Purpose

This writing engagement is designed to enable students to: write a 4-5 page double-spaced, typed research paper that includes a thesis which argues for a particular point of view and introductory, body, and concluding paragraphs. The research paper should demonstrate clear and logical paragraph development, coherence and unity, and avoid patterns of error. The paper should also  demonstrate a student's ability to use sources and citations appropriately according to MLA or APA style.

Content Objectives

• Write a 5-page paper in response to one of the selected questions.

• Utilize at least three academic sources within your essay to support your claims (include a work
cited page).

Questions

Has social media hurt or improved our lives?

U.S. companies that move factories to undeveloped nations barely pay employees enough to live on. Is it unethical to pay cheap wages or are companies doing those workers afavor?

Should thin people have to pay Medicare and other health costs for the health problems of obese people? Should obese people have higher premiums?

Writing Elements

1. The paper must be typed, double spaced, Times Roman font size 12, and written in MLA format.

2. Try to make your writing as efficient and direct as possible. As a rule of thumb, if any sentence is longer than four lines, you should consider shortening into two separate sentences. Check to be sure that each paragraph has a clear topic sentence.

3. Don't try to sound overly "academic." Write as if you were discussing the content, focusing on content while you write. Then go back and edit to ensure that your writing is not too informal, and to check for grammar and MLA formatted citations.