arguing

Word Count: 1250 words minimum with no less than 8 paragraphs: introduction, 2 paragraphs for each point within the thesis statement, and a conclusion. There will also be no less than four (4) properly formatted direct quotes.

Be aware:

When an assignment is given, it will not include every aspect of what is expected. For example, my instructions don't state that words must be spelled correctly or that periods must be included. These are also important elements when writing. A five-paragraph essay belongs in middle school and high school and not in college. An essay the length of 1250 words is too long for the basic format of the five-paragraph essay because paragraphs should not be pages long. In addition, as one advances through one's education, essays get longer, and it is important to know how to organize an even longer essay. Could you imagine reading a 12 page essay containing only five paragraphs? It would get confusing and convoluted; the same thing happens on a smaller scale with 1250 words, so it is important to have at least eight paragraphs. Basic Eight-Paragraph Organization Handout.

Again, I do not ask students to do anything that does not have a purpose. There will come a day that the information I have taught in this class will be of use in the larger scheme. You can do this! If you have any questions, as you work through the writing process, please let me know.

Grade Weight: 25%

1. Introductory Paragraph and Works Cited Page (Optional): Friday, April 16th by 11:00 p.m. (upload to Assignment folder: Arguing a Position: Introductory Paragraph . If summaries, paraphrases, or quotes are used, they must be properly cited in MLA.

OVERVIEW

An argumentative essay explores a topic and asserts a position about the subject. Argumentative writing is not always about a win/lose situation. The goal for these essays is to present a thoughtful, logical, and plausible point of view on a given topic. A successful argumentative essay presents a position with a knowledgeable and respectful tone. These essays consider the contexts of the issues, incorporate outside research to develop and support points, and address opposing viewpoints.

The purpose of the final course essay is to present an argument either for or against a topic.

The following will not meet the parameters of the assignment i.e. are not arguments:

Pros and cons of a topic

Comparing and contrasting of a topic

Giving an overview of any kind of a topic

The easiest way to figure out if you are making an argument is to remember when you were a teenager at home and trying to convince your parents that they should allow you to do something you wanted to do. In order to convince them that they should allow you to do what you wanted, you had to argue with them and use examples and evidence to convince them that they should agree with you and let you go. Do this for your topic; convince me that I should agree with your argument using reputable sources to back up your claims. Also remember that academic essays do not include personal experiences; all evidence used to back up your position will come from one of the provided pre-approved sources.

TOPIC: Privacy Rights and the Internet

For this essay, you have a narrow topic that is both current and controversial. The issue of Internet privacy rights is a growing concern for many Americans. In your paper, you will assert your position on the topic. You are trying to persuade your reader to see the issue from your POSITION. Therefore, you need to choose a firm stance and develop an argument that supports your claim. You must develop logical, research-supported thesis points that reinforce your argument. Additionally, you should consider opposing viewpoints and provide a successful refutation to these oppositions.

The research question you will answer in your essay: Should the U.S. government have access to people's digital information? Why or why not? Choose only one side; do not argue both sides.

RESEARCH

To approach this type of essay successfully, the writer must be well-informed and cautious before leaping boldly to assumptions. Essentially, you need to do some research first! For this essay, you MUST use at least TWO of the following sources. You may elect to use all three:

1. St. Martin's Guide (pages 213-216) - Daniel J. Solove - "Why Privacy Matters Even if You Have 'Nothing to Hide'"

2. U.S. News - Daniel J. Gallington - "The Case for Internet Surveillance"

3. The Library of Congress - "The USA Patriot Act: A Sketch"

4. DO NOT use any unapproved sources. An unapproved source is any source other than the three provided above.

You can use the information to support your own ideas, and/or you can examine the refutations offered within the selected texts. Regardless of how you use the sources, for each, you need to ensure you incorporate the following for each article (there must be a total of at least 4 direct quotes):

1. one paraphrase

2. two direct quotes

3. At the same time, make sure that quotes are not being overused and there are no quotes longer than 3 lines within the Word document.

THESIS and AUDIENCE

You will have an argumentative thesis. It will answer your research question and clearly state your POSITION on the issue. It will also MAP out your discussion points for your reader. Remember that your thesis will be one sentence as the last sentence of the introduction and contain three points. Ensure your reader understands the purpose and can pull out your main idea.

Your audience for this essay is your local state legislator. Therefore, you should clearly frame and contextualize the discussion for this particular audience (using your resources). Your overall tone should be formal, academic, and persuasive.

FORMALITY and MLA

You need to follow MLA formatting, i.e. in-text citations, a Works Cited page, etc. Since this is an academic essay, the essay should not contain the following or a five point deduction will be taken:

· 2nd person pronouns (YOU)

· Contractions

· Rhetorical questions

· 1st person pronouns (I, me, our, us. . etc.)

· Slang, colloquialism, etc.

· I statements

FORMATTING and GUIDELINES

As with all your major paper assignments, you should follow the Paper Formatting Guidelines posted in the Grade Rubric folder. Refer to the MLA section in your Rules for Writers. Also, per the Paper Formatting Guidelines, "Each writing assignment for this class must be your original work." Therefore, this paper should be original work you've created for the first time after having read this assignment sheet. You cannot use a paper you have previously written. Doing so constitutes self-plagiarism.

Failure to properly format the essay according to 8th Edition MLA guidelines will result in a five point deduction.