SDSU Creating an Argument & Entering the Conversation Essay

Unit 3 Prompt: Creating an Argument & Entering the Conversation

Paper 3 is a research paper on a topic of your choice. Your argument will depend upon your own knowledge as well as at least three outside, credible sources. You will need to analyze the context and arguments of these sources and ultimately join the conversation on the topic of your choice by presenting your argument and supporting it with evidence from your sources.

Topic: General Education Classes Should not be a Requirement in College

Your project should do the following:

1. Introduce the topic and discuss the significance surrounding it.
2. Formulate an argument and clearly signal to your reader what you plan to discuss in your paper via a strong thesis statement.
3. Analyze at least three sources that examine your chosen topic. At least one of the sources must be a peer-reviewed scholarly text.
4. Using your sources, identify the contexts within which the discussions take place—historical, social, intellectual, generic, political, technological, etc.—and how each text is shaped by their respective context.
   1. You must discuss: historical, social, and cultural context in your paper
5. Position yourself in relation (enter the conversation) to the texts in order to make an argument that enables you to join the conversation on your chosen topic.
6. Effectively use textual evidence to support your analysis. Adequately introduce, correctly cite, and effectively comment on the sources.
7. Don’t forget to use rhetorical strategies and appeals, keeping in mind everything we have learned so far this semester.
8. Place the texts in conversation with each other by discussing how each is able to complicate, qualify, illustrate, extend and/or challenge the positions of another as well as that of your own argument.
9. Use an effective structure that smoothly guides the reader from one idea to the next.
10. Provide a reflection of how your research informed your argument.
11. Conclude by restating what your paper accomplished, and thoughtfully consider how joining the conversation effectively reconceptualized your understanding of your chosen topic and the implications of your research.
12. Have thoroughly edited your paper in a way that is appropriate for an academic audience. Adhere to proper MLA formatting, 7-8 pages (not including a Works cited page).

Outline

– Introduction, include thesis

– Second intro, summary

– Body Paragraphs:

Topic sentence: *your topic sentence here showing what the paragraph is going to be discussing*

Quote/source being used: *direct quote and source name here*

connection to thesis: *how does the topic add to your argument?

– Conclusion

Annotated Bib Assignment:

6 sources total

• the title of your source (the name and author)
• correct MLA citation of the source
• Provide the AGECAP (Author, Genre, Exigency, Context, Audience, Purpose)
• Summary
• Quote(s) you plan on using
• How does it connect to your topic

*You don’t need all 6 sources for the essay just the annotated bibliography