Assignment Description

For this essay, you should choose a topic from the list of opposing viewpoints provided in this unit and write a 4-5 page essay that argues a clearly defined position about that topic. The essay should have an introduction that has a clear thesis statement and demonstrates the relevance of your topic, several body paragraphs that each make focused claims, and a conclusion.

Purpose and Learning Objectives

Your purpose in writing this essay is to defend a particular point of view with good reasoning and research.

My purpose in assigning this essay is to develop your skills in synthesizing research, evidence, and claims into a well-reasoned argumentative essay. You should develop a dear and concise thesis statement that prepares readers for the arguments in the essay. Be sure to especially work on paragraph development each paragraph should include a topic sentence, evidence, and commentary about the evidence.

Minimum Requirements

• 1,200-1,500 word essay (4-5 pages)
• An interesting and informative title
• A document formatted in correct MLA format
• 5 sources (peer-reviewed journals, books, and reliable web sources)
• A works cited page written in correct MLA format and included in the same document as the essay
• A clearly stated argument that uses reliable and well-reasoned evidence to support claims
• A refutation of opposing arguments

Process for Completion

Here are a few steps that might help you develop your essay:

1. Choose your topic from the ones provided for this unit (see below).

2. Once you've found a topic, determine if it needs to be narrowed or if a particular focus might help the argument.

1. For instance, if you were writing about obesity, you might need to find a slant that creates a more interesting argument than "obesity is a problem" (of course it's a problem!). Narrowing helps a bit, but not enough: "to avoid obesity, Americans should exercise more" (of course Americans should exercise more!). But what if we narrow the topic further "school in Texas need punctuation, and proofreading.

Plagiarism

Plagiarism is using someone else's words or ideas without giving credit and is a serious academic offense. It can range from:

• Turning in a paper any part of which you did not write,
• Cutting and pasting a paper together horn various sources without attributing the sources correctly,
• Changing a few words but basically keeping most of the words and sentence structure of the original,
• Using the ideas of another without giving credit to the person who originally had the idea.
• Using the exact words of the source without using quotation marks even if you give the name of the source.

Refer to the syllabus for consequences of plagiarism in this class. For more information, see http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/589/01/

Potential Topics

U.S. Borders (Emigration & Immigration)
Cuba & Immigration
Children of illegal immigrant
Social Justice
Civil Rights
Popular Culture
Culture of Beauty
Celebrity Culture
Renewable Energy
Animal Experimentation
Technology & Education
Vaccines
Privacy
Criminal Justice Millennial Generation
Genetically Modified Foods.