Argumentative Essay (Outline) Assignment Instructions

For this assignment, you are to select a topic for your Argument Essay and write a detailed outline of your essay. Your outline

• should use complete sentences,
• should include the correctly cited quotes and paraphrases you plan to use in your essay,
• and should include a works cited page.

Argument Essay Prompts

In this assignment choose a specific issue in which two credible parties have documented the following:

• Clearly opposing positions, and
• Clear agendas.

Choose the position you agree with and argue that position using:

• At least three separate lines of reasoning to support your position
• Research to support each line of reasoning (example, testimony, and fact/data, or any combination) that supports your position
• Research about the opposing position’s views
• Presentation of the opposing views (this should be brief), along with lines of reasoning to refute them

Final Draft Essay Requirements

This assignment requires an “issue statement” (refer to the Student_AnnotatedSample_Salvaging-the-Old-Growth-Forest.pdf file for further explanation about issue statements).

This assignment requires a two-part thesis:

• Statement of position; and
• Forecast (essentially a “preview”) of your lines of reasoning

The assignment also requires:

• A minimum of 4 credible sources from the Gwinnett Tech Library databases ONLY (no open web searches for sources) formatted on a source page (MLA, Works Cited)
• MLA citation style for the paper
• Minimum of four (4) FULL pages not including the Works Cited page. Works Cited page is part of essay but does not factor into page count.

Writing Tip #1

This Argument Essay is a Classical Argument Essay aimed at both arguing the author’s thesis and refuting the opponent’s thesis. It is NOT a Persuasive Essay, where the purpose is to persuade without necessarily arguing against an opposing perspective. The difference is that an argument essay tries both to persuade and refute against an opposing view.

With this in mind, you should not choose a generic issue that has no credible opposing view – like “energy conservation” – for a Classical Argument essay. One can try to write a persuasive essay that makes an appeal to a reader to conserve energy, but unless you can find a credible opponent with an active agenda opposing your appeal (“We should NOT conserve energy”), then you cannot write a Classical Argument essay.

Writing Tip #2

It can be helpful to look into current legislation under debate everywhere from your city council, state legislature or even at the federal level, but be careful with large issues. Students often like to take them on, but they can be too unwieldy for a short assignment like this.

Writing Your Argument Essay

To get started writing your essay:

1. Review What is an Essay?
2. Take time to review possible subjects.
3. Use prewriting to help you narrow your topic.

Remember that “story starters” are everywhere. Think about issues that come up in status updates or “likes” on social media. What issues are being debated in student forums on your campus? What are the headlines in the college paper? Your local television news or newspaper website? Your topic may be closer than you think!

Assignment Instructions

1. Review the grading rubric as listed on the following page.
2. Choose a writing prompt as listed.
3. Create a prewriting in the style of your choice for the prompt. Review the prewriting videos on the My Writing Process: Prewriting and Draft page if needed.
4. Create an outline using the outline below as a guide. Papers submitted that do not meet the requirements will be returned to you ungraded.
5. Submit your detailed outline as a single file upload.

Requirements

• Be sure to:
• Choose a specific issue in which two credible parties have documented clearly opposing positions and clear agendas
• Choose the position you agree with and argue that position using the following:
  • Three separate lines of reasoning;
  • Each line of reasoning will support your position with research (example, testimony, and fact/data, or any combination) that supports your position; and
  • Research about the opposing position’s views
  • Present (briefly) the opposing views and refute them.
• Include a two-part thesis (still one sentence) with:
  • Statement of position; and
  • Forecast of your lines of reasoning
• Develop an enticing title that implies your position.
• Use a sympathetic appeal and/or cited research in the introduction to establish the issue.
• Avoid addressing the assignment directly. (Don’t write “I am going to argue about…” Instead, introduce the issue in a more compelling way that makes the reader care.)
• Your voice should be professional and scholarly.
• Package your source material with appropriate signaling and commentary.
• Set up quotes; floating quotes are fragments.
• No second person or contractions.