LOOK AT THE STUDENT-SUBMITTED EXAMPLE ON THE HOME PAGE OF THIS SITE.
Choose your topic from this list of choices:
Should standardized testing be eliminated from K-12, should it just be modified, or should it be kept as is?
Can the United States continue its policy as defender of the Western World?
Should abortion be legal nationally, regardless of states’ laws?
Purpose
This major assignment attempts to ensure that students are comfortable using the skills they have learned to move fluidly among different argumentative rhetorical situations and styles. Composition II, the course following this one, focuses on writing longer sustained arguments that attempt to solve complex problems by finding common ground. More importantly, students’ professional and personal lives will require those same skills. By using this argument style, students will engage in metacognition (awareness of one’s own thought processes) to finalize this semester’s course of study.
Learning Goals
• Demonstrate the ability to enter effectively into a discourse community.
• Compose a document that demonstrates understanding of how to select and structure from specific types of claims.
• Demonstrate effective use of the Toulmin argument structure, in addition to ethos, logos, and pathos utilization.
• Demonstrate the ability to engage in research critically and thoughtfully, and to then effectively incorporate ideas from research into one’s own argument.
• Use APA format to present a rhetorical situation, and use the skills taught to correctly avoid plagiarism and present ideas effectively.
• Use self-reflection to provide metacognitive analysis of one’s own composition process.
Assignment
Compose an essay for a college-level audience in which you use Toulmin argument methods to argue a claim. The final paper should be four (4) to five (5) content pages in length and have an additional cover page and “References” page. Your argument itself should incorporate support from among five (5) or more sources from the ONLINE DATABASES (JSTOR, Statista, eBooks on EbscoHost), and the entire paper should demonstrate correct use of APA format and documentation. Use the following steps:
1. After exploring the discourse community and rhetorical situation through reading, discussion, and invention, create an original, purposeful, manageable claim of your own to add to the discussion.
2. Create an outline for Toulmin argument style development of the claim and submit it to the course assignment folder for professor input.
3. After receiving input back on your plan from the professor, conduct research for the essay and then write a complete draft of the essay, and bring one printed copy to class for peer review.
4. Receive informal input from class members and formal input from the professor (if time allows) on your draft. Use other resources such as tutor.com, the Writing Lab, and the Rose State College tutors as needed.
5. Based on the input, revise the essay, proofread it, and submit to the assignment folder for grading.
6. Reflect on the final essay draft in order to gain metacognition regarding your own composition processes.
Assessment Criteria
The essay and process should have the following qualities:
• an intellectually complex thesis that makes an original claim on the issue and provides unity and coherence throughout the document
• an introduction that creates a sense of purpose appropriate to the audience
• double-spaced content pages consisting of a well-presented argument; USE Times New Roman 12-pt. font and size with no extra spacing
• ideas that are detailed, well-developed, and supported with appropriate, credible evidence
• effective use of ethos, pathos, logos, kairos, warrants, qualifiers, and refutation of counter-arguments
• body paragraphs with clear topic sentences/subclaims
• an overall document body that is developed using the Toulmin argument structure
• appropriate transitional elements throughout the essay
• a conclusion that provides effective closure by purposefully unifying all ideas presented in the document
• material from CREDIBLE sources that is well-integrated and supports claims argued in the paper, with the information logically placed to enhance the argument
• all source material integrated through introduction and commentary, and by a combination of paraphrasing, summarizing, and direct quoting
• all in-text citations correctly done in APA format, as well as the use of section headings
• all sources documented correctly on the “References” page and that page correctly formatted
• no errors in areas of spelling, punctuation, grammar, and mechanics
• appropriate use of formal language for a college-level essay throughout
no contractions, second person, or absolutes
• timely submission of the assignment in Microsoft Word or PDF format; no .pages or Google Docs
