The Happiness Project Paper

Essay #2 is a bit more complicated, so you will have 10 days to complete the essay. The detailed outline and Works Cited page is due Sunday July 14th, and the final draft will be due Wednesday July 17th. This paper will utilize several methods of exposition: description, compare and contrast, cause and effect, classification, narration, and research. According to the 2017 World Report on Happiness, the U.S. ranks 14th on its list of 155 countries. There are several factors the report identifies as indicators of happiness. Does the information in the report seem to align with the way you see America? If there were ways we could improve our overall happiness, what would you suggest? Do you think there are any indicators missing from the report? Gretchin Rubin, author of The Happiness Project, suggests several ways we could generate happier lives. Do you agree with any or all of her suggestions? Also, Meik Wiking, author of The Little Book of Lykke (pronounced lick-uh) offers the Danish perspective of happiness. Are they doing anything that we could learn from? The challenge will be for you to discover an angle for exploring the topic of happiness. It should be a timely and culturally relevant perspective utilizing research, reports, and other media (see handouts). Please work through the following writing process: 1. Students need to decide on an approach to the happiness question (although research is mandatory, choose between other methods of exposition). For example, will you compare and contrast U.S. happiness to another country? Will you classify happiness into different types/levels? Do you have a personal vantage point or relevant experience that contributes to the happiness question? Will you outline certain cause and effect correlations that have been found regarding happiness? (It is likely you will choose to demonstrate a combination of these methods) 2. Examine multiple sources to gain perspective (articles, handouts, TED talks, and related materials). 3. Annotate your research, (highlight important factors). 4. Once all of the research is gathered, use 2 methods of pre-writing to get your thoughts on paper (free-writing, mapping, brainstorming, and others). 5. Create an outline of your paper. At this point, the methods of exposition should be clear (body paragraphs may vary based on student). 6. After the outline is well organized and detailed, begin to write the first draft (body paragraphs only). 7. After careful revising/editing of your first draft (careful attention to transitional words/phrases) add the introductory paragraph and the conclusion (see handouts).