Homework answers / question archive / Argument Essay Length: 5+ pages Percentage of Grade: 15% Thesis Due: June 18 Outline Due: June 18 Draft Due: June 25 Purpose One purpose of this assignment is to practice your skills in developing a cogent argument in writing

Argument Essay Length: 5+ pages Percentage of Grade: 15% Thesis Due: June 18 Outline Due: June 18 Draft Due: June 25 Purpose One purpose of this assignment is to practice your skills in developing a cogent argument in writing

Writing

Share With

Argument Essay Length: 5+ pages Percentage of Grade: 15% Thesis Due: June 18 Outline Due: June 18 Draft Due: June 25 Purpose One purpose of this assignment is to practice your skills in developing a cogent argument in writing. You should learn to make a clear claim and support that claim with logical reasons. This unit will also allow you to practice writing in the traditional format of academic writing in English (introduction with thesis statement, body paragraphs, conclusion). You should also continue to use the skills we practiced in Unit 1 (descriptive sentences where beneficial, dialogue if necessary, and complete sentences). Note: This essay will function as a beginning draft of your research project, so please choose a topic you are highly interested in. Introduction Argument essays make a claim and support that claim with reasons. Some arguments are made to motivate readers to act (to vote for someone, to buy a certain brand of clothing, to change the way they eat). Others are written to get readers to think differently about a topic (to appreciate a certain politician, to respect an unpopular actor or actress, to see a charity organization in a new light). Argument essays are not argumentative in the way we think of arguing over disagreements. Rather, they make a claim and they support that claim with strong logic or emotional appeal. Assignment For this assignment, you will: Select a topic that is appropriate for arguing a position on an issue related to our course topics of consumerism, technology, and the influence of the media. Suggested topics are listed below. Use appropriate prewriting strategies to generate and organize your supporting ideas. Develop a thesis statement that clearly outlines your position. Submit this thesis statement for approval by June 18. Your thesis statement MUST BE an argument (a statement which makes a claim or takes a position). Organize your thoughts into an outline that you will submit by June 18. Draft, revise, and edit an essay that shows readers why they should think or act differently. Submit your draft by June 25. Organization Argument essays are often written in traditional organizational formats. This means that I will pay more attention to your thesis statement and topic sentences and your paragraph organization. Your argument essay should have a clear introductory paragraph with a thesis statement that makes a claim. The body of the essay should support your thesis or claim. Your body paragraphs should each include a unifying topic sentence that is a supporting idea of the main claim. The conclusion of the essay should reinforce your thesis and sum up your claims. Your reader should understand the most important arguments you’re making regarding your topic. Possible Topics National Anti-Shopping Day/Buy Nothing Day Black Friday/Cyber Monday Celebrity Worship Sport/Athlete Endorsements Cell Phone Use in Classrooms Teen Internet Access Cyberbullying Genetic Engineering Targeted Marketing (to teens and/or children) Plastics/Throw-Away Packaging Compulsive Buying/Shopaholism Mass Production Eco-Conscious Shopping Planned Obsolescence Marketing to Consumer Insecurities (Gender, Skin Color, Body Size, etc.) Anti-Intellectualism Social Media and Depression/Anxiety Social Media during Hiring Process Online Dating Privatized Higher Education/For-Profit Colleges Celebrity Politicians Whatever topic you choose, remember that you must take a position on the issue and state your claim. Grading Rubric – The Argument Essay Original Thesis Statement ? Topic is identified in thesis statement (5 points) ? Writer’s topic relates to content of course as assigned (5 points) ? Writer’s position/claim is stated clearly in thesis statement (5 points) ? Thesis statement indicates how the essay will progress (5 points) /20 Outline ? Outline is organized according to the pattern discussed in class (5 points) ? Outline’s major points support the thesis (5 points) ? Outline’s supporting points are logical and strong (5 points) ? Outline contains enough detail to identify future structure of essay (5 points) /20 Basic Guidelines ? Essay is an argument and makes a claim (2.5 points) ? Essay is organized according to the pattern learned in class (2.5 points) ? Essay meets the length requirement of at least 5 pages (2.5 points) ? Essay is interesting and engaging (2.5 points) /10 Introduction and Thesis Statement ? Introduction includes a thesis statement that is immediately identifiable (2 points) ? Writer’s position/claim is stated clearly in thesis statement (2 points) ? Introduction makes clear the wider relevance and ongoing context of the topic (2 points) ? Introduction is interesting and attention-getting (2 point) ? Introduction provides reader with an idea of how the essay will progress (2 points) /10 Supporting Paragraphs ? Essay has at least three supporting paragraphs (reasons) in the body (4 points) ? Each supporting paragraph and topic sentence does its job of clearly supporting the thesis statement/main claim (4 points) ? There is adequate support for the claim in each body paragraph (in the form of major and minor details (4 points) ? Ideas in body logically support the main claim of the essay (4 points) ? Logical fallacies in critical thinking are avoided in supporting points (4 points) /20 Conclusion ? Concluding paragraph is present (2 points) ? Conclusion restates the main idea (2 points) ? Conclusion logically wraps up essay (2 points) ? There a sense of closure (2 points) ? Conclusion ends with a method of concluding that was discussed in class (call to action, final point, or question) (2 points) /10 Sentences/Grammar ? Essay is properly formatted (see document called “Formatting Documents” on D2L for help with this) (2.5 points) /10 1 ? Sentences are grammatically correct and writer uses repetition, pronouns, and word substitutions appropriately (2.5 points) ? Writer has edited for typos, missing words, and spelling errors (2.5 points) ? Sentences make meaning in interesting and creative ways (2.5 points) Points for Thesis Statement /20+ Points for Outline /20+ Points for Draft /60+ Total Points for Assignment = /100 2 Composing Thesis Statements & Introductions Your Thesis Statement A THESIS STATEMENT is like a topic sentence for the entire essay. It is a controlling idea for the whole piece of writing. The thesis statement belongs in the introduction (the first paragraph). It is usually the last sentence in the introduction because what follows is always a full discussion of the thesis. Your thesis statement should be argumentative. This means that it states your position or claim on an issue. For my essay, I want to argue that the movie Black Panther is not only a movie that empowers Blacks, but also a movie that empowers women. Therefore, my thesis statement needs to tell my readers what my POSITION is on this topic. I might write: Although the Marvel blockbuster Black Panther was billed as a celebration of Black pride, it is actually also a feminist movie. Please note that my thesis statement: 1. Clearly identifies my topic (the film Black Panther and its treatment of women) 2. Gives some context for my argument (my argument would not be interesting if I didn’t explain that the film is/was billed as a movie to celebrate Black pride) 3. Identifies my position (I am not arguing that it is NOT a film about Black pride; I am saying instead that the female aspect is often overlooked) Your Introduction You already likely know that the thesis statement can’t be the only sentence in the introduction. So what else belongs there? Here is a formula for writing a great introductory paragraph. Writing the Introduction: Include: 1. The thesis statement (usually comes last) 2. An attention-getter (usually comes first) 3. Context to tell your reader WHY you are writing or what controversy surrounds your topic. 4. An idea of where you’re headed in the essay (often included in the thesis statement) Sample Introduction for My Essay: In early 2018, the eighteenth film in the Marvel Cinematic Universe was released, garnering much critical acclaim. Black Panther became the highest-grossing film directed by a black director and the ninth-highest-grossing film of all-time. The film was also celebrated as a particularly African-American triumph, since it featured a predominantly Black cast, a Black director, and a soundtrack produced and performed by Black artists. In full recognition of this incredible feat of racial equity in film-making, critics have failed to recognize this film for another victory: its treatment of women. Indeed, although Black Panther was both billed and celebrated as a Black film, it is also a film that celebrates women. The feminist underpinnings of the film can be seen in its strong women characters, its depiction of women’s autonomy, and its lack of sexual objectification of its women characters. Sample Outline for Argument Essay – Connie’s Essay I. Introduction with Thesis Although the Marvel blockbuster Black Panther was billed as a celebration of Black pride, it is actually also a feminist movie. II. Body Paragraph #1 – the strong female characters a. Nakia—T’Challa’s love interest; she has put love on hold to pursue her purpose in life which is justice for her people, especially women and children b. Okoye—military general and T’Challa’s right-hand “woman” c. Shuri—brilliant younger sister of T’Challa; funny, smart, strong, vital to success of all T’Challa’s missions d. Romanda—T’Challa’s mother and Wakandan leader III. Body Paragraph #2 – the depiction of deference to (or consideration of) women a. T’Challa defers to Nakia (SHE chooses whether she wants to be in the relationship) b. T’Challa defers to Shuri (she runs the car in the car chase scene, not T’Challa) c. W’Kabi defers to Okoye (he bows before her in the battle scene) IV. Body Paragraph #3 – the complete lack of sexual objectification of women a. No skimpy clothing on women b. No sexually revealing camera angles c. Handling of “hair” in the film d. Women’s roles are not as companions to men but as agents of change/action: Okoye as military leader; Shuri as scientist, tech expert, and inventor; Nakia as activist and rebel=none are sexual toys V. Counterargument (use They Say/I Say) Does it pass Bechdel’s test? Are women of a variety of body shapes represented? Is this just? VI. Conclusion More Help with Choosing an Argument To be strong and effective, a claim (thesis) should be debatable, focused, specific, and clear. In other words, it ought to be something that can be argued with reasons and evidence, and it ought to be narrow enough to properly support or prove in the space and format available. 1. Be Debatable Your claim must be something that can be argued. Take a look at the following claim and determine whether it is strong or weak: “The environment must be protected.” This is a weak claim because it is not debatable. Everyone would agree that the environment must be protected, so there really isn't an argument here. Starting with a non-debatable claim weakens the argument from the get-go. A stronger claim might be something like this: “Congress ought to allocate 25% of its annual budget to programs that will either preserve the environment or work to clean up environmental disasters.” Now there's an argument that has some controversy in it! 2. Be Focused Your thesis should be limited to what can be accomplished in the specified number of pages. Shape your topic so that you can get straight to the "meat" of it. Being specific in your paper will be much more successful than writing about general things that do not say much. Don't settle for three pages of just skimming the surface. 3. Be Specific Your claim should be specific as possible. Normally you will continue to refine your thesis as you revise your argument(s), so your thesis will evolve and gain definition as you obtain a better sense of where your argument is taking you. Is the following claim strong or weak? “Slavery was the ultimate cause of the Civil War.” Did you say “weak?” If so, you're right. This claim isn't focused and specific enough for the scope of an essay. Historians have been debating this in books of hundreds of pages for many years. The writer has bitten off more than he can chew. A stronger claim might look something like this: “The men of the Second Minnesota Volunteer Infantry signed up for service out of patriotism rather than out of any desire to eliminate slavery.” See how this claim is narrower and more focused? It could easily be debated within the confines of an essay. To make sure your claim is specific, you might ask yourself: • • • • Are there two large claims connected loosely by a coordinating conjunction (i.e. "and," "but," "or," "for," "nor," "so," "yet")? Would a subordinating conjunction help (i.e. "through," "although," "because," "since") to signal a relationship between the two claims? Or do the two statements imply a fuzzy unfocused claim? If so, settle on one single focus and then proceed with further development. 4. Be Clear Your thesis statement is no exception to your writing: it needs to be as clear as possible. By being as clear as possible in your thesis statement, you will make sure that your reader understands exactly what you mean. To make sure your claim is clear, you might: • • • Avoid technical language. Always avoid jargon, unless you are confident your audience will be familiar with it. Avoid vague words such as "interesting,” "negative," "exciting,” "unusual," and "difficult." Avoid abstract words such as "society," “values,” or “culture.” These words tell the reader next to nothing if you do not carefully explain what you mean by them. Never assume that the meaning of a sentence is obvious. Check to see if you need to define your terms (”socialism," "conventional," "commercialism," "society"), and then decide on the most appropriate place to do so. Do not assume, for example, that you have the same understanding of what “society” means as your reader. To avoid misunderstandings, be as specific as possible. Compare the original thesis (not clear enough) with the revised version (much clearer): • • Original thesis: Although the timber wolf is a timid and gentle animal, it is being systematically exterminated. [if it's so timid and gentle -- why is it being exterminated?] Revised thesis: Although the timber wolf is actually a timid and gentle animal, it is being systematically exterminated because people wrongfully believe it to be a fierce and cold-blooded killer. In Summary The opposite of a focused, narrow, crisp thesis is a broad, sprawling, superficial thesis. Compare this original thesis (too general) with three possible revisions (more focused, each presenting a different approach to the same topic): • • Original thesis: o There are serious objections to today’s horror movies. Revised theses: o Because modern cinematic techniques have allowed filmmakers to get more graphic, horror flicks have desensitized young American viewers to violence. o The pornographic violence in "bloodbath" slasher movies degrades both men and women. o Today’s slasher movies fail to deliver the emotional catharsis that 1930s horror films did.