INSTRUCTIONS:
you must discuss and cite according to MLA format information from the two articles as well as express your own ideas and present your analysis in standard expository essay format. The essay should have a clearly stated thesis in the introductory paragraph that is supported with unified, coherent, well-developed body paragraphs that cite evidence from the two articles, or readings using MLA format. Your final exam essay should demonstrate your ability to correctly summarize, paraphrase, quote, and use MLA in-text citation, plus use standard academic English with adequate control of grammar and mechanics to clearly communicate. With the readings by Robert Putnam and Rajiv Vinnakota in mind, write an essay in which you discuss the issue of community building in the age of online social networks. What do the authors say about the challenges of generating social capital in our current day, and do you think that it is possible for people to maintain connections and create real communities in the age of Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter? In your essay, you must convey a clear understanding of the texts, either by integrating them into your argument or, at least, by summarizing them. Your essay should include no fewer than two citations, in MLA style, from each of the readings. Citations should include page numbers, not paragraph numbers. Take some time at the beginning of the exam period to plan and organize your thoughts. Leave time at the end to proofread and make corrections. You may use a dictionary. Any time you use the exact words from the readings, you must use quotation marks. Any time you quote, paraphrase, or summarize, you must refer to the author by his or her last name.