Topic is if cows milk is safe for human consumption
Format
Snappily entitled, typewritten, double-spaced, properly formatted (standard margins, 12-point print, standard font), and 1,200-1,500 words long — not counting your works cited list(approximately 4-5 pages)
Topic
Any significant public issue that is related to food and/or health and about which there is reasoned and impassioned argument. This means that you must be able to show that your position has a coherent and credible opposition.
Audience
College-educated adults familiar with and interested in your topic, but undecided and skeptical
Purpose
To persuade your skeptical readers that your position is factually, logically, and morally defensible
Research
A minimum of six sources representing at least four separate individuals and publications should be used and cited in this paper.
At least five of your sources should be news articles, journal articles, opinion pieces, or selections from book-length works. These sources do not have to be in paper format. That is, they can be found on the Internet.
Wikipedia should not be used as a source, although you may use it to lead you to other sources.
At least one of your sources should directly and credibly represent your opposition.
You must cite your sources according to current MLA guidelines. In addition to Chapters 46 and 47 of The Little, Brown Handbook (11th edition), The Purdue Online Writing Lab, accessed at http://owl.english.purdue.edu/owl/resource/747/01/ provides helpful information and models for using and documenting sources.
Please avoid plagiarism in all of its forms. If you even suspect that you may have inadvertently plagiarized, please consult with me before you turn in your final draft.
Reminders
1.) Take an authoritative stance, but do so without sounding arrogant or preachy. In taking this authoritative stance, you will want to avoid frequent use of such phrases as, “In my opinion” and “I think.”
2.) Use your introduction to engage your reader’s interest, establish the relevance of your topic, provide any necessary background information, and clearly announce your thesis.
3.) Make sure that your evidence is up-to-date and relevant and that your reasoning is sound.
4.) Anticipate your opposition’s strongest objections and respond to them.
5.) Make concessions to the opposition wherever it seems reasonable and wherever such concessions will not seriously undermine the basis for your own position.
