Argument Essay

In your argument paper you are going to choose a side of a debatable (provided) topic. You will then need to persuade the reader to agree with your opinion. The best argumentative papers combine strong research and commentary from the author. You will have four topics to choose from that are listed below with explanations. You will receive four pieces of research from your teacher to use as your sources for the paper. These are the ONLY sources that you may use. You will receive two articles that are in favor of the cause, and two articles that are against the cause. You will also receive an outline to help you with this paper. Each body paragraph must include two pieces of cited information with one of those being a direct quote. You must also include a Works Cited Page. You will have January 28th or 29th to work on the paper in class. The outline and TYPED rough draft will be due in class on Tuesday, February 3rd. Block day, February 4th or 5th will be a peer edit day. The final draft will be due the next Tuesday, February 10th. You must upload the paper by 7:25 Tuesday morning and bring a printed copy to class.

Topics Prompt 1 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below.

Feminism has been dominant throughout much of our culture. At a certain point, it seems that women could be perceived as overplaying men in the workforce. However, some think that women are being slighted when it comes to education, jobs, and opportunities.

Assignment: Do women excel more than men in modern society? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading. You must use at least three sources for support.

Prompt 2 Think carefully about the issue presented in the following excerpt and the assignment below.

Genetically Engineered Crops can have an adverse effect on society. Changes in the land, animals, and people can be contributed to the influence of companies in food products. Even though there can be a dark side to advancements in the farm industry, the benefits can outweigh the negatives.

Assignment: Do genetically engineered crops cause concerns for those in today's society? Plan and write an essay in which you develop your point of view on this issue. Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading. You must use at least three sources for support.

Child labor laws have been in place in the United States for generations. Our nation has strict laws regarding age regulation, hours a young adult can work, and working conditions for all employees. Yet our citizens frequently purchase products from other countries that do not have these regulations in place.

Assignment: Do Western countries, such as the United States, have a responsibility to monitor the child labor conditions of their poorer neighbors to ensure atrocities like human trafficking do not occur, or should developing nations be left to make their own economic decisions in regards to workers’ rights? Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading. You must use at least three sources for support.

The world’s population continues to grow due to scientific advancements and natural tendencies to reproduce. Some people view this as a potential doomsday scenario where at some point the world’s population will become so large the planet will not be able to sustain the population. Others argue that overpopulation is not an issue because scientific advancement will continue to provide the needed resources to accommodate the growing population.

Assignment: Is overpopulation an issue that needs to be taken seriously, or is it just a handful of people trying to scare the world using another false doomsday scenario? Support your position with reasoning and examples taken from your reading. You must use at least three sources for support. Argument Paper Rubric A B C D F Organization *Outstanding claim *Solid claim & *Vague claim & *Missing *No claim & concession concession concession concession *Paragraphs are not *Paragraphs are * Paragraphs are * Paragraphs are * Paragraphs lack developed/focused; impressively coherent & loose in structure; development; there is no obvious coherent & cohesive; each ideas are not specific purpose of purpose cohesive; each paragraph always clear paragraphs is often *No relationship paragraph clearly expresses a *Topic sentences unclear between topic expresses a specific purpose loosely relate back *Relationships sentence and thesis specific purpose *Relevant topic to thesis between topic *Relevant topic sentences that sentence and thesis sentences that relate back to often unclear clearly relate back thesis to thesis Ideas & *Outstanding * Solid *Adequate *Thin development *Lacks development Content development of development of development of of ideas, analysis, of ideas, analysis, & ideas, analysis, & ideas, analysis, & ideas, analysis, & & inefficient use of inefficient use of efficient use of efficient use of efficient use of quotes quotes quotes quotes quotes *Weak choice of *Quotes do not *Outstanding *Solid choice of * Adequate choice quotes to support support claim choice of quotes to quotes to support of quotes to claim *Commentary does support claim claim support claim *Weak use of not link quote to *Outstanding use *Solid use of *Adequate use of commentary to link claim of commentary to commentary to link commentary to link quotes & claim *Content is vague link quotes & quotes & claim quotes & claim *Content is vague and unoriginal claim *Content is *Content is and original *Content is interesting and appropriate and engaging and original original original Style *Sentences are *Sentences are *Sentences are *Sentences are *Sentences are mature, exact, and well written and adequate and awkward, overly unclear/vague and demonstrate demonstrate demonstrate simple, and word word choice is poor appropriate word appropriate word acceptable word choice is flat *No transitions choice choice choice *Weak use of between ideas *Outstanding use *Solid use of *Adequate use of transitions to move *Paper shows little or of transitions to transitions to move transitions to move between ideas no regard for formal move between between ideas between ideas *Paper shows writing rules ideas *Paper adheres to *Paper shows inconsistent *Paper adheres to most formal general awareness awareness of all formal writing writing rules of formal writing formal writing rules rules rules Conventions *No convention *Few convention *Moderate *Numerous *Excessive errors errors convention errors convention errors convention errors *Paper adheres to *Paper adheres to *Paper shows *Paper shows detract from paper’s all formal writing most formal general awareness inconsistent readability rules writing rules of formal writing awareness of *Paper shows little or rules formal writing no regard for formal rules writing rules MLA Format *0-1 MLA format *2-3 MLA format *4-5 MLA format *6-7 MLA format * 8 + MLA format & & documentation & documentation & documentation & documentation documentation errors errors errors errors errors

*A paper turned in without a Works Cited page will receive a maximum of 50. *10 points will be taken off for any missing quotes (6 required) and 25 points will be taken off for any missing paragraphs (3 required). Argument Outline

I. Introduction A. Introduce the topic without stating your view (General terms)

B. Continue introducing the topic using specifics (specific ideas of support, NOT EVIDENCE) (should be at least 2 sentences)

C. Thesis: concession, claim and supports (Although______, claim______because support 1 and support 2)

I. Body Paragraph 1 - Counter Argument A. State Concession (Although statement in a complete sentence)

B. Counterargument (However, ______)

C. Research for counter argument

D. Commentary explaining how the evidence for the counterargument disproves the concession

E. Transition into your 2nd evidence of counterargument

F. Research 2 for counter argument

G. Commentary on research

H. Closing (summarize how you have proven concession wrong) III. Body Paragraph 2 A. Topic Sentence (Support 1)

B. Transition into evidence

C. Evidence (research)

D. Commentary

E. Transition into evidence 2

F. Evidence 2 (research)

G. Commentary:

H. Closing/transition into next paragraph (summarize support 1 and link to support 2)

IV. Body Paragraph 3 A. Topic Sentence (Support 2)

B. Transition into evidence

C. Evidence (research)

D. Commentary E. Transition into evidence

F. Evidence (research)

G. Commentary

H. Closing/transition into next paragraph (Summarize support 2)

V. Conclusion A. Restate thesis (reword the thesis, should not be identical to thesis statement)

B. Summarize your counterargument and supports (should be at least 3 sentences long)

C. Parting thought