Purpose
To learn the development and structure of an argument/persuasive essay including, but not limited to:
creating a thesis statement
writing introduction, supporting, and conclusion paragraphs
integrating quotes, paraphrases, summaries as evidence/support
using/properly formatting MLA citations and Works Cited page
critical thinking and analysis of topics/research
synthesizing ideas
Task
You will write a formal essay in the argument/persuasion mode on ONE of the prompts below. These prompts are intended to achieve/offer the following: controversial elements, issues broad enough to encompass multiple viewpoints, and topics focused enough so that they are manageable in an essay of this size. Choose a topic that you are interested in, but also one in which you can be objective. If you are severely biased toward or against the issue, that will prevent you from examining various viewpoints with an open mind. Remember: these are still broad topics, so you will need to determine aspects and positions to focus on within the arguments.
Is the use of drones appropriate? In what ways? Develop an argument involving who, how, and why.
Is artificial intelligence good, bad, or somewhere in between? In what ways? Develop an argument involving who, how, and why.
Should we allow censorship, or not? In what ways? Develop an argument involving who, how, and why.
Should we continue to participate in Daylight Saving Time, or not? In what ways? Develop an argument involving who, how, and why.
You will ultimately choose one side to argue for, and your ultimate goal is to persuade your readership to at least understand your side of the issue. However, in order to fully develop the essay, you will also need to objectively present other sides of your chosen topic. Be aware that there are multiple, complex layers between any two views on an idea. Ideas and concepts in our world are multifaceted, and synthesizing these arguments helps students, and all writers, understand the complexity.
All the outside sources you bring into the essay will need to be from reliable sources, and the information needs to be properly integrated into the essay and cited according to current MLA standards. Be sure to document your sources and to include a Works Cited page. (See Chapter 18 in the textbook for information on MLA documentation.) Sources that are not cited in the essay—and just listed on the Works Cited page—will not be “counted” as research.
Criteria
The essay must have a defined introduction, body paragraphs, and conclusion that all support the thesis.
The thesis must include the purpose of the essay. In other words, the thesis must reveal the controversy surrounding the topic, as well as an argumentative element which indicates your chosen side.
The essay must present an academic argument that is developed using research. Different viewpoints of the topic must be presented objectively, but by using elements of persuasion, you must address each viewpoint in order to argue your stance.
A minimum of FOUR sources is required for the final paper, but you may use more. At least two of your sources need to be journal articles from the library’s databases. Use the library guides posted in the course content to find your sources. You may also cite from any of the textbook articles we’ve read this semester. (See the library folder in the module.)
General resources like Wikipedia, SparkNotes, LitCharts, encyclopedias, dictionaries, etc. are wonderful places to get ideas, but they should not be used as source material (see p. 710 in the textbook for more details on web sources).
Research material must be integrated correctly into the essay in order to illustrate ideas or achieve a synthesis of concepts. In other words, research material should be used as support, not as the bulk of the word count. In your essay, 75-80% of the content needs to be your original thoughts/writing, and only 20-25% needs to be from source material.
The paragraphs must be well-developed with details that support the thesis and topic sentences. The sentences must be connected as a cohesive unit within the paragraphs, as well as the essay as a whole.
The essay should be typed and in standard MLA format (including heading, in-text citations, and Works Cited page).
Standard rules of English grammar, punctuation, and spelling apply.
Writing should be in third person (avoid first and second person pronouns as well as referring to vague groupings of people – e.g. I, me, you, we, us, etc.)
The finished essay should be a minimum of 1,200 words. (There is no upper limit, but make sure that your essay is focused and concise.)
*Reminder: A minimum of FOUR sources is required for the final paper, but you may use more. At least two of your sources need to be journal articles from the library’s databases.
