The Death Penalty

Essay 3 is going to tie all of the skills you have developed so far together for your most formal essay of the semester. In this essay, you will create an argument about a current social issue that you choose to write about. Importantly, this essay requires that you conduct research into your topic so that you become well informed on the various elements and viewpoints on the issue.  

Now that key writing skills, like paragraph development and organization, have been established, you will learn how to use the library databases to do research and use the information you find to write a strong argumentative research paper about the topic you choose to write about. We will focus on developing an argument, including engaging with a counterargument and constructing a refutation to it. There will also be an emphasis in using the appropriate tone and writing to the rhetorical situation–meaning writing in a way that meets the expectations of a formal, research-informed essay.

The Prompt

For your third essay, you will consider a current social issue that interests you, perform research into that topic, and build an argument that takes a position on the issue.  Your job is to pose an effective argument on the topic of your choosing using the research you conduct into the matter as your support.  When considering the social issue you wish to write about, I suggest you choose something you have a connection to or great interest in.  Note, this does not mean that you write about your connection to the topic.  Rather, this is so that you choose to write about something you have an interest in and will, therefore, be motivated to research and write about. 

Keep in mind the scope of the issue—whether it is global, national, or local—and determine how you want to approach it.  Many social issues have a broad reach.  While some can apply across the entire globe, you may want to consider how it specifically affects your local community or the United States specifically.  As you decide on the scope you want to approach the issue, determine if you will be able to effectively discuss the issue, along with counterarguments and a proposed solution within the parameters of this paper. 

Finally, as you consider your topic, be sure to choose something that is relevant within the last two years.  To be clear, you may discuss an on-going issue that has been taking place for longer than two years, but if the issue has not been recently relevant (within the last two years), do not write about it. 

What do I mean by argument?

I want you to create an argument about your topic. This means you must go further than simply stating something is a social issue. Instead, you can create a an argument about the causes or effects of the issue, an argument for a specific solution for the social issue, or for or against one side of the argument, for example.

Your essay must include:
A strong, clearly stated thesis that makes an argument about your topic. (Beyond that it is an issue.)
Examination of 1-2 counterarguments and a refutation of those counterarguments.
Incorporation of 8 sources
At least 6 of those sources must be scholarly/academic found through the library databases
A strong conclusion that comments on the importance of the topic discussed and provides a call to action
Goals
Effectively argue a position about a current social issue
Construct a strongly worded thesis statement that makes an argument about your topic
Conduct academic research on your topic and analyze sources for credibility
Assess sources for credibility and relevancy 
Incorporate academic sources to provide support for your argument
Engage with at least one counterargument to demonstrate and refute an opposing point of view
Construct the argument through a series of distinct paragraphs that set up the main claim, support the argument, and conclude with a strong call to action
Guidelines and Requirements
8-10 pages: a minimum of 8 full pages, not including the Works Cited page
Incorporation of 8 sources; at least 6 must be scholarly, peer-reviewed sources
MLA format
Include a creative/thoughtful/relevant title
Written in 3rd person only
Works Cited page
Details to Include in the Essay
A full explanation of the social issue and why it is a social issue
Include who is affected by the social issue
An overview of current viewpoints about the issue, including opposing sides
Historical background about the social issue
How it came to be an issue, the current state of the issue
Causes and effects of the issue
Your argument about the issue
Strong supporting points for your argument
A counterargument to your position and a refutation of that counterargument
A solution or a call to action
Tips for Writing This Essay
The first thing you want to do is pick a topic. As stated above, you want to pick something that interests you and that you will enjoy researching.
Once you pick your topic and gain a basic understanding of it and the differing viewpoints, you need to develop your own stance on the topic. For this essay, it is extremely important to establish a clear position to help guide your argument throughout the essay.
Do thorough research. It is important for you to research all sides of the topic, not just information that agrees with your position. It is required to include at least one counterargument in your essay, so you will need at least one credible source that opposes your argument. Further, this will help you have a broad understanding of the topic, which will only help you as you write. The research you use for this essay should all be published within the last 10 years. 
Develop your supporting points. Use good, credible sources to support your main claim. When you compose supporting points, you need to remain reasoned and focused. Avoid being emotional in composing your argument. That will weaken your argument and will affect the outcome. 
Picking Your Topic

You are free to choose your topic–for the most part. There are some parameters: the topic you choose should be a current, relevant social issue. We want to examine topics that matter right now. 

However, I have a short list of topics that you may not write about:

The death penalty
Vaccinations/Anti-Vaccinations
Abortion
Euthanasia/Assisted suicide

Topics to be careful with:

Gun control
Make sure that you begin with an unbiased definition of gun control. Using a biased or incorrect definition as a basis for this topic (regardless of what you argue) will start your essay out on shaky ground, and you don’t want that.
Global warming/Climate Change
This is a popular topic. I’ve seen a lot of essays about global warming. So, if you pick this topic, please find a very specific angle to approach it rather than just “global warming needs to be fixed.” Also, it is advisable to use the term “climate change” rather than global warming.
COVID-19/Coronavirus and the pandemic
While it may seem like we’ve been dealing with this forever, in the grand scheme of things, it hasn’t been that long. There is a lot of speculation and misinformation related to the topic, and finding peer reviewed sources might prove difficult, so that is something to keep in mind. 
Additional Components

This essay is a lot of work in that it requires extensive research as well as planning for your essay. To help get this done, you will have three other assignments to complete during this essay unit:

A proposal in which you discuss the topic you have chosen to write about and some of your research plans
An annotated bibliography in which you showcase some of the research you have completed
An outline of the essay. (This counts as your pre-write assignment for Essay 3.)

Note: these assignments are separate from the essay and will figure into your overall grade as formative assignments.