Assignment
Write a thesis based, argumentative research essay; you must use at least three credible sources; at least one source must be discovered through your own research.
Make sure to follow MLA guidelines for citation and Works Cited page.
Make sure you have a clear introduction, body and conclusion. Use at least two direct quotes in the paper. Wikipedia is not considered a legitimate outside source. When obtaining outside sources it is a good idea to use journals, scholarly articles, and literary criticism. BMCC's library is available online and there is a link to it on the homepage.
All papers must include: title page, works cited page, page numbers; margins should be set at 1", and the font size should not exceed 12pt. Papers should be double-spaced. Neither the title page nor the works cited page is considered in the word count.
Your objective here is to write an argumentative research paper based on one of the following topics:
• Education or
• Marijuana legalization or the history of its criminalization
• You will be provided several articles based on these topics. You must come up with an argument/thesis based on your chosen theme. You will need to do some research to find credible sources to support your argument. You must use at least three credible sources: scholarly journals, newspaper articles, books, etc. The sources should work for your paper; the paper should not work for your sources. The sources should be used as a way to back up your claims, and should be relevant to your thesis.
There are some student sample papers available, and their corresponding grades.
Remember, an argument must have two sides in order to be arguable. A thesis cannot be a fact; it must be arguable.
Students completing English 101 will be able to:
• Organize, develop, and revise at least three thesis-driven essays (approximately 3000 words) that include substantial support and use a variety of rhetorical strategies.
• Summarize, paraphrase, and quote from readings.
• Critically analyze numerous readings.
• Demonstrate a command of edited American English, using vocabulary and syntax appropriate to college-level work.
• Demonstrate a knowledge of the MLA conventions of citation and documentation.