Writing Goals

One's personal or political point-of-view can greatly influence the "facts" that they deem most relevant or reliable when determining an answer to a question. In practice, these alternative perspectives and ideologies then result in relatively sound, compelling arguments supporting different answers to a common question. This essay provides you the opportunity to select a specific question personally, socially or politically meaningful to you and objectively examine two or more possible answers, as well as the facts presented in support of each . While the number of topics for this sort of researched essay are essentially limitless, some of the more common approaches to fact-finding reports can include the following:

CHOOSE ONE

* To intently explore two or more alternatives/options prior to making a personal, real-world decision (i.e., buying a car, selecting a career or college major, deciding upon a child care provider, choosing a home, etc.)

* To fully understand two or more opposing positions in a current debate (i.e., health care reform, the war on terror, same-sex marriage, school vouchers, etc.).

* To consider possible, alternative answers to a question not yet resolved (i.e., global warming, life after death, euthanasia, UFOs)

* To identify competing, realistic solutions to a current problem (i.e., illegal immigration, failing schools, cyber-bullying, gun violence, etc.).

* To contrast divergent causes attributed to a current condition (i.e., political protests, rising divorce rates, teen pregnancy, increasing poverty rates, etc.)

IMPORTANT

This project requires you to research and cite sources in MLA format. Thus, a Works Cited page containing three or more cited sources is required as the last page of your draft.