argument essay

ENG 100/101 ARGUMENTATIVE ESSAY

Purpose: The purpose of this assignment is to explore how elements in our popular culture can inspire us to change, using LOGOS only. In doing this, you are choosing a side of one of the issues listed in this assignment packet to work with. You will then find three provable arguments to back the side you have chosen. Your objective is to be able to prove each of these arguments with details that can later be supported by our readings and other research we will conduct in the future. No counter arguments are allowed, nor are “I” statements, personal opinions, or resolutions permitted.

General Requirements: Essays will be written in 12 point Times New Roman font and should be double-spaced. MLA formatting style is mandatory - see your MLA materials and book for more information. The argumentative essay will be a minimum of 4.5 pages. This will then turn into the research paper, which will be a minimum of 5.5 full pages, plus a Works Cited as an additional page. Your argumentative and research essay will be a minimum of five full paragraphs. Five paragraphs is also the maximum number of paragraphs you can have. It should also contain proper MLA in-text citation of sources after each paraphrase and quote, and a Works Cited page containing this information – these guidelines can be found in your MLA materials. Don’t forget to have a catchy title! YOU MAY NOT USE “I” STATEMENTS FOR THIS PAPER! This argumentative essay alone is worth 15% of your final grade, whereas the research component is worth 20% of your grade. THIS MEANS THAT THIS ALL ACCUMULATES TO 35% OF YOUR GRADE.

Course Reminders: If you do not complete the argumentative essay (which acts as the draft for the research essay), then you do not qualify to submit a research essay, which means you will fail the class and/or be asked to withdraw.

NO OUTSIDE RESEARCH IS ALLOWED FOR THE ARGUMENTATIVE ESSAY; this means no websites or database articles are allowed. If you use outside resources at this time, you will automatically fail the argumentative essay.

Notes:

● Remember, even if you are discussing an emotional issue and want to stress its importance, try to present your topic fairly (presenting what’s important from a proposed argument).

● Develop your point logically. This means you will be using only LOGOS for your essay.

● Provide evidence, facts, or other points of view to support your point. ● If your writing becomes too opinionated or one-dimensional, you will lose

your audience. Make sure you formulate a thesis, the point the essay makes and needs to support. Everything in the essay should be logically

related to the main idea so that it directs and shapes what choices you make about what you are going to say.

● Implied in your thesis is your purpose for writing, what you are trying to accomplish in the essay.

● Being clear about your purpose helps you select details as well as the most effective way to organize your essay.

THE ARGUMENTATIVE ESSAY will be submitted on Blackboard (see your Assignments and Essays tab on the left-hand side of Blackboard) by the deadline listed on your course schedule. NO late essays will be accepted; failure to submit one will result in a ZERO for the essay.

Plagiarism will not be tolerated! If you plagiarize on this essay, you will get an F. If you have copied something verbatim, then you will get a ZERO. In either case, plagiarized essays will be sent to the Dean.

Heading:

Your Name Prof. Starke ENG 100 Spring 2021 Argumentative Essay Choice #

Writing Center Requirement: STUDENTS ARE REQUIRED TO GO THE WRITING CENTER AT LEAST ONCE DURING THE ARGUMENTATIVE ESSAY, EITHER FOR THE

ESSAY ITSELF OR DURING THE REVISION PROCESS.

Research Component for the Argumentative Essay: YOU MUST USE AT LEAST ONE FULL STORY/ARTICLE FROM THE POPULAR CULTURE PACKET (designated in each choice questions). You must quote TWICE from the piece you have chosen. Please refer to your notes on quoting and citing, along with your Easy Writer book/OER texts for more information. After each quote/paraphrase and citation, you must have a reflective sentence explaining why that statement is important to what you’re proving in that paragraph. You must also include a Works Cited page. There is a sample of this attached to the assignment, and you are welcome to use your class notes and your Easy Writer book for help. Again, NO OUTSIDE RESEARCH IS ALLOWED FOR THIS ESSAY; this means NO websites or database articles are allowed. If you use outside resources at this time, you will automatically fail the argumentative essay.

CHOOSE ONE OF THE FOLLOWING SEVEN ESSAYS TO WRITE ABOUT:

CHOICE 1: MOVIE MADNESS

Celeste Armenti once noted that:

“Movies are not a good source of role models or heroes. It appears that the majority of today's films focus on violence and crime. Since we live in a nation where crime is the cause of many social problems that exist, I do not think that portraying criminals and violent characters as heroes is good for children. By doing this, the film industry tells the audience that violent people are admirable and that their values should be embraced. I feel there should be more positive role models in movies and on television so that young people can actually have someone to look up to who represents positive values” (qtd. in Gillespie and Becker 376).

Do you believe this statement to be true or false? You are choosing between two arguments: movies are a good role model for children OR movies are not a good role model for children. What are your three reasons to prove this side of the issue? Use the following article found in the Popular Culture Packet:

Gerard Jones’ “Violent Media is Good for Kids” (pp. 100-103)

Note: You could also mention films that you have seen recently that deal with violence as long as you discuss what the major conflicts were, whom they were between, and how it could influence/encourage people to act violently.

Note 2: This should only discuss movies/film NOT television or any other forms of media.

Tip: Do NOT use the above quote in your essay.

YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO USE “I” STATEMENTS!!!!

CHOICE 2: SOCIAL-LESS MEDIA

In your multimedia section on Blackboard, there is a YouTube video called “The Dangers of Facebook”. While this video noted that social media is good for some things (i.e. businesses), it argued that it has the following negative aspects:

● Social media makes connections to people, rather than connecting with people and that you can’t “compartmentalize human relationships”

● We reveal too much about ourselves online, some of which is unnecessary (i.e. what we had for breakfast)

● Some people treat social media as a game, one in which the goal is to have so many friends online, when in fact they do not have many friends in the real world.

● Because we reveal too much about ourselves, it puts us at a security risk ● Social media can ultimately cause issues both at school and at work ● There is too much of a need to stay constantly connected and not enough time

is spent “switching off ” from it ● Social media can cause major issues in our relationships, whether it be

friendships, dating, or other social areas

Write an argument showing whether or not you agree or disagree with these statements. In other words, you are choosing between two arguments: social media has positive qualities that make it suitable for all users OR social media is detrimental to those who use it. In order to create the best possible argument, only choose three areas to write about (one for each body paragraph). Use ONE of the following articles found in the Popular Culture Packet:

Damian Pierce’s “Facebook's 'Dark Side': Study Finds Link to Socially Aggressive Narcissism” (pp. 57-58)

Sherry Turkle’s “No Need to Call” (pp.42-56)

Jenna Wortham’s “I Had a Nice Time With You...On the App” (pp. 40-41)

Note: If you use these arguments as they are written above, it is considered plagiarism - find a way to re-write them.

Note 2: You DO NOT need to watch the video to answer this question.

Note 3: The Internet is NOT social media!!!

Note 4: NO CYBERBULLYING ARGUMENTS ARE ALLOWED!

YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO USE “I” STATEMENTS!!!!!

CHOICE 3: VIOLENCE ON TELEVISION

Chris Haley, a 17-year-old junior from a High School in Lewisville, Texas once said: “our generation is far more desensitized to violence than any other generation. TVs raise children now more than parents do and television caters to children’s violent fantasies. Parents are working more and spending less time with their kids” (qtd in Leland 157).

Reacting to this quote, you will argue whether or not you agree with this statement. You are choosing one of two arguments: television violence has no impact on children OR television violence majorly impacts children in a negative way. What are your three reasons to prove this side of your argument? Use ONE of the following articles found in the Popular Culture Packet:

Mary A. Hepburn’s “Television Violence May Cause Youth Violence” (pp. 112-115)

Steven Johnson “Watching TV Makes You Smarter” (pp. 82-90)

John Leland’s “The Secret Life of Teens” (pp.104-108)

Mike Males’ “Stop Blaming Kids and TV” (pp. 108-111)

Tip: Do NOT use the above quote in your essay.

Note: This should only discuss television NOT movies/films or any other forms of media.

YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO USE “I” STATEMENTS!!!!

CHOICE 4: GAME ON

Do you agree or disagree that for people who spend time Gaming (particularly online), there are numerous benefits. In other words, you are choosing one of two possible arguments: Gaming is not beneficial OR gaming has many benefits. Give three reasons to justify your side of the argument. Please

explain your answer. Use ONE of the following articles found in the Popular Culture Packet:

Kyle Chayka’s “Why Video Games Are a Work of Art” (pp.67-68)

John Leland’s “The Secret Life of Teens” (pp.104-108)

Lane Wallace’s “Can Video Games Teach Us How to Succeed in the Real World” (pp. 69-71)

YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO USE “I” STATEMENTS!!!!!

CHOICE 5: NET OF DISTRACTION

In your Multimedia section of Blackboard there is a YouTube video called “What the Internet is doing to Our Brains”. In this short film, it argues that the Internet is putting us in a constant state of distraction and causes our minds to lose our ability to stay focused on one single task (i.e. school, work, or hobbies).

Write an argument showing whether or not you agree or disagree with these statements. In other words, you’re choosing one of two arguments: The Internet is a terrible distraction OR the Internet is not a distraction, but a wonderful tool for people to use. Use ONE of the following articles found in the Popular Culture Packet:

Nicholas Carr’s “Is Google Making Us Stupid?” (pp. 14-20)

John Leland’s “The Secret Life of Teens” (pp. 104-108)

YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO USE “I” STATEMENTS!!!!!

Please Note: Texting and cell phones are not part of the Internet. The Internet is what you can access through a website, such as what you can only view when you open up Internet services, such as Internet Explorer, Safari, Google Chrome, etc. If you discuss texting and cell phones in your essay, you will risk failing the assignment. NO CYBERBULLYING ARGUMENTS ARE ALLOWED EITHER!

CHOICE 6: REALITY TELEVISION

Kim Kardashian, NeNe Leakes, Lauren Conrad, Flavor Flav, JWOW, Snookie, and Rupaul are just some of the names that come to mind when you think of reality stars. Reality television ranges from real life stories/drama (a day in the life style or documentaries), competition shows (both singing and others - i.e Big Brother), legal (courtroom or prison shows), lifestyle (makeover/renovation), destination/travel, transformation/self-improvement, social experiments (i.e Wife Swap, Breaking Amish etc), and so on. Some believe that reality shows are great because they show people in their natural environment and most of these shows create role models to look up to. However, there’s a good portion of people who believe that reality shows do not create good role models and they are, in fact, setting a bad example for everyone in society.

Do you think that reality shows create positive role models, yes or no? In other words, you’re choosing one of two arguments: Reality television makes for great role models OR reality television is a bad role model. What are your three arguments to prove your side of the issue? Use ONE of the following articles found in the Popular Culture Packet:

Mark Greif ’s “The Reality of Reality Television” (pp. 92-98)

George Will’s “Reality Television: Oxymoron” (p. 91)

Note: This should ONLY discuss the shows themselves NOT the reality stars.

YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO USE “I” STATEMENTS!!!!!

CHOICE 7: UNDER THE INFLUENCE

Social media influencers are everywhere - Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Reddit, Twitter, and so on. They are named “Influencer” because they supposedly have the power to convince people to buy products or even have certain beliefs because of the image they present and the amount of followers they have. Lately, social media influencers have been under criticism for what

they are posting. One is that people question the validity of the products they are promoting or even the image of themselves they pose on social media. People also question whether or not these influencers really use the products themselves. Also, there are many influencers who promote bullying, racism, or even outright ignorance. One of the biggest problems they face is criticism from people about their desire to bribe companies with a social media following in exchange for free goods and services. While these are just a few of the issues they face, there is so much more behind this issue.

The question is: Do you think that social media influencers should be entitled to anything, including free goods and services, just because they have a following? In other words, you’re choosing one of two arguments: Social media influencers should be entitled to many things OR social media influencers are not entitled to anything. Give three reasons why to support your argument. Please use one of the following articles to support your essay:

Lindsay Dodgson’s “A Beauty Guru with Over 5 million Followers said She's Sick of 'Influencer Slander' Because it's a Job Not Many People Can Do” Link: https://www.insider.com/narcissism-could-explain-influencer-furious-yelp-review-den ied-discount-2019-10

Lindsay Dodgson’s “An Influencer Left a Furious Yelp Review When a Restaurant Didn't Discount Their Food, and a Trauma Therapist Says it Could Be a Sign of Narcissism https://www.insider.com/narcissism-could-explain-influencer-furious-yelp-review-den ied-discount-2019-10

Taylor Lorenz’s “Instagram’s Wannabe-Stars Are Driving Luxury Hotels Crazy” https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2018/06/instagram-influencers-ar e-driving-luxury-hotels-crazy/562679/

Nicol Maciejewska’s “The Negative Effects of Influencers” https://www.theteenmagazine.com/the-negative-effects-of-influencers

Note: NO CYBERBULLYING ARGUMENTS ARE ALLOWED!

YOU ARE NOT ALLOWED TO USE “I” STATEMENTS!!!!

COMMON ESSAY ERRORS HANDOUT

Introduction:

● Your thesis statement must tell your reader exactly what you will prove. ● Your introduction should start with a broad sentence, then work your way into your thesis (and

NOT include the names of the articles or stories you are using); the ideas you put in your introduction, should be reflected in the topic sentences you create for each paragraph!

INTRODUCTION FORMATTING:

○ Broad Topic Sentence ○ Follow up sentence ○ Thesis Statement ○ Specific Closing Sentence

Body Paragraphs:

● ORGANIZATION - EACH PARAGRAPH SHOULD CONTAIN A TOPIC SENTENCE THAT DESCRIBES ONE IDEA THAT YOU WILL BE DISCUSSING IN THAT PARAGRAPH. THEN YOU CAN DISCUSS THAT IDEA, PROVIDING EVIDENCE, QUOTING, CITING. AND CREATE A REFLECTIVE SENTENCE. AT THE END OF THE PARAGRAPH YOU MUST HAVE A CLOSING STATEMENT THAT SHOWS YOUR READER YOU HAVE DISCUSSED WHAT YOU SAID YOU WOULD IN THE TOPIC SENTENCE!

● NEVER quote at the beginning of a paragraph or at the end of a paragraph ● NEVER quote at the beginning of a sentence or at the end of a sentence.

PARAGRAPH FORMATTING:

○ Topic Sentence ○ Argument 1 ○ Evidence 1 ○ Argument 2 ○ Evidence 2 ○ Argument 3 ○ Evidence 3 ○ Closing Sentence

Conclusion:

● DO NOT USE “IN CONCLUSION” OR ANY VARIANT OF THIS – YOU WILL LOSE 5 POINTS IF YOU DO

● NEVER quote in your conclusion. ● You should begin with a specific sentence, then work your way backwards from the thesis you

presented in the introduction, and end with a concluding statement that is more broad.

CONCLUSION FORMATTING:

○ Specific Topic Sentence ○ Restate all the arguments you made in Body 1 in one sentence ○ Restate all the arguments you made in Body 2 in one sentence. ○ Restate all the arguments you made in Body 3 in one sentence. ○ Broad Closing Sentence

Quoting and Citing:

● The first time you use a NEW source you must set it up properly (TAG - title author genre! - not necessarily in that order). YOU MUST TRANSITION INTO YOUR QUOTE EVERYTIME YOU'RE ABOUT TO - otherwise all your professor’s neighbors hear is her screaming "BAM, There's a random quote!" (Not kidding) Hint: see your MLA materials.

● After you quote and cite, you must include a reflective sentence that shows why that quote is important to your thesis. (TAG, Bag, and seal it up!)

● Once you set up a source, do not set it up again – after that just use the author’s last name, for instance, the work being discussed would only be set up in the introduction. After that, you would refer to the author’s last name or the character being discussed.

● All citations must include the author's last name and the page number (Smith 54), unless it is a play, which uses Act.scene.line (II.iii.246-247).

● Periods go outside the citation; if you have a ! or ? in your quote you still need it. ● If you have FOUR lines or more you have to set up special formatting for it because it is a long or

block quote – see your MLA materials for more info. Remember it will be two indentations in and set off from the rest of the body of your essay.

● If you have transitioned properly into your quote, then your first letter of the quote itself will be lower case (unless it’s a proper noun)

● Quotes and citations are part of your regular writing flow unless they are blocked off for a long quote.

● Be careful of quotes within quotes (i.e. an author has used another source) – this is what is called an indirect source and the set up for this can be found in your MLA book.

Mechanics:

● Grammar, spelling, punctuation, and capitalization count! ● No rhetorical questions. Why? Because your professor said so. ● You should not use exclamation marks unless they are part of a quote, otherwise, your professor

will scream “STOP YELLING AT ME!” ● Do not use sequential orders (i.e. number markers). First off, they’re annoying, second, they go

against what MLA says and thirdly, because your professor said so.

MLA Formatting:

● Catchy titles are needed (“My Life” or “Abortion is Bad” is not catchy!) ● Titles are not underlined. ● Proper heading is needed (see syllabus) – the date must be written out ● Page numbers must go on every page number after the first and includes your last name and the

page number (i.e. Miller 2) ● No extra spacing between paragraphs – your essay should be single spaced and fill up the blue

booklet front to back

● Author’s name – you don’t know them and should only refer to their first and last name together the first time you set up a source – after that just use their last name.

● Articles, poems and stories go in quotation marks; books, novellas, databases, entire journals are in italics – see your MLA book.

● No “I” statements (I, me, my, etc.) !!!!!! (Unless you are told you can – i.e. Essay 1) You will lose 5 points for each one you have that shouldn’t be there.

● No “We” or “You” should be used – who are these people? Say “One” (I.e. one can conclude, one may think that)

● Each paragraph is one indentation in. ● Be careful of identify the author vs. the narrator vs. a character ● It’s a good idea to be familiar with your MLA materials before you take the test, this way it’s easier

to find things.

Works Cited:

● Typed ones must be in 12 point Times New Roman Font ● ABC order ● Must be in proper MLA formatting ● Your title, Works Cited, must be centered and in plain text (not italicized or in bold or underlined) ● It’s not a Work Cited or a Bibliography – Works Cited ● You are better off preparing one ahead of time ● If you do not have a Works Cited at the end you will lose more than just the 5 points; you also get

a reduction for formatting. ● You must put on the sources you actually use in your essay on the Works Cited page, otherwise it

is considered plagiarism. ● DO NOT USE the database version of the MLA citation for a source – check it carefully and never

use the URL. ● Your Works Cited must be a separate page (i.e. if your essay ends on page 6, your Works Cited

will be on page 7)

Revisions:

● Revisions must be typed, in 12 point Times New Roman font, and double –spaced from the title down. Please refer to your MLA materials for more information.

● All original materials (essay, grade rubric, articles, etc.) must be included otherwise it will not be graded.

● Are only accepted on the day they are due, no later. ● Will replace your original grade completely, and an additional point will be added for extra credit. ● If you plagiarized on your essay and got a ZERO, you are not allowed to do a revision.

IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS, PLEASE REFER TO YOUR WRITING OR MLA MATERIALS. IF YOU CAN’T FIND YOUR ANSWERS THERE, ASK YOUR PROFESSOR!

WRITING FORMULA FOR ENG 001/100/101

The Introduction ● Broad Topic Sentence (a generalized sentence that is agreeable or disagreeable

about your general topic):  ● Follow -Up Sentence: ● Thesis Statement (very specific sentence that tells your reader exactly what you

will prove in your essay): ● Specific Closing Statement (indicates the three exact arguments that you will show

in your essay).:

The Body Paragraphs A:

● Specific Topic Sentence (tells your reader exactly what you will prove about your topic in this paragraph):

● First Argument: ● Evidence (this is where you provide proof of that first argument): ● Reflective or Explanatory Statement (how does the above evidence connect to

what you’re proving in this paragraph?): ● Second Argument: ● Evidence (this is where you provide proof of that second argument): ● Reflective or Explanatory Statement (how does the above evidence connect to

what you’re proving in this paragraph?): ● Third Argument: ● Evidence (this is where you provide proof of that third argument): ● Reflective or Explanatory Statement (how does the above evidence connect to

what you’re proving in this paragraph?): ● Specific Closing sentence (goes back to your topic sentence and tells your reader

you have exhausted your discussion of what you discussed in this paragraph):

B: ● Specific Topic Sentence (tells your reader exactly what you will prove about your

topic in this paragraph): ● First Argument: ● Evidence (this is where you provide proof of that first argument): ● Reflective or Explanatory Statement (how does the above evidence connect to

what you’re proving in this paragraph?): ● Second Argument:

● Evidence (this is where you provide proof of that second argument): ● Reflective or Explanatory Statement (how does the above evidence connect to

what you’re proving in this paragraph?): ● Third Argument: ● Evidence (this is where you provide proof of that third argument): ● Reflective or Explanatory Statement (how does the above evidence connect to

what you’re proving in this paragraph?): ● Specific Closing sentence (goes back to your topic sentence and tells your reader

you have exhausted your discussion of what you discussed in this paragraph).

C: ● Specific Topic Sentence (tells your reader exactly what you will prove about your

topic in this paragraph): ● First Argument: ● Evidence (this is where you provide proof of that first argument): ● Reflective or Explanatory Statement (how does the above evidence connect to

what you’re proving in this paragraph?): ● Second Argument: ● Evidence (this is where you provide proof of that second argument): ● Reflective or Explanatory Statement (how does the above evidence connect to

what you’re proving in this paragraph?): ● Third Argument: ● Evidence (this is where you provide proof of that third argument): ● Reflective or Explanatory Statement (how does the above evidence connect to

what you’re proving in this paragraph?): ● Specific Closing sentence (goes back to your topic sentence and tells your reader

you have exhausted your discussion of what you discussed in this paragraph):

The Conclusion ● Specific Topic Sentence (goes back to your thesis, your topic, and your three main

arguments): ● Restate your entire first argument in one sentence: ● Restate your entire second argument in one sentence: ● Restate your entire third argument in one sentence: ● Broad Closing Sentence (a generalized sentence that goes back to your generalized

topic):

NAME _____________________________________ ARGUMENTATIVE ESSAY BREAKDOWN ENG 100/101

I. INTRODUCTION (WORTH 10 POINTS ) a. Topic Sentence (2 points) ______ b. Closing Sentence (2 points) ______ c. Catchy Title (2 points) ______ d. Thesis (3 points) ______

= ______/9 II. BODY PARAGRAPH A (WORTH 12 POINTS)

a. Topic Sentence (2 points) _______ b. Closing Sentence (2 points) _______ c. Argument (9 points) _______

=______/13 III. BODY PARAGRAPH B (WORTH 12 POINTS)

a. Topic Sentence (2 points) _______ b. Closing Sentence (2 points) _______ c. Argument (9 points) _______

=______/13 IV. BODY PARAGRAPH C (WORTH 12 POINTS)

a. Topic Sentence (2 points) _______ b. Closing Sentence (2 points) _______ c. Argument (9 points) _______

=______/13 V. CONCLUSION (WORTH 10 POINTS)

a. Topic Sentence (2 points) _______ b. Closing Sentence (2 points) _______ c. Restated Thesis (6 points) _______

= ______/10

VI. 2 QUOTES/PARAPHRASES AND CITATIONS FROM COURSE READINGS (WORTH 12 POINTS EACH) a. Transitions (3 points each) _______ b. Quotations (3 points each) _______ c. Citation (3 points each) _______ d. Reflective Sentences (3 points each) _______

=______/24 VII. OTHER ELEMENTS (WORTH 20 POINTS)

a. Heading (1 point) _______ b. Formatting/Organization (7 points) _______ c. Spelling, Grammar, Punctuation, etc. (5 points) _______ d. Works Cited Page (5 points) _______

=______/18 FINAL GRADE: ______/100 = ______

(Sample Works Cited with ONE SELECTION FROM AN ANTHOLOGY)

Works Cited

Cisneros, Sandra. “Linoleum Roses.” Course Readings for ENG 100, edited by

Lauren M. Starke, Starke Printing Services, 2021, p. 15.