Essay Three - Academic Argumentative Essay

Purpose/Objectives:

The purpose of your academic argumentative essay is to formulate a stance on an issue and defend it, synthesizing multiple points of view to support your position. In this essay, you should develop a clear, strong thesis and defend it in a formal academic paper. Because this is an academic argument, your paper, including your thesis, sources and voice, should reflect that audience. In doing so, you will learn to both formulate and articulate your own position amid the academic conversation about your topic.

Assignment:

For this essay, you will write a formal, argumentative paper on the local problem you researched for your bibliography. In it, you will explain both the problem and devise original solution specifically designed to resolve the issue. You will use various sources to explain the problem as well as construct and justify a specific solution. Consider proposing a new policy, organization, or one of any number of methods necessary to find a solution.

Specifically, your paper should propose and explain a solution to a problem that exists in the Chattanooga area. This should be accomplished in two basic parts. First, you should define the problem, focusing on its causes and the negative effect it has on campus. The, you should propose and explain your solution to this problem, focusing on the implementation as well as why it will fix the problem. Ultimately, you need to explain the problem and then craft a solution specifically designed to solve it on a local level.

Evaluation Criteria:

Your essay will be evaluated on the following:

1) An introduction that provides context and background information to set up your thesis. You could, for example, combine a news article with research to establish the existence of the problem and discuss the various causes and effects associated with it.

2) A strong, argumentative thesis. This should be included in your introduction. Essentially, your thesis will be the answer to your research question. It should both propose and justify your solution to this problem. It should address both what need to be done and why your solution will solve your problem.

3) A clearly articulated argument to support your thesis. This is the most important part of your paper. Remember, your sources don't prove anything alone. It's up to you to explain your argument and justify both the existence of the problem as well as your solution. Your argument should be structured into a series of paragraphs organized around the central themes of your thesis. It should explain both the causes and the negative effects of the problem as well as explain your solution. This solution should include what needs to be done, how it should be done, and why it will solve this problem.

4) Proper use of sources to support your argument. Be sure to use the assigned number of sources (6 total, at least 4 academic) as well as using sources appropriate to the claim they support. Remember, sources don't prove anything alone. Instead, it's up to you to use each to explain your position. This includes using sources for specific reasons, such as news articles to make it local or applying sources (expert opinion, data, research) to your argument. These sources could serve as models, comparisons, or supporting or counter arguments, for example.