Sample Papers Provided Tutors

Annotated Sample Critical Thinking Paper

This assignment was for HDFS 141, a class that guides you to explore your own identity and how that identity is cultivated. The assignment is called “The Race Game,” a game in which students would use the term “white” to refer to one of their friends who identified as white. The purpose was to observe reactions to and then later critically reflect on them. This section of the paper is the reflection. I received an “A” on this paper. So that we do not facilitate plagiarism, segments of this paper have been cut out. In this example, good reflective writing in the HDFS discipline entails tying together the class material with personal meaning-making, and the ability to come up with hypothetical solutions based on the reflections.

Sample paper: The Race Game: Section B “Reflections” (PDF)

Annotated Sample Argument Paper for HDFS 001:

This sample paper was assigned as the final paper for HDFS 001, which is the introductory service-learning course for Human Development and Family Studies. This seminar class introduces the field of HDFS and pushes students to think critically about concepts and problems affecting human development. The service-learning component allows students to volunteer with daycare and after-school programs to see some of those concepts come to life. This assignment asks the student to explore a question or issue that came up in their service-learning experience and provide information to improve the programs. The goal of this paper was to use scholarly sources to shape an argument and reach a well-informed conclusion that focuses on the implications of the research. This paper will provide you with an example of analysis and critical thinking in HDFS. Keep in mind that argument essays in 200-level courses are usually 12-15 pages and require much more research. In order to prevent students and others from possibly plagiarizing this paper, some segments have been omitted.

Sample Paper: “Preschool: A Protective Factor for At-Risk Children” (PDF)