In this assignment, you are identifying a problem and researching\/applying ideas to help solve the problem. The topic should be something valuable to you \u2013 something you’ve experienced personally or have observed, or something that you think is of particular relevance to you or your immediate environment (e.g. OTC, the local Springfield area, your high school experience, your workplace, something at home, etc.).
In order to do well on this essay, there are two general parts:
First, you\u2019ll need to prove that the problem is a real problem.\u00a0
Second, you\u2019ll need to offer and defend your solution to deal with the problem.
It can be easier to consider this as two separate essays, joined seamlessly into one bigger final product.\u00a0\u00a0
Some general notes on the parts of the essay:
Introduction
A good introduction provides appropriate background and context for the paper\u2019s focus. Think about what the audience\u00a0already knows\u00a0about the subject and what they\u00a0need to know\u00a0about the subject in order to understand the issue. One way to develop the background and context is to paint a picture of the problem: What is the specific problem that needs to be addressed? What are some examples of the problem? Why is it important to address the problem?\u00a0 The introduction also needs to create a reason for the reader to care about the problem.\u00a0 Perhaps a specific example to humanize and personalize the problem might be effective.\u00a0 You could tell your own story, if it’s a problem that affects you.
Body
The main part of the paper should focus on developing the two arguments: first, that the problem exists and is worth addressing, and second, that your solution is the best and would fix it.\u00a0 Each paragraphs\u2019 supporting details should be specific, detailed, and include a variety of evidence (e.g. personal observations, anecdotes, facts, statistics, expert testimony) appropriate for developing the argument. The paragraphs also make connections to significance or value of point (explanation).
Good arguments recognize the other side.\u00a0 \u00a0Consider people that disagree with your main idea . . . why do they disagree?\u00a0 What other solutions to the problem do they offer, and why do they prefer those solutions to yours?
Research
It is important to have a good variety of evidence (interviews, surveys\/statistics, anecdotes, personal observation, and expert testimony) and to properly document this evidence both in the body of the essay and also in the Work Cited page.
Use the following checklist to help you incorporate the evidence into the paper:
Important Citation Checklist:
Did I set up the source material by introducing the credibility (establishing ethos) and creating context for the summarized, paraphrased, or quoted sections?
Did I include a parenthetical citation for the summarized, paraphrase, or quoted material?
If summarizing or paraphrasing, did I make it clear where the summary or paraphrase begins (e.g. using a signal phrase) and ends (e.g. including a parenthetical citation)?
If summarizing or paraphrasing, did I make sure to change both the wording and the sentence structure?\u00a0
If quoting, did I include \u201cquotation marks\u201d around the source material?
Conclusion
Strong conclusions are much more than a mere summary of the paper. While it\u2019s fine to have a short summary of the key points, the majority of the conclusion should be about the significance of the call-to-action: What happens next? What happens if the issue is not\u00a0addressed? The conclusion works past the summary to something of significant value such as application or future research.
Important questions to answer as you write this essay:
What is the situation as it is?
What is the problem?
Why is this a problem?\u00a0 Are there people who do not think that it is a problem?\u00a0 Why?
What are the other possible solutions?\u00a0 What are their pros and cons?
What is the solution that you favor?\u00a0 Why is it better than other possible solutions?
How could your solution be implemented? What would it look like as implemented?
What are the benefits of your solution?
What are the drawbacks\u00a0of your solution,\u00a0and how can they be overcome?
What are the objections people may have to your\u00a0solution,\u00a0and how can they be overcome?
Number 5 above is the most important.\u00a0 You must clarify which solution you think is best and explain why.
Important notes and advice:\u00a0
Please do not offer as a solution, \u201cWe need the federal government to provide\/pay for some new program or make a new law, and that will solve the problem.\u201d This leads to lots of poorly developed arguments. It\u2019s also an easy way out.\u00a0 The federal government has been offered as a solution to practically every issue in America.\u00a0 And they\u2019ve tried to fix a whole lot of social and economic problems . . . with decidedly mixed results.\u00a0\u00a0If your solution is the government, you cannot earn above a C on the essay.
Watch out for problems that are TOO BIG. Abortion, immigration, war . . . the bigger the problem, the more likely that a simple solution (the type that you can develop in under 10 pages) is\u00a0not\u00a0going to be effective.\u00a0 Pick a small, local, even personal issue that you can tackle . . . avoid big nationwide problems.\u00a0 A good essay might end with you actually implementing your solution.\u00a0\u00a0
If the reader can immediately see five ways that your solution won\u2019t work, that might mean that you\u2019ve either not thought your solution out enough or that your problem is just too big.
This essay needs to have at least four sources, two non-website based sources, and it needs to be a minimum of 7 pages of text.\u00a0 95% or more of the essay needs to be your own words, NOT quotes from sources.\u00a0 Generally, the essay needs to be about half problem and half solution. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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