Proposal Essay

Proposal

Assignment: Define a problem affecting a community that you belong to and research the causes of that problem. Then, propose a specific solution, taking care to define the parameters of your proposal and

explain how it can be implemented. Finally, defend your proposal by discussing how it will address the

problem and outlining any additional potential benefits. Your proposal should:

• Provide adequate background information regarding the problem you intend to solve. This may include a description of the problem, a discussion of what makes the problem significant, and an

enumeration of some of the solutions already proposed by others.

• Propose your own solution in a clear thesis statement.

• Discuss how your solution will be implemented.

• Provide support for your proposal by explaining how it will alleviate the problem and by enumerating any additional benefits.

• Account for and respond to possible objections.

• Conclude by summarizing your proposal, discussing its significance, and offering a powerful emotional appeal.

Learning Objectives: • To provide experience in utilizing the rhetorical strategies of argument to make real change in the

world.

• To provide experience synthesizing different genres of argument in a single text.

• To provide experience with engaging an on-going conversation conducted in and through written texts.

• To provide practice with the strategies of academic writing, including critical analysis, crafting thesis statements, crafting supporting paragraphs, responding to objections, and incorporating

sources.

Audience: MTSU Academic Community. Do not assume the audience has read the essays you are discussing. Provide enough details about the author and the essay for the reader to understand both their

positions and your own.

Tips: • Review Chapter 12 of your textbook for help thinking through the kinds of claims and strategies

of support typical of proposals.

• Try framing your proposed solution as a call to action in the thesis statement: o E.g. If we really want to solve problem X, we must do A, B, C.

• Use a range of evidence types (facts, statistics, examples, authorities, analogies) as support in order to engage all the rhetorical appeals (ethos, pathos, and logos)

• For help organizing your essay, refer to the sample proposals included in your textbook on pages 307-17.

Requirements: 3-5 typed pages. Double Spaced. Include the standard assignment block in the upper left-hand corner (i.e. Your Name / Class Name / Instructor Name / Type of Assignment / Date). Use MLA

style and formatting throughout. Use the appropriate tone for an academic essay, as well as correct

grammar, spelling, and punctuation. This essay requires a minimum of three outside sources. All sources should be cited both in the text of your essay and in a separate works cited page.

Due Dates: See Schedule.

Essay Evaluation Sheet

Student ___ Final Grade

This evaluation sheet serves as an indication of where your essay is strong and weak. Use this information as a guide

when you write, revise, and edit your papers in the future. Remember: you can come in and talk to me about your

papers at any time during the process of writing them or 24 hours after they are returned to you. Each category uses the

Very Good to Weak scale; 100 total points are possible. Your grade is based on the points you receive out of those

possible 100 points and your final point score is calculated by applying the percentage of points out of 100 to the total

number of points possible for the specific assignment.

AREA SCORE OVERALL QUALITY SCORED CRITERIA

CONTENT _____ Very good *Interesting topic/title 5…4…3…2…1

30 points _____ Good * Clear significance 5…4…3…2…1

_____ Average * Meets the assignment 5…4…3…2…1

/30 _____ Needs improvement * Attention to Audience 5…4…3…2…1

_____ Weak * Strong support 5…4…3…2…1

*Vivid detail 5…4…3…2…1

ORGANIZATION _____ Very good

* Introduction 5…4…3…2…1

* Conclusion 5…4…3…2…1

30 points _____ Good * Development/control of ideas 5…4…3…2…1

/30 _____ Average * Logical sequencing of ideas 5…4…3…2…1

_____ Needs improvement * Transitions 5…4…3…2…1

_____ Weak * Unified paragraphs 5…4…3…2…1

Style _____ Very good * Accurate, precise word choice 5…4…3…2…1

20 points _____ Good * No wordiness 5…4…3…2…1

_____ Average * Tone/Voice 5…4…3…2…1

/20 _____ Needs improvement * Sentence variety 5…4…3…2…1

_____ Weak

GRAMMAR _____ Very good

* Misplaced or missing possessive apostrophes

3…2…1…0

15 points _____ Good

*Comma Use

3…2…1…0

_____ Average

* Sentence fragment

3…2…1…0

/15 _____ Needs improvement

*Agreement (s/v, p/a, tense)

3…2…1…0

_____ Weak * Run-on sentences 3…2…1…0

MECHANICS _____ Very good * Spelling/typos 2…1…0

5 points _____ Good * MLA style/Formatting 3…2…1…0

_____ Average

/5 _____ Needs improvement

_____ Weak

TOTAL

/100