources (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. to
support their argument. (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.
o Organize their thoughts and research into a clear structure
Develop your blog - for this assignment, you will submit a draft of your blog, you
will not use the format of the earlier prewritting assignments.
Include questions - as with the earlier prewritting assignments you will provide two
questions you would like you peer reviewers to address for you.
Step 1: Select Countries: You will select two countries, whose cultures you will
examine using the following guidance:
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Your Home Country - the first country you research and write about will be the
country in which you have lived the longest, and therefore are most familiar with in
terms of culture.
The second country you research and write about will be one that is geographically
distant from your home country and is not considered in the same mega-culture.
o For example, if the United States meets the criteria to be your first country, you
may not select Canada or Mexico, due to their geographic proximity, and you
may not select European countries, Australia or New Zealand as all these
countries have cultures classified as "western," which is a shared megaculture. Other mega-cultures include “Eastern” (Asian), The Islamic World, The
Middle East, different African mega-cultures, etc.
NOTE: Your primary selections for this comparison must be countries. You cannot use
micro-cultures (Ex: sub-cultures within countries, even your own), including those
discussed in your course packet.
How this fits into your submission:
As the countries you select are a major focus of your work they should be included in
the title and thesis statements.
Step 2: Conduct Research
Review the scope of what must be addressed in this assignment in the assignment
overview. Determine what types of evidence you will need your research to provide for
your blog. Be sure that you are moving beyond stereotypes and assumptions into
currently accurate and credible information. You must also provide information in your
blog that goes beyond course material already reviewed.
Research:
You are required to use a minimum of 5 sources for this blog, which will ultimately be
listed at the bottom of your blog under the heading “References” (just like last time). Be
sure your sources are all professionally credible sources.
The specific sources approved for earlier assignments are not sources that are useful
for this assignment. However, it is essential that the sources you use are similar in
credibility and authority to the sources indicated in the Approved Sources list from the
last assignment. Sources that are not similar in credibility and authority will not be
counted toward your required number of sources. For example, where you might have
used the CIA World Fact Book, you may want to use US State Department Resources,
US Embassy websites in countries you are reviewing and Embassy Websites (Links to
an external site.)Links to an external site.from the countries you are reviewing. ( (Links
to an external site.)Links to an external site.The quality of Embassy websites vary,
some may be more useful than others.). When looking for journal articles, think about
what fields study international cultures and what field need to understand them as major
elements of their professions.
Source Examples: Sources for this blog are likely to be from professional associations
or organizations, reputable news outlets, and governmental agencies, although
scholarly sources may still be referenced. Types of sources that can be used include:
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United States State Department (or other country’s equivalent)
Embassies website for embassies in each other’s countries
Published Travel Guides or Websites of reputable Travel Guides, Travel TV shows,
or Travel Magazines (for example: look at Frommer’s Language in Bulgaria (Links to
an external site.)Links to an external site. for a discussion of two gestures that are
used in Bulgaria in a way opposite from how we use them in the US.)
How this fits into your submission:
You will have a minimum of one in-text citation for each source you want to be counted
toward your required 5 sources. Each source will also be included in the reference list.
Step 3: Thesis Statement
As you research you will begin to develop perspective, understanding, and background
that will allow you to develop an informed and authoritative argument. From this
foundation of research, you will utilize the thesis resources you have been provided
with, and others available through the Communication for Engineers website, to develop
your thesis statement. (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. Starting with a
strong, well-informed thesis statement. (Links to an external site.)Links to an external
site. will help you with the overall organization and clarity of your professional blog.
Your direction and argument may end up changing as you write your blog (Links to an
external site.)Links to an external site., which means that you may need to revise your
thesis statement after you have finished writing to fit what you have created. This is
normal, and even expected. Thus, while developing a strong, clear, concise thesis
statement (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site.now is essential to helping
guide you through the process of organizing your work and getting your ideas onto
paper, you are not beholden to your original thesis statement, (Links to an external
site.)Links to an external site. and should feel confident enough in your autonomy as a
writer to allow yourself to make useful, necessary, and justifiable changes.
How this fits into your submission:
For your draft, to make it easier for your peers to review, put your thesis statement in
bold font and underline it.
Step 5: Outline
Now that you have focused your ideas, conducted research, and developed a thesis
statement, it is time to begin structuring your work in the form of an outline.
How this fits into your submission:
The outline will not be present in your draft, however, it should be clear by the clear,
well-organized flow (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. of your
document that you have taken the time to organize your document in this way.
Step 6: Develop your blog document
Working from your outline develop a clear, well organized, and easy to follow structural
organization. Your blog must include a clear, useful, and easily
discernible introductionLinks to an external site. and conclusion (see the linked
resources for information on how to write introductions,Links to an external
site. and conclusionsLinks to an external site.. Furthermore, the organization of your
blog must serve to support your main argument (thesis statement)Links to an external
site. throughout your work. For example, the introduction should highlight aspects of
your research that support whatever your main argument is, and every topic sentence of
every body-paragraph must begin with a strong, clear, concise topic sentence that both
supports your thesis statement and acts as a thesis statement for its paragraph.
Evaluate how to use visuals and hyperlinks effectively in your blog. Determine the
types of visuals that you can use to support or enhance what you are trying to say in
your blog. Add these to your blog. One visual that is expected to appear in your blog is
the graph or a replica of it (cited appropriately) from the Hofstede Insights website
Country Comparison Tool. (Links to an external site.)Links to an external site. Evaluate
where in your blog people might want additional information and link them to blogs that
will provide that information for them. Remember that sources must be publically
available for the links to work, sources found in the USF library may not be accessible to
the public.
How this fits into your submission:
This is the bulk of your submission, and should include all of the required elements of
the blog.
Step 7: Include 2-3 Questions
You have done a good deal of work toward your blog. What questions or concerns do
you have about your work so far? What issues are you encountering that you’d like
someone to talk through with you? What do you need help with?
How this fits into your submission:
Formulate 2-3 questions that you would like your peer reviewers to respond to, and
include them as the first item in your Prewriting assignment. You will title this section
“Questions for Peers.”
Rubric
SG&T GEA 3.1 Prewriting
SG&T GEA 3.1 Prewriting
Criteria
This criterion is linked to a Learning
OutcomeQuestions for Peers
At the top of the submission, as shown in the
sample, students have included 2+ questions that
they would like their peers to answer when it
comes time for their peers to review their work.
(Reminder: This assignment will also be
submitted to the Peer Review discussion group,
where students will review the work of their
peers, and help each other work through the
questions listed at the tops of their submissions.)
This criterion is linked to a Learning
OutcomeTitle, system choice, focus, and
comparison
A working title, purpose , and comparative
countries are all included, and offer the
appropriate amount of detail as described by the
assignment.
This criterion is linked to a Learning
OutcomeThesis Statement
Thesis Statement is identified in bold (no points
will be given for thesis statements NOT identified
in this way). Thesis statement clearly and
concisely identifies your topic and the postition
you are taking with this blog.
Ratings
2.0 pts
Complete
2+ questions were
included at the top
of the submission.
1.0 pts
Partial
Only 1 question was
provided at the top
of the submission.
2.0 pts
Complete
A well crafted title is
included, with the names
of the contries being
reviewed included
2.0 pts
Complete
Thesis statement
accomplishes what is
required in a clear and
concise sentence.
0.0 pts
Incomplete
No questions were
provided, or questio
were listed in the w
place.
1.0 pts
Partial
Element is
included but
incomplete or
unclear
0.0 pts
Incomplete
Title is missing o
elements are mis
and it is unclear
1.0 pts
Partial
The thesis
statement is
included but is
not complete or is
not well stated.
0.0 pts
Incomplete
The thesis statement
NOT exclusively
identified in bold fon
or is both incomplete
and unclearly stated.
SG&T GEA 3.1 Prewriting
Criteria
This criterion is linked to a Learning
OutcomeReference List
A reference list is included with a minimum of
credible 5 sources. Each source is used in the
document at least once. APA formatting is used
for citations and the reference list.
This criterion is linked to a Learning
OutcomeVisuals are included in the document
Visuals and hyperlinks are included in the
document. The visuals are clear and enhance the
meaning of the blog. The graph from Hofsteade
Insights website is included.
Total Points: 10.0
Ratings
2.0 pts
Complete
A reference list with
a minimum of 5
credible sources in
APA format is
included. All sources
have at least one
citation in the blog
with an in-text
citation using APA
format.
2.0 pts
Complete
Multiple visuals are
included, they enhance
the document, they are
professionally executed,
including clear titles,
needed text, and they
are easy to read.
1.0 pts
Partial
At least 5 references
areincluded. However,
the full citation may not
be cited to APA
standards including
alphabetical order,
capitalizaiton, or
citation machine errors.
0.0 pts
Incomplete
Few than 5 sour
are included, OR
the reference
section is so poo
formatted that it
difficult to
understand,
navigate, or mak
sense of
1.0 pts
Partial
Visuals are
included but they
do not enhance the
document, they are
poorly executed and
not easy to read or
only one visual was
included.
0.0 pts
Incomplete
Visuals are miss
do not enhance t
meaning of the b
or are unprofessi
in appearance.
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