Bennett ENGL 110
Exploratory Essay Assignment
Exploratory writing begins with a question or problem, summarizes a range of information on the topic,
and offers a well-reasoned answer or solution. It is, in other words, an inquiry that seeks to inform the
reader and to show the writer’s developing thinking. For our purposes, it’s a developed reading response
in which you wrestle with a question.
You will produce a three- to five-page (1000 to 1500 word) exploratory essay discussing the social
contract in the United States today. You will develop a specific question under the broad umbrella of this
topic. Next, you’ll respond substantially to a text on this subject before you finally present your own
perspective on your question.
You could consider many potential questions on this broad subject: is there (and should there be) a social
contract; has the social contract eroded in recent decades; how can the social contract be restored; what
did the coronavirus pandemic teach us about the social contract; what is the relationship between
capitalism and the social contract; what the intersection of the social contract and race/class/gender; etc.
After asking one such question, you will tell the reader about the one or two outside perspectives, and
then respond with your own thoughts and analysis.
Several of our readings are relevant to this assignment—Muhammad, Putnam, Wladawsky-Berger,
Kessler, Porter, and Dervis and Conroy—and you should use one or perhaps two of them in your essay
with proper acknowledgement and documentation. Approximately half the essay should be a highly
developed analysis of the text(s); the rest should consider whether you agree or disagree with the author.
You may use first-person point-of-view (I, me, my) for this assignment, and you may also use examples
from your own life. Outside research is not required or permitted. You may not have a block quote in this
essay.
Be sure to consider your rhetorical situation.
What is your topic and purpose? What specifically are you asking about the social contract?
What do your authors say about it? What are you trying to tell the reader?
Who is your audience? What do they know or believe about your topic?
What is the genre of your text? How does your essay explore (rather than argue about) your
topic?
What is the stance of the creator toward the subject? How do you feel about the social contract?
How are your beliefs reflected in the paper?
What do these texts mean in a larger cultural context? What is the current cultural conversation
about the social contract? Does your essay agree or disagree with it?
Due dates:
Exploratory Peer Review/First Draft in Blackboard and in the Google Drive: Feb 7
Virtual Conferences: Feb 7 and 8
Revised Exploratory Essay Due in Blackboard and in the Google Drive: Feb 14
Grading Rubric
Draft of Exploratory Essay (out of 20 points)
Was the draft turned in on time?
Is the draft full length?
Does it appear to be a good-faith effort at fulfilling the assignment?
Did the student participate in the peer review?
Exploratory Essay (out of 100 points)
Defining the Question
Does the essay establish a question or problem related to the social contract on
which there is debate?
Does the essay take an open-ended position?
Is this a question or problem about which reasonable people might disagree?
Exploring the Conversation
Does the essay consider several responses to the question?
Does the essay explain the points of view of several writers/speakers?
Does it explain where those writers/speakers agree and disagree?
Are any quotes or paraphrases properly cited?
Grammar, Spelling, Usage, etc.
Are there errors in grammar, spelling, capitalization, or punctuation?
Are the sentences well-constructed with varied structure?
I will use this rubric to respond to your work, and I will evaluate your essay using our grading contract.
Average performance—defined as hitting all requirements for the assignment but having a mix of yes and
no answers to these questions—on the assignment will result in a B grade, and above average
performance—all the requirements plus enthusiastic yes answers—could result in a higher grade. If you
submit work that misses the word count, does not follow the assignment’s instructions, or is not a good-
faith effort on the assignment, you may receive a lower grade than a B. Academic integrity rules always
apply.