Why I ....
After reading George Orwell's essay "Why I Write," in which Orwell writes about motivations – about the reasons that all writers write, and the reasons that he, personally, writes - identify something that you do with a similar seriousness as Orwell writes, and explain the motivations behind it. Present your explanation in 2-3 pages (500-750 words).
Writing a Summary / Response
To aid in the understanding of argument, writers will be asked to write a 1-2 page summary and response of each of several assigned essay. Students will also serve as discussion facilitators on a rotating basis for their small discussion group.
Writing to Evaluate
Select a subject that might be evaluated from various perspectives – topics can be related to you personally, your community, or school. Develop a detailed set of criteria by which to conduct an evaluation. After establishing your criteria, conduct the evaluation, and use one of the organizational strategies discussed in class to write a 2-3 page evaluation of the subject you picked.
Writing to Argue
- Research Proposal
- Write a 1-2 page Research Proposal in which you explore an issue or problem you have chosen for the longer researched argument paper. Included in the Research Proposal is why you are interested in the problem, its local and broader connections, what you already know about the topic, and what you need to find out. The paper will also address where you might find your sources.
For this project you are to create an annotated bibliography listing 10-12 sources related to your research topic for your researched argument paper. Be sure to include credible sources which cover a variety of solutions to the problem or positions on the issue. Each source contains a bibliographic entry following current MLA style and an annotation.
Opposing Views
This paper is more an argument of inquiry than one to convince. After researching your topic, write a 2-3 page paper presenting the most viable opposing arguments or solutions to your problem and their most compelling supporting evidence. The essay will close by establishing your assessment of the opposing arguments and how you will address them in your researched argument. Cite sources of borrowed information using MLA style in-text documentation and a works cited page.
Argument Proposal
At this stage, you will propose the claim and arguments you intend to present in your researched argument as well as the opposing arguments you will present and refute. Think of this as an outline of your paper in a 2-3 page essay form. No documentation will be required because you will not be expected to include specific information borrowed from sources. You will describe your relevant research in general terms.
Researched Argument
Using your topic from the Research Proposal, the Annotated Bibliography, Opposing Views Essay, and Argument Proposal, write an 6-8 page researched argument. In this argument you will inform the reader about the issue or problem, its causes, and most viable arguments or solutions, then argue the position in support of a particular solution, countering the other solutions. Cite at least 8 sources of borrowed information using MLA style in-text documentation and a works cited page.
Multimedia Presentation
Prepare and present a multimedia presentation that shares what you learned about your topic. The presentation should incorporate the highlights of your research project in a way that is interesting and meaningful for the audience. It should not be a recitation of the paper.