Writing 101--Dr. Martin

Essay 4:  Position Paper:  

Develop a claim from one of the four issue  questions given you.  Your claim will answer the question, and  you will support your claim for this assignment with reasons, supporting your reasons with a variety of ways-- through use of facts, statistics, examples and anecdotes, and expert opinions and analogies.  In other words, write an essay arguing your position on this issue.  Your purpose is to try to convince your readers (your peers) to take your argument seriously.  Therefore, you will want to acknowledge readers' opposing views as well as any objections or questions they might have.

Organization:  Write a multi-paragraph essay in which you develop two or more reasons in support of your thesis or claim.  You should build to your more important reason last.  Give your essay a self-announcing structure in which you highlight your claim at the end of your introduction, and begin each of your body paragraphs with clearly stated topic sentences, or reasons if you are introducing a reason to support your claim.  Don't forget to establish your credibility near the beginning of your essay.  Open your essay with an attention grabbing lead that attracts your readers' interest.  Your introduction should also explain the issue being addressed as well as whatever background information is needed.  The concession/refutation part of your argument usually comes near the end of the essay, just before the conclusion, but you may choose to include it earlier in your essay.   Please follow the guidelines for writing a position paper in your book, pp 358-373  I will particularly be looking for how well you integrate your four to five sources, and that you document them correctly, both within the paper and on the Works Cited page. Remember you must find sources from the last five years and from the library's databases.

 Choose one of the following issue questions to address in your position paper:

1.  Should parents be notified by a clinic when their teenager seeks advice about birth control?

2.  Is the current structure of gender integrated classes in high school best for educating teenagers?

3. Should athletes receive preferential treatment while at college?

4.  Should all advertisements for cigarettes be banned?

I will particularly be looking for how well you integrate your four to five sources, and that you document them correctly, both within the paper and on the Works Cited page. Remember you must find sources from the last five years and from the library's databases. Your sources should come from magazines or journals, and only current books may be used.  No newspaper articles.

Again, follow  the organizational advice  given in your book, pp. 358-373 (each section will take as many paragraphs as needed to fulfill its purpose):

Introduce the issue

Near the end of the introduction, state your thesis, or your position

 Argue  directly for the position

Counterargue readers' objections to your position

Conclusion  ( Here you will not simply re-state your thesis, but will conclude with a more informed or larger view of the issue because of what has been learned in the process of developing the argument.)

You will also need to submit your paper to turnitin.com by the your final exam time.   I will not grade a paper that has not been submitted. 

Length:  5-6 pages typed, following MLA format, plus a Works Cited page. You will also need to turn in zeroxed copies of all sources used to develop your paper, or, again, I will not grade your paper.  This is a folder assignment.  

Check your calendar fro draft due dates.

 FOR ALL CLASSES--FINAL DRAFT DUE AT TIME OF FINAL EXAM.