OPPOSING VIEWPOINTS ESSAY ASSIGNMENT

How to Proceed

Welcome to the Opposing Viewpoints In-class Essay.

You will have two class periods to complete this essay.

At the end of the first class period, please turn in all of your work to that point.

At the beginning of the second class period, I will hand it back to you.

At the end of the second class period, your completed essay including all of your work is due.

Assignment

For the controversial topic you researched, choose one side (no fence sitting allowed) and write an essay defending your side by developing support for your position.

In your opening paragraph, briefly summarize the issue and try to establish why it is important to the reader.

End you opening paragraph with a sentence stating your position. This sentence will be your thesis sentence.

To develop the body of your essay, you may use any of the organizational structures detailed in last week’s handout.

If you have any sources open in front of you while you write, please be aware that you will have to credit these sources with what you borrow from them to include in your essay.

If you do not have any sources open in front of you (in other words, if you write only from thought and memory) you can assume that your words are a synthesis of ideas and, therefore, they are your property and need no citations.

A good target for the end of first day is to have your rough draft fairly well formed.

That will leave the second day for enhancement and editing.