Essay Three Prompt:
The Institutional Life of the Region (Argument Paper)
Due Monday, 10-27-14 (bring hard copy to class)
Religious organizations, schools, and local government play a crucial and complicated role in the life of any region. These institutions both shape and reflect the region’s world view (school and church, for instance, can look very different in inner-city Richmond, suburban DC, and Appalachian Southwest Virginia). Since these institutions greatly affect our daily lives and embody or challenge our values, they are naturally the topics about which people most frequently argue. For this 4-5 page essay (double-spaced; 12-point font), you will take a stand on a regional issue concerning government, education, or religion (such as Medicaid expansion in Virginia, the efficacy of SOL testing, the effectiveness of a school district, or the wisdom or prudence of a particular church policy). You may write about issues that have national impact—such as standardized testing—but your focus should remain on the local or (at most) state level. You will employ at least four sources, at least two of which must be in print (a database article or article from a local newspaper would count).
I will expect your essay to contain the following elements:
1. Introduction. Define the issue for any unfamiliar readers, and explain what the basic sides are in this controversy—and why anyone should care. Your introductory paragraph should end with a specific, debatable thesis stating your position on the issue and why you hold it (e.g., “Former Governor Bob McDonnell should not be convicted of corruption charges because Virginia ethics laws are too vague to provide a meaningful standard for conduct.”)
2. Body. The body of your paper should contain three basic sections divided into as many paragraphs as is necessary to a full development of your argument:
Explanation of the Issue. Provide a clear definition of the issue you are debating. Do not assume that you and I have identical understandings of your issue. Although (for example) I might know in a general sense what you mean by “teaching to the test,” I need to know specifically what problem you see here if I am to follow your argument. Provide any relevant facts important for contextualizing your positions and those of others.
Defense of your Position. Much of your paper should consist of points supporting your position on the issue (along with the necessary evidence/reasoning). The topic sentence for each paragraph should make an argumentative point that relates to the thesis. The paragraph should support this claim with specific examples and concrete evidence. Logical transitions should connect your points together into a unified, convincing, thoughtful argument (I have no interest in reading a hysterical barrage of angry claims).
Refutation of the Opposition. To establish your credibility in this debate, you must objectively summarize at least one credible source that takes a position on this issue opposed to your own. You will refute this source with evidence and reasoning that the opposition would have to take seriously.
3. Conclusion. Remind us of the ground you have covered during the course of your essay, but don’t be afraid to speculate about the implications of your argument. What would happen, for instance, if you managed to convince the opposition to change its mind (and perhaps its behavior)?
4. Works Cited Page. Your paper must use APA format. Be sure to cite sources consistently throughout the paper and to employ accurate spelling and grammar.
The Institutional Life of the Region (Argument Paper)
Due Monday, 10-27-14 (bring hard copy to class)
Religious organizations, schools, and local government play a crucial and complicated role in the life of any region. These institutions both shape and reflect the region’s world view (school and church, for instance, can look very different in inner-city Richmond, suburban DC, and Appalachian Southwest Virginia). Since these institutions greatly affect our daily lives and embody or challenge our values, they are naturally the topics about which people most frequently argue. For this 4-5 page essay (double-spaced; 12-point font), you will take a stand on a regional issue concerning government, education, or religion (such as Medicaid expansion in Virginia, the efficacy of SOL testing, the effectiveness of a school district, or the wisdom or prudence of a particular church policy). You may write about issues that have national impact—such as standardized testing—but your focus should remain on the local or (at most) state level. You will employ at least four sources, at least two of which must be in print (a database article or article from a local newspaper would count).
I will expect your essay to contain the following elements:
1. Introduction. Define the issue for any unfamiliar readers, and explain what the basic sides are in this controversy—and why anyone should care. Your introductory paragraph should end with a specific, debatable thesis stating your position on the issue and why you hold it (e.g., “Former Governor Bob McDonnell should not be convicted of corruption charges because Virginia ethics laws are too vague to provide a meaningful standard for conduct.”)
2. Body. The body of your paper should contain three basic sections divided into as many paragraphs as is necessary to a full development of your argument:
Explanation of the Issue. Provide a clear definition of the issue you are debating. Do not assume that you and I have identical understandings of your issue. Although (for example) I might know in a general sense what you mean by “teaching to the test,” I need to know specifically what problem you see here if I am to follow your argument. Provide any relevant facts important for contextualizing your positions and those of others.
Defense of your Position. Much of your paper should consist of points supporting your position on the issue (along with the necessary evidence/reasoning). The topic sentence for each paragraph should make an argumentative point that relates to the thesis. The paragraph should support this claim with specific examples and concrete evidence. Logical transitions should connect your points together into a unified, convincing, thoughtful argument (I have no interest in reading a hysterical barrage of angry claims).
Refutation of the Opposition. To establish your credibility in this debate, you must objectively summarize at least one credible source that takes a position on this issue opposed to your own. You will refute this source with evidence and reasoning that the opposition would have to take seriously.
3. Conclusion. Remind us of the ground you have covered during the course of your essay, but don’t be afraid to speculate about the implications of your argument. What would happen, for instance, if you managed to convince the opposition to change its mind (and perhaps its behavior)?
4. Works Cited Page. Your paper must use APA format. Be sure to cite sources consistently throughout the paper and to employ accurate spelling and grammar.