Prompt:
As we have
seen, America is currently undergoing a period of intense social change. Over
the course of the semester, we have read about and discussed four frequently
debated socio-political issues. We have employed critical thinking in order to
better understand both the possible positions on said issues and some of the
participants in those debates. We have analyzed the rhetoric of some of the
participants in order to gain a better understanding of how and why they
support their positions, and we have, finally, discussed these issues in depth
through our fishbowl discussion. Now, imagine that Cal Poly Pomona is hosting a
student symposium on social issues in the U.S and that you have been invited to
present a paper. Perform some additional research on your topic, then compose a
research paper in which you take a side on the issue (this can be an extended
answer to one of the fishbowl discussion questions, or another question related
to the issue) and support that side. Your goal should be to persuade your audience
of fellow students to take your side on the issue.
Your
research paper should contain:
Background on the issue,
introducing your potential readers to the important aspects of the issue;
An outline the potential sides
of this issue, and then inform your audience of your stance;
Reasons, supported by backing
(evidence), for your initial claim;
Consider the possible
counter-arguments against your position and refute them using additional
reasons and evidence;
Conclude your paper with a
statement regarding the significance of your issue and your claim. (You
may choose to add a call to action here, if you wish);
A works cited page that
contains all of the sources that you cite in your essay and is formatted
in MLA or APA format (Note: you may negotiate the use of another citation
style, if you are familiar with one).
You should
also consider the following factors in your paper:
To whom you are writing;
What beliefs your audience
might hold already;
What your audience might
already know about the issue;
What they need to know about
the issue;
How you can best convince them
(using the rhetorical techniques that we have covered in class or any
other arguments that you can create)
Comments:
Intro: Nice background on the topic. I feel that using “Mental Health”
is a bit vague. Depression is more specific. Clear, argumentative thesis with
clear reasons. Confirmatio: I am not sure what the main ideas of your body
paragraphs are. BP 2: I feel that these pieces of evidence need some analysis.
BP 3: This feels a bit too anecdotal for a research paper. BP 4: I feel that
you are slipping into offering advice, rather than describing solutions
academically, which is not the purpose of the assignment. BP 5: Again, I feel
that your evidence needs some analysis in this paragraph.
David, You
show evidence of a thorough research process in this rough draft. In terms of
improvement, be sure to quote when you are using the author’s exact words.
Additionally, I feel that you are occasionally letting your quotes speak for
themselves, which risks the audience drawing their own, wrong conclusions.
Finally, you make effective use of APA formatting throughout.
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