You’ll use THE SAME TOPIC AND SOURCES about a controversial topic in your field that you’ve collected and presented in your annotated bibliography to help you write a long academic argumentative essay where you take a position on the issue and persuade the reader to accept it.
What goes into my argumentative essay?
In the essay, you should:
Describe the issue you have chosen to research.
Describe the different positions which people in your field have on this topic using research and your own knowledge.
Provide a clear and explicit thesis statement which explains your position and your reasons why this position is the best choice.
Develop an argument for your position with reasons and evidence from outside sources as well as your own opinions.
Use at least TEN (10) sources of information in your paper. These sources should include some of the sources from your annotated bibliography, but you may of course bring in other sources that you have found.
Connect your ideas using transition words and phrases.
Write in an academic style. (You can use first person, but your language should be precise, concise, and more formal than other types of writing.)
Create sentences that are precise, concise, and correct.
Show evidence of revision in your final draft.
Pay attention to English conventions for spelling, grammar, and punctuation.
How should my argumentative essay be formatted?
Have a heading on the first page with your name, your section, and the date. (A title page is not necessary.)
Have a title that is centered on the first page under the heading.
Contain page numbers on all pages but the first.
Be 1200-1500 words long including your works cited list.
Use MLA style to give credit to sources by providing in-text citations and a works cited list.
This paper will be graded based on how well it:
Describes the issue and explains the different perspectives.
Takes a clear position on the issue and justifies the this position with reasons and evidence.
Presents a specific thesis statement with a claim and reasons and has a clear focus.
Presents and incorporates information, including using the works of others and the opinions and experience of the writer.
Includes the minimum of ten sources.
Organizes and presents information, including making transitions and connections between ideas.
Uses MLA format to attribute information and format the paper.
Shows evidence of revision by the writer.
Presents information using strategies for clarity and conciseness.
Uses appropriate conventions for academic written English.