7-10 pages research essay English 101 freshman's level

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Essay #3: A Well-Researched Argument "We cannot solely be concerned with our own well-being without recognizing the interconnectedness with all different communities, and we cannot see the issues of marginalization and oppression in a variety of communities as separate and apart from individual issues of trauma and well-being."

(Hala Khouri and Tessa Hicks Peterson, quoted in Berila, 172)

Think about the following questions in Mary Pipher’s book:

● What makes you laugh, cry, and open your heart? ● What points do you repeatedly make to those you love? ● What topics keep you up at night, or help you fall asleep? ● What do you know to be true? ● What do you consider to be evil? ● What is beautiful to you? ● What do you most respect in others? ● What excites your curiosity? ● If you were ruler of the world, what would you do first? ● What do you want to accomplish before you die? ● How can YOU be a change agent?

By studying rhetoric, we learn to organize our thoughts on an important (and often personal) topic and present a logical, clear argument that fairly considers the many sides of an issue, while maintaining faithful to a core claim. The purpose of this essay, your final research essay, is for you to write a 7-10 page argumentative letter in the form of an essay ​to a particular audience ​that is well researched and supported ​using multiple sources​, and of course, well written. Hopefully, you will be abel to choose a topic that is important to you.

No matter which option, you should choose a SPECIFIC topic, one that you can research thoroughly. The more specific your topic, the better your essay will be.

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OPTION 1: Responding to a specific writer from class

Choose one of the writers/speakers from a TED Talk or a Civil Conversation, and write a researched letter to that writer,​ explaining to what extent you agree or disagree with her or him and/or what you learned about the issue by using researched evidence from reputable outside sources.

OPTION 2: Responding to the mindfulness movement’s influence on disciplines

Consider the fact that mindfulness, as a movement, stretches into multiple disciplines (health/ sciences, education, law, politics, business, media, and more). Choose one of these disciplines and research the influence of mindfulness on the area. Write a letter ​to the members of chosen discipline​ (Choose one specific person e.g. perhaps a member of Congress, or the head of a particular organization or corporation.) to explain a history of the influence of mindfulness in the area and to argue to what extent you believe mindfulness should be further integrated into their profession or network, using researched evidence from reputable outside sources. (This might be a chance for you to do some career exploration in your chosen/potential major!)

OPTION 3: Responding to an injustice

The most recent set of readings were written by activists who believe that mindfulness is required when responding to injustices in the world, including ​Martin Luther King Jr., who is arguing for nonviolent protest as a means to achieve racial equity and Mary Pipher, who is arguing for writing as an effective tool for change agents. ​When it comes to the class focus of mindfulness, what relevant questions have you been asking after reading these texts in terms of the connection between mindfulness and civic duty/society at large? What injustices are you concerned about? What issues/problems interest you? Do you think mindfulness would work to help solve those problems? Is it enough? ​Write a letter to a chosen audience​ such as an opinion piece to a newspaper or magazine OR a letter to a political leader (mayor, member of Congress, governor, president, etc.) to explain your concerns about the injustice, as well as potential solutions and/or actions that you think should be taken, using evidence from reputable outside sources.

OPTION 4: Teaching a specific audience about mindfulness

For this option, choose a ​specific​ audience (parents/caretakers, healthcare professionals, politicians, the  elderly, international students, patients who struggle with a particular diagnosis or chronic issue  (cancer, depression, etc.), (the choices are endless but try to be as SPECIFIC as possible), etc.) and  write a paper in which you 1) Offer an anecdote (personal or from your research) to introduce which  specific group you will be focusing on with a transition to your thesis; 2) Provide an ​evidence-based  overview group you are focusing on, including any mental/emotional, etc. issues that this group  struggles with; 2) Define mindful practices in a general way; 3) Offer ​evidence-based ​research to  present specific mindful practices that may help the population you’ve chosen, 4) Address any  contraindications or opposing arguments (while also clarifying your claim); 5) Offer any opportunities  for future research and/or thoughts for the future. Again, be sure you find strong ​evidence​ to support  your proposal, that even if you choose a group with which you personally identify, you are finding  research to support your claims. Here is a ​sample outline of a workshop that I wrote for my own  graduate studies ​that might help you understand what this prompt is asking you to do.  

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FORMAT:

Though you are writing it as a letter (in other words, addressed to a particular audience), the essay format should include the basic components of the classical arrangement: introduction, narration, confirmation, refutation, and conclusion. Conduct research into the history of the conflict, making notes about the different perspectives associated with the different parties to the situation. How do different people explain the events that created the current state of affairs with regards to this particular issue?

Take a side on the issue and argue that side ONLY. Use the evidence from your research to provide relevant, credible support for your claim. Of course, you will consider the opposing arguments in your refutation; however, your job is to refute those counterarguments and convince the reader that you are right! Include a discussion of logical fallacies that the opposing side might use, and argue against them.

At the same time, throughout your essay, ​consider your audience.​ To what extent do they agree or disagree with your main claim? How will you address their concerns? What common ground and practical solutions can you offer to your opposition to help them understand your position? Include a discussion of the importance of this topic and argue a viable solution to the conflict.

Consider Pipher’s rules of engagement as you write:

● Respect ● Accurate Empathy ● Connection ● Clarity ● Perspective ● Timing ● Dealing with Darkness ● Resistance ● Hope ● Orchestrating Moments

● How will you reach your audience?

SELF-EVALUATION: Write a 1-2 paragraph self-evaluation of your work on this essay and presentation. What did you learn about writing by completing this essay and presentation? What questions do you have?What was easy for you?What was new or difficult for you? Based on the rubric, what grade would you give yourself? Why? Include this AFTER the Works Cited page. ​PLEASE DO NOT FORGET TO DO THIS!

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REQUIREMENTS:

● MLA formatted and MLA citation ● In-text citations and a Works Cited page must follow MLA Style. ● The paper should be 7-10 pages in length, with an ​additional​ Works Cited page,

which is required. ● At least 7 sources ​that have not already been assigned in class, including:

1. Mary Pipher’s ​Writing to Change the World, ​Martin Luther King Jr.’s ​Letter from Birmingham Jail, or ​a TEDTalk or Civil Conversation of your choice 2. At least 1 book (other than Pipher’s, can be e-book version) 3. At least 1 scholarly journal 4. At least 1 newspaper 5. At least 1 reputable national magazine (see below) 6 & 7. Plus at least two other sources, any format as long as the sources is reputable and the information is credible. You may refer to other readings in class, but you must also have 7 additional sources that you find ON YOUR OWN.

● The periodicals may be print or electronic sources (from Shatford Library’s electronic database).

● A separate multi-media adaptation of the essay - see separate assignment requirements for guidelines.

● Wikipedia​, like other reference sources, may be used at the exploratory state to give students an overview of a subject, but may NOT be included among the sources cited in the paper.

● Remember to write a self-evaulation, included AFTER the MLA Works Cited page.

Examples of​ national magazines and their bias (C= conservative, L=liberal)​. The American (C) The American Spectator (C) The American Conservative (C) The Atlantic Monthly (L) Chronicles (C) Harper’s Magazine (L) Mother Jones (L)

The Nation (C) The National Review (C) The New Republic (L/C) The New Yorker (L) The Progressive (L) Salon.com (L) Slate.com (L)

Here’s a great chart that identifies the bias of many publications: https://www.adfontesmedia.com See Canvas for the grading rubric.