06.11.13
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Project 3

Plagiarism = F on the assignment; severe cases of unethical plagiarism will result in an F for the course

The Assignment:  You will write an argumentative research paper organized as a Problem/Solution.  Your paper will persuade your reader to agree with your claim (thesis statement), and the claim will be supported throughout the essay with researched evidence in each paragraph.

Requirements: 5-6 pages effectively using research within each body paragraph

MLA Format:  double-spaced, 1 inch margins, using Times New Roman 12 point font

Source requirements:  Six sources must be used; at least four sources must have a reference page, so I’d suggest using the OCC library database. www.oaklandcc.edu/library   “Find articles”

Grade: We’ll use the same rubric as Project 2.  Click: The A paper

Due dates:

  • Week 11:  project 3 assigned
  • Week 12:  Draft 1 – 3-page “down draft.” You have a thesis supported through two (new) articles from the OCC library database and a Works Cited page.
  • Week 13: Draft 2 – 5-page “up draft”
  • Week 14:  presentation
  • Week 15: final copies

Guidelines for selecting a topic:

Select a debate or issue that YOU care about. Consider choosing a local issue: revitalization of Detroit, public transportation in our area, 2nd bridge to Canada or a niche topic like a debate among fans of Star Trek, the role of doping in cycling, etc.  or a current social issue consider urban farming, revitalization plans for Detroit, meat-eating vs. vegetarianism, etc. Do not select a hot-button or highly divisive issue: (nothing on gay marriage, abortion, gun control, etc.) Check with me if you’re not sure– better to avoid a rewrite!

This is not just a research report, but also an argument paper in which you take a stance on an issue and prove your point of view through evidence. The thesis statement must be framed as a complete sentence and not a question.  Pay particular attention also to:

The claim must be debatable

An argumentative or persuasive piece of writing must begin with a debatable thesis or claim. In other words, the thesis must be something that people could reasonably have differing opinions on. If your thesis is something that is generally agreed upon or accepted as fact then there is no reason to try to persuade people.

Additional concerns

  1. This is a critical essay. Unlike your personal response essays, you may not use the first person (I, we, you, me, us) in your essay.
  2. Each paragraph must have research substantiated by your in-text citations
  3. Paraphrase unlimitedly, quote sparingly! Quote only the passage that made the most impact on you, and do not use an example more than four typed lines in length.

2 thoughts on “Project 3”

  1. Sekoya Brown claims in her introduction that U.S. education is segregated/unequal in that children in high-income areas receive more funding than those who live in low-income areas due to property tax; many of these children in underfunded areas are minorities. Throughout Brown’s paper, she uses evidence such as examples (St. Louis High School) and general facts about certain locations that demonstrate relevancy to her claims. She also uses statistics various sources including the National Education Association. Additionally, Brown introduces No Child Left Behind (NCLB), bringing up the failures cited by various sources while discussing how Race to the Top would be a potential improvement to the NCLB.
    Brown’s source by KeriLee Horan is a fairly recent article from 2010, published in District Administration, a magazine for educational leaders. This suggests that the source is quite credible, in that it comes from a professional source. The source is quite relevant to her claim and provides significant information regarding her topics. Brown accurately uses this source in her discussion on No Child Left Behind when she cites statistics.
    In Brown’s fourth paragraph, she fails to mention a few vital characteristics of the source that help present the source effectively. First, she does not explain the author’s credentials and does not specify whether the author is reliable. Second, she leaves out the relevant contextual detail of the source such as publication date and its medium. When she tries to paraphrase the content, most of her content is direct quotation. She rarely ties in her own discussion on the topic.

    -Christian and Teja

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