Argumentative Essay

6-8 pages + works cited page, typed, double-spaced

Intermediate research assignment due November 6

Full-length draft due November 12

In this essay you will argue for or against a policy recommendation for creating equity. The policy recommendation should be specific enough so that a specific government or institution can take a specific action in making the recommendation a reality. Your argument, as much as possible, should be based on research so that you can make a convincing argument for the specific government or institution to take action.

Your essay should demonstrate that you are aware of different positions and opinions concerning the specific policy, law or rule that is the focus of your essay. You should demonstrate some historical awareness of how the policy, law, or rule has assumed its current form, historical awareness about how the groups affected have developed in a way that would require the policy, law, or rule to change, and historical awareness about the efforts of others to make the change you are proposing. Your essay should be as up to date as possible. You should demonstrate awareness of the groups that would be affected by the change that you argue for and what the effects would be.

Research Question

Your research question will take the following basic form:
Should [city, county, or state government] [policy proposal] by [changing a rule or policy/allocating resources/supporting a program]?
Your thesis statement is your answer to your research question.

Intermediate Research Assignment

Before you write your outline you can think of your essay as having the following structure:

  1. Problem
  2. Solution
  3. Objections to Solution
  4. Answers to Objections

Each point in this structure can itself be a mini-essay. The combination of mini-essays with transitions, an introduction, and a conclusion can be a fully-developed essay. 

Your intermediate research assignment should be a mini-essay that answers one or more of the following questions:

  1. What has caused the problem? When?
  2. What is the scale of the problem within the geographical scope of the argument?
  3. Who recognized the problem? When?
  4. Who participated in creating a solution? When?
  5. Has the solution been effective?

Outline

Your outline is a plan for a 6 to 8-page essay. Most likely the overall structure of your essay will have four major parts, a problem, a solution, objections to the solution, and answers to the objections. You should develop each of these parts through several paragraphs.

After you do the intermediate research assignment you will need to have an outline approved by me. Hopefully your intermediate research assignment will become a major point in your outline. Most likely your outline will answer the sequence of questions below. The structure of your essay, however, should depart from this sequence of questions if there is a good reason based on your thesis or the reality that your thesis represents.

  1. What is the problem?
  2. What is a solution?
  3. What is the strongest objection to the solution?
  4. What is an answer to the objection?
  5. What are limitations of the solution?

Note that you will probably need more than one paragraph for each part of your essay. For example, if you include a story about someone who has experienced the problem that you are writing about then you will probably put the story in its own paragraph.

The first point of your outline should be your initial thesis, which is the initial answer to your research question.

Process

This is the process that you are required to follow in order to complete this essay:

  1. Select a topic
  2. Formulate initial research question, have initial research question approved
  3. Form an intermediate research question and answer the research question in a few paragraphs
  4. Write an outline for the whole argumentative essay and have the outline approved
  5. Write a complete draft of your essay
  6. Revise the essay

I will evaluate your essay according to the criteria in the EWRT1A Essay Grading Rubric for De Anza College. In this essay you are required to use MLA-style in-text citations and include a Works Cited page that does not count towards the 6-8 page requirement.

Back to Top