WRI-1200
Essays one and two
These two essays are linked essays in that they must deal with the same issue. This issue can be one either from your own area of specialization or from the broader social/civic sphere. Whatever topic you choose, you will write two papers on your issue from two different perspectives. It may be easiest to think of this as paired Pro/Con essays, though you may find that the two views you wish to take are not necessarily two sides of the same coin, but more a side and an edge… So, essay one argues one side of the issue, and essay two argues another.
Choose a topical issue (one recently in the news) either from your own field of study or one of interest to society at large and focus on a reasonably narrow aspect of it. (Gun Control is too broad, handgun licensing is better, in Hawaii, better still.) Find at least 4-8 good sources for each essay that address your issue. These can be newspaper, journal or magazine articles, websites, books, etc. Use these sources to help you form an argument about the issue. You need to advocate that something be changed, done, etc. and you will eventually (in the next paper) argue from another side. This necessitates that there should be some controversy about the issue. This assignment works best when you choose a subject that allows you to argue that law, policy, etc. should be changed, rethought, etc. Broad solutions (“Parents should control their kids”, “We should all try to get along”) almost always lead to underdeveloped arguments and poor essays. Further, if you can’t see two clear sides that reasonable people could disagree about you probably don’t have a good topic. Consider your audience as you write and form your argument. For this paper, your audience will be an intelligent cross section of college students. They are bright, but probably not well informed on your issue, and they have a neutral stance. This means you will need to present some background information before you can effectively present your argument and that you should rely primarily on logos (logic) and ethos (your credibility) as your main rhetorical strategies.
Details: Five pages minimum in length for essay one, ten (2500 words) for essay two. A minimum of four sources for essay one, and seven, at least two of which must be from a peer reviewed journal, for essay two, required. You must cite your sources in APA format, typed, double spaced, etc. Use the naming conventions, etc. that are detailed in the class intro please.
Since the two papers are significantly different in length you need to consider carefully which you will do first. Don’t just assume that you’ll do better with the side you support. Experience has shown me that students typically do better on the side they disagree with simply because they HAVE to do more and better research to understand how to support the position. I have also noticed that the more sources a student looks at and uses the better the essays tend to be…
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