Possible Paper topics for Final Argumentative paper.
For your final project, you must construct an argumentative essay in which you show both sides of an issue and argue which side should be “more correct” or correct from your point of view. The essay must be a minimum of FIVE FULL PAGES with direct quotes & paraphrases used to support your ideas and examples. You must cite at least 5 peer reviewed sources. (Remember, a peer reviewed source is a book and a journal article—that has been checked in the filter box—on the side of the parameters inside the specific database–as peer reviewed. Not all journal articles are automatically peer reviewed if you don’t check this box).
NOTE: You should NOT use the pronoun I in your essay.
Safe Topics by Major and Interest to choose from:
Healthcare:
Euthanasia—is it right or wrong to assist someone mercifully with his/her own death? Defend or refute the need/not need for euthanasia.
Smoking bans in restaurants and society? Are these helping people and a good idea or are these bans causing problems by having people smoke outside and polluting the air? Defend or refute the smoking ban.
There are many controversies about breastfeeding vs. bottle feeding. Is it better to breastfeed or bottle feed?
Should breast feeding in public be allowed?
Should Birth Control Pills be available to teen girls “over the counter” or without a prescription?
Should the Morning After pill be sold over the counter to people under 17 years of age?
Should sugary drinks be taxed extra? Why/Why not?
Should the cost of healthcare (medical insurance) increase if you are overweight, smoke, or drink, or should it be lowered if you are not overweight, smoke or drink?
Should it be mandatory to require parents to get their children vaccinated? Why/Why not?
Should it be mandatory to get a Covid 19 vaccine? Defend or refute
Education:
Should junk food: soda, chips, candy, etc. be removed from grade schools, Jr highs and high schools’ vending machines? Do schools have an obligation to provide ONLY healthy foods and lunches?
Should parents be allowed to home school/educate their own children? Defend/refute home schooling.
Does class size matter in high school OR college/university? Should there be CAPS on class size? Why/Why NOT?
Should a college education be free or should students or parents have to pay for it?
Should colleges and universities use admissions criteria OTHER than the SAT scores and grades to determine if students should be admitted?
How well do standardized tests measure a student’s abilities? Should standardized tests be used in schools?
Should sex-education be taught in Jr. High and high school or is this a subject that should only be taught to minors by parents or family members at home?
A dress code in public schools—right or wrong? Defend or refute the need for a dress code.
Should teachers be armed with guns in schools due to the mass shootings that have been occurring in school?
Should schools have a longer school calendar with smaller breaks in between and not have 3 months off in the summer? Will this help students learn and earn higher grades?
Are online courses the same as face-to-face classes? More important, should online courses count toward a college degree or should online classes be done away with? (The topic is about college courses totally being online and not some face to face courses).
Internet, gaming, TV, and Theater:
Are TV programs, video games, movies, music, etc. too violent for children, and are these media outlets teaching harmful lessons to children? Ex. The Columbine Shooting. (You may choose 1 of these issues and concentrate on only one such as video games, so the entire essay is on video games).
Do violent video games make people more violent?
Reality TV programs—good or bad? Do particular shows such as Intervention show viewers how to stop drugs or does this show/teach the exact opposite of its intent—how to use drugs? Likewise, do TV shows such as Teen Mom & 16 & Pregnant promote or discourage teen pregnancy? Defend or refute reality TV shows.
Should trials such as the Casey Anthony trial and others be broadcast on television or a special TRIAL MEDIA CHANNEL, or does it cause too many distractions and provoke wrong verdicts due to the media? Defend/refute the idea of trials being broadcast on television.
Does Pop Culture deserve serious study? In other words, should there be college classes devoted to Star Trek, Comic Books, Harry Potter, The Simpsons, Hip Hop music, etc. or are these just a waste of time?
Animals, Science and the Environment:
IS climate change real? How should the U.S. address climate change? Defend or refute.
Should animals have legal rights just as people do? In other words, should it be illegal to kill, hurt, or attack or abuse an animal—particularly pets?
Should animal abuse have a jail penalty? If someone is caught killing dogs or cats, should they serve jail time?
Should it be legal to clone animals? Why/Why not?
Should companies be allowed to conduct animal testing in order to be sure products are safe from humans or is this wrong?
Moral Issues:
Gay Rights – should the U.S. have same sex marriage allowances, which allows two men or two women to have the same equality as married couples that include: health care coverage, spousal rights, etc. ?
Should prayer and the discussion of religion be included in public schools or should church and state—public schools—be separated?
Sports and Athletics:
Should College football players get paid to play or not? Defend or refute.
Do any sports teams have a responsibility to hold its players to a higher standard for their personal conduct? (Use college or professional athletes, such as members of the NFL or MBA as examples). Ex. If an NFL or MBA player is accused of spousal battery or substance abuse, should they be fired?
Defend/refute the impact of legal gambling such as the creation of casinos and card games in any state.
Athletes who get caught using performance enhancing drugs should be banned from that sport forever? Is using sport enhancing drugs such as steroids wrong?
Politics and Policy:
Should there be term limits on politicians in Congress and the Senate? Yes/NO. Why/Why not?
Should juvenile killers receive adult sentences? Why/Why not?
Should felons be allowed to vote after they have served their time? Why/Why not?
Should millions of undocumented immigrants be allowed to live in the U.S. without fear of getting deported or should they be deported for not registering or starting the process to register as a U.S. citizen?
Should texting while driving be illegal in every state? Why/Why not?
Should the Electoral College—the way the U.S. determines its president—be done away with?
NOTES: You MAY NOT WRITE ABOUT: ABORTION, LEGALIZING MARIJUANA, GUN CONTROL, or THE DEATH PENALTY.
*****You May come up with your own ARGUMENTATIVE TOPIC, but it MUST be approved by me. ALL students MUST HAVE TOPICS APPROVED BY ME PRIOR TO ME ACCEPTING YOUR ESSAY!