Here are the topic options.
Option 1
In Mark Twain's classic essay, "Two Ways of Seeing the River," he questions the cost of knowledge. What is lost? What is gained? You might want to use this essay to establish an argument in favor of a liberal arts education or perhaps some alternative form of learning.
You can find this essay by clicking on the link below.
http://grammar.about.com/od/60essays/a/twowaysessay.htm
Option 2
If you are the poetic type, you might appreciate this option. In the opening line of Robert Frost's "The Mending Wall," it reads, "Something there is that doesn't love a wall." Is this true? Do walls make "good neighbors?" Ponder this question in light of Trump's proposed wall between Mexico and the United States. Quote and paraphrase lines from the poem to illustrate your points or to refute opposing points. Use the forward slash to indicate line breaks in the poem. Also, include the line number(s) in the parenthetical citation.
Example of Using Forward Slash to Indicate Line Breaks:
"Something there is that doesn't love a wall, / That sends the frozen-ground-swell under it, / And spills the upper boulders in the sun" (Lines 1-
https://www.poets.org/poetsorg/poem/mending-wall
Option 3
Read the full text version of Dr. King's "Letter from Birmingham City Jail. You can access this document on several sites on the Internet. This is a powerful document. In 2017, what do you see as the greatest threat to civil rights in this country? Cite from Dr. King's letter to illustrate your points and to refute opposing points.
Option 4
Read NASA's mission statement and create an argument in favor space exploration. I want to read your ideas. But incorporate a brief summary, quote(s), and paraphrase(s). Make sure you cite the mission statement in text and on the Works Cited. (Loved watching the launch of Juno!)
http://www.nasa.gov/missions/solarsystem/Why_We_01pt1.html
Option 5
In his Meditation XVII John Donne wrote,
No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main. If a clod be washed away by the sea, Europe is the less, as well as if a promontory were, as well as if a manor of thy friend's or of thine own were: any man's death diminishes me, because I am involved in mankind, and therefore never send to know for whom the bells tolls; it tolls for thee.
"Am I my brother's keeper?" Really think about this question. Does the United States have a responsibility to assist with the humanitarian crises in the world, for example, in Aleppo, Syria? You might want to read about times when the U.S. did / did not get involved in humanitarian issues.
http://www.online-literature.com/donne/409/
Open Letter to President Obama from 15 Remaining Doctors in Aleppo, Syria.
Warning: The videos on this site contain graphic images.
http://www.cnn.com/2016/08/11/middleeast/aleppo-syria-doctors-letter-obama/
Option 6
Are most of us suffering from nature deficit disorder? Establish an argument for spending more time in nature. Identify a few of the benefits. Read and cite from Henry David Thoreau's Walking or you might want to summarize a chapter from his book Walden. The entire book can be found on the Project Gutenberg website.
http://faculty.washington.edu/timbillo/Readings%20and%20documents/Wilderness/Thoreau%20Walking.pdf
Option 8
Find an article on your favorite mathematician or mathematical theory. You might find an article on The Engines of Our Ingenuity. Too often teachers hear students say, "Why do I need to learn math? How will learning math help me in ‘real life.'?" Create an argument that shows the beauty of learning math for a greater understanding of our world.
http://www.uh.edu/engines/