· 1300-1500 words, or approx. 5 pages of text (plus an APA cover page)
· 12-point Times New Roman font
· Double-spaced lines
· 3rd person point of view
WHAT: Using evidence from your own observations and interview notes, write a descriptive essay that provides insight about a person, place, or thing/event for a general reader who is unfamiliar with the topic.
The goal of a profile is to ‘put a face on’ a person/group (personalize the individual so that readers might recognize the subject from across the room), dramatize a place/event (so readers are in the moment at the place/event being described).
The topic you choose must be observed, interviewed, or experienced in the present. Do not pick a subject form the past–in other words do not describe an event you attended over the holidays or profile a person you cannot personally interview or observe during the next three weeks. This leaves out the famous, celebrities, and the deceased.
Lastly, if choosing a person, you may NOT choose a family or intimate or close friend. This is because your profile is not meant to be a testimonial but an objective profile. As much as we would like to be objective about family, intimates or close friends, our analysis is shaped by that relationship.
When choosing a person consider both how that person is unique or interesting in some way AND how the person is either representative of, or distinct from, the group or category in which s/he might be considered a member.
If choosing a place or event to profile, plan to visit and record observations that collectively add up to the ‘sense’ or ‘feel’ of the place/event. Bring your readers INTO the place or event. What would readers see, smell, feel, hear if they were to visit the local Market Basket or fire station or college bookstore? As with the profile of people, you’d want to get at how THIS fire station or bookstore of college classroom is representative of, or somehow distinct from, what the reader might typically expect.
HOW: Unlike an essay based on experiences of its writer and written in first person POV, a profile offers writer and reader better understanding of an outside subject AND is written in third person POV.
· Select a topic for your Profile Essay. Here are some suggestions:
· person with an unusual hobby or job
· coach or teacher on campus
· person working in your field of study
· martial arts studio
· juvenile court
· used-car lot
· theater box office
· department in a company in which you would like to work
· citizens’ volunteer program
· sports event
· SEE ADDITIONAL suggestions and profile sample papers in Course Materials, weeks 4-6
· Brainstorm ideas for the topic you have selected. For example, list the salient characteristics or attributes of the subject and then select 3 of the most important angles to develop for the essay.
· Using the 3 angles selected for development, build a working thesis statement to guide organization of the essay’s body paragraphs. Put another way, what is the sum of these 3 angles? What do they add up to? This sum or core insight is the FOCUS/thesis of your profile.
· Create an outline for the essay, if it will help you envision it. The essay will need
1. introductory paragraph that gives a general overview of the topic and why a description of the person, place, or thing is important to share with a reader
2. body paragraphs detailing the 3 specific angles selected for the profile
3. conclusion paragraph.
· Revise the entire document several times to ensure your thoughts are clearly conveyed and paragraphs are logically developed.
· Edit for grammar, spelling, and punctuation issues.
· The assignment does not require an abstract.
· The assignment does require a properly formatted APA cover page.
· This assignment does not necessarily require outside research; however, you might do some background reading/research (where applicable) on the subject of your profile. If you do use outside sources, cite them using APA documentation standards. Be sure to include a working link to any source retrieved online.
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