Welcome to Week 16 folks and Happy Thanksgiving! This is a very short week, and we know you are excited to enjoy your holiday break. Before you leave for break though, you have to finalize your research based argument! As you do so, please keep in mind some of the tips we’ve given you throughout Unit 3. For example, make sure you aren’t submitting a summary of events related to your chosen cult, conspiracy theory, or unsolved murder. Instead, be sure your essay includes several points of analysis that answers the why questions from your chosen prompt. We don’t want a boring summary of basic facts about your chosen cult, conspiracy theory, or unsolved murder. Instead go beyond the obvious or surface level of information. Also, check that your voice is front and center throughout your paper. You don’t want most of your paper to be a series of quotes or even paraphrases from your sources. We want to know what you think!

In addition, consider the two podcasts you listened to in this unit: the one about the Branch Davidian cult from Sinisterhood and the one about Princess Diana from Stuff They Don’t Want You to Know. Both of these podcasts provided comprehensive information about their chosen topic, but they also analyzed why and how people think and behave the way that they do in relation to these events. You should do the same. In fact, you should use both podcasts as a model of effective research, storytelling, and argument.

Finally, even though it’s a short week, please take advantage of the resources in this week’s lesson, including the research based argument review item and in the in-text citation video tutorial.

If you have any last minute questions or concerns, you better ask right away! Your final draft is due Wednesday night at 11:59PM at the latest. We know the break actually starts on Wednesday, so technically the week ends on Tuesday night, but we wanted to give you as much time as possible to finalize your revisions.

Wishing you all the best, and thanks for listening!