The purpose of the Explanatory Essay is to fully explain your topic of choice based on the content of two sources (the article from List of Approved Articles for Writing and the scholarly, peer-reviewed library article) and on your own understanding of the topic.

To complete the assignment:

1. Use your draft from Unit 5 (attached), the feedback you received (attached), the insight you gained through reviewing the drafts of others, your readings of the course and textbook materials, and your understanding of the goals of this essay to revise your 3–4 page Explanatory Essay. (Page requirement does not include title page, references, or revision statement.)
2. Include an explanation of your topic via rich information from your two sources and from your own understanding of the topic. In addition, pay close attention to clarity, depth, paragraph development, flow, mechanics, purpose and audience, and source use.
3. Determine that you are comfortable with the quoted and paraphrased information from your sources throughout your essay, making sure you are incorporating source materials smoothly into your paragraphs and fully citing the sources in text and in an end References page in correct APA Style.
4. Use the Revising and Finalizing an Explanatory Essay Scoring Guide to thoroughly assess edit your essay for final submission, proofreading carefully for mechanics and for full and proper APA style. For instructions and examples related to in-text citation and end referencing of articles from your book and from the library, please refer to the Explanatory Essay Sample resource. Refer also to the APA section of A Writer's Reference, under Article or Chapter in an Edited Book or an Anthology, and Article from a Database, and/or to The Prentice Hall Guide for College Writers, APA Referencing, starting on page 453, Work in an Anthology, and Article from a Journal.
5. Compose a one-paragraph statement noting the steps you took during revision and how you feel these actions improved your work from the first draft to the final draft. Consider the following:
   • Purpose and audience.
   • Detail and clarity.
   • Structure, paragraph development and flow.
   • Mechanics, including grammar, spelling, and source use.
6. When you have finished your assignment, carefully and very thoroughly read through Revising and Finalizing an Explanatory Essay Scoring Guide before submitting your work. Read and comprehend all categories in the scoring guide, asking your instructor if you have any questions about any element of these criteria. Do not finalize and submit this assignment until you have taken this step.
7. Submit your assignment to the Turnitin source matching tool, and make any necessary revisions before submitting your final essay for grading.
8. Submit the final draft of your Explanatory Essay, including your revision statement paragraph after your References page.

You are also strongly encouraged to make use of Smarthinking, which is a free service provided to you as a Capella learner. Smarthinking allows you to submit any writing assignment for a free review from a qualified tutor. If you would like to use this excellent tool, click the link in the Resources section.