Applied Sciences homework help

Argument

People argue all the time—over what movie to see, what to have for dinner, whom to vote for. People generally have strong opinions, and many don’t hesitate to express them. Your friend doesn’t want to see the same movie you do because he doesn’t like gory horror. Your partner wants to eat at a restaurant that serves healthy food. Your coworker won’t vote for any candidate who doesn’t support universal healthcare.

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Your argument essay is an amplified version of those types of arguments you have with family, friends, and coworkers each day. The difference is that you’ll be conducting research and using the information you find to explain a problem and then provide a solution.

The argument essay is 1,600–1,800 words and must incorporate a minimum of four secondary sources.

Exam objectives:

  • Use prewriting, drafting, revising, and editing to write formal, college level essays
  • Distinguish between different patterns of development
  • Apply an appropriate pattern of development to a specific purpose and audience
  • Write effective thesis statements
  • Develop paragraphs using topic sentences, adequate detail, supporting evidence, and transitions
  • Employ responsible research methods to locate appropriate secondary sources
  • Quote, paraphrase, and summarize secondary source material correctly and appropriately.
  • Use American Psychological Association (APA) citation and documentation style to quote, paraphrase, and summarize secondary source material and to reference secondary source material correctly and appropriately
  • Apply the conventions of standard written American English to produce correct, well-written essays

Topic

Choose one of the following topics. Each topic focuses on a current problem that many students face.

  • The high cost of college or student loan debt
  • The lack of proper nutrition
  • Low minimum wage

You may narrow the focus of your topic as you see fit.

 

Purpose and Audience

The purpose of your essay is to identify, define, and analyze the

problem, and then provide a solution to address it. You’ll use the third person point of view.

Your audience is made up of your fellow classmates. Many will agree with you, while others will disagree. You need to present evidence to support your analysis and solution, and convince your audience through the strength of your argument and the feasibility of your solution, to side with you.

Research Requirement

You’re required to use a minimum of four secondary sources in your essay. Use the Research Writing and Citation and Documentation webinar, Journal Entry 16, and the Argument Essay Research

Worksheet to help start your research and organize your essay.

The required secondary sources are

  • At least two articles from Penn Foster’s digital library database, Gale Academic OneFile Select
  • At least one nonprofit or government organization (online or print).

Look for website domains .org, .edu, and .gov.

  • One source that you choose.

Remember that all sources, no matter where they come from, should be evaluated for accuracy and validity. You may use more than four sources, but you should avoid using more than six. Borrowing too much from too many sources will overwhelm your voice in your essay and negatively affect your grade. It could also lead to plagiarism.

Process

  1. Once you’ve chosen your topic, read through the Argument Essay slideshow and watch the Argument Essay Instructions video. You should also complete the Argument Essay Worksheet. This doesn’t need to be turned in, but you should find it helpful.
  2. You should develop your thesis statement, choose a method of organization, create an outline or graphic organizer, and begin drafting your essay.

As you draft your essay, ensure that you’re incorporating your sources accurately and responsibly. Remember to include the sources you use in your essay in your list of references.

You’ll be using APA citation and documentation style to give credit to your sources.

  1. Begin with an introduction that gives a broad overview of your topic.

End this introduction with a thesis statement. Your thesis statement must make your argument and name three supporting reasons. These reasons must be named in the same order they’re discussed in the body paragraphs.

  1. Each body paragraph must describe one reason, with the exception of the last body paragraph before the conclusion; this paragraph must consider your opposition.
  2. End with a conclusion that reinforces your thesis statement and names your three reasons

 

 

YOUR TOPIC

Answer the following questions: they’ll help you to focus your ideas and identify your purpose.

  1. Which topic did you choose for your argument essay? _________________________________________________________________________
  2. What is your position on your topic? Freewrite for 5–10 minutes to identify and clarify your position, and to narrow your topic to a manageable level.
  3. Based on your freewriting, list 3 reasons why you have taken this position.

Reason 1: _________________________________________________________

Reason 2: _________________________________________________________

Reason 3: _________________________________________________________

  1. What specifically do you hope to persuade your audience to think and do? _________________________________________________________________________
  2. Write a working thesis statement that includes your topic and your claim. _________________________________________________________________________

To review the requirements for a thesis statement, review the video Everything You Ever Wanted to Know About Thesis Statements.

RESEARCH QUESTIONS

Review your freewriting to determine where you should begin your research and formulate 3–4 research questions to help you get started. Consider what you need to know about your topic, and what evidence you need to best support your position. For more information about formulating research questions, review Choosing and Refining Topics in your Information Literacy course.

Question 1: _____________________________________________________________________ Question 2: _____________________________________________________________________ Question 3: _____________________________________________________________________ Question 4: _____________________________________________________________________

GALE ACADEMIC ONEFILE SELECT

You are required to use OneFile to find at least 2 sources for your argument essay.

To familiarize yourself with this type of research, test these terms in the OneFile Basic Search:

O Presidential Election

O Democratic Candidates

O Republican Platform

First, notice that keywords and terms will populate in the search as you type, giving you more search options.

Second, notice on the right that you can choose your content type and limit your search in various ways, such as by publication, document type, and related subjects.

YOUR SEARCH

To effectively search OneFile, use your freewrite and research questions to brainstorm some key words or terms (no more than 1–3 words per search) to use in the Basic Search in OneFile. List your terms here. Term 1: _____________________________________________________________________

Term 2: _____________________________________________________________________

Term 3: _____________________________________________________________________

Term 4: _____________________________________________________________________

Term 5: _____________________________________________________________________

 

TAKE NOTES TO AVOID PLAGIARISM

O Use an annotated bibliography and/or note cards to keep track of the sources that you find.

O Copy and paste the citations into a working bibliography.

IMPORTANT POINTS TO REMEMBER:

O Your essay is based on your position and reasons.

O No more than 25%–30% of your paper should be devoted to secondary source information.

O American Psychological Association (APA) citation and documentation format is required.