English 10

Argumentative Essay

Purpose:

Argumentative writing and discourse are used on a daily basis. Therefore, it is essential that you develop stronger skills in order to be more convincing throughout your life.

Objective:

To write an argumentativeessay that includes an opposing argument, rebuttal, and supporting arguments.

Common Core Standards:

Writing 10.1a: Introduce precise claim(s), distinguish the claim(s) from alternate or opposing claims, and create an organization that establishes clear relationships among claim(s), counterclaims, reasons, and evidence.

Writing10.1b: Develop claim(s) and counterclaim(s) fairly, supplying evidence for each while pointing out the strengths and limitations of both in a manner that anticipates the audience’s knowledge level and concerns.

Writing 10.1c: Use words, phrases, and clauses to link the major sections of the text, create cohesion, and clarify the relationships between claim(s) and reasons, between reasons and evidence, and between claim(s) and counterclaims.

Writing 10.7: Synthesize multiple sources on the subject, demonstrating understanding of the subject under investigation.

Writing 10.1e: Provide a concluding statement or section that follows from and supports the argument presented.

Writing 10.1.d:Establish and maintain a formal style and objective tone while attending to the norms and conventions of the discipline in which they are writing.

Language 1: Demonstrate command of conventions of standard English grammar and usage when writing or speaking

Language 2:Demonstrate command conventions of standard English, capitalization, punctuation, and spelling when writing

Basic Expectations:

  • Complete all five steps of the writing process: pre-writing, drafting, revising, editing, and publishing.
  • Prove thesis by including opposing argument with rebuttal and supporting arguments
  • Conduct additional research (if applicable)
  • Include textual evidence from research found from Facts On File or related articles
  • Include parenthetical citations in the essay
  • Final draft typed – Times New Roman, font-size 12, one-inch margins,double-spaced, works cited page attached.

Topic Selection:

The Facts On File database holds hundreds of topics for your argumentative paper. Please visit . Login using the following username: lshs and password: reference. Click on Issues and Controversies. On the right had side, you will see a heading “Issues in the Headlines” at the bottom of the list click on ACCESS ALL TOPICS. You will see a complete list of all topics available.

Information about Facts on File:

The topics available are almost innumerable. Each topic begins with a brief overview of the topic and summarizes for and against stances. So if you aren’t familiar with a topic, you can explore topics quickly. Each topic also includes a list of nonfiction articles that relate to your topic. These resources will be the research you use to support your argument. Each topic includes information for and against each topic, so you will be able to argue both sides in your paper with the resources provided.

Citation:

English courses use MLA (Modern Language Association of America) citation. For this paper, each source you reference (directly and indirectly) will need to be cited.

Parenthetical Citations:

Normally, you cite the author and page number in a parenthetical citation, but this resource is different. The research doesn’t identify an author. So, you will use the article title and paragraph number in your parenthetical citation. Also, if the article title is long (most will be), you will shorten it to the first two words.

For example, the section where the information came from is from the article “Government Must Take Aggressive Action to Defend U.S. Against Cyberattacks, Supporters Say” and is eight paragraphs long. The information that is used comes from paragraph 6. The title is too long for a parenthetical citation, so use the first two words in quotation marks and cite the paragraph number like this: (“Government Must,” par.6). We’ll spend some quality time working on this in class.

Works Cited Page:

This is an attached page at the back of your essay. The page is titled Works Cited. Entries are alphabetical and use a hanging indent. Luckily, for you Facts On File makes this easy. At the bottom of the research for each topic is citation information for MLA citation. Use this information on your Works Cited page.

English 10

*** Please keep one thing in mind. You are presenting a balanced argument about a topic; you are not just merely giving your opinion on the matter.

Prewrite due:Rough draft due:Final draft due: