Pageof 3ZoomAACCENG 101/AProf. WeberEssay 1: Reflection EssayOverviewThe Reflection Essay assignment asks students to reflect on the assigned reading and identifythree of the author’s important ideas that readers find interesting or appealing. Additionally,students will respond to the author’s ideas by explaining what society might learn from theidentified ideas, why these ideas are relevant or important in our society today, and whatlesson(s) we might learn from them. The reading assignment connected to this essay is “TheDamned Human Race” by Mark Twain.FormatThe length of the assignment is a doubled-spaced essay of two and a half (2.5) to three (3) pages.The essay will include a short introduction paragraph, three body paragraphs (one for eachidentified lesson), and a conclusion paragraph. Do not include any outside sources or quotations,but you must include a short quote in each body paragraph to support your ideas. Make sure yourfinal paper includes an MLA heading in the upper left corner and a title: Reflection Essay. Indentthe paragraphs and make sure the paragraphs are double-spaced. Include a formal MLA WorksCited page in the proper format.SupportStudents will have opportunities to discuss the assignment with the instructor and provide arough draft for review. Students are encouraged to attend workshops offered by the WritingCenter and to make an appointment in the Writing Center or Virtual Writing Center foradditional guidance.SkillsSome of the skills included in this essay include developing a clear, strong thesis statement;developing clear, focused topic sentences; developing effective transitional words and phrases;supporting the thesis with thoughtful analysis and textual evidence; building complex sentencestructure; incorporating college-level vocabulary; constructing purposeful introduction andconclusion paragraphs; and formatting an MLA essay.Essay Grading RubricComponent PointsIntroduction Paragraph /5Thesis statement /4Topic Sentences (3) /10Evidence/quote selection /15Tone, diction, syntax, vocabulary,transitions/10Grammar/Sentence Structure /10Thoughtful, relevant analysis supportingtopic sentences & thesis/40Conclusion paragraph /6Automatic Deductions: Up to 5 points for improper MLA formatting (indentations, spacing, fontstyle/size, margins). Up to 5 points for improperly formatted MLA in-text citations or WorksCited page. The essay will not be accepted for credit without citations and/or a Works Citedpage. The essay will not be eligible for credit if written on a topic that, at the discretion of theprofessor, does not align with the assigned topic. The essay will not be eligible for credit if, inthe judgment of the instructor, the student has utilized Artificial Intelligence to generate portionsof the essay and/or plagiarized in other forms in violation of AACC’s Academic Integrity policy.REFLECTION ESSAY SUGGESTED OUTLINEIntroductionProvide a broad overview and the current thinking about the topic, issue, or problem. Do notinclude any quotes, evidence, or facts. Include a strong, purposeful thesis statement at the end ofthe introduction. Sample argumentative thesis: Analyzing Mark Twain’s “The Damned HumanRace” provides readers with insight into why Twain’s work remains relevant and leavesimportant lessons that we can apply to our lives in the twenty-first century.Body Paragraphs 1, 2, and 3Begin with a topic sentence that mentions one of Twain’s main points.Provide context by explaining the main point (2-3 sentences).Introduce outside source #1 (quote, facts, data) that relates to the topic (1 sentence).Explain the source information by providing additional insight or understanding. Do not merelyrestate what is already stated or implied in the source.In each of the three body paragraphs, be sure to answer the following questions: Why might amodern reader find Twain’s example interesting? Why might a modern reader find Twain’sexample relevant or applicable to human nature or to our society today? What is the lesson wecan learn from Twain’s example? What steps might we take as a society to overcome the flaw inhuman nature that Twain identifies? Answering these questions directly helps the student writerbuild the body paragraphs.ConclusionEncourage the reader to keep thinking about the topic by answering one or more of the followingquestions: Why do these laws of power matter? Based on the evidence analyzed in the essay,what do we know that we might not have known before investigating the topic? Who mightbenefit from learning about this topic? What new ideas or conclusions can we develop based onthis examination of the topic? End with a bold statement or a call to action. In any event, do notsummarize the main points already mentioned in the essay.Revised: Spring 2025
Pageof 4ZoomBrian WeberProf. WeberENG 101August 31, 2021Sample Reflection EssayReading the works of literature and philosophy provide us with better insight intounderstanding our own human nature. The writings of authors of the past serve as windows intotheir experiences, both positive and negative. To some extent, we discover that the ancientGreeks and Romans are no different from people living in the twenty-first century. We all sharethe same hopes, fear, and dreams. Consequently, we learn more about ourselves and more aboutwhat is means to be human. Reflecting on the philosophy of Marcus Aurelius in his bookMeditations provides modern readers with important lessons we can learn from his wisdom andallows us to take important steps in realizing our goal of living a better life.One of the lessons we can take from Aurelius’ writing is to focus on our own livesinstead of worrying about what others think. This is good advice, particularly in a time of socialmedia when we are bombarded with social pressure from outside our lives. Aurelius makes agood point when he writes, “Ignoring what goes on in other people souls – no one ever came togrief that way. But if you won’t keep track of what your own soul’s doing, how can you not beunhappy?” (Aurelius 19). More than two thousand years later, Aurelius seems to understand ourown situation. A modern reader would find this interesting because we all want to be accepted byothers and to feel as though we belong. This is applicable to our society today because of theimmense pressure from the internet, movies, television, and social media. The lesson we canlearn from Aurelius’ example is that worrying too much about others leaves us unhappy andunable to focus on our own lives. The important steps we can take is to spend less time onelectronic devices and worry less about what others think. Additionally, we should spend moretime thinking about our own goals and taking care of the people close to us.Another important lesson we can draw from the book Meditations is to make the most ofthe time we have in this life. Time passes quickly, and before we know it we are older and havelost many opportunities. Aurelius expresses this idea when he writes, “Remember how longyou’ve been putting this off, how many extensions the gods gave you, and you didn’t use them.At some point you have to recognize what world it is that you belong to” (Aurelius 18). It isinteresting that people who lived so long ago had trouble making the most of their time just aswe do today. Modern readers would find this interesting because we live in a fast-paced world inwhich our time is divided in many ways. Aurelius’ advice applies to our own life today becausewe have to focus on what is important and not be pulled in too many different directions. Thelesson we can learn is that time is short and we only have so much time to devote to our lives,our work, and fulfilling our dreams. To overcome this problem, we need to stop procrastinatingand focusing on what tasks need to be accomplished on a daily basis.A final point made by Marcus Aurelius in his book is that sometimes we have to dealwith difficult people. In school, work, and even at home we have to interact with people whomay not act in a kind or respectful manner. Aurelius explains, “When you wake up in themorning, tell. Yourself: the people I deal with today will be meddling, ungrateful, arrogant,dishonest, jealous, and surly” (Aurelius 17). However he also mentions that “No one canimplicate me in ugliness” which means that while we cannot stop others from treating us poorly,we do have control over how we react to those people. Modern readers would find this exampleinteresting because human nature has not changed since Aurelius wrote his book. In our worldtoday, everyone faces people in work or school who are angry, hateful, or jealous. We have littlecontrol over changing those people, but we can try to stop them from making us feel hurt orbothered, and this is what makes Aurelius’ advice applicable to our own time. The lesson we canlearn from this is to keep in mind that maybe the other person is going through a difficult timeand did not mean to injure us, or maybe reacting in a negative way might make the situationworse. To overcome this problem, we need to stay calm and cool in all situations and not letothers influence us in a negative manner.Reflecting on these examples from Marcus Aurelius’ Meditations reveals some importantlessons that modern readers can learn and allows us to consider some important steps that we cantake in making a better society. Ultimately, Aurelius’ wisdom is an invitation to stop and thinkmore carefully about the people we are and the people we want to become. By carefully thinkingabout our own goals and about how we interact with other humans, we can develop a set of corevalues or principles that can guide us through any situation. Aurelius reminds us that we are notperfect. No human is perfect, but we do have the ability to reason and to build a new life onsound principles that just might help us overcome these flaws in human nature.Works CitedAurelius, Marcus. Meditations. Random House, 2002.
