Your final essay will address the following statement: Is cell phone use when driving a problem?
Attached are four sources of information: one book, one magazine, one source from a library database, and
one online article. Read and discuss the source material and discuss its relation to the question above. Go to
the Discussions and use the Evaluation Discussion for this group work. Take notes on the discussion so that
you can refer to specific people and ideas in your essay. Also, on the back of this sheet, develop a Works
Cited for the four sources.
Group Members: Names and notes
1.
2.
3.
4.

Directions:
Fill out the following as a form of pre-writing:
Focus Statement (the statement that your paper will be answering):
Is cell phone use when driving a problem?
Free-write your immediate and possibly emotional reaction to the topic:
List reasons why you think your opinion is the correct one:
Read through the research materials for examples, illustrations, and statistics that might back up the points
you have selected to prove your argument. Look also for opposing arguments that might need to be
addressed.
Final Essay: You are going to write an essay on this topic:
Cell phone use when driving
The resources available for this essay include a chapter from a book, one magazine article, one source from a
library database, and one newspaper article. Read through the materials to find information/quotes that you
can use in your essay. You must use material from each of the four sources and a quote from one of your
fellow students. You must use MLA style for formatting your document and documenting your sources. You
must include appropriate in-text citations (signal phrases and/or parenthetical notation) and a Works Cited
page. You will have a minimum of five entries on the Works Cited. Your paper must be a minimum of two
pages.
Rubric for Core Evaluation
Criteria Accomplished Partially Accomplished Did Not Accomplish
Document formatted in
MLA style
Correct grammar
Correct spelling and
word usage
Correct punctuation
Clearly stated
introduction, including a
strong thesis statement
Body of paper focused
on two or three major
well-developed and
substantiated points
Sound conclusion
Correct usage of in-text
notation
Works Cited page
formatted correctly
Demonstrates effective
participation in groups in
both pre-writing exercise
and in the essay