Write a persuasive research-based essay that identifies a problem found in your local community and proposes a viable solution.

Final Draft Word Count and Setup Requirement:
1800-2200 words (plus a correctly formatted APA cover page + References page or a correctly formatted MLA heading section + Works Cited page)
4+ researched sources cited in text and on the Works Cited or References page
12-point Times New Roman font
Double-spaced lines
In-text citations using APA in proper format or using MLA in proper format
3rd person point of view
WHAT: Using at least 4 researched and cited sources (“local” and “universal” and “original rhetoric” sources), write a persuasive research-based essay that identifies a problem found in your local community and proposes a viable solution.
HOW:
1. Determine which local community issue/conflict you will pursue for Research Project 2. The conflict you select in your local community must be one that affects the United States beyond the town level. The conflict needs to move from “personal” to “universal.” This will show how our “small” local stage interacts, intersects, and impacts the larger national or world stage and vice versa. Here are some examples of places to go to identify local conflict:
Workplace
School
Community center
Soup kitchen
Nonprofit organization
Identify possible sources to use as cited research material in the essay. Your research must come from three categories: local, universal, and original rhetoric. You can decide how many sources will be “local” and how many will be “universal” and how many will be “original rhetoric” based on the needs of your essay’s particular topic, as long as the essay uses at least one source from each category.
Some examples of “local sources”
interviews with community members (organizational leaders, work contacts, advocates, etc.) who are living with and/or working on the issue
newspapers, museums, town meetings
Some examples of “universal sources”
Library Database Materials
Credo-Reference
CQ Researcher
Academic Search Premier
Proquest Central
Points-of-view
Lexis-Nexis
Google
Government websites
Educational institution websites
Organizational (i.e., nonprofit groups) websites
Some examples of “original rhetoric”
Artwork
Pamphlet
Advertisement/print image and slogan
Song or piece of music
Speech (must be spoken in public)
Editorial/letter
Poem, short story, or short essay
Brief documentary or film
2. Create a working thesis statement. The thesis statement identifies the problem and proposes the solution. Here’s an example:
Because tuition at XYZ Community College costs so much that many students from poor or working-class families in the city cannot attend, the University System of New Hampshire should implement a policy that states the college will charge only 8% of the student’s family income if that family’s income falls below the federal poverty line.”
3. Draft the project using the following structure:
In an introductory paragraph, describe and define the problem and show the need for solution; ensure the last sentence in your introduction contains your thesis statement.
In each of the body paragraphs, write a topic sentence that explains why the solution in your thesis statement will work. Develop each paragraph with facts, details, examples, or reasons from your research to support its topic sentence. Here are some angles to consider for the essay’s body paragraphs:
Define/set context for the conflict
Examine possible arguments and divisions surrounding the conflict
Explore consequences if the conflict is unresolved
Identify/offer a workable solution to the conflict
Conclude the essay: Show how the situation will be once people have implemented the proposed solutions to the problem.
4. Revise your essay and make sure you have conveyed your thoughts clearly, you have developed your paragraphs with details, facts, reasons, examples or evidence, and you have shown logical transitions from one paragraph to the next.
5. Edit: Print your essay and read it ALOUD to check your spelling, grammar, and punctuation.
WHY: Writing a Problem/Solution Essay helps develop your critical thinking and research skills. You will learn research and citation skills and gain practice drafting, revision and editing your own writing. Effective writing used in development of this project teaches valuable skills applicable to your community, workplace, and daily life. This type of project uses clear reasoning, supporting details, and logical analyses of information to convince others to consider your views.

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