Self Review

Does the paper have a proper heading?

·         Yes

Does the paper have a title?

·         Yes, it is called Crimea’s Struggle

Does the paper include the writer’s last name and page number (top right corner)?

·         no

Introduction

Does the Intro hook the reader? Is it engaging?

·         No, nor is it engaging, however it does talk vaguely about mistreatment, alienation and genocide

Does it provide adequate context (sets up a problem/issue/situation)?

·         Yes, it says that Russia has no claim to Crimea. However it does not say that Russian is currently occupying Crimea

Is the purpose of the paper clear in the Intro?

·         Yes it says that Russia has no claim to Crimea

Does it set up clear expectations for the reader?

·         It vaguely tells what is going to be talked about in the reading, the mistreatment, alienation and genocide of Crimea.

Thesis Statement

Is the Thesis clear and focused?

·         The thesis is there but it is not strong and doesn't fit the paper

Does it contain 3-4 concepts?

·         Yes there are at least 3 concepts

Does it take a stance on a debatable issue, provide direction for the paper, and set up expectations?

·         Yes, it says that Russia does not have claim to Crimea while someone else could argue that they do have claim to it.

Does it avoid asking a question, stating a purpose, reciting a fact or simple topic?

·         It does not ask a question, the fact/ topic cannot easily be proved/disproved and it

Body Paragraphs

Do the body paragraphs support the paper’s thesis?

·         There is nothing in the body paragraphs to support the thesis yet.

Are they fully developed?

·         The body paragraphs are not fully developed

Does each section make claims that can be verified?

·         Most sentences making claims are cited

Are these claims supported with credible research?

·         The papers used as resources appear to be credible

Does the writer effectively quote and paraphrase from research sources?

·         The author states facts from the research but does not state them to the word and does not state them in quotations

Does the writer make clear connections that explain how the research supports his/her claims?

·         The author uses data to support most of its claims

Does the writer use sound reasoning?

·         The reasoning behind the writers ideas is sound

Are there smooth transitions, connecting each section together?

·         The paragraphs transition by going from one period of time to another, and are not necessarily smooth. The transition between paragraph 4 and 5 is somewhat smooth

Counterpoint

Does the writer identify and explore the opposition’s stance, providing evidence that refutes his/her argument?

·         There is no counter point as of yet

Does the writer identify logical fallacies and how they affect the opposition’s argument?

·         There is no counter point as of yet

Does the writer identify credibility or motivational issues that might affect the opposition’s argument?

·         There is no counter point as of yet

Conclusion

Does the conclusion avoid repeating topic sentences and other information that’s already been stated throughout the paper?

·         Yes for the most part. It may have to be rewritten

Does the conclusion show how the paper achieved its purpose?

·         It says that Russia has tried to take control of Crimea  but that the majority of the world does not recognize their claim

Does it answer the “so what” question? (offers new solutions, function as a call to action, and/or propose common ground?)

·         No, there is no call to action

Technical Requirements

Does the paper include at least 6 full pages of text (not including the Works Cited Page)?

·         There is currently 4 pages not including the works cited page

Does the writer use the most current MLA style?

·         No, the writer is using APA style

Does the writer use correct grammar and mechanics?

·         The writer appears to be using correct grammar and mechanics

Is the research properly cited?

·         There is a source and it is properly cited

Does all of the cited material correspond to entries on the Works Cited page?

·         Yes they have the author, date and page number

Is the Works Cited page formatted properly?

·         I don’t know

Does the writer use at least 5 credible sources?

·         There are three only one of which is listed and used.

Counter Thesis

       Russia does not have a territorial claim to the Crimean Peninsula. Russia took the Crimean Peninsula from the Ottoman empire in 1771 then subsequently annexed it after three different invasions of their land in 1783. after the Peninsulas annexation Russia began the mistreatment of the native people. it is estimated that "out of a population of approximately one million, some 300,000 Tatars fled Crimea and settled in Turkey". (Marples and Duke, 1995, 263).  This emigration to turkey in addition to the subsequent Russian immigration to the region created a population distribution by 1917 of the Tatars "slightly more than 25%, with Russians comprising almost 50% of the population and Ukrainians and other nationalities the remaining 25%." (Marples and Duke, 1995, 263). With the new Russian majority, they were now able to restructure Crimea as they pleased.

Marples, D. R., Duke, D. F. (1995). Ukraine, Russia, and the question of Crimea.

Nationalities Papers: The Journal of Nationalism and Ethnicity, 23(2), 261-289.

Op-Ed Crimea

The author’s stance on Russia’s annexation of Crimea is that it is not an indication of future land grabs but that Russia simply wants to actively develop the region.  The author says that the US pushed Russia out of the G-8 summit while giving no information supporting it,  An example of a post hoc. I would not use this source for research as it is very biased

Identifying logical fallicies

The news reported interviewed a teacher who resigned his teaching position after Condoleezza Rice accepted an honorary degree from a college. then used the interview to attack another political candidate who said the same things. the reporter made the generalization that since the teacher was angry with Condoleezza Rice he must have voted for the democratic party.

Broken Conception

There was a girl I knew in middle school that I knew from my neighborhood. Her and I would walk home together and hang out after school together. She was a one of the coolest people on the block. But I remember one day in school there was a drug search, and she was brought in for questioning. Even though I didn’t know for sure if she did drugs or was even involved, it crushed my whole idea of who she was. After that I tried to avoid walking home with her and seldom hung out with her unless it was with a group of people. I think that the whole incident is part of the reason I've chosen to forget who her name was. The only thing I can remember about her is that she had big turquoise eyes, red hair and may or may not have been a druggie.

Family

There are several events within my life that have influenced me as a person and ultimately shaped the person I am today. When I was young my dad put me in cub scouts. While it was not my favorite experience to start, it did teach me certain values and made me stay with it. Because of cub scouts I went on to join boy scouts and ultimately become an eagle scout. My dad was in the Army before I was born and so when I was young he instilled into me cleanly habits and the importance of respect. My parents both went to college and so they had the same expectation of me. However my dad didn’t do well in college and really struggled. He has told me on several occasions the great lengths he has taken to make sure I have good study skills, turn in my homework, don’t procrastinate, try my hardest, don’t skip class, and many more. I think that my father sees a lot of himself in me and has made it one of his goals to make sure that I grow up in a better environment than he did and that I succeed where he was just average.  My mother pushed me to join robotics and the first year she pushed me to join I resisted but the second year I did so reluctantly. But it was one of the best experiences I have ever had. Because of robotics I was able to work with engineers and create a robot that could complete difficult tasks. In my second year I became a team captain and became eligible for an internship which I applied for and was accepted into. This internship gave me my first look into what I would be doing after I got my major in college. The most important thing that I think robotics did for me was it introduced me to my girlfriend. If it wasn’t for my mom pushing me, I would never have gotten the experience that I did and I would have never fallen in love.

At the Kitchen Table

The picture is of my father during his time in the Army. In the photograph my father is sitting at my mother’s kitchen table at her childhood home before they were married. He had been in Germany during the Cold War and was a part of an intelligence group. He has a nice looking beard and clean cut hair. He is sitting at the kitchen table with his sleeves rolled up and a beer in his hand with a look of content on his face. It makes me wonder if he is happy because he is finally home with my mom or if there is a different reason for his happiness.