Lord of the Flies Argument Essay

The Assignment:

Here is the assignment sheet for the Lord of the Flies argument essay. We will go to the computer lab on Thursday and Friday (April 24 & 25) to type it up, but you can work on your first draft at home before then. The final (typed in MLA format) essay is due on Tuesday, April 29. Here is the assignment sheet:

Lord of the Flies Argument Essay Assignment Sheet


Articles:

You must include at least some information from the article we read in class. Here it is:

"Why Some People Are Evil" by Paul J. Zak

You must also include some information from the novel (at least one quote would be nice, too). The novel is not online, but you can visit the Sparknotes page here:

Sparknotes: Lord of the Flies

And you must include an example from your life, someone you know, something you have read or studied, etc. You can find some articles to read online such as:
Debate.org: Are Humans Born Equal?


MLA Format:

Here is some helpful information about how to type an essay in Word using MLA format.:

Here are the main rules:

1. You need 1 inch margins (format - document - change the ones with 1.25 to 1)
2. Double Space (format - paragraph - line spacing: double)
3. Use Times New Roman 12 pt. font (format - font - Times New Roman - 12 pt.)
4. Add a header/page number (insert - page numbers - Uncheck "Show number on first page" - Top of Page (Header) - Then click OK. It will add the numbers. Click on the number and type your last name in with one space between your name and the number).
5. If you have a title, center it (select the title - format - paragraph - alignment: centered). There is probably an easy button for this in the toolbar, though.
5. When starting a new paragraph, don't forget to hit "tab" on the keyboard to indent.

It sometimes helps if you type first before you begin step 2 or 3.

Here is a blog with helpful information about how to use Microsoft Word 2010 to write a paper in MLA format:

MLA Format in Word

Here is a sample paper written in MLA format. The paper is not excellent, and has errors, but the formatting is correct:

Sample MLA Paper

(Google docs wouldn't let me use a header for the pager number, so it is just typed in).

HELP! How do I start?

1. First, open Word (ask someone next to you if you need help).
2. Define your margins, font, page numbers, and spacing (see above or ask a neighbor or teacher if you need help).
3. Type in your heading (your name, teacher's name, English 4, and date
4. Type the word title - hit enter
5. Hit "tab" then type the word "The"
6. Center the title (ask for help if you need it)
7. Now that your paper is set up, figure out your answer to these questions: Do you think people are born evil or born good? If you think they are evil, why do we not do evil things all the time? What is stopping us? If you think we are good, then why do some people do evil things?
8. William Golding (the author of Lord of the Flies) thinks we are evil. He thinks the main thing stopping most of us from acting evil is society (that is, police, our parents, church, etc.). He set his novel Lord of the Flies on an island where there are no grown-ups or police officers, etc. and look what happened to the boys!
9. Paul J. Zak (the author of the article) thinks that what makes people evil is when they lack a certain molecule in their brains called oxytocin.
10. What do you think? You can agree with one or both of these men, or you can come up with your own ideas. For help, why not visit this website (it allows people on the internet to write what they think about the issue, but they are not experts): Debate.org
11. Take some notes about your ideas.
12. Now you can write your introduction. You need to answer the question (are people good or evil) and maybe say why (that's your thesis).
13. In your body paragraphs, be sure to include information from the article, the novel, and your own ideas or something you have read. Don't forget to include the name of the authors/articles!
14. BEFORE THE END OF THE PERIOD ON THURSDAY: Make sure you save your work from today. You can save it on the desktop (then make sure you sit at the same computer tomorrow) but you should also either send it in an email to yourself, save it on a flash drive, or save it to Google Docs, etc.
15. ON FRIDAY: If you have finished your essay, ask a teacher to check it before you print. Print it and then turn it in. You are done. OR save it, send it to yourself and finish it at home. It is due by Tuesday.